Drew Barrymore Eyed for Syndicated Talk Show in 2017

Warner Bros. in talks with “Charlie’s Angels” star for major TV push

drew barrymore
attend ASPCA 19th Annual Bergh Ball honoring Drew Barrymore, hosted by Nathan Lane wiith music by Mark Ronson at the Plaza Hotel on April 14, 2016 in New York City

Drew Barrymore may become a fixture on your TV set very soon.

The “50 First Dates” star is in talks with Warner Bros. for a major push into TV, possibly including a deal for a talk show syndicated by Warners unit Telepictures Productions that would premiere as soon as fall 2017, according to an insider familiar with the situation.

The negotiations are at an early stage and may not result in a deal, the insider said, and it’s possible that any show that does result might take the form of a reality show rather than a traditional talk outing. But in any case, it would be the first major broadcast TV foray for Barrymore, the 41-year-old former child star who rose to prominence in Steven Spielberg‘s “E.T. the Extra-terrestrial” and has gone on to a prolific film acting career with “Scream,” “The Wedding Singer” and “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

Barrymore is already part of talk-show legend for a notorious stunt, when during a 1995 taping she stood on David Letterman‘s desk and flashed her breasts at the CBS host.

Barrymore earlier this year signed on to the Netflix comedy “Santa Clarita Diet.” Through her production company Flower Films, she has also produced films with business partner Nancy Juvonen (who, coincidentally, is married to NBC talk host Jimmy Fallon).

Warner Bros. declined to comment, while a representative for Flower did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Telepictures, one of the leading TV syndicators, is behind such shows as “Ellen” and “Extra.”

If Barrymore does sign up for a chat show, she would be entering tricky territory. Launching a successful syndicated talk show is one of the most difficult challenges in the entertainment business. The list of unsuccessful past contenders includes Anderson Cooper, Meredith Vieira and Queen Latifah (twice).

On the other hand, the payoff for a hit can be huge, as Warners has proven with “Ellen,” which has run for 13 seasons and counting.

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