LATE SHOW NEWS #187 January 20, 1998 (published Wednesday, January 21) by Aaron Barnhart NEW ORLEANS -- If they actually were to measure the fat content of most of the cuisine served in this good-timing town, they'd probably have to use an altimeter. But since they're not counting, I won't either. And anyway, if my first day at NATPE, the larger-than-life exhibition-slash-world's largest office party held here every January, is any indicator, there will be precious little time to marinate myself in butter and Cajun spices. The semi-annual Pasadena press tour is run like a small fiefdom: modestly-sized, linear and centrally controlled by the networks. But NATPE, attended by thousands of program producers, TV celebrities, station managers and other media buyers from around the world, is like the Internet -- massive, decentralized, chaotic. Fortunately, thanks to a few bookmarks and some well-placed friends offering pointers, I was surfing the NATPE in no time. My first stroke of fortune came minutes after entering the enormous exhibition floor at the downtown convention center. I bumped into Walt Belcher, TV critic for the Tampa Tribune, who immediately invited me to join him at a small press gathering with NBA great Earvin Johnson, himself the beneficiary of a stroke of fortune concerning his new late-night talk show, "The Magic Hour." As you may recall, there was a brief tussle between producers of "Magic Hour," set to launch in June, and "Keenen Ivory Wayans." Both shows are firm go's, as they say, on the 22 stations owned and operated by the Fox network. But who would get the prime 11 p.m. (or 11:30 p.m.) launch time, and who would have to wait an hour? After some closed- door talks last week, it was determined that "Keenen" would relinquish its time period to "Magic," a decision that very likely will dictate how TV stations in the rest of the country schedule the two shows. Worse still for "Keenen," Variety reports that the agreement that renewed the show on the Fox stations includes performance clauses allowing the stations to drop the show if Wayans doesn't hit certain Nielsen ratings minimums in key markets. By comparison, "Vibe," which is still steaming along after a great November sweep, already has been renewed in 70% of the country and host Sinbad recently signed on for another year. (The show's syndicator, Columbia TriStar, threw in a movie and TV development deal as well.) "Magic" has been accepted in 65% of the country, thanks mainly to the Fox stations. But Earvin -- and the four producers surrounding him at the press conference always called him Earvin -- has higher aspirations than Sinbad's "niche" audience. He wants more. He wants it all. "I want to be like Arsenio and Jay Leno," he told reporters. "In appeal," interjected Rick Jacobson, president of Twentieth Television, which is syndicating "The Magic Hour." "In appeal, yeah," agreed Johnson with a good-natured laugh. Again and again, Johnson and company stressed that "The Magic Hour" would be targeted at a mass audience. "We're trying to emulate what other successful shows have done," said Johnson -- by which he plainly meant "Arsenio" and "Tonight," not "Vibe" or "Keenen." Undoubtedly this kind of positioning is what convinced the Fox stations to give him preferential treatment. But does Johnson really have mass appeal? He and his people think yes, for these reasons: 1. Star appeal. A-list guests *want* to do Johnson's show, say his backers, because Magic is a superstar they want to meet. Producer Jeff Fischgrund tells the story about how Harrison Ford, at NBC's Burbank studios to panel with Jay Leno, heard that Johnson was next door shooting his pilot and was so excited he made a beeline for the taping. In return, Johnson called Ford "one of my all-time favorites." This kind of mutual admiration could break down walls and create scintillating chat -- or spill over into tedious backslapping sessions. The show's producers also took pains to point out that during the pilot shoot, none of Johnson's six guests (Mel Gibson, Selma Hayek, Cher, Lawrence Fishburne, Tyra Banks, Babyface) was a sports figure. 2. Excellent breeding. Johnson has been an A-list guest himself for years, mainly on the "Arsenio" show, and Johnson said he's received coaching recently from both Arsenio Hall, who gave him full access to his tape library of old shows, and Leno. The question, of course, is whether guest qualities will translate into host qualities. Not automatically, that's for sure. On the other hand, Johnson is easily the most charismatic figure to have his own late-night talk show, a person who addressed his media questioners on a first-name basis on Tuesday. 