Celebrity-oriented talk shows: the couch

[bpatrick]

I was in a place the other morning where the TV was
tuned to Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, and it got me
to thinking (again) about a difference between her
show, "Regis & Kelly," etc., and the talk shows of
Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, and Mike Douglas: why
don't the current celebrity-oriented talk shows use
a couch where the guests go after their segment is over?
Johnny, Merv, and Mike could get some freewheeling discussions
going with all of the day's guests taking part; in Johnny's
case, it added to the party atmosphere of the show.

There's just something mechanical about a guest getting six
minutes, or whatever, then off.

 

[RipNRead]

99% of the guests on these talk shows are there to promote an upcoming movie, book, or something else that will make them more money.

To answer your question” where do they go after the interview is over?” I would think most likely on to another talk show or personal appearance.

The only decent talk format-type show that I watch is “Inside the Actor’s Studio. The moderator, James Lipton, asks intelligent questions of his guests that are centered on the profession of acting, versus all of this gossip BS that nobody is interested in, except people who don’t have lives.

 

[nuzguy]

> I was in a place the other morning where the TV was
> tuned to Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, and it got me
> to thinking (again) about a difference between her
> show, "Regis & Kelly," etc., and the talk shows of
> Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, and Mike Douglas: why
> don't the current celebrity-oriented talk shows use
> a couch where the guests go after their segment is over?
> Johnny, Merv, and Mike could get some freewheeling
> discussions
> going with all of the day's guests taking part; in Johnny's
> case, it added to the party atmosphere of the show.
>
> There's just something mechanical about a guest getting six
> minutes, or whatever, then off.
>
Probably the high-point couch moment occurred on Carson's show, with the couch populated By George Gobel, Dean Martin, and (IIRC) Don Rickles. Gobel made his "brown shoes and tuxedo" remark and the others, Carson included, came unglued.

Ole Lonsesome George was truly one of the pioneering greats in TV comedy.

 

[SgtPepper9876]

> Probably the high-point couch moment occurred on Carson's
> show, with the couch populated By George Gobel, Dean Martin,
> and (IIRC) Don Rickles. Gobel made his "brown shoes and
> tuxedo" remark and the others, Carson included, came
> unglued.

It was Bob Hope instead of Don Rickles on the couch. He was holding some sort of cane/walking stick and slapped the floor with it after George's remark. Definitely one of the greatest Carson highlights.

 

[KingDaevid]

> > Probably the high-point couch moment occurred on Carson's
> > show, with the couch populated By George Gobel, Dean
> Martin,
> > and (IIRC) Don Rickles. Gobel made his "brown shoes and
> > tuxedo" remark and the others, Carson included, came
> > unglued.
>
> It was Bob Hope instead of Don Rickles on the couch. He was
> holding some sort of cane/walking stick and slapped the
> floor with it after George's remark. Definitely one of the
> greatest Carson highlights.

...it was a golf club that Hope was playing around with. Further down the couch were Judy Carne and Buddy Rich...<P ID="signature">______________
King Daevid MacKenzie
WLSU Wisconsin Public Radio, La Crosse
heard weekly on http://www.radio4all.net/
"Kill Ugly Radio." FRANK ZAPPA</P>