LATE SHOW NEWS #228 December 15 and 22, 1998 by Aaron Barnhart To join or leave the LATE-SHOW-NEWS mailing list, see instructions at end of message. It seems unlikely that we'll look back at the past seven years of overnight network news with any great nostalgia. But it is passing quietly from the scene, at least as its own distinct news entity, so this is as good a time as any to remember it. While fonder memories may be reserved for the "NBC News Overnight," which signed off 15 years ago, the overnight news programs of the '90s had their own quiet appeal as one of the last places on network TV where news remained a work in progress. Earlier this year the least imaginative of the overnight newscasts, "NBC Nightside," shut down as the network handed over the wee hours to its entertainment division, where last we checked you could tune in a slightly stale "Tonight Show" repeat or an encore of that day's "Sunset Beach" episode. "Nightside" was not only the first to go but the first to arrive on the scene, late in 1990, originating not from NBC News headquarters in New York but the center of its affiliate-news operations in Charlotte, N.C. If I close my eyes I can still see that overexposed night shot of downtown Charlotte that shadowed the "Nightside" set, like an image of Hell's financial district. Now comes word that the CBS overnight news, "Up to the Minute," is downsizing -- though not disappearing completely. An industry fax recently reported that one of the program's two co-anchors, Rick Jackson, will be departing as "UTTM" reverts to a single-anchor format. All three major networks are paring back their news divisions, and overnight news seemed easy prey. At ABC News, where hundreds lost their jobs, "World News Now" miraculously earned a stay of execution this summer from ABC News president David Westin. But who knows for how long. Meanwhile at CBS, "UTTM" is reportedly reassigning staff to other parts of the company. The broadcast will live on but will now become part of the network's morning- news operation. A spokesman told LATE SHOW NEWS, "It was actually part of the plan to integrate ('UTTM') with the morning show" and something CBS News president Andrew Heyward "wanted to do since day one." The spokesman confirmed that the show was "probably" headed to a single anchor but would not speculate on whether it would be Jackson or co-anchor Mika Brzezinkski. The special digital and entertainment features are not targeted for elimination, but the spokesman said "UTTM" will become "more hard news" than previously. *** Speaking of overnights, how long can NBC's "Later" remain stuck in its five-year-old groove? As it turns out, until January. LATE SHOW NEWS has learned that the 1:35 a.m. talker is returning Jan. 11 with fresh episodes from a variety of guest hosts. So far only Rita Sever, who hosts NBC's "Friday Night" and is married to NBC late-night executive Gary Considine, has been booked. (Sever watchers please note, she will be hosting the fifth-anniversary program of "Friday Night," which is to say five years since dropping "Videos" from the title, on Jan. 8.) In the meantime, NBC has a holiday treat in store: Beginning next Monday look for classic episodes of "SCTV" to air following "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." They'll air nightly until the new batch of "Laters" are ready. *** This curious missive arrived in the e-mail recently from http://www.snlvideo.com/: "NBC thru their legal staff has told us that they do not want snlvideo.com to sell you videos any longer. When they originally gave us permission to sell videos the Internet did not exist. Since it did not exist then but does now they want to reserve the right to sell videos to you on the internet for themselves. We do not believe this is correct but since they want us to stop we will do so until all the lawyers and judges