3. Competitiveness. This is the intangible factor that cannot be ignored, especially in light of Leno's stunning turnaround at "The Tonight Show." Clearly, as someone with several NBA championship rings to his name, Johnson knows how to win in a major arena. "I'm used to excellence; I'm used to winning," Johnson told reporters. He even appears to have whupped HIV, telling reporters that his is in excellent health and is "not worried" about the pressures that a daily TV show will put on him. And in person Johnson is so at ease -- right up there with Jon Stewart and Tom Snyder, in my book -- that it's hard not to accept his claim at face value. Johnson compared his work ethic to Leno's. "He's a worker too, like me -- he doesn't do anything except ride his Harley," Johnson said of Leno. "I love working because that's all I do. I don't play golf." Johnson also has a robust business portfolio, including a successful and widely-publicized venture of opening movie multiplexes in "underserved" inner-city areas. "We opened a movie theatre yesterday in Houston. I'm doing this today. And tomorrow I'll go home and work on the show," said Johnson. It will be interesting to see, though, how he'll perform if ratings are not ideal after the first few weeks. The underdog role is one he has not had to play very often in public. *** Firing Norm Macdonald from "SNL's" fake-news service probably did not strike NBC entertainment hoohah Don Ohlmeyer as a matter of great consequence. Oh sure, it would be initially perceived as embarrassing to "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels, but that could be corrected with a show of confidence and the usual good words the following week at the NBC press tour presentation in Pasadena, Calif. Instead, Ohlmeyer spent a good portion of his time in Pasadena defending what will surely go down as the worst-timed executive decision he's ever made at NBC. The ouster of Macdonald was immediately pounced upon by TV critics and fans of late-night TV (see the many letters sent by readers, below) as a sign of a stifling creative atmosphere at NBC and the surest sign yet that the network's West Coast entertainment geniuses haven't a clue what's funny on their own network. The New York Observer had the most comprehensive, some said excessive, coverage of Macdonald's removal from "Weekend Update," including his appearances to discuss the matter on Letterman's TV show and Howard Stern's radio show. ("You'd think Nixon had resigned," one critic said of the Observer's report.) The paper's Frank DiGiacomo also took note of the zeal with which Letterman tore into NBC personnel, in stark contrast to his reluctant guest. "These televised moments of clear-eyed defiance were a reminder in this time of Jay Leno and Must-See TV that the best comedy is born of anger and resistance to the status quo," DiGiacomo wrote. (The New York Post learned that during the taping, Letterman, in addition to calling Ohlmeyer an "idiot," referred to him as "Happy Hour Don," a jab at Ohlmeyer's 1996 shack-up at the Betty Ford clinic. After the taping, however, reason took over. "Although Dave's impromptu comment about Mr. Ohlmeyer received a huge laugh from the studio audience, upon reflection, Dave felt the remark should be edited before the broadcast," the show's executive producer Rob Burnett told the Post.) Meanwhile in Pasadena, the status quo denied Macdonald's firing had anything to do with those constant references to longtime Ohlmeyer buddy O.J. Simpson. "I really kind of resent the inference," said Ohlmeyer. As it turns out, Ohlmeyer was vindicated, in perhaps the worst way possible, by the Washington Post's Tom Shales, whose devastating behind-the-scenes account of Macdonald's firing appeared on the same day as the Observer's. Shales pointed out what LATE SHOW NEWS has observed several times in the past: that NBC's West Coast executives think they know *exactly* how to improve their East Coast product. The constant battering of Conan O'Brien's staff with memoranda, their mangling of the opening credits in the belief it will convince Leno watchers not to switch away -- or, more