LATE SHOW NEWS #197 April 7, 1998 published April 8 by Aaron Barnhart To join or leave the LATE-SHOW-NEWS mailing list, instructions are at end of message. Conan O'Brien has followed his sidekick Andy Richter onto the college lecture circuit. He spoke Monday at the University of Pennsylvania. Darren Glass was there and files this report: "The evening opened with a 5- or 10-minute package of clips from 'Late Night,' including the documentary parody of Ken Burns's "Baseball" and other greatest hits. Then Conan came out and the fun began. He wanted the talk to have a message, and the message he chose was roughly, "Don't be afraid to get in over your head." He spent the first hour and a half basically going through his career, from his graduation from Harvard (which got boo-ed every time he mentioned it, something he seemed to get a real kick out of) up until "Late Night." He showed some clips from the 'Wilton-North Report' (he said, 'I was 6 foot 4, 165 pounds, and I have no idea what was going on with my hair!'), the Simpsons and 'SNL,' as well as clips from his audition tape for 'Late Night' ('Watch this tape and feel a lot better about yourself'), which were all quite amusing to see. Throughout the evening he mentioned several times how he knew performing was for him and how he has the best job in the world. He also kept emphasizing his theme, saying that throughout his career he has done things that he really wasn't ready for, but somehow he survived it all. "Then he took questions. Even though he was originally only scheduled to take about 20 minutes worth of questions, he said he would keep going until they were all answered. I left after about 45 minutes of q-and-a but he was still going strong. Some highlights: "On Howard Stern: 'Howard is one of the few people who can regularly make me laugh out loud ... Do I think he will kick 'SNL's' butt? Probably not. He might polarize the audience for awhile, but I would guess that 'SNL' is here to stay. "On his favorite SNL performer: 'Phil Hartman was always the most underrated. He could make you laugh but he could also make you laugh at the other people. He would play a freak in one skit and a 55-year-old man in the next. He is a genius.' "On his side projects: 'Anyone who does a talk show and also dabbles in ten side projects isn't really doing their talk show. It just takes too much time.' "On a show he'd like to do: 'I really want to do an entire show on a New York subway. Start down in the financial district and end up in Harlem or something. And have the guests get on and off at appropriate stops. I don't know if it would be technically possible, but it's something I'd like to do someday.' "On fame: 'The lame thing is that I actually do have a stalker, but she lives in Germany. Dave's stalker like breaks into his house and stuff, but mine just writes me letters that I don't read.' "I was quite impressed at both the way he handled the audience's cheers and innuendo, and also at how honest and straightforward he was when asked questions about things like 'Why does "The Simpsons" suck now?' or 'Do you ever partake of [marijuana]?'" *** "Howard Stern" will continue on E! for the foreseeable future, according to the cable network, even though he's just lined up a deal to go mainstream with CBS and its syndication arm, Eyemark. Still, look for the Saturday night program's schedule time to change if it conflicts with the time when his new show airs on most of the CBS owned-and-operated stations ... Some of those O & O's have already announced they'll be delaying the show, like WCCO in Minneapolis, which won't put Stern on until 12:30 a.m. ... "The Joey Buttafuoco Show," a late-night public access cable show, will start in Los Angeles on April 16. Joey's first guest will be Divine Brown ... Once again LATE SHOW NEWS gets results! After reporting that "Larry Sanders" isn't available in Canada, the show begins airing in Canada! Coincidence? Cable's