LATE SHOW NEWS #232 January 19, 1999 by Aaron Barnhart To join or leave the LATE-SHOW-NEWS mailing list, see instructions at end of message. A reader in London, Ontario, writes, "I was wondering if you have ever been able to catch 'The Tom Green Show.' It's a Canadian show, shown on The Comedy Network Fridays at 11:00 p.m. Tom Green is the host, a shock comic that does really funny stuff! Basically he brings a camera and harasses people. He's done stuff like Scuba Hood where he goes through malls in full scuba gear and dives in the fountains and takes all the coins out and gives it to the banks." As it turns out, we're all going to get to see this show. Yes, while Mike Bullard remains confined to areas north of the border, MTV has decided that "The Tom Green Show" is worthy of import. It debuts next Monday at 10:30 p.m. (In a follow-up note my reader cautions, "In Canada, Green's show has all of the four letter words and some very controversial sketches." Perhaps this is why MTV advised TV critics, "Unfortunately, the entire show will not be available for review before the premiere." Bleeping is an art, not a science, and you can't hurry art.) Based on the three-minute clip reel I was provided by MTV, I'm not sure if this program is more funny than stupid. Yes, MTV has given us "Sifl & Olly," but it's also given us "The Jenny McCarthy Show." Green's shtick is that he's a geek who's still living with his parents and this, apparently, is his excuse for behaving like a nitwit. It appears real people and real venues are involved in the show's comedy; one sketch shows Green, heavily bandaged and on two crutches, hobbling through what must be the streets of Ottawa. Suddenly the crutches give out and pedestrians must come to Green's rescue -- or not. As the pratfall is re-enacted over and over, some passerbys lunge to catch him, while others scurry to avoid him. The aggregation of planned accidents reminded me of that "Candid Camera" movie Allan Funt made with nude models: it's easy to do something like this when you don't have to be clever. Green appears to merged the radio shock-jock routine of total self-revelation with the unreal realism of "reality TV" (in which we the viewers escape reality by *watching* reality, or rather "reality"). In another stunt, Green decides his parents need more pets because they "have too much stress" in their lives. So an entire petting zoo is led into the Green home, where they carry on as only God's creatures can. The slightly stunned look of Green's father as he walks into his house, now lined wall-to-wall with matting to soak up the animal pee, suggests that he is the real dad -- and if he isn't, does it matter? *** Jeff Muller speaks for several of you angry and confused after NBC stopped airing "SCTV" repeats in the "Later" time slot. He writes, "Monday night it was Greg Kinnear again. I was so disappointed I rewound the tape before even hearing who the guest was. I taped it again in the hope that the previous night was was a cruel mistake but was once again greeted by Kinnear. And the guest was Jeff Foxworthy! NBC apparently thought that a re-run of 19+ minutes of redneck jokes (and the accompanying evolutionary history of same) was a better programming choice than a re-run of some of the most incisive television satire ever. How frustratingly typical. Not to mention that I told everyone at work that it'd be on for a month. Oy!" A kind-hearted NBC spokesman explains that the "SCTV" reruns were only intended to run short-term over the holidays. The spokesman added that the network may air more "SCTV" in March but that no one was "too sure yet what the plans are." And no, it had nothing to do with ratings, which were comparable to what "Later" gets, whether in first-run or five-year-old repeats. In fact, one suspects NBC could sell that spot to