likely, go to bed -- have not stopped "Late Night" from reaching new heights in both ratings and creativity. But that is only because New York has resisted. (And, it is said, O'Brien's position is strengthened by the support of NBC's New York-based president Robert Wright.) But resistance ultimately proved futile for Michaels, who according to Shales had been fighting a three-year-plus battle to keep Macdonald on "Update." In other words, practically from the moment he took over for Kevin Nealon, Norm and the segment's producer, 20-year "SNL" veteran James Downey, have been marked men in Burbank. Over the holidays, Michaels finally relented to Ohlmeyer's and late-night overseer Rick Ludwin's demands and replaced Macdonald with Colin Quinn. Reaction was swift. Shales reported that the cast of "Seinfeld" chased Ludwin off the set, angry at the news and absolutely persuaded that "Weekend Update" with Macdonald was the funniest part of the show ("one or two apparently said it was the only good thing on the show," wrote Shales). Macdonald's contract with "SNL" is up in May and early wagers suggest it will not be renewed. On the other hand, he has a starring role in a film comedy coming up this year, and Letterman seemed genuine about getting Macdonald a gig with Worldwide Pants. And there's always HBO during the six months of the year when "Dennis Miller Live" is not in production. *** Following my report two weeks ago on the New Year's Eve ticket fiasco at "Late Show with David Letterman," including Rob Burnett's explanation of what went on, I received some eye-opening e-mails from readers who were outside the Ed Sullivan Theater that night. Two were from ticket holders who failed to gain admittance. This is from longtime reader Anthony Wright: "First off, it was really, really cold. The Letterman folks even came out to a handful of folks with hand-warmers. Second, the ticket does explain that shows are overbooked, but the letter that comes with it says that you should come no earlier than 4 p.m. ... Yet I went before their recommended time and found my tickets numbered 320 and 321. "Third, I have it from numerous sources that the theater holds 460 or so. So how can #320 be bumped? That's probably the reason for the V.I.P. rumor, in addition to a number of swankily-dressed people going in through the side door. "I really have to comment on Rob Burnett's rather facile explanation of the overbooking fiasco that occurred on New Year's Eve," writes Jim Marshall. "My high school-age son and I arrived to have our tickets numbered at approximately 1 p.m. that day and were given numbers 202 and 203. We waited in the 30 degree cold for an hour and a half without any word from anyone on the staff that we would not get in. In fact, people with tickets as low as 162 did not get in - this for a theater with a capacity of 450. At no time were we asked where we travelled from, and all that was done was that we were silently handed a form letter at 5:30 by an anonymous staffer saying we could call a number for a future show. "Worse, when a few of the rejectees tried to question members of the staff as to how this occurred, they (and we) were treated with total contempt. In fact, one staff member sarcastically told a complaining fan, 'My heart bleeds for you.'" Dylan Behan, who was visiting from Australia, waited for standby tickets three nights running and never did get inside the Ed, has the most complete unofficial explanation of what happened that night: "People with tickets from 190 onwards didn't get in, largely due to the number of people who were rescheduled from the previous nights. These were actual ticket holders who couldn't get in earlier in the week and came back on New Year's Eve. They couldn't get in earlier in the week largely due to VIPs. These VIPs I heard rumoured were CBS execs and cronies with their families who were in New York for the holidays. A number of those who had tickets for Letterman on New Year's Eve and didn't get in were also not rescheduled because -- I was told by the security guard -- someone tried to take a punch at the girl as she was trying to reschedule people, and she ran back inside." In response, Rob Burnett told LATE SHOW NEWS, "That particular night was a little crazy. As anyone who has been through the frustration of being bumped on an airplane knows, if you see the guy at the airport and there are 500 people yelling