LATE SHOW NEWS #162 July 22, 1997 by Aaron Barnhart NOTE: This issue is rated L for language and S for gratuitous schmoozing. PASADENA, Calif. -- Beyond a doubt, the highlight for me this week at the television critics' tour was meeting Rupert Jee at a CBS party. I know what you're thinking: (1) Aaron, you celebrity whore; (2) What's Rupert Jee doing in California? The answer is actually a simple one: the network wanted someone from "Late Show" there at the party, no one at the show could make it, so the show asked Rupert. He's a made-in-America success story, a longtime worker in the Garment District who opened a deli just off Broadway and, a year and a half later, found fame and a steady clientele when a new neighbor moved in. He's also a heckuva nice guy who only half-reluctantly stands in the spotlight when it comes his way -- kind of like Larry "Bud" Melman before he landed the 1-800-COLLECT endorsement. Which is probably why the folks at the "Late Show" keep calling on Rupert ... Another highlight was enjoying a quality "Late Late Show" on Wednesday, live and in person from the green room at CBS Television City in Hollywood. The segments were Alec Baldwin in the studio, with a spirited defense of the National Endowment for the Arts, which he followed with a gut-splitting recollection of his Little League days. In the second segment, Edna Buchanan was interviewed in Miami about the Versace slaying. It was a night of sparkling chatter from one of the great young talk-show talkers and incisive analysis from an author who knows how to speak in complete sentences. Then there was the unexpected touch of the young woman who phoned in, who sounded very much like someone staying up past her bedtime to call in. At the end Tom asked, *How old are you, young lady?* and the tiny voice answered, *I'm 32.* Later in the green room, as part of the post-interview ritual, Baldwin signed a "Late Late Show" mural with the inscription, "I'm only 33!" I've been at a handful of Snyder shows now, and I must say that when Tom and the gang knock out a great show, you can tell. Everybody skips around afterwards with big silly grins and you swear someone's going to offer you a cigar ... The Television Critics Association gave out its annual awards Sunday night, and "The Larry Sanders Show" won for best comedy. Garry Shandling gave a hilarious acceptance speech, but the best part wasn't caught by most in attendance because they were still applauding. Garry stepped up to the podium, turned to an unknown critic in the audience -- not me -- and mouthed the words, "You complete me" ... (By the way, reader Neil Schwartzman reports having a rare north-of-the-border "Larry" sighting, Saturdays at midnight on Ottawa's CJOH) ... And at the "Politically Incorrect" cocktail hour on Monday, where it was announced that the show has been renewed through 1998. I also got an advance copy of the program that will air a week from Thursday as the last prime-time "PI." The guests: Florence Henderson, G. Gordon Liddy, "abstinence activist" Likita Garth and Alice Cooper wannabe Marilyn Manson. Believe it or not, between Manson's apologias for his act and Garth's incessant pseudo-Christian nattering, Liddy is kept almost completely in check throughout this broadcast. Mrs. Brady befriends Manson like an understanding counselor, and Bill's timing is near flawless. Note: This episode airs at *9* p.m. Eastern, not 10 as in previous weeks ... Executive producer Scott Carter also told me that "PI" will do a week's worth of shows from Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., the first week of November ... Robert Morton was going to make an unannounced appearance at the ABC session Tuesday promoting his new executive-produced comedy, "Over the Top," but backed out at the last minute, fearing all of the questions from reporters would be not about the show but his relationship to, as the tabbies always seem to put it, "embattled ABC Entertainment president Jamie Tarses" ... They're actually making a movie out of that annoying "Roxbury Guys" routine you see much too much of on "Saturday Night Live." Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan will star, Amy Heckerling ("Clueless," "Fast Times") will produce, Peter Markle ("Youngblood") will direct. It's a low-budget affair, and one wonders if it might not have been better positioned as a TV movie-of-the-week for NBC, now that the network has a deal with Lorne Michaels to create something called SNL Studios that will specialize in non-late night programming ... No new people will join the "SNL" cast, Michaels announced Friday, but Tim Meadows and Mark McKinney appear to be leaving and the remaining "featured players" will be folded into the regular cast ... During a press conference last week for the new Kirstie Alley sitcom on NBC, "Veronica's Closet," somebody asked why Wally Langham's ("Larry Sanders") character Josh won't admit he's gay when everyone around him thinks he is. One of the show's producers, David Crane, said it was because it made Josh "fresh" and "a character we feel we have never seen on television before." As his last act as "SNL" publicist before joining "Late Night" as a producer, maybe Daniel Ferguson should forward the producers of "Veronica's Closet" a clip reel of Rob Smigel's "Ambiguously Gay Duo" series appearing on selfsame network ... Randy Cohen, the former "Late Night with David Letterman" writer, has a running diary in Slate magazine about his week spent filling out a Nielsen diary. It's a great meditation on television and audience measurement. Cohen, who wrote the diary anonymously, reveals that "Late Night" staffers feared they would be cancelled during their first few seasons, and that NBC commissioned its own research to show that "Late Night" was drawing an inordinate number of unmeasured viewers. "They (Nielsens) don't survey those watching in institutional settings--college dorms, hospitals, jail--who were our core constituency at 'Late Night,'" Cohen writes. "The show commissioned its own surveys to demonstrate that our viewers were just the sort of youthful tire-buying beer-lovers cherished by sponsors. These statistics let 'Late Night' charge more for a commercial than programs with similar ratings. Our 2 is better than your 2." ... Andy Richter did an AOL last week and here's our favorite exchange, bleeps courtesy AOL: "Question: How does it feel to have all these people reading your thoughts?" "ARichter1: These aren't my thoughts, they're horse**** answers to your well thought out questions." *** Reader mail, and lots of it: About the billboard. I knew many of you would see it another way. Karen Lynch writes, "I think the billboard is hilarious. I, too, had seen the huge Leno '#1 in Late Night' billboard over the past few months (you can't miss it) and thought it truly obnoxious. Not that they would put up such a sign but where they LOCATED it, for chrissakes. You can see it clearly from 53rd and Broadway so Dave and the gang had a daily reminder telling them they're losers, basically. I'm not media savvy like you so you may be right about the repercussions. But from a personal viewpoint, I say bravo" ... "I think the Letterman #3 sign is great," writes Patrick Laws. "Leave it to Leno, aka 'Kiss-Ass Mr. Hollywood,' to brag" ... Donna Fletcher, who saw the dueling signs featured on "Today": "Big deal about the Dave/Jay billboard on the morning shows! Good to see Dave getting his old sense of humor back. I LIKED the fat and sour Dave" ... And this from Traci Gilland: "For Christ's sake, Aaron, must you always be so cynical? Plain and simple the billboard makes the statement that the 'Late Show' folks are happy with what they are putting out, ratings be damned. It re-emphasizes the point that Letterman finds all this showbiz posturing a big load of crap. Whether the billboard stays three days or three months, it makes that point and makes most of us laugh our collective asses off. I for one will happily go stand beneath the Brill Building, focus my little camera to the roof and capture the whole lovely sight on film to remain with me forever." About the GLAAD protest letter over Dave's Top Ten List poking fun, for the 948th time, at Richard Simmons's sissy routine: "I should have known I was enjoying something that I wasn't supposed to be," writes Scott Barvian. "That Top Ten was the first Top Ten I'd saved on videotape in over three years (excepting special events such as 'top ten things that sound cool when sung by a barbershop quartet,' etc.)" ... And our pal Damone writes, "I really can't believe GLAAD. In this case, they at least have some sort of point, but they seem to go out of their way to be seen as crusading. I used to respect them until I had a first-hand account of their lack of humor. There used to be a character on 'Late Night' called 'Todd, the guy who won't believe that Conan's not gay.' He was hilarious. The sketch was more about Conan's insecurity than anything else. In fact, one of the most vocal fans of the sketch on the newsgroup was a gay man who went so far as to put up a web page in praise of the sketch. GLAAD protested the sketch because they said it was stereotypical and