TV

The Revolution: A Talk Show that Wants to Change Your Life

ABC's new daytime talk show features a cast of all-stars including Ty Pennington and Tim Gunn

By Brent Furdyk /

Credit: ABC

Project Runway’s Tim Gunn brings his style know-how weekdays on The Revolution

ABC’s The Revolution features a dream team cast looking to improve your life

Now that soap operas are going the way of buttonhooks and buggy whips, ABC’s cancellation of All My Children and One Life to Live (the latter aired its final episode on January 13) gave the network two vacant daytime timeslots, both of which are being filled by new talk shows. 

AMC has already been replaced by Mario Batali’s food-influenced The Chew, which has left both critics and viewers unimpressed. Hopes are high, however, that ABC’s new weekday offering, launching this week, will do better: an inspirational, aspirational hour called The Revolution that is clearly meant to fill the Oprah-sized void that exists in daytime television. 

What is The Revolution?

According to ABC, the show features a “dream team” of experts who are supposed to “provide life-changing tips and essential tools to motivate viewers and transform all areas of their lives from the inside out.” The team is headed up by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s Ty Pennington (whose show also ended January 13), who will offer not only home-design and renovation tips, but also serve as the show’s chief cheerleader when it comes to helping viewers set and achieve goals that will better their lives. 

Also contributing to the show are celebrity trainer and nutritionist-to-the-stars Harley Pasternak, who’ll offer his insight into health and fitness; Dr. Jennifer Ashton, an expert on women’s health; and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry, a therapist and relationship expert. 

The show’s secret weapon, however, is Project Runway style guru Tim Gunn, whose role will be to “help viewers embrace their individual style to look and feel their best.” 

Compared to such conflict-based fare as Jerry Springer and Judge Judy, a show like The Revolution should be lauded for attempting to motivate viewers to get off the couch and improve themselves. Nervous ABC executives, however, are hoping the show won’t motivate viewers to change the channel.