at him, it appears to be chaos, but the guy in fact is really trying to set things right. ... We're not as experienced as the airlines. We've not been in business 50 years. So we've learned now, you don't overbook over the holidays ... It's extremely unusual for us to have that level of turnout. We are not in the habit of bumping that many people from the show and I'm extremely sorry for it. It was a screwup." Burnett also wanted to dispel for all time the notion that V.I.P.'s routinely flood the Ed Sullivan Theater, crowding out legitimate ticket-holders: "The V.I.P rumor is ridiculous. There are 20 or 25 tickets a night that go to CBS that we have no control over. Believe me, Dave himself has tried very hard to get rid of those and he couldn't. ... The only other allotment of tickets that is in a V.I.P. category are tickets for the guests of the guests of the show." Burnett said about 10 of those are issued per night. All V.I.P.'s, he added, sit in the balcony -- good views but not really in Dave's line of sight and not in a position to dampen the overall crowd vibe. "I can tell you -- you can call my parents in Florida to confirm this -- but when I came over from NBC to be head writer, I wanted in my contract the ability to get tickets," Burnett said. "And I was told then that that was not possible, that Dave did not have tickets, that no one had tickets. My parents have not come to this show because I could not get tickets." The Jan. 6 taping featured an experiment with a reserved-seating method, but that, too, said Burnett, is not without problems. Because the tickets are free, not everyone who's issued one shows up. So then what do you do? Leave seats empty? Issue duplicates for the same seat? "One thing I've tried to avoid is people standing on line for long periods of time," said Burnett. "That's why the ticket says don't come before a certain time. If you've been standing on line for three hours, are you going to enjoy the show as much? ... "It's a complicated issue. But I can tell you this --it doesn't make sense to us to piss off our fans. We're not that stupid." *** An excellent move by the Letterman show, pulling a scheduled week of "composite" repeats -- three guest panels from three different shows, ripped out of context and crazy-quilted together into one unsightly mess -- and substituting a week of high quality, untampered-with, gavel-to-gavel repeats instead. Tuesday's was an overlooked gem when it first aired on a Monday this summer, with guests Harrison Ford and Steven Wright, music by Dave Matthews and a solid performance from the non-cranky host ... A reader wrote to complain that Letterman never shows any of his "old" CBS repeats anymore (circa 1993-94), but as was proven at NBC, Dave simply doesn't like looking at old images of himself. Besides, this week's repeats demonstrate better than anything else that Letterman is still more capable of riding the wave back to the top of late night. Now if only the tide would come in ... One small but important detail of ABC's eight-year renewal for "Monday Night Football," signed last week: Beginning next season, games will kick off 45 minutes earlier, at 8:20 p.m. Eastern. Allowing for 20 minutes of pre-game, this means ABC can ditch its unsuccessful 8 o'clock programming slot and -- more importantly -- air "Nightline" at or near its god-given time of 11:35 p.m. With its current start time of 9 p.m., "Monday Night Football" always pushes the rest of the night's schedule back by at least an hour, the result being that "World News Now" usually is cut in half in many markets ... Speaking of the overnight news, "Nightside" is going away. Confirming a report that appeared here earlier, NBC executives told the press gathering in Pasadena that the 2 to 5 a.m. slot will be filled instead by a repeat of that day's "Sunset Beach," that night's "Tonight Show," and other entertainment programs. "Nightside," originating in Charlotte, had recently crawled into first place in the overnight non-wars ... Rosie O'Donnell said she recently told Jay Leno she finds his jokes about Cody and Cassidy Gifford offensive ... San Francisco's KPIX is expected to end its experiment with a 10 p.m. newscast this fall and return "Late Show" to its god-given time of 11:35 p.m., instead of starting 35 minutes earlier, reports John Carman in the Chronicle. The station was owned by Westinghouse when it launched the