In This Issue:
- Spike Feresten Makes His Debut
- Student Filmmakers Unveil ‘Conan: A Musical’
- DUI for Woman who Hit Ellen’s Car
Saturday Night Reserved for ‘Spike TV’
I call ‘em The Big Four. Four new talk shows coming to a TV screen near you, the first of which, The Greg Behrendt Show stormed on to screens this past Tuesday. The second, Talkshow with Spike Feresten, raises its curtain tonight (Saturday, Sept. 16) at midnight on FOX. (That’s midnight EST, by the way.)
The show “dispenses with the traditional monologue, features comedy in every act and uses guests in unpredictable ways,” says the official description. It looks positively unconventional, which makes it the most exciting new talk show to hit the airwaves in recent years. (The last unconventional talk show that I can recall would be Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, which was hosted by a cartoon character. I doubt this will go quite that far – but then again, maybe it will go even farther.)
The show is hosted by Spike Feresten, an Emmy winning writer (most notably of the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld and of Late Night with David Letterman) and comedian. His debut is somewhat reminiscent of Late Night with Conan O’Brien’s – a little known, but award-winning, comedian taking on the late night challenge. Of course, Spike is foraging new territory, whereas Conan was placed firmly under the post-Dave Late Night microscope.
More Spike:
- Overview: Talkshow with Spike Feresten
- Bio Brief: Spike Feresten
- Talkshow with Spike Feresten’s Official Site
The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Conan
Conan: A Musical. It was only a matter of time, really.
With such characters as The Gaseous Weiner and Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog, inspiration was sure to knock somebody in the head – inspiration to turn Conan O’Brien into the subject of a movie musical (a short movie musical).
Those inspired would include Michael Markowski, Ryan Gaumont, Mike DeCamp and Erik Gustafson, four film students from Arizona. Clocking in at 13 minutes, the film unravels the saga of fictional Conan’s dismissal from NBC, his descent into hell (or the streets, rather), and reconnection with an old friend. Through the course of the tight reel, Conan regains his funny and takes back his late night spot.
According to responses on the Conan: A Musical teaser trailer YouTube entry, the film is scheduled for completion in October. No word if the redheaded host of Late Night is aware of the film. But we have to assume he must, right?
Stayed tuned for more!
DUI for Woman Who Caused Fender-Bender with Ellen:
On the first of September, talk show favorite Ellen DeGeneres was involved in a minor fender-bender, in which a 52-year-old woman crashed her car into the back of another vehicle, which subsequently hit the car Ellen was driving. No one was seriously hurt in the accident.
Now the woman, a Los Angeles resident, has been charged with a misdemeanor DUI. She was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at the time after refusing to take a chemical sobriety test. The woman could face up to six months in prison and a fine of $1,000.
