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Robin Roberts has been gracing our television screens for decades now; from ESPN to Good Morning America, Roberts has easily earned a spot among our greatest broadcasters. The legend is trying something new with Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts, a unique talk show that sees Roberts sit down with groundbreakers for open discussions about life, love, and everything in between.
TURNING THE TABLES WITH ROBIN ROBERTS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: “I was a country music radio DJ,” Robin Roberts tells her guests Billie Jean King, Mickey Guyton, and Jamie Lee Curtis, as they react with delight.
The Gist: “Something really special happens when women connect,” says Robin Roberts, as she pours tea for a group of women lounging around a coffee table. These women are Grammy-nominated country artist Mickey Guyton, tennis legend and activist Billie Jean King, and beloved performer Jamie Lee Curtis. The group discusses their respective career beginnings, hurdles, and inspirations – King made a promise to herself at a young age that she would champion equality – and share their wisdom with one another. Guyton, the youngest in the group, opens up about the racism she’s faced in the country music industry, and the constant battle to be treated equally.
The women naturally go back and forth about finding their purpose, as King shares what it was like to be outed and lose all her endorsements in the ’80s, and Curtis discusses how she was able to steer her career away from her scream queen roots and open up a slew of new doors for herself. Roberts also puts herself out there, choking up as she recalls her illness and the loss of her mother, and the way it’s shaped her. They all want to do good in this world in every way they can, and opening up this line of dialogue feels like a good start.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Turning the Tables might remind you a bit of Red Table Talk (minus the spicy language/subject matter), as well as the laid back, open-hearted style Oprah has brought to her recent sit-downs on The Oprah Conversation.
Our Take: Most talk shows today are fueled by big news stories, piping hot tea, or drama between co-hosts; it’s rare to see a setup that encourages positivity and light, one where the guests are there to learn about one another in a more casual environment. That’s the magic of Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts, an occasionally cheesy but incredibly big-hearted series hosted by the legend herself. There’s no “catch”, no bombshell, no tension, just a group of women opening up about their lives and sharing their hard-earned wisdom with one another. It’s unbelievably refreshing to be able to watch a conversation unfold in this way.
Roberts feels like the perfect host for something like this, a familiar face due to her years on air, and a resilient presence who has her own tales to bring to the table. As the title of the series suggests, there’s no real strict format when it comes to the interviews; Roberts herself is often asked things by her guests, and the tables are constantly turning as the group organically carries on conversations and wants to know more about each other. Selecting a group with the fascinating, unique backgrounds that Guyton, King, and Curtis have to offer is the first smart thing Turning the Tables does, and their good choices only continue from there. Things might get a little saccharine when the series tries too hard to pull quotes or theme certain segments, but the soul of the series shines through regardless. It’s lovely.
Sex and Skin: None.
Parting Shot: The women all laugh as Jamie makes a joke about Mickey giving birth in the midst of an emotional moment.
Sleeper Star: She’s already a household name, but I was so moved by Jamie Lee Curtis’s candor and warmth throughout the sit down with these women. She made sure to turn the questions around on Roberts and the rest of the group, and was unbelievably brave as she emotionally opened up about her 22-year sobriety and how it’s completely changed who she is as a person because she “arrested a generational illness” in her family. Curtis may already be established as one of our most beloved Hollywood stars, but Turning the Tables further cements why we love her as much as we do.
Most Pilot-y Line: There are certainly a handful of nearly painfully earnest lines in the pilot, including “the future is women”, but the whole thing is so well-intentioned it’s hard to fault it.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Gentle in nature and soothing on the eyes and ears, Turning the Tables is exactly the kind of wholesome, big-hearted sit-down series we could use right now.
Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.
