LATE SHOW NEWS #226 November 17 and 24, 1998 by Aaron Barnhart To join or leave the LATE-SHOW-NEWS mailing list, see instructions at end of message. BARNHART'S UNAUTHORIZED TV is on sale now. For more details write barnhart@lateshownews.com or go to http://lateshownews.com Happy holiday. See you Dec. 1. *** A. Whitney Brown will be the first to admit that the concept behind "The Daily Show" was "pretty stock. Political commentary and satire -- it is nothing new. It's all in the execution." For the past two and a half years "The Daily Show" has been a revelation: nightly proof that you can still get away with political commentary and satire on a medium many of us thought had squeezed out such controversial content for good, except in passing remarks by the likes of Bill Maher and Dennis Miller. (Why is it that, at this moment, I can remember the numbers "10-10-220" better than any Miller rant?) But now that period of grace appears to be ending. Brown, his cellmate Brian Unger, and the old "Daily Show" format are departing for good Dec. 17, the last taping of the Comedy Central program with anchor Craig Kilborn before Kilborn heads to CBS to take Tom Snyder's late-late gig. (No date has been announced for the transition there, and knowing what I know about the lumbering beast of network promotion, I wouldn't count on anything happening till after the February sweep.) For the author of "The Big Picture," Brown's periodic commentaries on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for half a decade, "The Daily Show" was an opportunity to hook up with Unger, the former Connie Chung producer who shared his loathing of celebrity and his appetite for full-strength parody. "I'd like to continue working with Brian," Brown told LATE SHOW NEWS in a phone interview last week. "He and I have formed a very productive team, a very creative team, and we're determined to work together somewhere else." Maybe premium cable, Brown said. But for now, their sandbox is being taken away. Although few actual changes have been announced for the show, which will be retitled "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and will launch Jan. 11, Brown believes dramatic changes are coming and frankly, he'd rather not be a part of them. What bugs Brown most is his feeling that things didn't have to turn out this way. "Something that will be forever baffling format-wise: Why not put 'The Daily Show' in the bank and just start 'The Nightly Show with Jon Stewart'? You've got 'The Daily Show.' It's working. Put in another anchor guy like Craig who will play the fatuous, not-too-bright guy who's not bigger than the show." It *is* a good question. Why not put the celebrity and his more celebrity-oriented show on at 11 p.m., followed by the more political-oriented show at 11:30 or midnight? (One gets the sense that with Stewart at the helm the "Daily" could expand to an hour.) For now, though, let's reserve judgment as viewers, give Stewart and Kilborn their due in their new gigs, and hope Brown makes good on his threat to reunite somewhere with Unger in the new year. *** Michael Moore promised he'd be reviving the concept behind "TV Nation," that TV networks in Europe were more than happy to fund it, that the only hitch was securing a deal with an American network. Finally, that network has come through -- and surprise, it's not Comedy Central but Bravo, the film and arts channel. Bravo will be the American co-producer for "The Awful Truth," 12 half-hour episodes taped before a live audience and featuring, besides the usual prerecorded sketches, standup comedy from Mike. The show, co-produced with Britian's Channel Four, premieres April 14 ... Viewers who tuned into Monday's "Late Show" heard Naperville (Ill.) science teacher Lee Marek's name but did not actually see him during a "kid scientists" segment. That's because, after 13 appearances with Dave, Marek is moving into a behind-the-scenes role. He and another Naperville science teacher, Jaci Gentile, accompanied five students chosen from more than 30 who sent videotapes to Marek at