Kellie Pickler’s Talk Show ‘Pickler & Ben’ Has Been Canceled – But Why?
on Mar 28, 2019 • Updated Jan 27, 2023
The Premise Of Pickler & Ben
Hosted by Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron, a new talk show named Pickler & Ben debuted in September 2017. With country superstar Faith Hill serving as a co-producer, viewers were expecting top-notch country music content from the show.
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They got that and even more. The show, which is filmed in Nashville, frequently welcomes celebrity guests, many of them being country singers.
Names of some famous guests you may recognize include Reba McEntire, Darci Lynne Farmer, and Kenny Rogers.
In addition to welcoming country music singers and other celebrities on set, Pickler & Ben covers topics such as pets, home decorating, holiday preparations, and cooking. They also leave the studio and explore the city, giving viewers a taste of what Nashville has to offer.
To celebrate the opening of the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Music City, Pickler and Aaron visited the museum and had some fun by having Pickler pretend to be one of the figurines.
A Hit With Fans & Critics
Although the show has only been on the air for a year and a half, it is already beloved. Proof of its popularity came last year when it was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards.
More nominations came in this year, with the show being nominated for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Hosts and for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program for pop-rock star Ben Rector’s performance of “Old Friends” that took place on the show.
The two hosts couldn’t wait to share the happy news, and addressed it in front of the live studio audience that gathered to watch them film.
Celebrating today's exciting news with our studio audience! 🥳🥳 @DaytimeEmmys pic.twitter.com/oOd9CU7QY6
— Pickler & Ben (@PicklerandBen) March 20, 2019
But the happy feelings didn’t last for long…
Some Sad News About Show’s Fate
Just a little over a week after the Emmy nominations were announced, it was confirmed by Pickler & Ben‘s production company, Scripps, that the show will not be picked up for a third season.
News of the show’s cancelation was published by The Tennessean, which quotes Brian Lawlor, Scripps’ president of local media:
“We were really disappointed to have to announce that we were going to be sunsetting ‘Pickler & Ben after season two,'” Lawlor said. “We loved the show. Audiences loved the show.”
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According to Scripps, Pickler & Ben doesn’t show much promise of profitability in the long term, which is why the decision was made to cancel it now. The news comes as other networks pick up new talk shows later this year, including one hosted by Voice coach Kelly Clarkson.
Those who love Pickler & Ben don’t have to say goodbye to it right away. It will continue to air new episodes until September, but after that, it will come to an end.
It’s sad news for a talk show that brought us so many memorable performances in its short time on air. Watch one of those performances, a duet between Pickler and Kenny Rogers, below.