experiment in 1992. Now it's owned and operated by CBS and management there feels it's time to get in line with the rest of the chain. CBS stations chief Mel Karmazin apparently hasn't signed off on the move, however ... And you can delete Garry Shandling from the schedule altogether after the sixth season of "The Larry Sanders Show" airs this year on HBO. He's quitting. But the show might continue, Shandling hinted, with Jon Stewart at the helm. Shandling is scheduled to appear at NATPE Thursday, where I expect him to be extremely reticent -- that is to say, only slightly more reticent than usual -- about the stunning $100 million lawsuit he has filed against his former manager of 18 years, Brad Grey. According to the suit, Grey used his relationship with Shandling to orchestrate deals that benefited him and not Shandling. Brillstein-Grey Productions represents Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage, Sylvester Stallone and Dennis Miller, and it produces "NewsRadio," "Just Shoot Me" and "Alright Already" in addition to "Larry." Grey called the suit "madness" and Bernie Brillstein, Grey's partner, called the allegations "delusional." *** Reader mail. Dozens of you felt strongly enough about Norm Macdonald (and thanks Angus MacDonald for reminding me of the correct surname spelling) to ignore my prohibition on letter-writing. Must have something to do with breaking taboos, because aside from corrections this could be the single most-responded-to topic I've ever had. Craig Morey writes, "I thought I was having a near-death experience when I turned on 'SNL' right around 12:00 to catch Norm Macdonald doing the Fake News and found instead a guy they had apparently just asked up from the audience. Colin Quinn made me squirm and in the end feel very sorry for him. ... Now to find out they did it on purpose is just beyond belief. That segment was THE ONLY reason I turned on the show anymore. ... I purposely miss the rest of the show because it's so appallingly pathetic these days. But I could at least count on Norm for a chuckle -- and by the way, I loved it that he never let up on O.J." Becky Garrison, who writes jokes for a living and ought to know, adds, "Of course Norm isn't going to lay off O.J. -- if 'The Juice' wants to be left alone, he shouldn't do interviews about how much he loves his wife." GrapeApe writes, "Perhaps 'MAD TV' cutting into 'SNL's' ratings is one reason for the change in direction, but I blame low 'SNL' ratings on a season of over-reliance on recurring characters." Sean Medlock, he of the recent "Space Ghost" haiku contest winners episode, writes, "He had a tendency to hammer away at the same few targets (O.J., Hasselhoff, etc.), but he was a damn sight better than the cheerleaders or 'the Quiet Storm' or whatever other bit they're doing to death these days." Geof O'Keefe agrees. "His fearlessly blunt punchlines about O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson ("...homosexual pedophile") and other sacred cows undoubtedly stopped many a beer party cold but were absolutely the funniest (and most unpredictable) thing on the show. The reader that wrote in saying the audience didn't laugh at a lot of his jokes misses the point that the live audience was made up of a lot of people waiting anxiously to howl with laughter at Catholic schoolgirl Mary Catherine Gallagher once again sniffing her armpit odor and falling through the props." Sarah Ledbetter writes, "I hope Colin Quinn dies a quick death on 'Weekend Update.' I can't stand that guy, and I just knew they were going to put him in that slot. He's like the guy at work who whines about everything and you can't tell him different." And Katie Wooliscroft, who says she's 15, writes, "I myself am a teenager, which I think is the main audience of 'SNL,' and really enjoyed 'Update.' I did not turn off the show when it came on, and enjoyed the guests that Macdonald had with him as well as the jokes. I think with a little help in the writing department the segment could've vastly improved to one of the best on every show. ... The ironic thing is that as soon as Norm was removed the jokes got better. Colin had jokes in front of him that were better than 90% of last season's. They were hilarious, and had Norm read them he would've had people rolling in the aisles. Colin is better in small doses." And now -- counterpoint. Mike Dooley writes, "Where do you suppose