his request. The "Late Show" producers picked the five finalists and then honed those down to three on the day of taping, reports the Chicago Tribune ... Variety reported last week that Keenen Ivory Wayans was "deep in discussions" with Fox about doing another sketch-comedy show. *Was* deep in discussions; Fox president Peter Roth quit Monday night, and change at the top always sends a shiver through any unfinished matters below ... Steve Olsen writes, "I could be wrong, but I could swear that Jesse Ventura was the subject of a Beth Littleford Interview on 'The Daily Show' a while back." And Josh Bates writes, "I apologize if you've already heard this, but Jesse Ventura appeared on 'The Tonight Show' in the late '80s promoting 'Predator.' Jay Leno was filling in for Johnny. I know, I know. I'm working on it (getting a life, that is)." Well, gents, you're both right and I weren't ... Robert Smigel is developing a feature film cartoon for Miramax Films, specifically for their Dimension Films division ("Scream" and "Scream 2") ... Stephen Colbert, whom I left out of the "Daily Show" "reporting triumvirate" in my story last week -- for the past year or so it's been a foursome -- is the author of the latest quarterly clip reel airing Wednesday in "The Daily Show's" time slot ... Too late for me to report in a timely manner, Space Ghost was the guest of "Donny and Marie" Monday ... And the Cincinnati Enquirer profiled Dave's mom just last week, reporting that Dorothy's book is still selling copies some two and a half years after publication. Look for Dorothy to appear during the Letterman fifth anniversary special next Monday. *** Longtime reader Ray Normandeau, known to some of our New York readers as the emcee at the annual Coney Island mermaid parade, and his wife Rita Frazier get called from time to time to play small parts on TV shows made in the Big Apple. Last week Ray got a call from "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" -- he was needed in a sketch taping that afternoon. "They called me after 11:00 a.m. and asked if I was available for today," writes Ray. "I said, 'Well, I was planning to be in Manhattan in the late afternoon.' They wanted me to be there at 12:30! I got there at 12:45. It turns out they only decided to do the skit this morning. I suggested the poses and they liked them for the solo at the blackboard." (Ray played the body of Newt Gingrich.) "We worked together so well that everything was done properly the first time. I was finished and on the subway at 2:09 p.m." The next night, Rita also appeared in a "Conan" sketch ... Tony Calguire writes, "NBC's 'Later' has been in reruns for a long, long time. Will the reruns ever end? Is NBC looking for a new host? It seems to me a huge waste of network airtime to keep this show on the air without a future" ... Tony Shepps writes, "A few weeks ago, David Letterman did a really funny bit when he learned, after a segment, that a guest's upturned middle finger would be pixelated later in editing. He played with the idea by showing his middle finger to the camera, first pointing down, then to the side, then slowly turning his hand upright. They didn't pixelate the finger when it was pointed down, nor sideways, but the second it went above 90 degrees, they blocked it out. It was hilarious, and Dave played it really well. On 'SNL' this week, there was a satire ad for bogus quarters and dollar bills to give panhandlers, and on the reverse of the coin and bill was the finger salute, in full upturned position. I guess this means the current thinking of network standards and practices is that the finger can be shown in printed material, but a person can't give the finger." Or that NBC is more desperate for a cheap laugh than CBS. *** Tom Heald's THIS NIGHT IN HISTORY We 11/18: In 1994, on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," although "President Bill Clinton" is the show's "Clutch Cargo" satellite hookup, unfortunately his brother Roger Clinton is the real thing. Th 11/19: In what has become an all too common practice on "Saturday