sort out this mess and tell us we can start selling once again." The message, signed by "Robert Withers, Director of Customer Service," was also posted to the Web site. Actually, snlvideo.com has only been around since mid-1995; you read about it here in LSN #85. The site is maintained by Starmaker Entertainment, part of the Anchor Bay home video group that's currently owned by the Handleman Company of Troy, Mich. But Handleman, which has been underwhelming Wall Street of late, announced in September that it plans to exit the domestic video business. Given that and the very real possibility that NBC could actually make money online selling videos, you can hardly blame NBC for wanting its license back. Interestingly, nobody is posting to snlvideo.com's own chat boards about NBC's action. All the posters want to talk about is the latest broadcast of "SNL." If you want to order "SNL" videos for Christmas, NBC is selling a few of them through its 1-800-NBC-2100 order line. *** Adam Buckman goes over the top praising Letterman and Leno in Monday's New York Post, even managing to draw a free-market economics lesson that undoubtedly would tickle his boss, Rupert Murdoch. "Everybody said late-night TV would never be the same without Johnny, and they were right ... it's much better," writes my monogram-sake. "Jay and Dave are giving it their all. They're both demonstrating what can happen when a monopoly gives way to competition. Everybody works harder to put out a better product, and consumers -- in this case, viewers -- are the winners." Now if we can only dispense of those pesky union crews ... Charles Grodin's MSNBC show, which looks almost exactly like his old CNBC show, has been extended through the year 2000, thanks to the 84 percent rise in ratings since he occupied the Saturday 8 p.m. time slot ... Paying back some sort of debt to Leno for making a fool of himself this summer in Sturgis, S.D., "Hollywood Hulk" Hogan announced his "retirement" from pro wrestling Thanksgiving night on "The Tonight Show." Normally if someone offered me the Goldberg variations, I'd say bring 'em on, but not this time ... Army Archerd says "The Ladies Man" is being developed as a major motion picture for Paramount. If you don't know what "The Ladies Man" is, you really don't need to know, trust me on this one ... Nellie Ruth Shirley, 39, of Honea Path, S.C., is the latest person ordered by a court to stay away from Letterman and his Connecticut house ... Suzanne Whang is out and Kim Coles of "Living Single" is in as co-host of "New Attitudes" on Lifetime when new episodes begin airing in March ... Bruce Springsteen is gettin' the band back together, and that may mean a few months' leave for "Late Night" bandleader Max Weinberg ... "The Tonight Show" is airing live on New Year's Eve, with a remote from Times Square ... And then there are the indignant stations forced to retract their indignance. In Washington, D.C., station WBDC moved "The Howard Stern Radio Show on TV" from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. last month, and the program's audience plummeted, from 78,000 viewers to 13,000. Not wanting to eat that much syndication money, WBDC moved the show back to midnight -- and added a content advisory (thanks Harrison Wyman). *** Reader mail: Andy Sacks writes from Jerusalem, "While NBC Europe (hence Leno and Conan) is no longer on cable in Israel, there is some good news. Mid East TV (I believe out of Southern Lebanon or Cyprus) is now airing Letterman, albeit 2-week-old shows that are cut for commercials in unnatural places and bleep a lot of words" ... A reader named Aaron writes, "Why aren't rap and R&B stars on late-night TV? Even when 'Vibe' and Keenen and Magic were on, they didn't make full use of rap and R&B. While I myself am not even a rap or R&B fan, I found Cannibus' performance