# Most uncomfortable talk show moments **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840 "2004-10-24T01:50:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/181 "2004-10-30T01:35:18Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > … > > BTW, Letterman’s next guest on that show was John Candy who came out with his hair piled up on his head the same way as Kinski. 😃 I remember that whole episode. Candy was hi-larious. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/182 "2004-10-30T12:07:21Z")
**Sampiro** : I have fixed your spoiler tags, but not because you mentioned it in the thread. No moderator had read the thread, we would never have seen your request. I fixed it because someone hit the REPORT THIS POST button, the little exclamation point in the upper right corner of each post. That’s the most efficient way to get Moderator attention. Posting in a thread, there’s an odds-on chance that a Moderator will never see it. True enough, you can’t REPORT your own post. In that case, you report the post above or below and specify in the REPORT that you’re referring to your own post below etc. OK? You’ll know for next time. ---
**Author:** ![3894](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/f4b2a3/32.png) [@3894](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3894)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/183 "2004-10-30T13:37:08Z")
Ann-Margaret on Larry King maybe 3 years ago. Shy, wilting-flower, whispery Ann Margaret promoting her autobiography. The show’s hype was something like “At long last, Ann Margaret spills about Elvis!!!” Did Larry want to talk about her fling/affair/whatever the hell it was with Elvis? Ohhh yeahhh. But Ann Margaret didn’t. Imagine a Vegas entertainer her age stammeringly coy, complete with the furtive glances. She did admit - news flash! - that she called Elvis _E.P._ Larry looked pissed. ---
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/184 "2004-10-30T15:05:50Z")
I seem to remember a Carson show, Oliver Reed followed Shelly Winters as a guest. Reed, in his usual form, it seems, was being obnoxious and rather sexist. Miss Winters returned to the set and dumped a glass of water(?) on him, turned and left. Do remember it being a rather uncomfortable scene. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/185 "2004-10-30T17:16:14Z")
Speaking of Shelley Winters, I’ve seen her on several interview shows where she keeps interrupting whoever the next guest is. Once it was on _The Tonight Show_ and the other guest was _Designing Women_ star Annie Potts (who was on to promote her post DW show _Dangerous Minds_). At one point Winters says “I’m sorry but I never watched your _Designing_ show, but you look really familiar to me… have I seen you in any movies…” Potts turns around and says “Maybe. It could have been the one we made together.” Winters: What was that. Potts: _King of the Gypsies_ Winters: Did we have any scenes together Potts: You supported yourself on my arm when we walked out of the graveyard from your husband’s funeral in the movie Winters: Ah, yes… I thought you were great in that movie. (I don’t know how staged this was from Winters’ point, but if twas acting twas good.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/186 "2004-10-30T17:30:12Z")
Bob Costas used to have a very good (imo) late night interview show. The show was thirty minutes and only one guest. If a guest was interesting then he would keep going when the show was over and extend the interview over two or more nights (Timothy Leary and Paul McCartney [not on together] each went on for three nights, I remember). OTOH, if a guest was just incredibly uninteresting the 30 minutes could seem like _War and Remembrance_ in duration. One episode his guest was terminal weird-ass and recent Oscar winner Jack Palance. If Palance actually answered a question it was usually a three word answer. Before the first commercial break it was clear that Costas was seething. Most of the rest of the interview was Costas talking. When Joan Rivers’s show was cancelled it was taken over by a fellow named Ross Shafer. One of his coups was the last (and one of the only) full _Gilligan’s Island_ reunions- all seven castaways were there. (It was clear that Jim Backus was knocking on heaven’s door and that this would be one of his last appearances anywhere.) The awkwardness came from the fact that it was clear after 25 years the rest of the cast still could not stand Tina Louise. When he went round table asking about favorite episodes she said “To be honest I don’t remember any of the individual episodes, it was so long ago and I’ve done so much since then”. Silence. When asking about favorite things about being associated with the show, most of the castaways talked about the odd places they’ve been recognized and how they’ve been moved to fronts of long lines etc., and Louise hesitated then said “I suppose I have some good memories of the show”. (She only came on the show to promote her new movie, an independent piece that tanked, and literally sat at a distance from the other castmembers who were all over each other and hugging and reminiscing.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/187 "2004-10-30T17:44:56Z")
> [@DrMemory](#): > > I seem to remember a Carson show, Oliver Reed followed Shelly Winters as a guest. 26 September 1975. Winters was on the couch listening to Reed, she stood up, dumped the contents of her drink on him, and walked out to audience applause. Reed licked his lips and identified it as a good whiskey. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/188 "2004-10-30T18:09:57Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Because it’s so topical: [link](http://idflux.typepad.com/idflux/2004/01/bush_uses_a_wom.html) > > I personally loved Jon Stewart’s interview of a couple of Spice Girls. They absolutely didn’t get his humor, and said so. He kept needling them, and they got more and more annoyed. Beautiful. As I remember it, it was pretty much just Posh Spice that was making a fool of herself, and being made the butt of Jon’s jokes. Baby Spice seemed to be laughing at her just as hard as Jon and the studio audience. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/189 "2004-10-30T18:12:52Z")