Night Live," a celebrity comes on the show to correct the portrayal by his or her impersonator. On this night in 1983, it's Jerry Lewis, giving advice to Eddie Murphy. Fr 11/20: In 1985, "Late Night with David Letterman presents its "Too Tired To Do A Show" show. LATE SHOW NEWS reader Kathie Freeman calls the show "outstanding -- maybe the most work Dave's ever had to do during a broadcast and it's fantastic. Five times the content of any other Letterman broadcast. Dave politely browbeats Teri Garr into using his shower." Sa 11/21: In 1961, "Tonight Show" host Jack Paar explains the reasons he'll be stepping down the following spring in a "LOOK" magazine feature story. Su 11/22: In 1996, David Letterman offers "a million damn dollars" for a "CBS Mailbag" participant to prove his name is Sivareddy Gotike. The next week, Gotike and a friend appear on the "Late Show with David Letterman" and receive a hotel room dinner for two at "21," tickets to "Cats" and a Jets game, a Polaroid camera and, of course, dates. Mo 11/23: In 1991, eleven-year-old Macaulay Culkin hosts "Saturday Night Live," becoming the second youngest host in the show's history, the youngest being Drew Barrymore at age 7. Tu 11/24: In 1978, David Letterman makes the first of 27 appearances performing standup comedy on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." Said Letterman of his performance, "I did it and it worked beyond my wildest dreams, and I sat down and Johnny Carson is sitting right there and you're just talking and talking and praying to God it's over soon, and you're looking around and you're seeing stuff that you've seen on TV for years. And you can't let yourself think for a second, or you know, your head would explode. So you're talking and talking and talking and just praying, Oh please go to a commercial, please go to a goddamn commercial! And the next thing you know you're out of there and it's just ... I is on the 'Tonight' show." [Thanks to David Tanny, Sean Bradley, and the surprised Kathie Freeman. Special thanks to Donz5, David Letterman's illegitimate archivist. Tom Heald is celebrating a year as host of Late Show Oline's "Top Ten Lightning Round" Wednesday nights at 10 ET on America Online at Keyword : Late Show.] *** THE LINEUPS with Sue Trowbridge (http://www.interbridge.com/) LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS Mo 11/16 Kid scientists, Cameron Diaz, Mariah Carey Tu 11/17 Will Smith, Jack Hanna We 11/18 Jerry Springer, Cher Th 11/19 Christian Slater, Celine Dion and Bryan Adams Fr 11/20 Drew Barrymore, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert (*** PICK TO CLICK ***) Mo 11/23 Helen Hunt, Ray Romano Tu 11/24 Geena Davis, Martha Stewart, Roger Daltrey We 11/25 Gywenth Paltrow, Peter Berg, Bonnie Raitt Th 11/26 Michael Caine, Art Donovan, Jewel THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC Mo 11/16 Arsenio Hall, Garth Brooks Tu 11/17 Garry Shandling, Jesse "The Body'' Ventura, Stephanie Seymour We 11/18 Jimmy Carter, Charlize Theron, Nick Dipaolo Th 11/19 Dana Carvey, Yasmine Bleeth, Jewel Fr 11/20 Michael J. Fox, animal expert Jules Sylvester, Jonny Lang Mo 11/23 Richard Simmons, Rebecca Romijn, the Dixie Chicks Tu 11/24 Cher We 11/25 Kids' Thanksgiving pageant, Neil Diamond Th 11/26 Kid turkey-calling champions LATE LATE SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER, CBS Mo 11/16 Barry Manilow Tu 11/17 Mark Harmon We 11/18 TBA Th 11/19 French Stewart Fr 11/20 Arsenio Hall, Robert Cringely LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC Mo 11/16 Minnie Driver, Richard Belzer, B.B. King (R 1/9/98) Tu 11/17 Alyssa Milano, Kevin Pollak, R.E.M. We 11/18 Rob Schneider, Jerry Stiller, Dr. Drew Pinsky & Adam Carolla Th 11/19 Jennifer Love Hewitt, Marc Maron, interior decorator Christopher Lowell Fr 11/20 Jerry Springer, Charlize Theron, Everclear Mo 11/23 Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Snyder, Fastball (R 4/21/98) Tu 11/24 Dave Foley, Garth Brooks We 11/25 Jon Lovitz, Stuttering John Melendez Th 11/26 TBA Fr 11/27 Dame Judi Dench, Wayne