the sketch went away, whether from pressure by NBC or Conan's own decision. People wouldn't say GLAAD lacked a sense of humor if they didn't have knee-jerk reactions to every piece of humor involving homosexuals and actually watched the damn things first." A thoughtful rant from longtime reader and now journalism professor Karla Robinson, who like me was in Evanston when this newsletter started and has since moved on: "I've been watching Letterman's ratings fall for the past two seasons or so, like everyone else, but I really feel strongly that the quality of the show is not the number one reason for his decline in the Nielsen's. ... I did a little Leno/Letterman comparison the other night. I watched Leno interview Jodie Foster, and squirmed through the entire thing. It was another case of overscripting: Leno brings out old toothpaste ad of Jodie's we've all seen before, makes her uncomfortable, starts *every* new question with, 'I read somewhere that you...,' expecting her to recapitulate the anecdote for the audience. I learned nothing new about Jodie, she clearly was uncomfortable with the whole exercise, and Jay was forced, forced, forced. "Then, I switched over to a Letterman repeat, where he was interviewing MaliVai Washington, the tennis player who had been runnerup at Wimbledon in 1996. Letterman clearly had some rehearsed shtick, such as the photo of Washington and a competitor witnessing a streaker on the court, and the use of the silver tray he had won to serve up some nachos and salsa, but I really felt like Letterman was listening to the guy, allowing him to be himself. It was enjoyable, squirm-free television. ... Perhaps the only interviewer on television who is lamer than Jay is Alex Trebek." Maybe so, but consider this from first-time caller Diane Lehwald: "I watched Dave last night and I have to ask: What the hell is with Mary Tyler Moore. In general, I like her, as I know Dave does, but seeing the show last night reminded me that with each viewing of her on Dave's show, I hate her just a little bit more. Why does she constantly watch herself on the monitor turning her body to see herself from every angle? Could she contort her body any more so that we are forced to see her back and the fact that she isn't wearing a bra (a fact that, as a woman, I wouldn't be too proud about)? Is she that in awe of how she's kept herself up, or does she get off knowing people are staring at her body?" ... And Anne Raugh writes, "I really enjoyed the two pre-taped 'remote' interviews Conan has done recently (Hunter Thompson and Paul McCartney). The Hunter Thompson interview was especially interesting, since I believe it aired within a few weeks of when Thompson was supposed to appear on 'Politically Incorrect,' but flaked. I think it speaks well for 'Late Night' generally, and Conan in particular, that he's willing to chase down selected interesting but not frequently interviewed stars in order to get the big names on 'Late Night.' After all, we can't all be Mohammed." Tom Heald's THIS NIGHT IN HISTORY Tu 7/22: In 1996, the inaccurately-named "The Daily Show" premieres on Comedy Central, after "Politically Incorrect," whose time slot "The Daily Show" will slide into once "PI" moves to ABC. "Host Craig Kilborn, formerly of ESPN, has gone through some sort of makeover and now looks like Bob Costas's evil twin brother," says LATE SHOW NEWS. We 7/23: In 1993, the "Coneheads" movie lands in theatres... with a thud. More than just a bloated unfunny vanity project, "Coneheads" is perhaps the "Saturday Night Live"-est film ever shot, featuring a full 15 of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players": Dan Aykroyd, Peter Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Jon Lovitz, Tim Meadows, Michael McKean, Garrett Morris, Kevin Nealon, Laraine Newman, Adam Sandler, David Spade, and Julia Sweeney. Plus scenes from Ellen Cleghorne and former "Saturday Night Live writer" Conan O'Brien that are left on the cutting room floor. Th 7/24: In 1995, on CBS's "Late Show With David Letterman," a "dumb ads" segment introduces to the world a Canadian filling station attendant who goes by the name of Dick Assman (OSS-man). The entire North American viewing audience soon catches Dick Assman-ia!! Fr 7/25: In 1993, "Politically Incorrect" debuts on Comedy Central, with host Bill Maher and guests Robin Quivers, political strategist Ed Rollins, and comedians Larry Miller and Jerry Seinfeld. Sa 7/26: In 1957, "Tonight! America After Dark" last airs on NBC. Following Steve Allen's departure in January 1957, the "Tonight Show" turns from