The Gift of Gab: TV’s Biggest Former Daytime Talkers

Ricki Lake's show -- which ran from 1993 to 2004 -- specialized as most others in sensationalistic topics, with invited guests and a studio audience. Lake continued her acting after her talk show career, appearing in the 2007 film 'Hairspray.'

Leeza Gibbons hosted her daytime talk show "Leeza" from 1994 to 2000. She set herself apart from the other main daytime talk shows of the day by tackling serious news topics rather than emphasizing sensational and tabloid topics. 

"Jenny Jones" started in Canada and was syndicated to America beginning in 1991. The daytime talk show dealt with tabloid topics and sensational guests for 12 years before ending in 2003.

Geraldo Rivera is viewed as pioneer in the field of "Trash TV" by being the first to regularly feature titillating topics dealing with sex, death and hate. The daytime show bearing his name launched in 1987 and ended in 1998. Rivera has continued his career on TV, appearing most recently on the FOX News show "Geraldo at Large."

"Sally Jesse Raphael" -- which often featured sensational topics -- ran from 1985 to 2002 and was the first real challenge to "The Phil Donahue Show."

Phil Donahue is viewed as a pioneer in the industry as his program was one of the first of many "tabloid" daytime talks shows. "The Phil Donahue Show" lasted 29 years, ending in 1996. Phil snagged another show called "Donahue" on MSNBC in 2002, but it was canceled the next year. 

As Oprah Winfrey prepares to end her talk show after an amazing 25-year run, ET looks back at some other successful TV talkers who retired from the daytime talk world.