
Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show, “Sherri,” is shaking up its executive ranks, setting a new senior producing team ahead of its second season.
The inaugural season of the top-rated freshman show carried over the production staff from “The Wendy Williams Show,” which was replaced in its time slot on the Fox stations by “Sherri” when Williams’ show ended in 2022. Now, Shepherd’s show has parted ways with some of Williams’ top producers, who helped launch “Sherri,” which has been renewed through 2025.
“Sherri” hails from Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury, the same company that was behind “The Wendy Williams Show” for its 13-year run.
Popular on Variety
Related Stories
VIP+Generative AI & Licensing: A Special Report

'Sweetpea' Trailer: Ella Purnell Plays an Unassuming Serial Killer in Sky and Starz's Thriller Series
Fernita Wynn has been promoted to showrunner and executive producer on “Sherri;” Joelle Dawson-Calia has been upped to executive producer; and Siobhan Schanda and Dan Fitzpatrick have been elevated to co-executive producers. All four producers were part of “Sherri’s” launch. They will all work alongside Shepherd, who is executive producer and host, as well as original executive producer Jawn Murray, Shepherd’s longtime producing partner who was handpicked by the host to help launch her talk show last year.
Dawson-Calia, Schanda and Fitzpatrick are all veterans from “The Wendy Williams Show.” Wynn has extensive daytime credentials, having worked at Oprah Winfrey’s OWN and on talk shows like “The Queen Latifah Show,” “Steve Harvey,” “Jenny Jones” and more.
In its first season, “Sherri” became the No .1 new nationally-syndicated daytime talk show. It won an NAACP Image Award for outstanding talk series, and received four daytime Emmy nominations, including outstanding daytime talk series host for Shepherd.
“I’m thrilled to have Fernita Wynn promoted to executive producer and showrunner and lead the production team at ‘Sherri’ for Season 2. I’m also happy to announce the elevation of Joelle Dawson, Siobhan Schanda and Dan Fitzpatrick, who will work alongside Jawn Murray and me as we continue to bring our ‘good time’ to daytime,” Shepherd said in a statement. “I’m grateful for this rockstar TV team that helped make the first season of ‘Sherri’ a success and the No. 1 new talk show in daytime. Expect the unexpected as we embark on our second season!”
Longtime “Wendy Williams” producers David Perler and Suzanne Bass have departed the show, and will not return for the second season. Perler was executive producer and showrunner of “The Wendy Williams Show” for 12 seasons and served as executive producer on “Sherri’s” first season. Bass was a mainstay on “Wendy,” not just as a producer, but also known by viewers for her frequent on-camera appearances.
“Executive producer David Perler and co-executive producer Suzanne Bass have been integral to Debmar-Mercury’s success in daytime syndication for many years and have helped launch ‘Sherri,'” a spokesperson for Debmar-Mercury said in a statement to Variety. “Debmar-Mercury wishes them all the best on future endeavors and hopes to work with them in the future.”
The first season of “Sherri” wraps this Friday, June 16. Season 2 will premiere on Monday, September 18.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety

Apple Watch Series 10: How to Pre-Order the Newest Smart Watch Model Online

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Success Doesn’t Downplay Risky Reboots Coming to Theaters

Apple Discounts AirPods to More Than 30% Off — The Cheapest Price We’ve Ever Seen for Prime Day

Just In: Apple AirTags and the Tile Tracker Get Discounted for Prime Day

Generative AI Fueling ‘Exponential’ Rise in Celebrity NIL Rip-Offs: Exclusive Data

Jon Stewart Says Streamers Like Apple and Amazon Are Turning Writers’ Rooms Into ‘Ruthlessly Efficient Content Factories’: ‘I Can’t Function Like That’
Most Popular
Inside the 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Debacle: Todd Phillips ‘Wanted Nothing to Do’ With DC on the $200 Million Misfire

‘Kaos’ Canceled After One Season at Netflix

‘Menendez Brothers’ Netflix Doc Reveals Erik’s Drawings of His Abuse and Lyle Saying ‘I Would Much Rather Lose the Murder Trial Than Talk About Our…

Saoirse Ronan Says Losing Luna Lovegood Role in ‘Harry Potter’ Has ‘Stayed With Me Over the Years’: ‘I Was Too Young’ and ‘Knew I Wasn't Going to Get…

‘Joker 2’ Axed Scene of Lady Gaga’s Lee Kissing a Woman at the Courthouse Because ‘It Had Dialogue in It’ and ‘Got in the Way’ of a Music…

Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried to Star in ‘The Housemaid’ Adaptation From Director Paul Feig, Lionsgate

Kathy Bates Won an Oscar and Her Mom Told Her: ‘You Didn't Discover the Cure for Cancer,’ So ‘I Don't Know What All the Excitement Is About…

Kamala Harris Cracks Open a Miller High Life With Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show’

Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie: Matt Damon in Talks to Star in Universal Film Set for Summer 2026

‘Skyfall’ Director Sam Mendes Says James Bond Studio Prefers Filmmakers ‘Who Are More Controllable’: ‘I Would Doubt’ I’d…

Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 3 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…

- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut

- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)

- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN%2Fjq2taKaVrMBwv8eeqauhXai1przHnqmdZaSWuax50qGmsGWgp7ylwcKeqWarmJa4psHPZmhra2VrgXR%2Blmlm