It's the talk of the town

“Hello!” Jane Aldrich began, brightly. “And welcome to our new show . . . ”

“And . . .  stop.”

Only five seconds into the first take of the first shot for the pilot episode of “6 in the City,” producer Crystal Spotts had to halt production; a “headset issue” was causing problems.

“And I’m stopping,” Aldrich said.

But Aldrich and her fellow WLNS anchors and reporters — Sheri Jones, Ann Emmerich, Lauren Thompson, Brittany Gray and Lisa Byington — are actually starting something: a talk show that allows them to address issues they don’t usually have time to cover. According to news director, Jam Sarder, the plan is to air a new episode on the first Monday of each month, with repeats throughout the month.

Some of the information is fun in the pilot: The first episode includes a recipe for “cast-iron skillet cakes” and, in keeping with its "Mother Knows Best" theme, lots of amusing anecdotes from the chatty and spontaneous mothers of the co-hosts.

Other segments are more serious, including a discussion about foster parenting. But each feature allows the women opportunities to demonstrate a comfortable rapport with each other that sounds more like a discussion among the members of a book group than a meeting of professional journalists.

The debut installment of “6 in the City” — “You have to say that carefully,” Aldrich jokes — was shot last Wednesday at the Perspective2 gallery in Old Town. Audience members sat at café-style tables. “Feel free to laugh if they say something funny,” Spotts told the onlookers. “This is a fun, laid-back show.”

It’s also the sort of programming that used to be produced in nearly every major city, but is now hard to find, as network affiliates opt for running ABC’s “The View” and CBS’ “The Talk” instead of generating homegrown productions.

“Nobody’s doing local shows like this anymore,” Aldrich admitted during a break.

That’s precisely why WLNS is doing it now. Aldrich said she and Jones had the idea for “City” last year: “We were sitting around the table at a news meeting, and Sheri and I were saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have a women’s show?’” After all, WLNS has plenty of female news anchors and reporters — “so why not showcase them?” Aldrich asked.

It’s a bit of a challenge, considering the women work radically different schedules. “I go to bed at 2 in the morning,” sports anchor/reporter Byington said. “And I get up at 2 in the morning!” replied Gray, who anchors the weekday 6 a.m. newscasts.  

But no one seemed tired or unenthusiastic, even as the taping continued for almost three hours. "They’re working out the kinks," Thompson, an 8-year veteran of WLNS, said as the production crew set up the next sequence. "Having our moms here — although it’s great — it’s just another variable to throw in."

It was also adding an extra layer of emotions to the day, Thompson said.

"She went back to have a snack during a break and I saw her get teary-eyed. She turned to me and said, ’You’re so good at your job!’"