“Daytime Divas” Star Vanessa Williams on Her Character Maxine Robinson & Where She Drew Her Inspiration

We have a very good feeling that we’ll be spending our summer with the ladies of The Lunch Hour, the fictional daytime talk show on VH1’s brand new scripted series Daytime Divas.

Before the show makes its debut Monday night, VH1 is giving you a chance to get to know the cast via a series of videos showcasing the talented ensemble and their characters we’ll be introduced to.

Vanessa Williams plays veteran broadcast journalist Maxine Robinson. Maxine is The Lunch Hour’s creator and host. She is a formidable, powerful and decisive woman who fears she’s being put out to pasture.

“The challenge that I think any producer faces is running a show, getting ratings, staying on top and managing all the personalities that make up the ensemble of the show,” Vanessa Williams says.

“I got a chance to co-host on The View a few times. I understand the makings of a show, being backstage preparing for a show, and absoring the energies of all the women in that show.”

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Watch the video below to see more of what Vanessa had to say about Daytime Divas, including where she drew her inspiration from!

Every weekday at noon, Maxine (Vanessa Williams), Mo (Tichina Arnold), Heather (Fiona Gubelmann), Kibby (Chloe Bridges), and Nina (Camille Guaty)—hosts of “The Lunch Hour,” the long-running women’s talk show—gather around the table to discuss life, love, politics, and juicy gossip.

But behind the scenes, it’s even juicier — a backstage world filled with power struggles, diva fits, and steamy affairs. Inspired by the book Satan’s Sisters… A Novel of Fiction by Star Jones, television personality, lawyer and journalist.

The 10-episode first season of Daytime Divas premieres Monday, June 5, at 10pm on VH1.