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Marlo Thomas, host of “Mondays With Marlo,” with Chelsea Clinton, the guest on Monday for the 100th show.
The comedian Danny Thomas was a television pioneer of the 1950s and ’60s. Now, his daughter Marlo Thomas has emerged as an unlikely innovator on Internet TV.
“Mondays With Marlo,†a half-hour talk show hosted by Ms. Thomas, 76, the actress and activist, has steadily built an audience since its debut three years ago. On Monday, the series will broadcast its 100th show on AOL, featuring an interview with Chelsea Clinton.
In these relatively early days of web video, media companies are experimenting with a multitude of programming. Ms. Thomas and AOL executives say they believe the popularity of “Mondays With Marlo,†which averages half a million views per episode, comes from its focus on attracting an audience of women older than 35, a demographic largely ignored by digital media companies. The show’s viewers submit questions on specific topics tailored to each celebrity guest.
The comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell, who had a heart attack in 2012, appeared to answer questions on cardiovascular health; the talk show host and actress Kelly Ripa, a mother of three, discussed work-life balance; and the style editor Bobbie Thomas drew more than seven million viewers when she advised older women on what to wear on a first date. (Her answer: jeans and a cowl-neck top or a scarf to look approachable.)
The viewership numbers for “Mondays With Marlo†have attracted a guest list that includes the Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, the actor Jon Hamm and the personal finance adviser Suze Orman.
Ms. Thomas, perhaps best known as the creator of the “Free To Be ... You and Me†franchise, said the idea for the series grew from her extensive work with St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, which her father founded. At public events, she said, the mostly female audiences would ask questions, not about the hospital but about personal issues. Then other audience members would sometimes answer those questions.
Ms. Thomas said she wanted to refer these women to a website where they might gather, but could find no place for women over 35, and decided that there was a need. “A lot of these women,†Ms. Thomas said, were at a stage where “their dreams had worn out.â€
She found a home for her idea at AOL, which, led by its chief executive, Tim Armstrong, has been an aggressive creator of online TV programming. Ms. Thomas’s niche audience also appealed to the food giant General Mills, which agreed to sponsor the show.
The arrangement with General Mills gives the company creative input. Each year, General Mills suggests 15 of Ms. Thomas’s 48 guests; last month, Dr. Sharon Mulvagh, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, appeared at its request.
“They get excited because they are serving their brand,†Ms. Thomas said of General Mills. “I like it because it is customized programming.â€
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