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Movie and Entertainment News >> Television >> Talk Shows
Talk Shows News
Conan O'Brien is proving you can keep a talk show host off TV, but you can't keep him away from an audience.
When O'Brien lost The Tonight Show earlier this year, part of his exit deal included a six-month hiatus from appearing on television. Quickly the question was raised: What would the flame-haired host do during his forced broadcast vacation?
At first it seemed like a very active Twitter social life. He even turned the world upside down for everyday fan Sarah Faith Killen when he decided to randomly "follow" one his followers. (Killen went from three followers to more than 25,000 in mere days.)
Then rumors surfaced that O'Brien might hit the stage. And now that rumor is true.
O'Brien has announced the Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour. The show will hit 30 cities beginning April 12 and stars sidekick Andy Richter and "The Max Weinberg Seven".
Find out all the details at TeamCoCo.com. If your city has been left out (Cleveland!! Where's Cleveland?!?), keep an eye on the site. Additional dates may be added (like CLEVELAND!!!).
Conan O’Brien Takes His Show on the Road originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 13:23:40.
Robert Halderman, the television producer accused of extorting money from late night talk show host David Letterman admitted his guilt in court Tuesday.
Halderman pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny, reports the Associated Press. He admitted trying to blackmail Letterman, demanding $2 million to keep quiet about love affairs with Late Show staffers. One of those staffers was a former girlfriend of Halderman.
The deal quickly went sour when Letterman contacted the New York District Attorney's office soon after his first encounter with Halderman in September 2009. Halderman was arrested after trying to cash a phony check, part of a sting operation set up by the D.A.'s office and Letterman's attorney.
Halderman originally pled innocent. His guilty plea spares him a possible 15 years in jail, however. Instead he'll receive a six-month jail term and 1,000 hours of community service.
"I attempted to extort $2 million from David Letterman by threatening to disclose personal and private information about him, whether true or false," Halderman read from a statement prepared for the court. "I knew throughout this time that I was not engaged in a legitimate business transaction with Mr. Letterman and that what I was doing was against New York law. I feel great remorse for what I have done."
Photo: Getty Images
Letterman Blackmailer Pleads Guilty originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 23:20:36.
Didn't get enough of the Academy Awards? Our favorite talk shows are keeping it going! Here are some ideas to keep your fix fixed!
- Film critic Richard Roeper visits The Tonight Show Monday.
- Jimmy Kimmel repeats its After the Oscars Special on Friday.
- Sandra Bullock visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show (though it is a repeat) on Monday.
- Oprah hosts her Annual After-Oscar Party on Monday.
- Academy Award Hosts and Talk Show Hosts
- Hosts and Talk Show Hosts: One in the Same
More Oscar Action! originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 23:26:34.
In case you missed it, famous film critic Roger Ebert appeared on Tuesday's Oprah Winfrey Show. He was there to debut his "new voice."
New voice, you say? Yes, the renowned critic, once one-half of Siskel and Ebert At the Movies, has battled cancer for nearly a decade. The cancer struck his thyroid and larynx nearly four years ago. Since extensive surgeries, the critic cannot speak or eat.
But on Tuesday, in a pre-recorded segment from Ebert's home in Chicago, the writer debuted his "new voice" - a synthesized version of his "old voice," collected from past DVD commentaries. The necessary software and hardware was developed by a Scottish technology company.
One of the first things he said about the new voice is that "it still needs improvement, but at least it sounds like me."
Did you catch the show? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Roger Ebert Tries New Voice on Oprah originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 00:09:03.
Now that the 2010 Winter Olympics are over, NBC's late night returns with new vigor - or at least renewed hope - as Jay Leno returns to his old stomping grounds on The Tonight Show.
It was a tumultuous new year for Leno and NBC's late night lineup. But round-the-clock coverage of the Olympics may have helped Leno enormously, creating a bit of a transition between the end of The Jay Leno Show and the start of this new Tonight.
How will this iteration look? Besides a new logo that suggests a more sedate Tonight? (I have to admit, I love the crescent moon. An ever present Tonight Show motif.) And word from the show is the new set will be a mash-up of The Jay Leno Show and The Tonight Show. What does that mean? A desk and chair, most likely.
