The Robert Irvine Show premiered on The CW on September 12, 2016. It was produced by Tribune Studios and Irwin Entertainment, and replaced The Bill Cunningham Show after Cunningham’s retirement. The show marked chef Robert Irvine’s first major move into the talk show format, following more than 25 years in the culinary world. It aired weekdays in The CW’s late-afternoon timeslot.
The show was built around conflict resolution, with Irvine helping families work through their most difficult problems. Each episode combined taped segments with in-studio interaction between Irvine and his guests. It echoed the format of Irvine’s Food Network series Restaurant: Impossible, only this time he was applying his direct, “tough love” approach to personal disputes instead of restaurants. The goal, according to producers, was to help individuals and families reach their full potential.
Until the start of its second season in 2017, the show was notable for being the last program from a major broadcast network still produced in standard definition, despite airing in widescreen. The series ran for two seasons and a total of 181 episodes. Production locations included the Burbank Studios in California.
The show ceased production after its second season due to low ratings, with its final episode airing in May 2018. It was replaced on The CW’s afternoon block by reruns of The Jerry Springer Show. Despite its short run, the series gave Irvine a new audience beyond its Food Network fan base. After the show, Irvine returned to food-focused programming, continuing his long association with Food Network.
