This Popular Morning News Team Made Headlines After Being Fired. Its Reunion Is A Sweet Comeback

You can’t support a beloved news squad down, moreover aft much than a decade since being yanked disconnected nan aerial successful a move that stunned fans and section TV newsrooms.

For almost 20 years, KTTV Fox 11’s “Good Day L.A.” was hosted by Steve Edwards, Dorothy Lucey and Jillian Barberie, becoming a ascendant fixture successful nan fiercely competitory greeting show arena. The show’s fame for a clip outdistanced web greeting shows and crosstown rivals “The KTLA Morning News.”

The trio’s freewheeling banter spiced pinch humorous mayhem and mischief enchanted legions of viewers while bringing freshness to nan acquainted look of news, upwind and sports. The chopped personalities meshed effortlessly — seasoned newsman Edwards, relentlessly upbeat co-host Lucey and fiery upwind newsman Barberie, who injected nan proceedings pinch outrageous, astatine times crass comments on pinch declarations that “my breasts are real.”

An undercurrent of clash brought an separator to nan breezy vibe, pinch Edwards often acting arsenic nan awkward buffer betwixt Lucey and Barberie, who did small to disguise their dislike of each other. Barberie would spell connected to bash Lucey connected Howard Stern’s power show, calling her “very Christian and Bible-thumpy.” Lucey was often distraught by Barberie’s “mean.”

But that winning operation was surgery up starting successful May 2012, erstwhile Lucey was fired arsenic portion of a show revamp. Barberie was fto go 4 months later aft declining a demotion. And aft continuing pinch different co-hosts, Edwards vanished from nan show successful December 2017 aft allegations of intersexual harassment, but location was ne'er an charismatic mentation from him aliases guidance astir nan logic for his departure. The exits sparked a activity of protests from viewers and celebrities, including Suzanne Somers, Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell of “American Idol.”

Dorothy Lucey, left, Steve Edwards and Jillian Barberie successful 2001 connected nan group of Fox 11’s “Good Day L.A.”

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

But bully days person returned for nan erstwhile “Good Day L.A.” hosts. More than a decade aft being fto go, Edwards, Lucey and Barberie are fired up astir their caller venture.

The trio has reunited for “So Unanchored,” a play podcast fueled by spontaneous riffs connected their years together, popular civilization and their heavy friendship. As they did connected “Good Day L.A.,” they consistently interrupt 1 different and nan chatter careens from 1 taxable to nan adjacent without a breath. Complete sentences are rare.

“We person not missed a beat,” Edwards said arsenic he, Lucey and Barberie relaxed successful an agency lounge aft a caller taping. “It’s nan astir effortless thing. It makes america very happy erstwhile we get together. There’s an endorphin point going on.”

“And we for illustration each different more,” added Lucey.

They will portion a typical unrecorded section Wednesday astatine 11 a.m.. New episodes usually look connected Fridays.

The shattering of nan “Good Day L.A.” squad was peculiarly traumatic for Barberie, nan breakout prima of nan trio. In summation to getting divided aft nan Fox 11 job, she was later sideswiped by financial woes and a devastating wellness scare.

“I mislaid my job, sewage divided and sewage crab each astatine nan aforesaid time,” said Barberie, her sound cracking arsenic she sat adjacent Edwards and Lucey successful nan lounge. “The truth that these 2 were a changeless successful my life during those 12 years erstwhile I was going done each those things is everything. I’m truthful grateful.”

Of course, location are awesome differences from their erstwhile collaboration. While “Good Day L.A.” was broadcast astatine Fox 11’s monolithic West Los Angeles studio, “So Unanchored” is simply a no-frills matter staged astatine a Canoga Park agency park.

The hosts beryllium successful a mini office, backed by nondescript agency furnishings and a framed poster of nan vintage “Please Stand By” image broadcast by stations erstwhile location were method difficulties.

Lucey, left, Edwards and Barberie successful nan Canoga Park agency wherever they portion their podcast, “So Unanchored.”

(Annie Noelker/For The Times)

On their first podcast, Barberie made it clear that location is nary emotion mislaid erstwhile it comes to her erstwhile employer.

“I don’t want thing associated pinch that show,” she said. “Let’s commencement fresh, man. They utilized america and they treated america for illustration s— astatine nan end. Who needs them? Goodbye!”

The different awesome displacement is nan narration betwixt Lucey and Barberie.

“Dorothy and I emotion each different now,” Barberie said connected 1 episode.

Lucey: “We do. Because nan past clip you saw us, we really didn’t for illustration each other.”

Barberie: “And Steve has ne'er been happier.”

Edwards: “You 2 are for illustration sisters. You utilized to beryllium for illustration brothers — Cain and Abel.”

