-By Marc Berman

One of the advantages of writing about TV is meeting the people in the industry you truly admire.  

For me, financial whiz Suze Orman and noted psychic John Edward top the list. Both host their own weekly cable hours—The Suze Orman Show on CNBC and John Edward Cross Country on WE—and each, in my opinion, would be a valuable addition to the world of daytime syndication.

Edward, of course, hosted NBC Universal’s Crossing Over With John Edward, a daily half hour devoted to gallery readings and frequent celebrity participation. But it ended its run in 2004 after a combined five seasons on Sci Fi Channel and in first-run syndication. And there is a void left by its absence that I think could be filled in daytime with a retooled strip if it were more than just communicating with the deceased. Let me explain.

For years, I have been criticized for my fascination with the beyond. “Focus on the living, not the dead,” one angry reader e-mailed me. “Get a life and face reality…when you’re dead, you’re dead,” barked another. “You are seriously compromising your reputation.” But I will be the first one to praise Edward, particularly given my recent reading. The man was right on the mark, so to speak. And while I can’t say I was all that pleased with the reading, my father (and other assorted friends and relatives) did indeed come through.

Unlike my first reading a few years earlier, Edward’s approach was more therapeutic this time. He used his work and experience to delve into issues like family and career that I think viewers in daytime would find interesting. He talked a great deal about astrology, and he did not beat around the bush; not everything, he told me, was necessarily positive. Beyond his readings, Edward is  funny, commanding and, most importantly, very personable.  These are three traits we didn’t always see in his first syndicated show. So, as hard as it might be to lighten up when communicating with the dead, Edward could segue back into daytime if he has some fun, shares the stage with other guests and morphs more into a psychic Dr. Phil.

I first heard of Suze Orman in 1995 when I was working at QVC’s second home shopping network, Q2, which sank into oblivion just two years after it launched. No one was buying anything other than some schlocky aero-bed and a series of books about finances Orman was hawking. Suze’s stuff sold like hotcakes.

There’s something about her financial insights as well as her boundless energy that keeps us glued to the tube. Watch her show on CNBC, or on her recent ongoing appearances on Oprah (or anywhere else for that matter), and you will realize she is someone audiences can relate to. That, combined with her impressive base of knowledge, her common-sense advice for protecting viewers’ nest eggs and her ability to convey that she actually cares, makes her a rare talent. In these times of deep financial insecurity, Orman has a built-in and, unfortunately, growing audience.

I say that with experience because when I e-mailed Orman two years ago to inquire how I should go about paying for a costly home renovation project, I received a two-page response—within one hour! How many celebrities out there that you know of would take time, during a weekend  no less, to do that? Not too many.

Unlike Dr. Phil, who spits out harsh advice faster than a speeding bullet, Orman is able to help viewers realize that problems in life often stem from money, but are not necessarily about the green stuff. Since Orman seems to keep popping up on Oprah, I wonder if CBS Television Distribution is thinking about taking her into the daytime syndication marketplace. Terry Wood…I think you should.

Although Twentieth TV tried, and failed, to get Orman into daytime several years ago, the added recent exposure only makes her more viable. And as we all wonder how we can survive in these turbulent times, perhaps Orman is the calming force who can help plan for the future in a daily arena targeted to the available female 25-54 audience (and people like me who are always in search of a new comfort zone in daytime). Aren’t we all, after all, getting bored with Oprah and Ellen these days?

Both Edward and Orman offer viewers perspective into the future and the past with two very unique daily hours. Based on their successful track records, this seems like a no-brainer to me. And it should be for stations too.   

Do you agree or disagree with Mr. TV? Please e-mail mberman@mediaweek.com and let him know if you would like your response published in an upcoming issue.