So how will this iteration fare? That's anybody's guess. Leno was known for consistently beating his main opponent, the Late Show with David Letterman time and again. But now that he's lost ground with the prime time switch-up and general feelings that Leno was somehow involved in Conan O'Brien's ousting, getting back on top could be an uphill battle.
We won't know for a bit, as the usual lookey-loos will watch tonight's debut and stick around for a few episodes. But by the end of the March, we should have a good sense of how this will all turn out.
More Tonight:
Jay Leno Back in Late Night;Everything Old is New Again originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 14:40:52.
Deep into the second week of the 2010 Olympics and we're starting to see medalists make their way to all of our favorite talk shows.
The biggest Olympic-themed talk show, though, has to be The Colbert Report. Host Stephen Colbert made the cover of Sports Illustrated after he enlisted his fans - the Colbert Nation - to donate money to sponsor the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team.
All of his shows this week arrive pre-recorded from Vancouver, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Monday's show saw Shaun White, snowboarding gold medalist stop by. Tuesday finds Lindsey Vonn arriving. And Thursday's show features Seth Wescott, Jeret Peterson and Ryan St. Onge.
Other Olympian appearances:
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lindsey Vonn (March 1) and Shaun White (March 2).
- Live with Regis & Kelly: Shaun White (Monday)
- The Rachel Ray Show: Shaun White (Thursday)
Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Stephen Colbert, Jay Leno and the 2010 Winter Olympics originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 23:14:26.
Former Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien isn't letting a little thing like exit deals that prevent him from appearing on TV stop him from doing what he does best.
One of those infamous "anonymous spokespeople" told the Associated Press that O'Brien is considering a live tour of some sort to college campuses and other venues. The tour would crisscross the U.S. and Europe, allegedly.
The idea sounds like a fantastic one for a number of reasons. First, it keeps O'Brien in the public eye and allows him to keep sharp for any eventual return to TV. Also, a tour and a live audience would give him a the opportunity to try out ideas that could be incorporated into a new talk show.
But until it's official, here's hoping it comes true!
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Photo: Getty Images
Conan On Tour? originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 23:13:33.
The tables keep turning over at The Tonight Show. Kevin Eubanks, long-time bandleader (since 1995) on the show and the recently cancelled Jay Leno Show, is reportedly making plans to leave Leno and Tonight shortly after the March 1 debut of the revamped program.
Another shift: announcer John Melendez will drop his role as voiceover announcer, but remain on the show as a writer.
Jay Leno returns to The Tonight Show on March 1 after a short, public kafuffle between NBC, Conan O'Brien and Leno.
Eubanks Departing Tonight Show originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 21:50:56.
Here's a crazy rumor I heard on the radio this morning: Conan O'Brien has been invited to replace Simon Cowell when the acerbic judge leaves American Idol at the end of this season.
Right now it is just that: a rumor - and likely one that won't come to fruition.
After O'Brien left The Tonight Show at the beginning of February, idle chatter suggests the host and a new talk show will land on the Fox network. Since Idol is on Fox, the connection makes sense.
If it were to come true, that could mean the popular talent search program would sport two talk show hosts, O'Brien and Ellen DeGeneres, who started her stint on Idol this week. It would also mean that the show will have lost the bulk of its music industry oriented judges.
The other big name bandied about to replace Cowell: Howard Stern. But MSNBC.com reported earlier in the week that an offer was never made to the satellite radio superstar.
Conan Replacing Cowell Just Idol Chatter originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 09:34:17.
Tuesday night found talk show host Ellen DeGeneres at her second TV home: as the newest American Idol judge.
Of the work, she says it's longer hours than she thought, but that's not the hardest part. The most difficult thing for Ellen: delivering bad news.
In a clip from American Idol's official site, Ellen discusses her first foray as Idol judge.
"It's hard, but I'm getting better at delivering bad news," she says. "But I'm trying to do it in a tender way. It's really tough for me to walk that line and being that person who gives bad news, because I hate giving bad news."
Regarding judge Simon Cowell, Ellen says, "I had one idea of Simon when I came in and it's changed. He's actually meaner."
Early reviews of Ellen's Tuesday night work give her the big thumbs up, with an MTV review stating her appearance and signature wit leant "a fresh feeling to the judges panel."
Photo: Michael Rozman/Getty Images
Ellen Makes Her Idol Debut originally appeared on About.com Talk Shows on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 22:38:55.