on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' very good. I do not recall that Puff Daddy has ever been on Letterman or Leno. And he is at least Top 5 in the music industry today" ... And a longtime reader-tipster writes of his recent visit to the Leno show, "It's all a well-oiled machine by now, paint-by-numbers entertainment presented to the studio audience. For the record he taped two promos afterwards, one beginning, 'Hi, it's Jay Leno, hope you had a great weekend,' and another beginning, 'Hi, it's Jay Leno, hope you had a great Bay-area weekend.' Exceptionally well thought-out customization of promo copy, don't you think? "On the way out, all the 'Tonight Show' tickets for that date that were collected as everyone entered were spread out on a table by the exit door rather than thrown out. Fans get to keep 'em as a souvenir. A nice touch." *** Next issue Dec. 29. Heald will be a week behind then, too (through no fault of his). *** Tom Heald's This Night In History We 12/8: In 1979, "Saturday Night Live's" Al Franken says goodbye to the selfish 70's and hello to "The Al Franken Decade." Th 12/9: In 1991, ABC News announces that Seattle anchorman Aaron Brown will co-anchor its overnight "World News Now" program, to be launched Jan. 6. "ABC is expected to name a female co-anchor soon." Fr 12/11: In 1995, Tired of working those hard 5-hour weeks, "Late Show with Conan O'Brien" airs its first regularly scheduled weekly Monday night repeat, a rerun of show #477, from October 5, 1995, with guests Chevy Chase, Veronica Webb, and Roma Downey. Sa 12/12: In 1987, "Saturday Night Live" regular Buster Pointdexter sings an incredibly seasonal number, his new single "Hot, Hot, Hot." Su 12/13: In 1994, Prince "collapses" on the stage of the Ed Sullivan Theatre at the end of his performance on the "Late Show with David Letterman." 'Twas just part of the act for "The Artist Formerly Known As Interesting" who also had the the word "SLAVE" scrawled on his cheek to protest his Warner record contract. Mo 12/14: In 1995, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" releases its first book, based on the "If They Mated" sketch. Tu 12/15: In 1984, "The Buckwheat Saga" continues on "Saturday Night Live," when Alfalfa magnifies a newspaper photo & discovers Buckwheat is still alive. Later, it's revealed that Buckwheat staged his death to evade "the real killer," who turns out to be ... Alfalfa. We 12/16: In an 1978 episode (just aired as this past week's "NBC's Up All Night") "SNL" presents "A 'Mommie Dearest' Christmas." Th 12/17: Truly one of the greatest moments in late night television history as an estimated 50 million viewers tune in to watch singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," on this day in 1969. Fr 12/18: In 1984, Paul Shaffer performs his third impression of Cher singing "O Holy Night" on "Late Night With David Letterman." Sa 12/19: In 1973, Johnny Carson causes a nationwide panic by mentioning a possible toilet paper shortage in his "Tonight Show" monologue. Su 12/20: In 1986, on "Saturday Night Live", William Shatner introduces "the lost ending of 'It's A Wonderful Life'" in which the townspeople form a lynch mob and pummel Mean Old Mr. Potter. The bit also features something quite rare, Dennis Miller acting in a sketch, as he preferred not to leave his anchor desk. Mo 12/21: In 1957, comedian Ray Romano is born. Romano was awarded his own Worldwide Pants sitcom after a killer stand-up performance on "Late Show With David Letterman" 5/23/95. Tu 12/22: In 1993, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," Alec Baldwin starts a trend among guests suspecting that Conan and Andy are former gay lovers. Thanks to David Tanny and Frank Serpas III. Special thanks to Donz5, man of a thousand vases. Christmas shopping for a fellow late night fan? Your best bet's Tom Heald's "This Night In History