Oh, the Ross Shafer reference reminds me of another one. Shafer got his start on a Seattle show called _Almost Live_. It started its run as a fairly conventional talk show, hosted by Shafer. When he left, his second banana, John Keister, took over; and he was the worst interviewer I’ve ever seen. When Jackie Stewart (former Formula One driver with a pronounced Scotish accent) was a guest, Keister had no real questions but wanted him to say “the dilithium crystals can’t take any more, Captain.” Stewart had no idea what he was talking about. Interestingly, _Almost Live_ morphed into a late-night, sketch comedy show and ran for another decade. Bill Nye got his start there, too. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/190 "2004-10-30T18:31:42Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > He (Bill Cosby) wouldn’t do that now. The last few times I’ve seen him interviewed he’s been grumpier than George Carlin but nowhere near as funny. Perhaps it’s the death of his son or perhaps frustration with today’s youth, but he’s become almost as uncomfortable a guest to have as Jerry Lewis. > > (Hijack, but- does anybody know why he has taken to wearing sunglasses all the time? Does he have an eye problem?) I saw Cosby on Leno (or maybe it was Letterman) this past summer and he was a riot. He told a story about visiting Ray Charles in Charles’ hotel room in Vegas. Cosby said that Ray answered that door and all Cosby could see behind Charles in the room was pitch blackness. Cosby went into the room, Ray closed the door and it was “pitch blackier”. Then Ray went into the room with Bill following him with his hands on Charles’ shoulders because Cosby couldn’t see anything. Cosby asked him what he should do and Charles said, “Turn on the lights, you idiot. I don’t need them, but you sure do.” ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/191 "2004-10-30T20:06:51Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Speaking of Shelley Winters, I’ve seen her on several interview shows where she keeps interrupting whoever the next guest is. Once it was on _The Tonight Show_ and the other guest was _Designing Women_ star Annie Potts (who was on to promote her post DW show _Dangerous Minds_). At one point Winters says “I’m sorry but I never watched your _Designing_ show, but you look really familiar to me… have I seen you in any movies…” > > Potts turns around and says “Maybe. It could have been the one we made together.” > > Winters: What was that. > Potts: _King of the Gypsies_ > Winters: Did we have any scenes together > Potts: You supported yourself on my arm when we walked out of the graveyard from your husband’s funeral in the movie > Winters: Ah, yes… I thought you were great in that movie. > > (I don’t know how staged this was from Winters’ point, but if twas acting twas good.) I, too, don’t know if these things are staged, but I can’t imagine what the payoff is to her from looking so stupid or scatterbrained. I saw her on the Tonight Show once and Anthony Franciosa was one of the guests. After awhile she asked him if they did a movie together or something, that he looked familiar. He said, "I was your third husband, remember? It’s me, Tony! Hilarity ensued. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/192 "2004-11-01T01:37:38Z")
That Shelley Winters-Tony Franciosa story: are you sure it was _The Tonight Show_? I just checked the official _Tonight Show_ guest database, with all of Shelley Winter’s appearances from 1970 to 1991, and in none of them is Tony Franciosa listed as a guest. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/193 "2004-11-01T04:49:44Z")
I’m pretty sure it was, but I wouldn’t bet anything of value on it. It may have been some other talk show, but in my mind’s eye I even see Carson’s amused and dumbfounded take. But I could be wrong. I used to watch other talk shows quite a bit on the nights Johnny was off, and this means that over the years I watched a great many other talk shows. (:D) Perhaps it was on one of them instead. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/194 "2004-11-01T04:52:23Z")
A quick second thought and no offense if you already thought to do so, but perhaps if you only searched under “Tony” and they had it listed as “Anthony,” or vice versa, it could be a possible explanation for the discrepancy. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/195 "2004-11-01T05:32:18Z")
Actually, I looked at the guest list for each appearance of Shelley Winters on _The Tonight Show_. And I did a separate search for Franciosa, but because of that very Anthony/Tony question, I searched only under his surname. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/196 "2004-11-01T05:34:16Z")
Maybe it wasn’t the Tonight show. Could it have been Mike Douglas or Merv or something? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/197 "2004-11-01T05:42:24Z")
**Dio** , yes it could well have been. **Walloon** , must not have been the Tonight Show then. But at any rate, I saw it somewhere…I think…maybe I dreamed it… but hey, if so, it’s still pretty funny, huh. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840/198 "2004-11-01T07:14:46Z")
I have seen Shelley Winters tell the story of that talk-show exchange, but I don’t remember which show it was on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-uncomfortable-talk-show-moments/270840.md?page=9)