Category Archives: Talk Shows
Larry King’s Back
It has been over a year and a half since Larry King hung up his suspenders and retired from Larry King Live. Since retiring, the 78-year-old has expressed a desire to interview people again. His wish has been granted. The first episode of Larry King Now is up on YouTube. King’s first interview on his new show is with Seth MacFarlane.
Cool TV Video of the Day: No Doubt’s Debut on Television
In honor of No Doubt’s first new song in 11 years, today’s cool video of the day are their network television debut on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. The band performs their first hit single, which was “Just a Girl.”
Cool TV Video of the Day: Letterman Introduces the GE Handshake
In the 80s, David Letterman used to host Late Night on NBC. Naturally when GE bought NBC from RCA, Letterman would want to “drop in and say hello,” complete with a fruit basket. However, Dave has trouble even entering the building. You will see the infamous GE Handshake and the rest of the hilarious results in today’s video.
Kelly Ripa May Finally Be Getting a Permanent Co-Host
We’ve mentioned before that ABC has been procrastinating in picking a new co-host for Kelly Ripa on Live!. However, it looks like they are finally looking for a serious replacement for Regis Philbin. Showbiz 411 reports that ABC has revealed the short list for Ripa’s new co-host. The finalists for the position are Seth Meyers from “Saturday Night Live,” former football player Michael Strahan, and singer Josh Groban.
Least Shocking News of the Day: Savannah Guthrie Replaces Ann Curry
Savannah Guthrie, who co-anchored today’s episode of Today with Matt Lauer, has officially been announced as Ann Curry’s replacement. She has been with NBC chief legal analyst and will continue to be in that position. The only thing that has changed at NBC is that Ann Curry is no longer co-anchor of Today. At least, the final chapter of Curry’s Today show saga has been written and everyone can move on.
Ann Curry Leaves Today
It’s official. Ann Curry has left Today, but not NBC. This morning’s show was Curry’s last as co-anchor with Matt Lauer.
USA Today reports that Curry’s new multi-year contract will have her traveling the world with a seven-person crew. She will also produce specials and segments for all of NBC’s news programs as well as be a fill in anchor for the Nightly News. Her new official title is Anchor-at-large and NBC national/international correspondent.
I think that the new position fits Curry better because she prefers hard news. I just wish the official announcement that she was leaving Today this morning came before the show aired, since I missed Ann saying goodbye. However, NBC has posted the video up on MSNBC.com.
Despite rumors that Savannah Guthrie will be Today‘s new co-anchor, NBC still has not announced Curry’s replacement.
What do you think about NBC decision?
NBC Uses a Video Without Permission
In 2009, The Jay Leno Show used an amateur comedy video that it had found on YouTube without permission. Despite the fact that Leno did not ask permission, Brian Kamerer and Travis Irvine were initially happy that he had used the video on his show. All that changed when NBC decided to take the duos video down because of copyright infringement. Yes, you read that correctly. NBC, which could be accused of copyright infringement for not paying or asking to use a video, took down the original posting of a video it essentially stole from Kamerer and Irvine due to copyright infringement.
I am not saying Jay Leno should not have used the video. In fact, anything that gives more exposure to up-and-coming comedians is a good thing, especially since late night talk shows rarely feature stand up comedians nowadays. However, NBC had no right to use the video without asking permission or compensating Kamerer and Irvine and definitely went to far with taking the video down.
Live with Kelly Still Needs a Permanent Co-Host
Regis Philbin has been off of daytime television for seven months and Kelly Ripa still does not have a permanent co-host. I know Michael Gelman and the rest of the Live with Kelly crew is looking for the perfect co-host, but this is getting ridiculous because they are not even in a hurry to find one. It has gotten to the point that Live with Kelly is milking its lack of a stable co-host for all the publicity it’s worth.
On Monday, the show announced Live’s Coast-to-Coast Co-Host Search. Viewers will be able to submit 60 second videos about why they should be Ripas co-host from now until June 29. The 10 semi-finalists will be announced on July 16. Later that week, the 5 five finalists will be flown to New York City and given the opportunity to be Ripa’s co-host for a day.
For more details about the contest, go to the Live with Kelly website.
Jay Leno Lives Off His Stand Up Money
Once again, Jay Leno declares that he lives solely off the money he makes from stand up comedy. This time he made the claim in The Seattle Times, even though the story can be found online at the Boston Herald’s website. At least, Leno didn’t repeat that he has never touched his Tonight Show money.
Despite being a David Letterman and Conan O’Brien fan, I don’t completely hate Jay Leno because I don’t know him personally. However, when Leno makes comments about how he lives off of the money he earns from doing stand up comedy, I want to scream.
We get it Jay. You’re rich. I’m sure comedy clubs are paying you more than the struggling comics barely making a living. You’re the host of the freakin’ Tonight Show. It sounds impressive when someone says “Jay Leno performed here last week” because millions of Americans watch you every night. You probably make several thousand of dollars per stand up gig because of it. No one thinks you’re struggling to get by on your stand up money. Besides, you have an obscene number of cars, so shut up.
Another thing Leno needs to stop saying is “I’ve always looked at TV as a temporary job.” It is for some people. As Team Coco can attest, he’s not one of them. He managed to lose The Tonight Show, bomb in primetime, and then get The Tonight Show back. He makes 32 million dollars a year from television and apparently doesn’t spend any of it or spends it all on cars. I don’t know which one. Either way, if he loses The Tonight Show tomorrow, it’s not like he’s going to be standing on the welfare line because his stand up alone makes him wealthier than most people.
90s Talk Show Hosts Attack
Okay, not really, but it’s starting to look that way.
Yesterday, we reported that Arsenio Hall wants to return to television with a talk show. Today, Reuter’s reports that Ricki Lake will officially rejoin the daytime talk show circuit on September 10. A start date that she will share with Katie Couric, Survivor host Jeff Probst, and comedian and current Family Feud host Steve Harvey. Those four new talk shows will have to compete with, Ellen DeGeneres, Anderson Cooper, Wendy Williams, Dr. Phil, “The View”, and “The Talk” as well as the “trashy” talk shows like Maury and Jerry Springer.
There are already enough daytime talk shows. We don’t really need more of them. I guess it’s better than forty-two more court shows, but it seems like the networks aren’t even bothering coming up with something other than talk shows and court shows. Whatever happened to game shows? I’m not asking for the glory days of the 70s with classics like Match Game. I just want more variety than The Price is Right, Let’s Make a Deal, and Family Feud.
What do you predict for this new batch of talk shows?
Wait! What's A Dial? 