The following is a descriptive history of the 'Ricki Lake Show' written by PR staff, and is not an official show description. Last updated: September 06th, 2004

AFTER 11 YEARS, RICKI LAKE DECIDES TO QUIT HER SHOW

"The Ricki Lake Show" entered its 11th and final season in syndication on Monday, September 15, 2003 -- and the show celebrated its 1800th episode (Full Story) in October, 2003. In fall 2003, the show expanded on its format that began in season 10 to discuss topics that reflect more of Lake's growing interests, and explore edgy subjects from a unique, unbiased perspective.

"Last season, the series laid the foundation for examining topics from a more experienced perspective," said executive producer Michael Rourke. "We made a conscious effort to accommodate our audience’s constantly widening areas of interest, while continuing to produce compelling, edgy shows with the surprising elements that are a staple of the series. It was inspiring to take an established franchise such as Ricki Lake and breathe new life into it," commented Rourke.

In its 10th season, Lake was supervising producer of the show; she continued the same role this season. With Lake as supervising producer, she had more impact on what topics were produced and how they were presented on-air. "Last year (2002/2003) was a really amazing experience for all of us," commented Lake. "We've always been like a family, but maturing the show together brought us even closer and turned out to be extremely rewarding. I’ve changed a lot since the show started, and our audience has changed too. Whether it was a serious subject like exploring breast cancer, or a fun show about dating techniques, we wanted to make sure that our viewers interests were taken into account during every episode that we produced," stated Lake.

In addition, several episodes from season 10 were brought out on the streets of Manhattan in an effort to open the show outside of the traditional indoor studio format. Taking episodes out on the streets also allowed fellow New Yorkers to interact with the show's discussions. "Taking the show out on the streets of New York (where the show is taped) and really interacting with everyday people, getting their opinions on topics from sex to dating to weight was an integral part of last season and was truly fascinating," commented Lake.

In October, "Ricki" celebrated its 1800th episode, with a flashback at some of the show's most fascinating guests of more than ten years of talk, and gave audience members the chance to win $1800 in cash.

The show continued its relationship-oriented format, but staying true to its promise, continued to provide viewers with the topics that concern the young-adult generation. From helping gang members get out of their gang to discussing teens on death row; from the aftermath of rape to preventing teen pregnancy; from GHB to the agony of ecstasy, "Ricki" has covered topics and issues that affect the lives of its young viewers in positive ways. "It’s really important that we continue to offer a variety of topics from the serious to the lighthearted, because our audience is diverse and have individual interests," commented Lake.

All-new signature themes that began in season 10 returned in season 11 in an effort to help educate the show's viewers on various important issues. Among them included "Ricki Investigates" where Ricki herself, and the show's team of experts investigated issues by establishing a sequence of recurring series focusing on health, finaces and safety, and "Ricki Exposed" which took an insider's look at edgy subjects that many consider taboo.

Frequent watchers of the show noticed the return of the show's main lineup of experts, who were featured on the majority of episodes in season 10. Among them: singer and lawyer Lauren Lake, "Real World" alum Heather B., sex expert Dan Savage, and psychologist and relationship coach Dr. Michelle Callahan.

It wasn't all the same, however. Loyal viewers of the show most likely noticed a few changes. New graphic elements were showcased during breaks, and the closing credits. The more frequent viewer may have noticed a few minor changes to the set as well.

"Ricki" also continued to raise awareness about teen pregnancy, as the series, and Lake herself have for the past four years. In 2000, the show made headlines for saving the lives of over 150 babies by helping desperate teen moms with the assistance of Project Cuddle. The show's first episode about teen pregnancy received over 100 calls from women considering abandoning their babies. Soon after Lake joined Project Cuddle, she also joined forces with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy to further enhance the message that teens should either abstain from having sex, "or use protection every single time." Lake produced more than nine Public Service Announcements that were distributed on TV, newspapers, and on websites.

In 1994, Lake was nominated for Outstanding Talk Show Host, and she attended the daytime Emmy awards. In its 8th season, Lake was the winner of the Angel Award. For the last three seasons, Lake has won the prestigious Gracie-Allen Award for media excellence with moral and/or social impact. In 1999 and 2001, the show received PRISM Commendations for episodes in which "Ricki" sent heroin addicted teens to a facility that provides detox, and helped Lake's guests recover. In 2002, "Ricki" received a PRISM Commendation, and Certificate of Merit for its unique look at various types of drugs and the guests addicted to them. In 2003, the show was the WINNER of the PRISM Award in the "Talk Show Series Episode for Television" category, for the episode: "Ephedra: Miracle Supplement or Deadly Drug?". No other talk-show for the 2003 award ceremony even received a commendation or certificate of merit. In 2003, Lake also received the John's Talk Award from John Cancio, host of "John's Talk".

Ricki's after-care program, for shows such as drugs, continued to provide guests with counseling and other necessary assistance after the show. On-air experts were often present to give professional advice to Ricki's guests - an integral part of the show for the viewers watching at home.

The show's official website, www.ricki.com continues to provide fans with information about the show, staff biographies, Ricki news, and the option to be able to participate in online polls.

"Ricki Lake" is produced by The Garth Ancier Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television (SPT).

This is an unofficial show description, and was written by PlanetRicki.com staff. For the official description of the show, please log-on to the official website at www.ricki.com