Time-Life books and it too would get a 1.4 rating. *** The Hollywood Reporter is saying Max Weinberg will imminently announce he is leaving the "Late Night" band for a spell in order to tour with the Boss and his band ... Comedy Central drew the highest audience for "The Daily Show" ever last week with new host Jon Stewart, averaging 595,000 viewers each night, nearly 10 percent above its previous high ... Richard Pryor's feting at the Kennedy Center last October airs (in edited form, don't you know) on Comedy Central at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Wednesday ... Turns out "Politically Incorrect" has been having "citizen panelist" tryouts for the past three weeks in various U.S. cities; you'll see the winner of the Tucson tryout on Wednesday's broadcast. There's one more tryout and it's on Friday in San Diego. Go to the Unofficial Bill Maher Web Page for details: http://www.netcrusader.net/~olsens/pi/whats_new.html Also on Wednesday, Maher will be speaking at the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills, and he'll be taking "PI" on the road, again to Washington, D.C., the week of Feb. 8 ... A friend reminds me that "Jack Paar: As I Was Saying," the terrific 1997 PBS special, has been issued as a 3-volume home video retailing for $49.95. The third tape contains video from Jack's private collection. Just ask for ISBN 1-56127-556-5 ... The aptly-named Bertram Hack has filed suit after a hilarious "Daily Show" sketch made fun of his bid for cityhood at Leisure World, the community in Orange County where he lives. Hack accuses Comedy Central producers of misrepresenting themselves as a CNN news crew. (Comedy Central Network = CCN. Get it?) "The entire segment compared plaintiff to Hitler," the suit says, adding that throughout the segment, Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries" played, just as it had in Hitler's propaganda films. And we laughed. *** Reader mail: My argument that "The Daily Show" will undergo evolutionary change under new host Jon Stewart has fallen on deaf ears among you creationists. Rob Middleton, for instance, writes, "I fear that Jon has missed his calling. I /want/ to like him, and I don't think Craig Kilborn is all that great... but Jon just can't do what Craig did. There are some moments that feel very uncomfortable because it seems like Jon trying to be Craig -- and failing. When I say he has missed his calling it's because I feel he did much better at his previous job which was *playing* a talk show host on HBO's The Larry Sanders Show. I think that Jon's sarcastic wit and manner would have been much better suited to the HBO show's actual ending premise, which would be that Jon Stewart would replace Larry. I miss the kind of comedy that was 'The Larry Sanders Show,' and I think Jon Stewart could have done it. Much better than what he's doing now." But, Rob, that was a *fake* show! ... A reader who attended a taping of "Late Show" last week (and whose name I'm keeping under my hat just in case s/he'd like to attend again) complains, "The Letterman show has in the last month just instituted a new feature for the studio audience, where they show clips from the fifth anniversary special during the commercial breaks while the band is playing. They always showed video clips before the show, but it's only in the past two or so months that they are doing it interstitially. I can't imagine the band is happy about this. They don't get much airtime as it is, but they always had the attention of the audience during the two-minute commercial segments. Now they have to compete with boob-tube rerun material in their own venue." *** Tom Heald's THIS NIGHT IN HISTORY We 1/20: In 1993, President Clinton recreates his memorable campaign appearance on "The Arsenio Hall Show" by picking up a saxophone and jamming at