Stamford Advocate- ‘Trisha to mix it up with the boys at NBC Universal

STAMFORD — Trisha Goddard, talk show host and UK television personality, hopes to bring a “female perspective” to the previously all-male lineup of NBCUniversal’s daytime talk shows in Stamford.

Goddard will join “The Jerry Springer Show,” “Maury” and “The Steve Wilkos Show” with her new syndicated talk show, “Trisha Goddard,” which begins filming on Wednesday at the Stamford Media Center.

“I’ve always said every talk show is different,” Goddard said. “It depends on what the host’s experience is, and each one of us has very different stories to tell. I guess I bring my own personal unique voice.”

This is the fourth show that NBCUniversal has based in Stamford, after moving production of its original three shows to the city in 2009 to take advantage of the state’s tax film and television tax credit program. With the production of the “Trisha Goddard” show, NBC has added 50 more jobs to its roster, expanding its staff of 230.

Goddard has worked in television, in both the UK and Australia, since 1986, becoming the first black anchorwoman on Australian TV. In Britain, she hosted a series of shows, including her own daily talk show, “Trisha Goddard,” produced by Town House TV, the production company she established in 2004.

“We would like to have viewers from the other shows join us on the `Trisha’ show, make that our core audience and build on that,” Paul Faulhaber, executive producer of “Trisha Goddard,” said. “The daytime viewer is very diverse and has a lot of interests.”

On her show, Goddard will leverage her experience as a conflict-resolution expert. She previously made guest appearances on “Maury.” Goddard was first approached by networks in the United States following her comments on Oprah Winfrey‘s departure from television a few years ago, and decided to sign on with NBC.

“When I met with NBC, it was like we all spoke the same language,” Goddard said. “It doesn’t feel like a huge TV conglomerate. It’s real people living real lives who just happen to work in TV.”

The Stamford Media Center spent over $23 million with Connecticut vendors during the first two years of production, and expects to spend an additional $1.4 million with local businesses in the Stamford area for future production costs. The “Trisha Goddard” show also anticipates to bring in an extra 800 audience members to Stamford each week.

“NBC has been a phenomenal economic engine for downtown,” Sandy Goldstein, president of the Downtown Special Services District, said. “It’s fabulous and that’s what business does. So when you increase business, as NBC has done, it will, by some wonderful exponent, increase the impact on local business.”