BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Each season brings a new crop of daytime talk shows to the airwaves. This year’s class includes four known TV quantities: former “Today” host and “CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric; returning daytime gab veteran Ricki Lake; comedian, radio host, author, and “Family Feud” referee Steve Harvey; and “Survivor” main man Jeff Probst.

On paper the quartet would appear to have not much in common. But scratch the surface and there are plenty of ties that bind, including that all four are parents and authors. And, appropriately enough, none of them is short on words.