five of the twelve inaugural galas he and his wife, Hillary, attend. Th 1/21: In 1981, Bill Murray weds Mickey Kelly. Fr 1/22: In 1994, TV legend Irving B. Kahn dies at the age of 76. Kahn's groundbreaking work allowed "The Chevy Chase Show" and NBC's "Friday Night" to come into being by inventing the TelePrompTer. Sa 1/23: In 1970, Life magazine presents Johnny Carson as "The Lonesome Hero of Middle America." Su 1/24: In 1996, Conan O'Brien announces that although 22,958 calls have been logged on the toll-free "Find Grady" hotline, actor Whitman Mayo has still not been located and the "Search For Grady continues" on "Late Night." Mo 1/25: In 1986, NBC broadcasts a 10-second gap of blank air, courtesy of "Saturday Night Live's" Weekend Update anchor Dennis MIller "and Ronald Reagan." Tu 1/26: Once upon a time, before Lisa Kudrow routinely foisted herself upon a dozen talk show couches a week, another blonde ruled the land -- the lovely Teri Garr. On this night in 1980, Ms. Garr expanded her late-night reign with the first of three hosting appearances on "Saturday Night Live." This edition of "This Night In History" is dedicated to Ms. Garr, who died a few years back of MS ... just kidding, urban legend. (Editor's note: In fact, she's appearing in Kansas City on a TV spot. In it she promoted a local radio station I'm reasonably sure she's never heard.) Thanks to David Tanny and Frank Serpas III. Special thanks to Denver Bronco QB Donz5. Remember the quality years of the "Tonight Show" with Ed McMahon's new book at Tom Heald's "This Night In History" Bookstore at http://www.come.to/latenightbooks THE LINEUPS with Sue Trowbridge (http://www.interbridge.com/) LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS Mo 1/18 David Duchovny, Stevie Nicks (R 6/16/98) Tu 1/19 Kelsey Grammer, hockey gold medalists Sarah Tueting and Cammi Granato, Sarah McLachlan (R 2/24/98) We 1/20 Kid scientists, Cameron Diaz, Mariah Carey (R 11/16/98) Th 1/21 Bruce Willis, Tom Brokaw, Ice Cube, Natalie Imbruglia (R 4/2/98) Fr 1/22 Stupid Pet Tricks, Jonny Moseley, Tara Lipinski (R 2/20/98) Mo 1/25 Yasmine Bleeth, Jay Mohr, James Brown Tu 1/26 Alicia Silverstone, dance troupe The Second Hand THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC Mo 1/18 Sharon Stone, Bonnie Raitt Tu 1/19 Danny Glover, Mira Sorvino We 1/20 Sean Connery, Joan Allen Th 1/21 Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson Fr 1/22 BBC Chef Ainsley Harriot, Sheryl Crow Mo 1/25 Calista Flockhart, Ian Michael Smith, 'N Sync (R 9/10/98) Tu 1/26 Nicolas Cage, Harland Williams, Squirrel Nut Zippers (R 8/7/98) LATE LATE SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER, CBS Mo 1/18 Football analyst Phil Simms, David Brenner Tu 1/19 TBA We 1/20 Grace Slick Th 1/21 Bioterrorism expert Judy Miller LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC Mo 1/18 Christina Applegate, Jeff Daniels, Robert Schimmel (R 10/27/98) Tu 1/19 Dave Chappelle, Jewel We 1/20 Tony Curtis, Matthew Lillard Th 1/21 David Alan Grier, Wanda Sykes-Hall Fr 1/22 Carmen Electra, Fear of Pop Mo 1/25 Chris Kattan, Kate Mulgrew, Gomez (R 11/10/98) Tu 1/26 Ray Romano, Reese Witherspoon, Dan Naturman (R 10/29/98) We 1/27 Sam Donaldson, Bob Odenkirk, Motley Crue (R 10/28/98) Th 1/28 Roma Downey, Todd Solondz, Al Green (R 11/13/98) Fr 1/29 Rob Schneider, Jerry Stiller, Dr. Drew Pinsky and Adam Carolla (R 11/18/98) LATER, NBC Mo 1/18 Cory Miller with Heavy D (R 9/11/97) Tu 1/19 Jim Breuer with Lars Ulrich (R 12/29/97) We 1/20 Greg Kinnear with Henry Rollins (R 11/21/94) Th 1/21 Jerry O'Connell with Mark McGrath (R 6/3/98) Mo 1/25 David Alan Grier with Kareem Abdul Jabbar (R 10/29/96) Tu 1/26 Ahmad Rashad with Wilt Chamberlain (R 5/26/97) We 1/27 Ahmad Rashad with Shaquille O'Neal (R 11/18/96) Th 1/28 Greg Kinnear with Reggie Miller (R 8/30/95) CHARLIE