Editing Ricki Lake (1993 talk show) (section)

==Format==
The show specialized in sensationalist topics involving invited guests and incorporated questions and comments from a studio audience. But unlike most of the counterparts of the day, her [[Target audience|primary audience]] was aimed at teenagers, young adults, college students, and urban viewers (who described themselves as "Generation X") rather than the 25+ audience that advertisers were catering to, plus it was less sensational and tamer compared to the other programs. It was taped at the [[Chelsea Studios]] in New York City.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=January 30, 1995 |title=TALKING TRASH |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982389,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2010-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502111140/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982389,00.html |archive-date=May 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Gen-X Cinderella has the knack |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1999/02/28/gen-x-cinderella-has-the-knack-ricki-lake-knows-what-its-like-to-be-way-outside-the-norms-of-beauty-and-she-knows-what-its-like-to-be-down-and-out-and-thats-a-large-part-of-her-talk-show-appeal/ |access-date=2012-04-11}}</ref> During an interview on ''[[A Spoonful of Paolo]]'', Lake stated that she almost signed up to do the show for only $5,000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ricki Lake Almost Did Her Original Talk Show for $5,000 |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/tv-news/ricki-lake-almost-did-her-original-talk-show-for--5-000-170029712.html |website=yahoo.com|date=May 30, 2014 }}</ref>

A majority of the shows had surprises waiting in store for the guests, which were revealed by a doorbell ringing if a guest didn't come clean about themselves. This prompted Ricki to bring out another guest who knew the truth about the primary guest's intentions. At times, the guests would find out that someone else had been listening to their confession while they were on stage or in the audience. On one show in 1997 for example, a man who admitted to having an affair was unaware that his wife was on stage. The doorbell (and other surprises) were a major part of the series throughout its run.