Well, he does have the entire NBC/MSNBC news roster at his disposal. That certainly helps.
Charlie Rose always seems to be staring at his notes.
And he will beat a subject to death, especially interviewing people about movies. He tries to make a normal movie about a serious topic like it was a Leon Uris novel. But since it’s only a couple times longer than his show, he seems to cover every point three times.
Was always turned off by his schticks.Plagiarism of Steve Allen’s question man and Jonathan Winter’s Ma Frickert (think Carson called his Aunt Fanny or something like that,the bit with the gray wig)
I don’t either,but most nights I’ll watch Hardball.Even tho Matthews was a Kennedy demo he seems to create a fair forum.
The previously mentioned ones I can’t take-interviewing someone for their next movie,play,book.Don’t need to have more media whores crammed down my throat.I harken back to Jack Paar and Joe Pyne,who always had a crazy mix of nobodies.
Why can’t someone other than Springer-who’s really godawful, fill that niche?
Worst: Sharon Osbourne. If there as been a worse talk show in the history of man, I’m waiting to find it. Not a laugh, just a profound amount of uncomfortableness.
I loathe Conan O’Brien. I always watch Kilborn instead of Conan. Kilborn is unbelievably smarmy and self-impressed, but Conan irritates the crap out of me.
Huh? The sig I haven’t used in ages popped back up. Hmmph.
Johnny Carson is unsurpassed. But I haven’t quit missing Jack Parr who hosted the *Tonight Show * between Steve Allen and Carson.
I see nothing bitter about Letterman. If anything, he’s mellowed out some. He is still the ultimate cool guy to me.
And what’s not to love about Ellen?
The best interviewer – James Lipton, hands down.
Oprah has become to painful to watch. The programming is interesting and she has done a world of good – probably more than any other talk show host. But it has become painful to watch what is apparently her obsession with herself.
During the last nine minutes of her show a few days ago, I counted end to end commericials that lasted a total of five minutes exactly, two minutes of programming, two more minutes of commericials and then a return just to see her say goodbye. Out of the two minutes of actual non-commercial time, her name was on the screen or spoken thirteen times.
Her magaine is named Oprah. She is the only one who ever appears on the cover. She is head of Harpo Productions. Harpo is Oprah spelled backwards. And her name is only the first sign of her self-obsession.
If she could just feature her guests and audience more and not focus on herself, I would return to watching, I think.
I used to love David Suskind. Anybody else remember him?
Best: Sanjeev Kumar
Andrew Denton - just about the smartest man in entertainment in Australia and it shows in the quality of all the different shows he has done. He has had half a dozen different show formats from variety to nothing but interviews. He is consistently the best interviewer I have ever seen - funny, attentive, daring and obviously liked by his subjects.
Worst: Letterman - all shtick and no substance. How he gets laughs repeating one unfunny comment over and over has me beat. His interviews seem more obviously rehearsed than most.
One of the extras in the Criterion Collection edition of The Royal Tennenbaums DVD is a dead-on spoof of Charlie Rose.
I have been home sick for awhile and have had a chance to see many talk shows. Here are my thoughts:
GOOD SHOW HOSTS:
Ellen Degeneres - she is fresh, funny and chooses her stars to interview wisely. Never asks stupid questions
Oprah - she is more serious and interested in helping the public. She is a smooth operator
Sharon Osbourne - I don’t like any of the Osbournes but she comes across sincere and very sweet. Sharon never let’s anyone shock her and she asks questions that are often “on the edge”
Larry King - His celebrities are always current interests. He is relaxed with the camera and asks interesting questions.
AWFUL HOSTS
Maury Popavich - hang it up. He reminds me of Geraldo when he talks because he always puts an inflection in his voice as though something earth shattering is going to happen next, and then there is nothing!
Montel - The people he interviews are boring and Montel doesn’t seem comfortable with interviewing the people, it is as though he is reading a script. He doesn’t come across with “heart for the job”
Jay Leno - Sucks the big one
Ricki Lake - Perhaps I just don’t like her because I don’t fall into the target age category but her shows all seem to be recyclable topics
Jerry Springer - The worst of all! Come on, why does a talk show need a pole dancer? What talk show encourages women to flash their breasts to get cheap beads? Why does everyone on stage always strip their clothes off and fight? This is the cheesiest of all time.