Gretzky, Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach LATER, NBC Mo 11/16 Duane Martin interviews K-Ci & JoJo (R) Tu 11/17 D.L. Hughley interviews Coolio (R) We 11/18 Tommy Davidson interviews Ice Cube (R) Th 11/19 Rita Sever interviews Usher (R) Mo 11/23 Jon Stewart interviews Daisy Fuentes (R) Tu 11/24 Rebecca Romijn interviews Tyra Banks (R) We 11/25 Greg Kinnear interviews Kathy Ireland (R) Th 11/26 Greg Kinnear interviews Pamela Anderson (R) CHARLIE ROSE, PBS Please note that Charlie Rose listings are very tentative Mo 11/16 TBA Tu 11/17 TBA We 11/18 TBA Th 11/19 Authors Harry Evans, Judy Crichton Fr 11/20 Dennis Quaid, Lucent Technologies' Carelton Fiorina POLITICALLY INCORRECT WITH BILL MAHER, ABC Mo 11/16 Pat Sajak, Luke Perry, Laura Innes, Rep. Matt Salmon Tu 11/17 Alan Thicke, Rena Sofer, Bob Dornan, Wayne Dyer We 11/18 French Stewart, Victoria Jackson, Leah Remini, Steven Carter Th 11/19 Tony Robbins, Debra Messing Fr 11/20 Joseph Califano Mo 11/23 Gilbert Gottfried, Jerry Falwell, Leeza Gibbons, Daniel Stern Tu 11/24 Molly Ringwald, Carrot Top We 11/25 Florence Henderson, Kenny Loggins SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, Cartoon Network Fr 11/13 Jon Stewart (R) David Byrne, Donny Osmond (R) Fr 11/20 David Cross, Bob Odenkirk (R) Beck, David Lander (R) Fr 11/27 Emo Phillips, Moby Mark Weiner, Dr. Drew Pinsky (R) Fr 12/4 Jeff Foxworthy Garrett Morris, Mark McEwen (R) HOWARD STERN, E! shows are listed in the order of 11 p.m., 11:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET Mo 11/16 Dee Snider & Richard Grieco, Veronica Webb (R), Pamela Anderson Look-Alike (R) Tu 11/17 Lunchbox & Topless Sister, Heather Locklear, New Mommy (R), Nico Treasures Part 1 (R) We 11/18 Fat Chick Sign On Street, John Debella Part 1 (R), Nico Treasures Part 2 (R) Th 11/19 Frankenstein Makeover Part 1, John Debella Part 2 (R), Anna the Foot Girl (R) Fr 11/20 TBA THE DAILY SHOW, Comedy Central Mo 11/16 Ken Olin Tu 11/17 Kate Mulgrew We 11/18 Shannen Doherty Th 11/19 Jerry Springer THE CHRIS ROCK SHOW, HBO Fr 11/20 San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown Fr 11/27 The Beastie Boys SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, Comedy Central (repeats) Tu 11/17 11:00AM & Midnight - Jeff Daniels / Color Me Badd (1991-'92) Johnny Carson Tribute; Making Copies; Community College Bowl; 3:00PM - Justine Bateman / Terrance Trent D'Arby (1987-'88) featuring: The 1988 Republican Debate We 11/18 11:00AM & Midnight - Kirstie Alley / Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1991-'92) featuring: Thomas Hearings; Look Who's Talking Also;Coffee Talk; 3:00PM Tom Hanks / Randy Travis (1987-'88) featuring: Barbara Bush and Elizabeth Dole visit The Pat Stevens Show Thu 11/19 11:00AM & Midnight - Christian Slater / Bonnie Raitt (Halloween Show) (1991-'92) featuring: The McLaughlin Group; Dysfunctional Family Feud; 3:00PM Judge Reinhold / 10,000 Maniacs (1987-'88) featuring: Pumping Up with Hanz & Franz; Church Chat Fr 11/20 11:00AM & Midnight - Kiefer Sutherland / Skid Row (1991-'92) The William Smith Jury Selection; The Democratic Debates; Stuart Smalley ; 3:00PM Tom Hanks / Keith Richards (1988-'89) featuring: Pumping Up; Jew, Not a Jew; ABC '88 Campaign Update Sa 11/21 11:00AM - Matthew Broderick / Sugar Cubes (1988-'89) featuring: Dan Quayle Gets a Pep Talk Su 11/22 11:00AM - Kevin Bacon / INXS (1990-'91) Desert Storm press conference; Making Copies; The Dark Side with Nat X Mo 11/23 11:00AM & Midnight - Linda Hamilton / Mariah Carey (1991-'92) featuring: Pat; Levis 3 Legged Jeans; The Chris Farley Show; 3:00PM John Larroquette / Randy Newman (1988-'89) featuring: Gay communist gun club 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 Entire contents Copyright 1998 by Aaron Barnhart. All rights reserved. If you'd like to receive LATE SHOW NEWS in handy Palm DOC format, write me (barnhart@echonyc.com) and say so. I try to post each issue by 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Central time, to latest.html 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