On Fine Living:

Show Skewers Martha Stewart, With Her Blessing


By BROOKS BARNES

Published: August 10, 2008

LOS ANGELES Can Martha Stewart take a pie in the face  even one she baked herself? Fine Living Network is about to find out.

Alexis Stewart, left, and Jennifer Koppelman Hutt, who have a show together on Sirius Satellite Radio, host "Whatever, Martha!"

On Sept. 16, Fine Living will unveil a new original comedy series built around a provocative premise: mocking Ms. Stewart. For a half hour, two hosts will critique  in "candid and often acerbic" language, according to the channel  old clips from her 1990s cooking and craft show. Fine Living, part of the E. W. Scripps Company, calls the series "Whatever, Martha!"

For Fine Living, a fast-growing but small channel available in about 50 million homes, the endeavor comes with a built-in punch line that doubles as an insurance policy. The co-hosts of "Whatever, Martha!" are Ms. StewartÂs daughter, Alexis Stewart, and Jennifer Koppelman Hutt, who is the daughter of the chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Charles Koppelman.

Martha Stewart is not widely known for her sense of humor. But she is in on this particular joke. In fact, she created it, dreaming up the premise after watching reruns of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" during a sleepless night. That series, produced from 1988 to 1999, delivered sarcastic commentary about old horror movies, and had blossomed into a cable cult hit.

"They promised not to be mean, and I had to trust them," Ms. Stewart said in an interview. "IÂm not going to have a heart attack."

The same may not be true for her publicist, Sheila Feren, who is responsible for protecting Ms. StewartÂs public image. During the preparation of this article, Ms. Feren repeatedly said, "Oh, my God. Please tell me this is not happening."

Alexis Stewart said in an interview that the sometimes harsh opinions  nothing is off limits, including her motherÂs clothes, fastidiousness and habit of mixing sexual innuendo with her household hints  is simply the truth.

"She would say it herself," she said. "Given a drink or two."

ThatÂs debatable, said Martha Stewart. "I take what I do very seriously, and I think there is a lesson to be learned in every segment. But contrary to popular opinion, I do have a sense of humor."

The laughs flow easily because of carefully selected clips from the old syndicated show. "Knitting With Children" is the name of one segment. "Painting the Porch" is a favorite of Alexis StewartÂs: in it, her mother wears a "hideous" outfit. "Collecting Twine," in the words of Ms. Koppelman Hutt, is "an absolute hoot."

More is at stake with "Whatever, Martha!" than a bruised ego. Martha Stewart, above all a shrewd judge of her audience, hopes that allowing herself to be roasted will woo a new generation of younger fans: people interested in household advice but who might find her meticulousness comical.

"I think that 20-somethings and 30-somethings will watch this show and laugh along but still come away learning something," Martha Stewart said.

And what if her core audience members donÂt find it funny? "My die-hard fans might get upset," Martha Stewart said. "If they do, then they just shouldnÂt watch it."

Reaching younger people has been a puzzle that Martha Stewart Living has had difficulty solving. In 2006, the company started Blueprint, a glossy magazine aimed at young women. The expensive venture failed within a year.

"The Martha Stewart Show," the companyÂs current television series and its primary sales tool, shows on daytime television  not exactly a key time slot for younger viewers. (Reruns of the show do play on Fine Living during prime time.)

"Whatever, Martha!" also helps to solve another conundrum for Martha Stewart Living, which swung to a second-quarter profit because of strong merchandising and advertising sales despite the weak economy. Like other owners of old television shows, the company would like to find a way to make money from its library.

But finding an audience for old episodes of "Martha Stewart Living," which ran in syndication from 1991 to 2004, has been tricky. DVDs of the series did not sell well. Online applications are more promising, but the "how to" category of Internet video is hotly competitive. Currently, the show does not appear in reruns.

Chad Youngblood, the general manager of Fine Living, said part of his interest in "Whatever, Martha!" came from the dated aspect of the source material.

"ItÂs interesting to look back eight years and see what was important," he said. "ItÂs a different world now. We just donÂt make felt hats the way we used to."

Mr. Youngblood said that he decided to recruit Alexis Stewart and Ms. Koppelman Hutt after listening to their radio show. For the last couple of years, the two women have co-hosted a talk show on Sirius Satellite Radio, where they have developed a strong following for their blunt, often raunchy, take on various lifestyle issues.

Along with their running commentaries, the two women occasionally try to complete tasks that Martha Stewart demonstrates in the old episodes. Predictably, Alexis Stewart has little trouble keeping up, while Ms. Koppelman Hutt, whose skills do not include cooking or cleaning, stumbles along as the everywoman.

"In one episode, Martha is showing people how to properly whittle a twig to roast a marshmallow," said Ms. Koppelman Hutt. "That is screamingly funny. The woman is actually whittling a twig. I mean, who does that?"

Alexis Stewart, on the other hand, defended her mother. "We always whittled at our house," she responded. "WhatÂs so unusual about that?"

The show is Ms. Koppelman HuttÂs first experience on television, but Alexis Stewart is making a return of sorts. In the 2005 reality series "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," which was Martha StewartÂs return to the spotlight after her prison sentence, Alexis Stewart occasionally appeared as her motherÂs surrogate. She was criticized by many television critics for not saying much, however.

"It didnÂt feel right to be honest on that show, which is why I didnÂt say anything," Alexis Stewart said. "This show is the complete opposite."

Martha Stewart said she had watched about a dozen of the finished episodes, which will total 26.

"I canÂt stop laughing," she said. "Mostly."