Bookstore" at . *** THE LINEUPS with Sue Trowbridge (http://www.interbridge.com/) LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS Mo 12/14 Robin Williams, Natalie Merchant Tu 12/15 Val Kilmer, Ricky Williams, Billy Bragg & Natalie Merchant We 12/16 Susan Sarandon, storm chaser Marc Weinberg, the Vienna Boys Choir Th 12/17 Richard Simmons, Angelina Jolie Fr 12/18 Julia Roberts, David Kelly, Third Eye Blind Mo 12/21 Barbara Walters, Josh Hartnett, Cyndi Lauper Tu 12/22 Meryl Streep, Maya Angelou, Jessye Norman We 12/23 John Travolta, John Witherspoon, Darlene Love Th 12/24 Preempted Fr 12/25 Quentin Tarantino, Anne Heche, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band (R 12/26/97) THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC Mo 12/14 Sarah Michelle Gellar, Helena Bonham Carter, Shawn Colvin Tu 12/15 Bill Paxton, Leann Rimes We 12/16 Woody Harrelson, Whitney Houston Th 12/17 Gillian Anderson, Alanis Morissette Fr 12/18 Joan Embery & San Diego Zoo animals LATE LATE SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER, CBS Mo 12/14 George Hamilton Tu 12/15 Henry Winkler, Calvin Trillin We 12/16 Orson Bean, Erica Lopez Th 12/17 Reggie Brown LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC Mo 12/14 Mike Myers, Jerry O'Connell, Tonic (R) Tu 12/15 Robin Williams, Rebecca Stamos, Shemekia Copeland We 12/16 Salma Hayek, Roberto Benigni Th 12/17 Elijah Wood Fr 12/18 Bill Paxton, The Flys Mo 12/21 Helen Hunt, Todd Barry, Fisher Stevens (R) Tu 12/22 Tom Brokaw, Tony Bennett We 12/23 Jon Stewart, Barney Frank, Wanda Sykes-Hall LATER, NBC fresh shows in January CHARLIE ROSE, PBS Please note that Charlie Rose listings are very tentative Mo 12/14 Tom Brokaw Tu 12/15 Nobel Laureate Dr. James Watson; Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone We 12/16 TBA Th 12/17 Nora Ephron POLITICALLY INCORRECT WITH BILL MAHER, ABC Mo 12/14 Carole Montgomery, Robert Conrad, Annie Potts, Michael LaFavore Tu 12/15 Edie McClurg, Paul Anka, Gary Chapman, Geoffrey Fieger We 12/16 Dean Ornish, Kirby Wilbur Th 12/17 Clint Black, Larry Klayman Fr 12/18 Kevin Pollak, David Lowery THE DAILY SHOW, Comedy Central Monday 12/14 Wendie Malick Tuesday 12/15 Deborah Norville Wednesday 12/16 Jon Stewart (***PICK TO CLICK***) Thursday 12/17 Richard Lewis HOWARD STERN, E! Mo 12/14 He/She Evaluation Part 1, Meatloaf (R), Houston Goes To Jail Part 1 (R) Tu 12/15 He/She Evaluation Part 2, Chynna Phillips Part 1 (R), Houston Goes To Jail Part 2 (R) We 12/16 Cindy Margolis Part 1, Chynna Phillips Part 2 (R), Lisa The Lifeguard (R) Th 12/17 Cindy Margolis Part 2, Noel Gallagher (R), Sexual Surrogate (R) Fr 12/18 Frankenstein Winner, David Spade Part 1 (R), Butt Walker (R) Su 12/20 Courtney Love Parts 1 and 2 (R) SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, Comedy Central (repeats) Tu 12/15 Noon & Midnight - Joe Pesci/Spin Doctors (92-'93) :Pat;Pinky Ring;Zoraida; 6:00PM - Wayne Gretzky / Fine Young Cannibals (89-'90) : Wayne Gretzky on Wayne's World We 12/16 Noon & Midnight - Christopher Walken/Arrested Development (92-'93) :Jiffy Express;Sinead Talks;Pat; 6:00PM - Steve Martin / Tom Petty (89-'90) : Pumping Up, Sprockets, Tribute to Gilda Radner Th 12/17 Noon & Midnight - Catherine O'Hara/10,000 Maniacs (92-'93) :Ass Don't Smell;Daily Affirmation; Schillervision; 6:00PM Michael Jordan / Public Enemy (91-'92) : Wayne's World; The Dark Side w/Nat X; Globetrotters Fr 12/18 SNL CHRISTMAS MARATHON Noon - Paul Simon / Linda Ronstadt (87-'88) Surprise birthday party for Jesus; The Sweeney Sisters; Master Thespian 1:00PM &10 PM - William Shatner / Lone Justice (86-'87) : The lost ending of It's A Wonderful Life; 2:00PM & 8:00 PM - Kevin Kline / Bobby McFerrin (88-'89) A Trump Christmas; Master Thespian; Harvey Firestein hosts Plug Away; 3:00PM & 9:00 PM - Melanie Griffith / Little Feat (88-'89) Church Lady;First