Packers wide receiver Donald Driver (center) shows off his sweet potato casserole on an episode of “The Better Half.” Courtney Finley (from left), Betina Driver, “Cooking Mom” Amy Hanten, Donald Driver, Geeta Bishop and WLUK-TV’s Rachel Manek share in the moment. Photo Credit: WLUK-TV/Dan Spangler
It’s all the star power but none of the drama.
“The Better Half” television show features a cache of Green Bay Packers wives but without the hair-pulling, backstabbing or name-calling of other wives-of-the-famous reality shows.
However, there are intensely tall and fashionable shoes, cooking segments and charity talk.
That makes “The Better Half,” a one-hour show featuring Betina Driver, Courtney Finley and Geeta Bishop as unique as its Green Bay setting. And enviable enough for other NFL cities to inquire how they can have one.
“The Better Half” tapes Tuesday mornings during the regular season at WLUK-TV (Channel 11) studios in Green Bay and airs on Fridays in five Wisconsin TV markets, including in Milwaukee at 2 p.m. on WITI-TV (Channel 6). Driver, wife of wide receiver Donald Driver; Finley, who is married to tight end Jermichael Finley; and Bishop, newly wed to linebacker Desmond Bishop; are the three wives featured on a weekly basis. WLUK morning show anchor Rachel Manek moderates the chat, keeping segments and commercials on track.
It’s tamer than the other TV shows built around wives or athletes’ spouses. “Basketball Wives” and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” have as much in common with “The Better Half” as they do with “Inside the Huddle,” another show produced by Lammi Sports Management.
There are no wigged-out divas here – not even diva perks, such as dressing rooms or craft services. On a recent Tuesday morning, Finley grabbed a parking spot minutes before the show began recording – her hair and makeup were done at home.
That day’s taping followed a standard template. The women met on a couch to catch up. Manek threw out questions from viewers. They wanted to know what the families do on a bye week or how they deal with a loss. Driver said they “don’t do anything crazy like watch the game and critique it.”
Mostly, viewers want to talk about the shoes.
“People are seriously watching what you wear on your feet,” Manek said to the women, then pointed to her own sky-high heels. “Which is why I got these painful suckers.”
There is always a cooking segment. Donald Driver showed “Cooking Mom” Amy Hanten how to make his signature sweet potato casserole. Lindsey Kuhn, wife of fullback John Kuhn, has been on the show twice to cook, most recently sharing a hearty lasagna recipe.
One or more of the wives is included in a decorating or crafts segment. Betina Driver co-hosted a piece on Thanksgiving centerpieces, and fell for a feathered version she said would fit well in the family’s Texas home. More recently, Geeta Bishop happily struggled crafting Christmas trees made of heavy wire.
“We were all actually very nervous at first,” said Bishop. “I think if you watched the first show to this (past) one, you would see that we’ve gotten more comfortable. We get along really, really well. I love the fact that we talk about charities and the things these girls are doing.”
Although she and Desmond only married in June, Bishop already knew the Packers family, especially the Finleys. The couples get together often and played a spirited game of Guesstures together as part of their Thanksgiving.
The show is like that, too – conversational. Segments are outlined but not scripted. The women are at ease but not polished.
“We had a makeup person the first week, and the wives were all adamant that it wasn’t necessary,” said Brian Lammi, founder and CEO of Lammi Sports Management. “I’ve been on shoots with big bad athletes, and there’s a makeup person there.”
Lammi Sports Management counts Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley among its clients, and includes the show among several sports shows it produces in the Midwest. The November ratings indicate an estimated 8,000 Milwaukee households tuned in to “The Better Half,” according to Channel 6 figures.
The only male on-screen regular guest is Gino Salomone, who covers entertainment and movies. Salomone said he didn’t know what to expect when the show kicked off in September.
“I’m seriously surprised at how natural they are,” he said.
Salomone expected someone to emerge as the star – likely Betina Driver, who was featured in the audience during her husband’s winning “Dancing with the Stars” stint. But instead, Salomone said, they hang together with a “natural chemistry.”
Manek, who also anchors WLUK’s “Good Morning Wisconsin” show, said Driver is the one with celebrity status. She calls Finley “the witty one.” And Bishop is “the go-getter.”
They all give Bishop credit for coming up with the idea more than a year ago. Lammi said his company had a similar thought, but Bishop’s passion and enthusiasm for the idea put it in motion. They didn’t need to clear the show with the NFL or the Packers because they don’t use game footage, but they did give the club a heads-up. The show ends with the regular season; the last “The Better Half” will air on Dec. 28.
Lammi said he doesn’t know of other shows similar to “The Better Half” yet. He was contacted by the wife of a Chicago Bears player about doing the same thing there. But the Bears will have to wait.
“I don’t think we’re looking to that right this minute,” Lammi said.