Barberie: “And past thing happened betwixt nan 3 of america that sewage her and I close, and past I sewage cancer. She took maine to each of my surgeries and took attraction of me. I’m telling you, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Lucey: “We still dislike Steve, though.”

Barberie: “We person that successful common.”

The burying of nan hatchet is simply a awesome alleviation for Edwards, who was troubled by nan hostility betwixt his colleagues during their clip connected “Good Day L.A.”

Barberie pressed Edwards connected their first podcast: “Be honest, Steve. Did you for illustration it erstwhile we didn’t get along?”

Edwards: “Sometimes it would get disfigured and my tummy would turn.”

On “So Unanchored,” Barberie has revived her loose cannon domiciled successful their dynamic, earthy and unfiltered. She will tear up, and moments later propulsion her caput backmost pinch an explosive laughter that bounces disconnected nan workplace walls.

She elaborate her chaotic manner during her TV days: “From 34 to 40, I was single, had 5 TV jobs, partied for illustration a stone star, dated anyone I wanted and made a s—load of money.”

Though she yet landed a talk show connected KABC-AM 790 aft leaving Fox 11, difficult times deed successful 2019 arsenic she tried to make ends meet while raising 2 children arsenic a divided mom battling cancer.

“When I mislaid everything, I virtually collapsed connected my money manager’s table. I was bald and I started crying,” she said.

She listed her ranch-style Tarzana home, which was featured successful “MTV Cribs,” for $2.5 cardinal successful 2021. She presently rents “a beautiful small flat measurement retired successful Thousand Oaks. I emotion it and my life is quieter.”

Barberie was much definitive connected nan podcast: “I haven’t dated successful 10 years. I person nary tinglies down there. I’m dormant from nan waist down. I don’t want to date. I don’t want a man, an ape beside maine astatine nighttime if I’m having a basking flash. I person nary nipples. I person nary desire to cook, beryllium and talk pinch you. I don’t care.”

Edwards: “So you’re saying there’s a chance.”

Since leaving “Good Day L.A.,” Barberie, left, and Lucey person developed a adjacent friendship. Edwards, opinionated center, said, “You 2 are for illustration sisters. You utilized to beryllium for illustration brothers — Cain and Abel.”

(Annie Noelker / For The Times)

Scott Sternberg, whose accumulation institution produces “So Unanchored,” said “Good Day L.A.” was a clear standout connected nan greeting show spectrum.

“There was thing different astir ‘Good Day L.A.’ from nan different shows,” Sternberg said successful a telephone interview. “Their personalities were each different, but they could decorativeness each other’s sentences and were not acrophobic to opportunity what they wanted to say. I felt if I could bring them backmost together, location would beryllium a immense assemblage who remembered them fondly.”

Asked to specify nan magic of their chemistry, Edwards said it was not instantaneous.

“At nan time, location were 5 greeting shows, including nan network,” he said. “It took years for our point to happen, but erstwhile it did, it happened big. We could do nary incorrect for 10 years. The ratings were crazy good. There was a tally for galore years erstwhile we were No. 1. We made them a batch of money.”

He continued: “Success is based connected nan narration betwixt nan group connected nan show and nan audience. Once that is established, it doesn’t matter if nan show is bully aliases bad that day. I was going done a batch pinch these 2 [Lucey and Barberie], and nan assemblage was doing it pinch us. But nan suits don’t attraction astir that.”

The first denotation that nan show was successful problem came successful 2017, erstwhile a caller guidance squad initiated a revamp of nan greeting show.

Lucey wrote astatine nan time successful her blog “God and Gossip” that her caller leader told her that her voice, which has a trace of raspiness, “made his eyes bleed. Not nan crusty yucky pinkish eye. New feline was saying erstwhile I said I made his eyes bleed. I person publication that tin hap aft you vomit. Now I could almost spot my hubby saying thing for illustration that to maine ... But from a caller boss...”

But position executives did not definitive regrets astir dismissing Lucey, saying successful a connection aft her ouster: “The revitalization of ‘Good Day L.A.’ has been refreshing.”

Months later, Barberie was approached astir taking a reduced domiciled arsenic a section reporter. She turned it down. Edwards’ departure caused a bigger operation because it was truthful abrupt. KTTV would opportunity only that he was nary longer employed by nan station.

“Fox ne'er issued a statement, and I ne'er issued a statement,” Edwards said. “Obviously location was not statement connected what happened.”

As they prepared to time off nan lounge, nan 3 hugged each different warmly and said they were looking guardant to getting together nan pursuing week.

“There is 1 connection for america being backmost together,” Barberie said. “Home.”