NEW YORK – Star Jones Reynolds has landed her own daily talk show – and she won’t have to worry about Barbara Walters this time. Court TV said Wednesday it had hired Reynolds to run a show about criminal justice issues that intersect with the pop culture world. The show, which has no title yet, will likely start early this fall.
It’s a return to her roots for Reynolds, a lawyer who began her TV career as a legal commentator on Court TV in 1991. She was an original co-host with ABC’s “The View,” starting in 1997, where she became acquainted with the glitz and glamour of show biz.
“This is the perfect time in our culture to see how the law, politics and entertainment come together,” Reynolds told The Associated Press. “Some people say it has been on a collision. I say it has been connected.”
Steve Koonin, Turner Entertainment Networks president, said Court TV is looking to broaden the appeal of its daytime lineup and this offered a good opportunity.
Reynolds, 44, left “The View” on bad terms last summer. Told her contract wasn’t going to be renewed, she beat Walters to the punch in announcing her departure. That angered Walters, and Reynolds wasn’t allowed on the air again.
She brushed aside any questions about whether her new gig offered any sense of vindication.
“It would not be smart to look at it as anything other than a blessing,” she said. “I see only the positive. I had an amazing nine years.”
She doesn’t watch “The View” anymore but follows news reports about it.
“It’s not my show anymore,” she said. “I wish them the best and I hope they wish me the best.”
By DAVID BAUDER