Comedy Network will show it Friday nights at 9 beginning April 10, with repeats airing Saturdays at midnight on broadcast network CTV ... Mike Myers is making a movie out of "Sprockets" ... Not that you needed a psychic to predict this: Jerry Seinfeld will appear on "The Tonight Show" the night of his signoff on NBC ... Greg Kinnear hosts "SNL" this weekend with musical guest All Saints (making their U.S. t.v. debut) ... Lizz Winstead, formerly of "The Daily Show," has resurfaced. She and Janeane Garofalo just taped a live comedy performance to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ms. Magazine. Their special will air on Lifetime later this month ... And now, nothing but URL's: Norm Macdonald has finally been released from his "SNL" contract, reports USA Today, a full four weeks before it was set to expire. By the way, great Norm fan site at ... Our pal Paul Harris has had the plug pulled on his afternoon drive show at WARW radio in Washington. Someone give this man (and sidekick Dave the Predictor) a job! ... Someone told Cinescape Online that Chris Elliott will be the voice of Dilbert in the upcoming UPN animated series based on Scott Adams' strip ... And call me cybercentric but I was concerned to hear Bill Maher comment on "Politically Incorrect" last week that he's never heard of Salon magazine . Actually, what he said was, "I read it when I'm under the dryer." *** Tom Heald's THIS NIGHT IN HISTORY Exclusive to LATE SHOW NEWS Tomalhe@aol.com We 4/8: In 1986, on "Late Night with David Letterman," Letterman attempts a goodwill gesture, delivering flowers and sweets to NBC's new owners at General Electric, is rebuffed at the courtesy desk and given "the GE handshake." Th 4/9: In 1983, Johnny Carson's father, Homer Lloyd Carson, passes away. Fr 4/10: In 1980, on the "Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," Carson and guest David Letterman discuss the premiere date of Letterman's upcoming morning show on NBC. Sa 4/11: In 1981, "Saturday Night Live" introduces the new group of regular cast members: Denny Dillon, Eddie Murphy, Tim Kazurinsky, and Gail Matthius. Su 4/12: In 1995, on "Late Show with David Letterman," Drew Barrymore gives Letterman the birthday gift that keeps on giving. Also on the show with Barrymore's breasts, comedian Al Franken promoting "Stuart Saves His Family" which opens in theaters this day and goes on to gross the titanic sum of $911,310. Mo 4/13 : A major star launches a show to compete with "SNL," aided by a disgruntled former "SNL" cast member ... where have I heard this before? Well, in 1996, the star is Roseanne, the show is "Saturday Night Special," and the former "SNL'er" is Laura Kightlinger. Given only a six-week trial on Fox, the show never proves itself "special" enough to replace "MAD TV." Tu 4/14: In 1984, "Saturday Night Live" host George McGovern solicits donations for yet another presidential campaign and winds up introducing musical guest Madness with help from Clara "Where's the Beef" Peller. [Thanks to David Tanny, and Frank Serpas III. Special thanks to Donz5, "Lost in Dave."] Tom Heald's "Not-completely-edited-or-updated-but-at- least-up-there Dennis Miller FAQ 3.0" may be found at . THE LINEUPS with Sue Trowbridge NOTE: "Pick to Click" means a must-watch show. LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS We 4/8 Jim Belushi, Lacey Chabert, Robbie Robertson Th 4/9 Val Kilmer, Jimmie Walker, cast of the musical "Cabaret" Fr 4/10 Billy Crystal, Hatty Jones, Tori Amos Mo 4/13 Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Berlin, Tanya Tucker (R 4/17/95) Tu 4/14 Helen Hunt, Ben Bradlee, Blues Traveler (R 10/6/95) We 4/15 Michael Richards, Rick Reynolds, Steve Winwood (R 6/3/97) Th 4/16 Lisa Kudrow, cobbler Umberto Buccigrossi, The Verve Pipe (R 4/24/97) Fr 4/17 Meg Ryan, Lance Henriksen, Mary Chapin Carpenter (R 5/19/97) THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC We 4/8 Meg Ryan, Gary Oldman, Trace Adkins Th 4/9 Patricia Arquette, Miguel Ferrer, animal expert Steve Irwin Fr 4/10 Rodney Dangerfield, Steve Van Wormer Mo 4/13 Newt Gingrich, Mimi Rogers, Hulk Hogan Tu 4/14 Dennis Franz, Savage Garden We 4/15 David Spade, Tyra Banks, Paula Cole Th 4/16 Natasha Henstridge, Bonnie Raitt Fr 4/17 Jennifer Aniston, Tiger Woods Mo 4/20 TBA Tu 4/21 Randy Travis LATE LATE SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER, CBS We 4/8 Larry Gelbart Th 4/9 Jack Lemmon, Lani Guinier Fr 4/10 Jay Thomas, Rob Morrow Mo 4/13 Rosie O'Donnell, Nancy McKeon (R) Tu 4/14 Nathan Lane (R) We 4/15 Bill Murray, William Diehl (R) Th 4/16 Diahann Carroll, Bill Maher (R) Fr 4/17 Drew Carey, legal analyst Laurie Levinson (R) Mo 4/20-Fr 4/24 Tom Snyder in New York LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC We 4/8 Jonathan Harris, Steven Wright Th 4/9 Yogi Berra Fr 4/10 Michael Moore, Ben Harper Mo 4/13 Jerry Springer, Melinda Clarke, David Brenner (R 2/3/98) Tu 4/14 Patricia Arquette, Bob Hoskins, Mono We 4/15 William Shatner, Kathy Griffin Th 4/16 Peter Gallagher, Bobby Slayton Fr 4/17 Corbin Bernsen Mo 4/20 Martin Scorsese, Maria Bartiromo, Martina McBride Tu 4/21 Gwyneth Paltrow, Rob Morrow, Fastball LATER, NBC Line-ups not available CHARLIE ROSE, PBS Please note that Charlie Rose listings are very tentative Th 4/9 Liz Tilberis, Ed McMahon (*** PICK TO CLICK ***) POLITICALLY INCORRECT WITH BILL MAHER, ABC We 4/8 Joan Rivers, Nadine Strossen, Kellyanne Fitzpatrick, Roger Cossack (R) Th 4/9 Dennis Miller, Stacy Keach, Barbara DeAngelis, Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R) Fr 4/10 Jay Thomas, Jami Gertz, Rep. Joe Scarborough, Faith Popcorn (R) Mo 4/13 Robert Conrad, Jody Watley, Karen Finley, Kevin Bertram Tu 4/14 TBA We 4/15 Natasha Henstridge, Michael Moore, Gerald Posner Th 4/16 Holly Robinson Peete, Rita Coolidge, Maggie Gallagher Fr 4/17 Jon Cryer, Tom Fitton, Alexandra Wentworth, Mark McGrath VIBE TV, syndicated We 4/8 Jonathan Silverman, James Van Praagh, Mary J. Blige Th 4/9 Kobe Bryant, Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Born Jamericans Fr 4/10 Justin Lazard, Vivica A. Fox, Tamia Mo 4/13 Next Tu 4/14 Natasha Henstridge, cast of "Bring in 'Da Noise/Bring in 'Da Funk" We 4/15 Jon Cryer, Playa Th 4/16 Rick Fox; Earth, Wind and Fire Fr 4/17 Mario Van Peebles, Scott Bakula KEENEN IVORY WAYANS, syndicated (and geshphincto) Tu 4/7 Loretta Devine, Gil Bellows, Vanessa Marcil, The Lox (R) We 4/8 Steve Harvey, Christa Miller, Shayma Tash, Whoridas (R) Th 4/9 Jamie Fox, Matthew Lillard, Oasis (R) Fr 4/10 Daisy Fuentes, Aries Spear, Carlos Oscar, The Firm (R) DENNIS MILLER LIVE, HBO Fr 4/10 Judge Mills Lane on "Capital Punishment" SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, Cartoon Network Fr 4/10 Haiku winners Ryah Rosenberg and Sean Medlock, Tom Arnold, Tony Bennett, Kathy Kinney, etc. (R) Jimmie Walker, Mike Watt, two Smithereens, Juliana Hatfield, Ben Cameron Diaz, Mark McEwen, Bobcat Goldthwait, etc. etc. (R) Fr 4/17 Juggler Russ Powell, and ventriloquist Bob Abdou, comic Pete Michael (R) Michael Stipe, Lassie, Sirajul and Mujibur (R) HOWARD STERN, E! Tu 4/7 Baywatch Jeopardy Part 2 (R), Sandy Taylor With William Shatner (R) We 4/8 Pee Pee Diaper (R), William Shatner Returns (R) Th 4/9 Playmate Julia Shultz (R), Four Nipples & B.J. Thomas (R) Fr 4/10 Strippers x 3 (R), Robin's Horse Show (R) Sa 4/11 Ralph's Gay Polygraph Parts 1 and 2 (R) DIE HARALD SCHMIDT SHOW, SAT.1 (lineups not available) 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, MTV UP TO THE MINUTE, CBS NIGHTSIDE, NBC (going away soon) DIE HARALD SCHMIDT SHOW, SAT.1 Entire contents Copyright 1998 by Aaron Barnhart. All rights reserved. LATE SHOW NEWS is made possible with the generous assistance of ECHO, New York City's premiere online service. http://www.echonyc.com Send news for and comments about this newsletter to aaron@tvbarn.com