comedy to a "Today" show-style news format. The change fails to catch on with either critics or viewers, and lasts six months. Su 7/27: In 1985, the last three original episodes of the surreal variety show "Michael Nesmith In Television Parts" air as a one week replacement for "Saturday Night Live." Mo 7/28: In 1978, "National Lampoon's Animal House" opens in theaters and goes on to become the highest grossing comedy of its time, launching "Saturday Night Live" cast member John Belushi John into superstardom. [Thanks to Tim Brooks, Earl Marsh, Bill Maher, and matt@belushi.com. Special thanks to Donz5, currently starring as "President William Jefferson Clinton" in the movie "Contact."] Hilarious gay serial killer and/or ear-biting material for Norm MacDonald to use in between Frank Stallone jokes can be sent to Tom Heald at . THE LINEUPS (with Sue Trowbridge) LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS Tu 7/22 Kids Tell Jokes, Mario Andretti, John Hiatt We 7/23 John Turturro, Kathy Kinney, Radish Th 7/24 Dan Rather, Kathy Griffin, k.d. lang Fr 7/25 Samuel L. Jackson, Barry Sonnenfeld, Eddie Brill Mo 7/28 Jennifer Aniston, Phylicia Rashad, Brian Regan Tu 7/29 Norm MacDonald, William H. Macy, Jamiroquai We 7/30 Charles Grodin, Billy Connolly, David Byrne Th 7/31 Tommy Lasorda, Jonathan Katz, Blues Traveler Fr 8/1 Tony Danza, Michael Rappaport, Todd Barry THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC Tu 7/22 Evander Holyfield We 7/23 Patrick Stewart Th 7/24 Kathy Ireland, Kenan Thompson & Kel Mitchell, the Pendragons Fr 7/25 Radiohead Mo 7/28 - We 7/30 TBA Th 7/31 Alice Cooper LATE LATE SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER, CBS Jon Stewart will be the guest host for the week of July 21-25. Tu 7/22 Ray Romano We 7/23 Lea Thompson, Michael Hutchence Th 7/24 Al Franken, Karen Duffy Fr 7/25 Keenen Ivory Wayans, Tom Shales Mo 7/28 Kenny Loggins Tu 7/29 Liza Minnelli, Brett Butler We 7/30 Marcia Clark, Peter Fonda Th 7/31 Michael Jeter LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC Tu 7/22 The Smothers Brothers, Fun Lovin' Criminals We 7/23 Isabella Rossellini Th 7/24 David Alan Grier, Sugar Ray Fr 7/25 "Mr. Food'' Art Ginsberg Mo 7/28 Phil Hartman, Roger Ebert, Ken Shamrock (R 11/22/96) Tu 7/29 Scott Thompson We 7/30 Steve Miller & Curtis Selgado Th 7/31 Kevin Bacon LATER, NBC Tu 7/22 Ahmad Rashad with John Larroquette (R 5/29/97) We 7/23 Ahmad Rashad with Wilt Chamberlain (R 5/26/97) Th 7/24 Ahmad Rashad with Phil Hartman (R 5/12/97) CHARLIE ROSE, PBS Tu 7/22 Harrison Ford, Lawrence Eagleburger, Henry Kissinger We 7/23 John Turturro, Walter Dellinger Th 7/24 Naomi Wolf, Samuel L. Jackson Fr 7/25 Puffy Coombs POLITICALLY INCORRECT WITH BILL MAHER, ABC Tu 7/22 Steve Oedekerk, Peter Bart, Liza Minnelli, Thad Mumford We 7/23 Belinda Carlisle, Stanley Crouch, Robert Wuhl, Tavis Smiley Th 7/24 Lynn Redgrave, Louie Anderson, Laura San Giacomo, Richard Brookheiser (R 3/10/97) Fr 7/25 Louie Anderson, Jim "Soni'' Sonefeld, Nadine Strossen, Cary Savitch, M.D. SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, Cartoon Network Fr 7/25 Bob Odenkirk and David Cross * premiere * Fr 8/1 Beck * premiere * Fr 8/8 Judy Tenuta and Bobcat Goldthwait * premiere * Ghost Planet regulars probably know this already, but this season will feature 26 new episodes of Spacey and company. DENNIS MILLER LIVE, HBO Fr 7/25 Jeff Greenfield on "Violence in The Media" Fr 8/1 TBA Fr 8/8 Damon Wayans (topic TBA; last new episode of season) HOWARD STERN, E! Tu 7/22 Sean Young, Pt. 1, Howard's Birthday '96, Pt. 2 We 7/23 Sean Young, Pt. 2, Howard's Birthday '96, Pt. 3 Th 7/24 Siskel & Ebert "Questions," Howard's Birthday '96, Pt. 4 Fr 7/25 Lesbian Strippers Turned Away, Howard's Birthday '96, Pt. 5 Sa 7/26 Sandra Bernhard & Models, Pts. 1 and 2 DIE HARALD SCHMIDT SHOW, SAT.1 Mi 23/7 Montserrat Caballe, Manfred Wolke Do 24/7 Hermes Phettberg, Peter Neururer Fr 25/7 Gerd Rubenbauer, Sabrina Setlur Di 29/7 Georg Uecker Also on late nights: NIGHTLINE, ABC CHARLES GRODIN, CNBC CARSON'S COMEDY CLASSICS, Family Channel MAD TV, Fox SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, NBC (this season) and Comedy Central (classics) THE RUPAUL SHOW, VH1 LOVELINE, MTV ODDVILLE MTV, MTV WORLD NEWS NOW, ABC UP TO THE MINUTE, CBS Entire contents Copyright 1997 by Aaron Barnhart. All rights reserved. Distributed by e-mail and BBS to over 10,000 readers weekly. Late Show News is made possible with the generous assistance of ECHO, New York City's premiere online service. Send news for and comments about this newsletter to aaron@tvbarn.com