H-Town's Big TV Move
Sexy new TV power couple dive into Houston Life from Galleria studio
He's from LA. She's fresh from Denver. And after only a month in H-Town, Derrick Shore and Jennifer Broome have seen and done more than many long-time Houstonians — all of it in preparation for the launch of Houston Life, KPRC Channel 2's dive into local lifestyle programming.
Broome and Shore have been skydiving, sampled Ninja Warrior training, partied at St. Arnold's Brewing Co., visited the bats at Waugh Drive, and more. By the time the daily, hour-long program launches at 1 pm on August 22, this dynamic duo will be poised to become the city's on-air darlings.
Unlike other local programming, Houston Life will broadcast from a specially built-out storefront in the Galleria, next to Nordstrom. The set will be open to the mall and onlookers will be encouraged. At the moment, the space from the mall looks to be a large black box, but within, crews are working to transform the space into a first-class remote studio.
“We think there is a need for a local broadcaster to capture the diversity of Houston life from the arts, food, entertainment, sports, style, etc.," KPRC GM Jerry Martin tells CultureMap. "There really isn’t a vehicle on TV to showcase just how much Houston has to offer. . . The Galleria is one of Houston’s great attractions for culture and style, so it gives Houston Life a readymade palette of stories. Yet, the show will go far beyond the Galleria and showcase the entire Houston area.”
That upscale lifestyle programming, according to KPRC executive producer Don Graham, includes fashion, beauty, dining, and taking advantage of the NBC affiliation which allows for tapping talent from shows such as The Voice and America's Got Talent. He adds that the tone of the program will be similar to that of The Ellen DeGeneres Show with subject matter ranging from exotic cars to 25 free things to do in Houston. For the fab wheels segment, Broome tooled around in a McLaren while Shore got behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce.
With on-air sophistication and just the right amount of neighborly warmth, the lively Broome and Shore enjoy what they describe as an "immediate chemistry," an all-important factor in live programming.
"I think it's actually great that we are both new to Houston because we can see the city and learn the city through a fresh set of eyes an ears," Shore says. "In the month that we both have been here we've met so many great people and done so many fun things. Houston is so rich with diversity and an endless amount of stuff to do. We're going to have a ton of fun on the show, but I also think our viewers are going to walk away learning something."
With more than 15 years in TV reporting, Shore, a UCLA graduate, has covered everything from the red carpet at the Oscars to events at the White House to happenings around the world.
Broome is no stranger to Texas, having worked for 10 years in San Antonio as chief meteorologist at the NBC affiliate. She comes to Houston from Denver where she worked on Fox 31 as meteorologist and travel expert.
