“. comfortable chair. ... Arrange 14 - Friday, October 29, 1999 — North Shore News Sharing coffee with a ca CBC’s new afternoon chat show Layne Christensen News Reporter layne@nsnews.cont ON the set of In the Company of Women, CEC-TV’s new nation- al talk show, the show’s three hosts are settling in for a chat with writer and feminist Susan Faludi. Before introducing their guest, Maria LeRose shares with the studio audience and her co-hosts, Olympian Charmaine Crooks and televi- sion newcomer Shannon Nelson, an excerpt from a high-school home economics textbook from the 1950s. . “Touch up your r.ake-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. Be a little gay and a little more interest- ing. His boring day may need a lift,” she says, reading advice on how a a young wife should greet a husband returning from a hard day’s’ work..“Make him comfort- able: Have him lean back in a his pillow and offer to take off his shoes.” - : Nelson grimaces and quips about her own refusal to perform such witely duties. “You've come a long way, baby,” muses Charmaine Crooks, while LeRose answers with “You think so, eh?”. - . .-The hosts’ friendly banter sets the tone for the show, which is meant to encourage viewers to graba ‘coffee, put their feet up and enjoy a half hour of great conversation, J the Company of Women airs Wednesdays through ‘Fridays at 3:39 p.m. on’ CBC. o Later, during a conference call from the -production offices, LeRose describes the © » show's format as'4 chit session‘among good friends — with one.major difftrence. , “Sometimes when you get friends together | td: chat, you almast choose your friends : because they are like-minded,” says LeRose, who created the show With executive proditcer ‘and fellow North Shore resident Sharon Bartlett and CBC’s regional director for tclevi- n, Rac:tfull. From °94.to "96 the show aired regionally, with LeRose and Vancouver actor Vina Sood as hosts. (Sood now stars in the TV series Hope Island, caping in Britannia Beach.) In their search for co-hosts the producers were looking for women who would approach subjects frony 4 different angle. That way, says LeRose, “the discussions have a little more ” “We disagree a lot,” says Nelson, a voice News readers will recognize as belonging to former columnist Shannon Humphries. “We're also from different cultural backgrounds,” adds Crooks. “But at the end of the day,” says LeRose, finishing the sentence, “we like each other, and that’s the key.”" When the network picked up In the Company of Women for the fall season, the “show’s producers put the word our that they * were “in search of a good woman,” as the banner headline of one newspaper advertise- ment proclaimed. A love of conversation, a sense of humour and life experience were pre- requisites. Television or acting experience were not. “When I came here for the audition I =" thought I was s coming here to do the fitness “tips segment,” recalls Crooks. “Halfway through the audition, that’s when something tweaked (and) I thought ‘Oh-my-God, I’m up «for one of the hosting jobs."” ‘While Crooks had on-air experience — host- a ¢cling show and guest commentating at ing sports events — Nelson had none. “When I got the call to come down and talk to these guys about this show, you can imagine how stunning it was for me. The day - that they called me and said that I had the job was probably the most exciting day career-wise _. JON Paul Holt, @ North Van resident and owner of Avant Garde hair salon, styles the ~ show' 'S weekly makeover segment, with volunteers from the studio audience. for me,” she says, and pausing as if to deliver a punchiine, adds: “Imagine at 43, your hus- and dumps you and boom, your career takes off. That’s pretty cool.” All three hosts are North Shore residents with busy fives. Nelson, who recently separated from her husband, has three teenagers at HOSTS of the now national TV talk show in the Company of Women (from left) Charmaine Crooks, Shannon Nelson and Maria LeRoge invite: . viewers to grab a cup of coffee put their feet up and enjoy good conversation. The show airs Wednesdays through Fridays at 3:30 pm. home. LeRose is married with two ‘children, 12 and 15. Crooks is also married — no kids -. but a hectic schedule as a motivational speaker and globe-trotting member. of the International Olympic Committee... - ” See ais Pag 8;