Guardian Bank;Sweeny Sisters; 4:00PM & 11:00 PM - Robert Wagner / Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville (89-'90) : A Betty Ford Straight-Arrow Christmas; 5:00PM & Midnight - Andie MacDowell / Tracy Chapman (89-'90) Hannukah Harry; Church Chat about the film Sex, Lies, and Videotape; 6:00PM - Dennis Quaid / Neville Brothers (90-'91): Sprockets and College for Massage; 7:00PM - Sally Field/ Toni Toni Tone (93-'94) : Motivational Santa Personal Savior Headgames Sa 12/19 1:00AM - Dennis Quaid / Neville Brothers (90-'91): Sprockets and College for Massage; 2:00AM - Sally Field/ Toni Toni Tone (93-'94) : Motivational Santa Personal Savior Headgames; 3:00AM - Paul Simon / Linda Ronstadt (87-'88) Surprise birthday party for Jesus; The Sweeney Sisters; Master Thespian Sa 12/19 11:00AM - Melanie Griffith / Little Feat (88-'89) Church Lady;First Guardian Bank;Sweeny Sisters Su 12/20 11:00AM - Robert Wagner / Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville (89-'90) : A Betty Ford Straight-Arrow Christmas Su 12/20 (2 HOURS OF CHEVY CHASE) 4:00PM - Chevy Chase / Steve Martin / Randy Newman (86-'87) : Steve Martin's Holiday Wish Su 12/20 7:00PM - Chevy Chase / Robbie Robertson (91-'92) : Wayne's World; C-Span Covers the Election Mo 12/21 11:00AM & Midnight - Michael Keaton/Morrisey (92-'93) :Elevator Man;The Gutties;The Set-Up; 6:00PM - Rick Moranis / Rickie Lee Jones (89-'90) : Zsa Zsa in jail with Leona Helmsley and Jim & Tammy Tu 12/22 11:00AM & Midnight - Sinbad/Sade (92-'93) : Gloria Brigade;Superman's Funeral;Thanksgiving Party; 4:00PM - Robin Williams / Adam Ant (Special Guest: Paula Poundstone) (83-'84) : Firing Line discusses black entertainers who catch fire Tu 12/22 (2 HOURS OF ROBIN WILLIAMS) 5:00PM - Robin Williams / Paul Simon (86-'87) : Robin Williams as Hamlet; The Sweeney Sisters; 6:00PM - Robin Williams / James Taylor (87-'88) : Pumping Up with Hanz & Franz; Robin Williams at age 60 We 12/23 11:00AM & Midnight - Tom Arnold/Neil Young (92-'93) :Wayne's World;PBS Afterschool Special;Bears Fan Hospital; 6:00PM - James Woods / Don Henley (89-'90) Halloween episode : Transylvania during the AIDS era Th 12/24 11:00AM & Midnight - Glenn Close/Black Crowes (92-'93) :Coffee Talk;What's the Best Way?;Drummer Boy; 6:00PM - Chris Evert / Eurythmics (89-'90) : Lothar of the Hill People Fr 12/25 11:00AM - "SNL GOES COMMERCIAL (Volume 1)" : Special full of commercial parodies (w/ John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dana Carvey) Fr 12/25 Noon - "SNL CHRISTMAS PAST (90 minutes) Xmas highlights through the years (With John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Dana Carvey); 6:00PM - Paul Simon / Linda Ronstadt (87-'88) Surprise birthday party for Jesus; The Sweeney Sisters; Master Thespian Sa 12/26 11:00AM - Andie MacDowell / Tracy Chapman (89-'90) Hannukah Harry; Church Chat about the film Sex, Lies, and Videotape Su 12/27 11:00AM - Tom Hanks / Edie Brickell (90-'91) : Mr. Subliminal, Mr. Short Term Memory, and the Global Warming Christmas Special Mo 12/28 Noon & Midnight - Danny Devito/Bon Jovi (92-'93) :Amy Fisher;Gap Girls;Mafia Wife; 6:00PM - John Goodman/k.d. lang (89-'90) : Wayne's World; The Anal Retentive Chef; Toonces Tu 12/29 Noon & Midnight - Harvey Keitel/Madonna (92-'93) :Bathroom Attendant;Subway;Pat;Deer Heads; 6:00PM - Charles Barkley/ Nirvana (93-'94) :Clinton Health Plan;Daily Affirmation;Coffee Talk;Deep Thoughts; Gap Girls We 12/30 Noon & Midnight - Luke Perry/Mick Jagger (92-'93) :Chameleon XLE;Magic Fish;Sassy Sassiest Boys; 6:00PM - Andie MacDowell / Tracy Chapman (89-'90) Hannukah Harry; Church Chat about the film Sex, Lies, and Videotape 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 THE CHRIS ROCK SHOW, HBO SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, Cartoon Network 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