ROSE, PBS Please note that Charlie Rose listings are very tentative Mo 1/18 TBA Tu 1/19 Hurlyburly Panel: Sean Penn, Anthony Drazan, David Rabe POLITICALLY INCORRECT WITH BILL MAHER, ABC Mo 1/18 Councilman Tim Scott, Steve Harvey, Julianne Malveaux Tu 1/19 Leah Remini, Susan Carpenter McMillan We 1/20 Molly Ringwald, Matt Drudge Th 1/21 Rob Lowe, Queen Latifah, Betsy Hart THE DAILY SHOW, Comedy Central Mo 1/11 Michael J. Fox Tu 1/12 Sandra Bernhard We 1/13 Tracey Ullman Th 1/14 Gillian Anderson HOWARD STERN, E! Mo 1/18 Hypno Gay Doug, Carol Shaya Audition Part 1 (R), Houston Goes To Jail Part 1 (R) Tu 1/19 Kendra & Friends Part 1, Carol Shaya Audition Part 2 (R), Houston Goes To Jail Part 2 (R) We 1/20 Kendra & Friends Part 2, Dr. Ruth Condoms (R), Penthouse Pets (R) Th 1/21 Jenna Dating Tommy Lee, Farrah Fawcett Part 1 (R), Frankenstein Makeover Part 1 (R) Fr 1/22 Ecstasy vs. Jasmin (R), Farrah Fawcett Part 2 (R), Frankenstein Makeover Part 2 (R) Su 1/24 pre-empted DENNIS MILLER LIVE, HBO Fr 1/22 Don Cheadle, topic TBA Fr 1/29 Noah Wyle, topic TBA SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, Cartoon Network Fr 1/22 Joel Hodgson, Penn & Teller (R) Fr 1/29 Jeff Foxworthy, Fran Drescher, Carol Channing, Alice Cooper (R) MAD TV, FOX Sa 1/24 Kevin Sorbo and Gary Coleman, ''Talkin' American: Monica''; ''Oh, Hercules'' SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, NBC Fr 1/23 The annual Sports Extra compilation show TRACEY TAKES ON..., HBO We 1/20 "Scandal" followed by "Hair" We 1/27 "Lies" SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, Comedy Central (repeats) We 1/20 Noon John Malkovich / Billy Joel (1993-'94) - The Menendez Brothers, Theater Stories; 6PM Samuel L. Jackson/Ben Folds Five (1997-'98) - Pulp Fiction screen tests, Judge Judy, TV Funhouse - George Clooney vs. paparazzi, Mango Th 1/21 Noon Christian Slater / Smashing Pumpkins (1993-'94) - Coffee Talk, Motivation II/Halloween, Sassy's Sassiest Boys; 6PM & Midnight Sylvester Stallone/Jamiroquai + Richard Jewell (1997-'98) - Oprah, Xerox Assjet 790, Roxbury Guys, Fun With Real Audio- Casablanca flatulence, Cinder Calhoun, Joe Pesci Show Fr 1/22 Noon Rosie O'Donnell / James Taylor + Casey Kasem (1993-'94): Sinatra duets, Daily Affirmation, And You Are, The Tomboy & The Sissy, Schiller fim "Will Work For Food"; 6PM Jon Lovitz/Jane's Addiction + Dana Carvey (1997-'98) - Larry King's wedding, Fun With Real Audio- Clinton press conference, The Ladies' Man, Late Show with David Letterman, Robin Byrd Show Sa 1/23 11AM Jim Carrey / Soundgarden (1995-'96) - Nightline, Spartan Spirits, Roxbury Guys, Spade in America, Joe Pesci Show, Fat Busters Su 1/24 11AM Tom Hanks / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers + Kerri Strug (1996-'97) - Big Brawn Feminine Napkins, Roxbury Guys, Goat Boy, Spartan Spirits, The Ambiguously Gay Duo, Mr. Peepers; 2PM & 5:30PM, Richard Pryor heavily edited 30-minute version of the December 1975 show Mo 1/25 Noon Nicole Kidman/ Stone Temple Pilots + from "the Addams Family movie" Christina Ricci & Jimmy Workman (1993-'94) - Wayne's World, Hyperactive Phillip, Sprockets, Ross Perot; 6PM & Midnight Chevy Chase/Live (1996-'97) - Nightline, The O.J. Simpson Telethon, Marty & Bobbi, Goat Boy Tu 1/26 Noon Charlton Heston/ Paul Westerberg (1993-'94): Planet Of The Apes, Coffee Talk, The Herlihy Boy, Hollywood Minute; 6PM & Midnight Alec Baldwin/Tina Turner + Howard Stern (1996-'97) - Late Show with David Letterman, Roxbury Guys, Mary Katherine Gallagher, Fun With Real Audio- Tom Snyder Also on late nights: NIGHTLINE and WORLD NEWS NOW, ABC BET TONIGHT WITH TAVIS SMILEY, BET LOVELINE, MTV THE HOWARD STERN RADIO SHOW, CBS and syndicated UP TO THE MINUTE, CBS DIE HARALD SCHMIDT SHOW, SAT.1 MAD TV, Fox Entire contents Copyright 1999 by Aaron Barnhart. All rights reserved.