It's been nearly 20 years since Hall ended his first self-titled talk show, and since then, he's tried a sitcom, hosted a short-lived revival of Star Search, and helmed My Network TV's equally short-term knockoff of ABC's long-running America's Funniest Home Videos. 3 primetime failures somehow has convinced Hall that maybe, just maybe, his true calling is going back to late night and challenging old foes Jay Leno & David Letterman, plus Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien. Sure, it's not going to start until 2013, so there's plenty of time to plan and prepare. Hall is once again working with CBS-Paramount, this time with Tribune Entertainment as a partner. All he really needs is to reform his house band, the Posse, and contact announcer Burton Richardson, and it'll be 1989 all over again
Somehow, though, I have this feeling the magic ain't gonna be there this time, though we're all hoping the dog pound will be in full effect, just like the old days. The landscape is much, much different now, but let's give the man credit for sticking to what worked in the first place. After all, Letterman bombed as a daytime host before hitting it big in late night 30 years ago, and so Hall is figuring---correctly---that the daytime minefield is not for him.
We'll all find out together 15 months from now, but don't say I didn't warn you.
Why else do you think Arsenio won "Celebrity Apprentice"? It was to help promote this show!
ReplyDeleteHe all but blackballed himself from TV after making ridiculous on air charges against TV execs around the time of his old show's cancellation.
Personally, I don't plan on watching, then again I wasn't much of a fan of his in the first place.
All I remember is he had a feud with Leno's then-manager. Not sure about other network suits. His first show was a fun trip. I often tuned in just for the dog pound and how they'd be labeled on a given night.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure he had this in the works whilst doing Celebrity Apprentice, though no one would be surprised if Donald Trump were one of his first guests......
It was definitely in the works.
ReplyDeleteBesides, it'd be an amazing coincidence that he won just before his new show debut.
As for what happened many years ago, Arsenio declared to the TV execs they could kiss his black ***. I remember him saying it on his last show, as he was pissed it was cancelled. He dropped out of sight for quite a while, and I'm guessing that's why.
Seeing as how I didn't see that final episode.....!
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