Holmes gets chatty with new TV talk show

He failed at 7pm, lost at 6.30pm and his hour-long show at 8.30pm ended.

But Paul Holmes is no quitter. He's fighting back with his third new television show in a year.

It is understood Holmes will host a series loosely based on Parkinson, fronted by British broadcasting guru Michael Parkinson. The hour-long show will feature a three-guest format, with each interview subject remaining on-stage and joining in the banter while Holmes interviews the other guests.

A broadcasting source said the show would feature newsmakers of the week, with some human-interest interviews. It is understood Holmes also wants to pursue more intimate "at home" chats similar to the interviews he did with Prime Minister Helen Clark and National leader Don Brash last year.

Holmes' half-hour current affairs show Paul Holmes was cancelled due to dismal ratings. First aired on Prime at 7pm before being moved to 6.30pm and going through a name-change to Holmes in an attempt to rescue it, the show was hoped to be the flagship for the fledgling network.

It lasted six months and resulted in about 14 staff redundancies.

Its replacement, an hour-long weekly show also called Holmes, has also met its demise, leaving reporter Alison Mau in a messy legal battle over her employment.

His new show, for which Prime is building a new studio, is expected to air next month.

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