Norm went over the heads of those lunkhead adolescents? Was it 'anal rape' or 'crack whore as worst job in America?' It's just a darn shame Norm was born too late for the Algonquin Roundtable, that's all I can say." Longtime reader Deborah Carter concurs. "I think Norm Macdonald is funniest when he isn't doing jokes about butt-f*cking and homosexual rape. You can imagine then, how often I've been laughing at the guy." Rob (not Burnett) writes, "When Norm took over as the 'Weekend Update anchor,' it seemed his humor wasn't quite as sharp anymore. ... If he was relying on writers, then the writers were failing him badly." Robert Stein is more blunt. "Good riddance! I have occasionally found Norm's sketchwork to be funny, even intelligent (the 'West Side Story' sketch was great), but his work on 'Weekend Update' highlights his weaknesses. He will beat to death a marginally funny bit ('Note to self...') and frequently exhibits truly horrible taste. His obsession with anal rape and general hatred of homosexuals is bigoted and should not be allowed on a network news program, even if it is the fake news." And Pamela Koller goes to bat for Macdonald's replacement: "I've loved Colin Quinn forever and soon everyone else will too. I'm not saying I didn't love Norm and his 'Germany loves Baywatch guy' or O.J. jokes, but many times his joke bombs have been unbearably uncomfortable. Norm's great in skits. Give Colin a break." In other news, Heather Cohen writes, "In response to the departure of Lizz Winstead: It is a crime that the creative force of 'The Daily Show' was ousted by an aesthetically pleasing 'talking head.' If anyone else is as disgusted as I am by this tragic turn of events, please email me for a list of advertisers and their corresponding email addresses to express what an unhappy customer you are." That address, folks, is Esmeralda4@aol.com, *not* barnhart@echonyc.com. *** Tom Heald's THIS NIGHT IN HISTORY Exclusive to LATE SHOW NEWS Tu 1/20: In 1992, "The Dennis Miller Show" premieres in syndication. And thus a Hollywood legend is born... his name, "Jinky, the Fruitbat." We 1/21: In 1925, Benny Hill is born. How does one say "T & A" in Britain? "The Benny Hill Show," which is why his ribald exploits aired predominantly in late night when they crossed over the Atlantic in 1979. Th 1/22: In 1983, "Saturday Night Live's" "Weekend Update" airs taped footage of Andy Kaufman thanking the 169,186 callers who "cast their votes in vain" to prevent his lifetime ban from "Saturday Night Live." Fr 1/23: In 1989, "Late Night with David Letterman" begins a special theme week of repeats - a "Salute to G.E." Included is Letterman's remote to the headquarters of his corporate masters, which endears the show *just* that much more to "the suits" at NBC. Sa 1/24: In 1997, Conan O'Brien has his wisdom teeth removed. Su 1/25: In 1966, "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson is tabbed "The Prince Of Chitchat" in a "Look" magazine article written by future NBC reporter Betty Rollin. Mo 1/26: In 1994, "Saturday Night Live's" Jon Lovitz resurfaces as the voice of Jay Sherman in ABC's "The Critic," an animated satirical look at movies and pop culture. (Later salvaged by Fox and, more recently, Comedy Central.) [Thanks to B.K. Momchilov, Dave Tanny, Frank Serpas III. Special thanks to the Donz5, recently purchased by UPN for $463 billion.] Tom Heald still hosts Late Show Online's "Top Ten Lightning Round" Wednesday nights at 10 ET on America Online at Keyword: Late Show. THE LINEUPS with Sue Trowbridge LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS Tu 1/20 Harrison Ford, Steven Wright, Dave Matthews Band (R 6/9/97) We 1/21 Nicole Kidman, Gregory Hines, God's Property featuring Kirk Franklin (R 9/23/97) Th 1/22 Sylvester Stallone, Tommy Lasorda (R 8/7/97) Fr 1/23 John Travolta, Grant Hill, Sinead O'Connor (R 6/13/97) Mo 1/26 The Duchess of York, Farrah Fawcett Tu 1/27 Robert Duvall, Emmylou Harris We 1/28 Michael Keaton, Kennedy, Blues Traveler Th 1/29 David Spade, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Garlin Fr 1/30 Ethan Hawke, Mitch Hedberg THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC Tu 1/20 Kate Winslet, Burt Reynolds, Michelle Kwan We 1/21 Samuel L. Jackson, Harland Williams, Oasis Th 1/22 Bob Newhart, Howie Long, Chumbawamba Fr 1/23 John Lithgow, Famke Janssen Su 1/25 Super Bowl Special: Jenny McCarthy, Joan