The series premiere of the new syndicated talk show “Katie” was a very solid one ratings-wise. According to Nielsen metered market ratings, Katie Couric‘s talk show debuted to a 2.8 household rating/8 share. That would make it the strongest new daytime talk show launch since 2002, when “Dr. Phil” also launched to a 2.8/8.

Compared to the other talk show competition: “Steve Harvey” debuted last week to a 1.5 rating/4 share, “Jeff Probst“ debuted yesterday to a 1 rating/3 share, “Ricki Lake“ debuted yesterday to a 0.8 rating/2 share (worth noting that Lake was affected by a retransmission dispute in the New York market, which likely affected ratings somewhat) and the second season of Anderson Cooper‘s talk show debuted to a 1.3 rating/4 share.

• Related: A review of “Katie”

“Katie” even manged to improve on its “General Hospital” lead-in by +12%.

The final ratings will likely be slightly different, but don’t expect any drastic changes in the numbers. The more important numbers for Disney and Couric — the weekly ratings — will be available next week.

If today’s long-awaited debut of Katie Couric’s syndicated talk show resembled an infomercial for Weight Watchers, that’s because it was.

The first three segments of Couric’s Disney chatfest were devoted almost entirely to guest Jessica Simpson’s post-partum weight loss — thanks to Weight Watchers. There were so many rhapsodic plugs, I kept waiting for the 800 number and my free ginzu knife.

Simpson gushed about her new role as a Weight Watchers poster girl. Then came a sneak preview of her Weight Watchers ad, followed by a full segment joined by her Weight Watchers coach. The capper was a free two-week Weight Watchers membership, via ‘Katie’s’ website.

To be kind, Jessica Simpson was no Sarah Palin, but Couric appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the absence of heavy lifting. After her hellish tenure as anchor of ‘CBS Evening News,’ ‘Katie’ must feel like a fabulous, all-expenses paid vacation. Hey, if Anderson Cooper did it, why not Couric?

Call it ‘Today Extra Lite.’

As has become the fashion, ‘Katie’ opened with a cutesy taped bit. More than a little derivative, given that she did the same thing for her guest-hosting stint on ‘Good Morning America’ in April.

She wakes up from a weird dream and proceeds to tell it to a mystery person in the other twin bed. (An homage to ‘I Love Lucy?’) “I dreamed I left ‘Today’ to anchor the evening news, and I did it for five years, and then I dreamed I was going to be hosting my own daytime talk show!”

Peeling back the covers, a jammies-clad Matt Lauer says: “That wasn’t a dream, and the talk show starts right now!” Cue hilarity.

After almost a full half-hour of Jessica Simpson and Weight Watchers, however, I was reeling from estrogen-induced boredom. Thankfully, the next guest, Sheryl Crow, who composed ‘Katie’s’ up-tempo theme song and is a good friend of the host, had some interesting things to say.

Read more

In the latest promo for “Katie,” which is just two months away from its debut, Katie Couric looks back at her childhood and her parents’ influence on her life:

Here’s your first look at Katie-land. Katie Couric gives a tour of her office, her “Katie” studio and the control room, now just 11 weeks from launch.

Mediabistro was at Wendy Williams‘s studio yesterday where we taped our mediabistroTV series “My First Big Break.” When we got there, Katie Couric happened to be taping a segment with Williams for Couric’s upcoming daytime talk show. The exchange included a sort of “would you rather?” back and forth. At one point, Williams asks Couric who would she rather sleep with: Bryant Gumbel or Matt Lauer. Couric chose Gumbel, because, she says, she feels so close to Lauer it would just be weird. We’re told the shoot is for the debut of “Katie” which premieres Sept. 10. “My First Big Break” with Wendy Williams will launch on mediabistro.com July 26. Read more

Nearly six years after she signed off from the “Today” show, Katie Couric is making a return to the mornings filling in next week for Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America.”

The fill-in, joining George Stephanopoulos, Josh Elliott, Sam Champion and Lara Spencer comes as “Good Morning America” continues to chip away at the perennial morning show leader, “Today,” where Couric spent more than 15 years. During the week of March 12, the younger viewer gap between the two shows was the smallest since July 2008.

We hear Roberts will make mention of the fill-in during the 8am hour of tomorrow’s show.

Couric set up shop at ABC News last Spring after spending five years at CBS News. She will launch her syndicated talk show “Katie” in the fall. Couric has hosted a few specials for the network and went on GMA last November to promote her Regis Philbin hour, but this is the first time she’s anchored since leaving the “Today” show in 2006. Couric returned to “Today” last April to promote her book “The Best Advice I Ever Got.”

ABC’s Katie Couric got some nice exposure on ABC’s primetime last night. Couric attended the “Dancing with the Stars” results show which won the 9pm hour with 15.3M viewers. At one point Tom Bergeron cracked, “While you’re watching the commercial, Katie Couric keeps grabbing my butt.” Tennis great Martina Navratilova got the boot.

As the Girl Scouts of the USA celebrates its 100th anniversary, we’re finding out which  tvnewsers once were Scouts themselves.

The girl pictured at right?  Yup, it’s Katie Couric, who tells ABC News online of having competed for the ‘Most Creative Dish’ award at a troop cookout.  Despite the steak sandwich she whipped up, she lost out, “much to my chagrin”.

The lesson she learned? “Sometimes life isn’t fair. It can be tougher to swallow than a steak sandwich, but that’s the way the hoagie roll crumbles.”

PBS’ Judy Woodruff also was a Scout, for about nine years. “It broadened my horizons in an important way,” she says, “and I’ll always be grateful to the Girl Scouts for that.”

Katie Couric celebrated her 55th birthday last Saturday. Boy, did she. This afternoon she Tweeted: “Someone had a good time at her double nickel birthday!”

• The University of Virginia announced today that Katie Couric will be the 2012 commencement speaker. A 1979 graduate of UVA, Couric will deliver the address at the University’s 183rd Final Exercises on May 20.