Embery, Shania Twain; from San Diego, Bob Costas and Richard Simmons Mo 1/26 Rupert Everett, Bryan Adams Tu 1/27 Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore We 1/28 Yasmine Bleeth, Djimon Hounsou LATE LATE SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER, CBS Tu 1/20 Mark Harmon, Keith Olbermann We 1/21 Christina Crawford, Jane Curtin Th 1/22 Scott Adams Fr 1/23 Drew Carey, Martin Amis Mo 1/26 Author and LATE SHOW NEWS reader Mikal Gilmore Tu 1/27 Diahann Carroll We 1/28 Walter Cronkite LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC Tu 1/20 Ted Williams, Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Tingle We 1/21 Martin Scorsese, Maria Bartiromo, Martina McBride Th 1/22 Jim Breuer Fr 1/23 Huffamoose, Rose McGowan Mo 1/26 Steven Wright, Rebecca Romijn, Junior Brown (R 1/22/97) Tu 1/27 Patton Oswalt We 1/28 Bill Nye, The Pat McGuire Band Th 1/29 Michael Keaton Fr 1/30 Dan Cortese, college band search winners DOMO Mo 2/2 Luke Perry, Joey Lauren Adams, Ian Bagg (R 5/2/97) LATER, NBC Tu 1/20 Judd Nelson with Howie Long (R 10/15/97) We 1/21 Judd Nelson with Kevin Pollak (R 11/4/97) Th 1/22 Judd Nelson with Traci Bingham (R 11/4/97) CHARLIE ROSE, PBS Please note that Charlie Rose listings are very tentative Tu 1/20 Samuel L. Jackson, creative team behind the play "Ragtime" We 1/21 Robert Altman, Dame Joan Sutherland, Patti Lupone Th 1/22 Charles Schwab, Yossi Beilin, Elmore Leonard Fr 1/23 Taylor Branch, Super Bowl Preview Mo 1/26 Robert Duvall, Leo Castelli Tu 1/27 Live State Of The Union Address reaction We 1/28 Brian Moore, Michael Keaton Th 1/29 Vanessa Redgrave, Sandra Bernhard Fr 1/30 David Straithairn, Mark Ravenhill POLITICALLY INCORRECT WITH BILL MAHER, ABC Tu 1/20 Petru Popescu, Jeff Garlin, Michael Madsen, Alice Nutter We 1/21 Faith Popcorn, Rep. Joe Scarborough, Jay Thomas, Jami Gertz Th 1/22 Deborah Norville, Harry Shearer, Cindy Adams, Bart Kosko Fr 1/23 Elmore Leonard, Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee, Dave Chappelle Mo 1/26 Eartha Kitt, James Van Praagh Tu 1/27 TBA We 1/28 Michael Bolton, Michael Boatman Th 1/29 Heavy D, Karen Finley Fr 1/30 Alex Kingston, Robert Goulet, Scott Thompson VIBE TV, syndicated Tu 1/20 Tracy Scoggins, Billy Zane, Isaac Hayes We 1/21 "Cooley High" Cast Reunion, Jonathan Frakes, Ajai Sanders Th 1/22 Coach Eddie Robinson, James Van Der Beek Fr 1/23 Beverly Johnson, Donald Adeosun, Faison Mo 1/26 Michael Boatman, Marcus Schenkenburg, Alana Davis Tu 1/27 Mariska Hargitay, Bryan Adams We 1/28 TBA Th 1/29 Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Kobe Bryant, Born Jamericans Fr 1/30 Muppet Clifford KEENEN IVORY WAYANS, syndicated Tu 1/20 Malik Yoba, Maia Campbell We 1/21 Pamela Lee, Eriq La Salle, Erika Alexander, Foo Fighters (Repeat) Th 1/22 Natalie Desselle, Wyclef Jean Fr 1/23 David Chappelle, Leah Remini, Michael Rapaport Mo 1/26 Florence Griffith Joyner, David Boreanaz, Donnie Wahlberg, Gary Barlow Tu 1/27 David Alan Grier We 1/28 Thomas Gibson, Heidi Mark Th 1/29 Kim Wayans, Esai Morales, Ingo Rademacher Fr 1/30 Yasmine Bleeth Mo 2/2 Craig Ferguson THE DAILY SHOW, Comedy Central Tu 1/20 Alexander Chaplin We 1/21 Ben Stiller Th 1/22 Marc Cohen DENNIS MILLER LIVE, HBO Fr 1/23 Keenen Ivory Wayans on "Talk Shows" Fr 1/30 Rosie O'Donnell on "Were The Good Old Days Better?" SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, Cartoon Network Fr 1/23 Sam Butera and Millionaire from Combustible Edison (R) Fred Schneider (R) Fr 1/30 Rob Zombie and Raven Simone (R) Robin Leach and Merrill Markoe (R) DIE HARALD SCHMIDT SHOW, SAT.1 Mi 21/1 Sandra Keller, R. Blanco, B. Tyler Do 22/1 Eva Herman, Goetz Otto Fr 23/1 Ch. Waltz, U. Kock am Brink, Jack Wong Fi 27/1 Dieter Kuerten, E. Habermann Also on late nights: NIGHTLINE and WORLD NEWS NOW, ABC CHARLES GRODIN, CNBC MAD TV, Fox SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, NBC (this season) and Comedy Central (classics) THE RUPAUL SHOW, VH1 LOVELINE and ODDVILLE MTV, MTV UP TO THE MINUTE, CBS NIGHTSIDE, NBC SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, Cartoon Network (in repeats) Entire contents Copyright 1998 by Aaron Barnhart. All rights reserved. Current e-mail circulation: 11,366 subscribers in 54 countries. Guest lineups are updated throughout the week by Sue Trowbridge at LATE SHOW NEWS is made possible with the generous assistance of ECHO, New York City's premiere online service.