The Chevy Chase Show

Last updated
The Chevy Chase Show
Thechevychaseshow-titlecard.jpg
The Chevy Chase Show title card
Written by Fred Wolf
Presented by Chevy Chase
AnnouncerRon Russ
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes29
Production
Production locations The Chevy Chase Theater,
Hollywood, California
Running time45–48 minutes
Production companiesCornelius Productions
20th Century Fox Television
Original release
Network Fox
ReleaseSeptember 7 (1993-09-07) 
October 15, 1993 (1993-10-15)

The Chevy Chase Show is an American late night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Chevy Chase that aired in 1993 on Fox. The series was canceled after six weeks on the air. It was the last late night talk show that aired on Fox until 2006 when Talkshow with Spike Feresten debuted.

Contents

History

Creation and pre-production

In 1993, Fox asked country musician Dolly Parton to host a new-late night program. It would be the network's first since the October 1988 cancellation of The Late Show , originally hosted by Joan Rivers and later by Arsenio Hall and Ross Shafer. [1] Parton turned the network down, and suggested Chase for the job. [2] Chase reportedly signed a $3 million deal with Fox. [3] To clear room for the new show, Fox cancelled Studs, a game show that had been in the late-night slot. [4]

Fox spent $1 million to renovate the Aquarius Theater, the Los Angeles venue where the show would be recorded. Days before the show's premiere, the theater's name was changed to the Chevy Chase Theater. [3]

Formula and trademarks

The Chevy Chase Show was one of several late-night talk shows developed by various networks in the year following the retirement of Johnny Carson after nearly thirty years as host of NBC's highly successful The Tonight Show . The Chevy Chase Show premiered on September 7, 1993, a week after the debut of Late Show with David Letterman and a week before the launch of Late Night with Conan O'Brien . In keeping with the talk show format Carson and David Letterman had established, the show featured a house band that Chase called the best band in the world: the Tom Scott-led MBC Orchestra (which would later be called The Hollywood Express). Like several other late-night shows (the most notable exception being the Jay Leno-hosted Tonight Show), the host secured ownership rights to his show; Chase produced it through his company, Cornelius Productions. The show's set featured a tank with live fish (visible during interviews), basketball hoops, and shelves of toys, [5] as well as a desk with a built-in piano.

The program's lead-in featured a clay-animated Chase stealing letters from notable Los Angeles landmarks to spell the name of his show. As the credits rolled at the end of each episode, Chase was seen shooting basketballs at an onstage backstop.

Episodes

According to newspaper listings, Chase's guests during the 29-episode run included:

Reviews

Television critic Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave the show an F late in its run in 1993. [6] Tucker noted that "the audience that fills Hollywood's new Chevy Chase Theatre has steadily turned into the worst-behaved crowd in late-night television; they hoot and yell and cheer over whatever pitiful chatter Chase is attempting to wring out of a luckless guest." [6] In another review, Time panned the show: "Nervous and totally at sea, Chase tried everything, succeeded at nothing." [7] The magazine criticized Chase for having "recycled old material shamelessly," taking pratfalls, and even pleading with the audience to stand up and dance in their seats. [7] Amy Harrington of Fox News labeled it as one of the worst talk shows in television history. [8]

Cancellation

Advertisers had been promised that the show would bring between five and six million viewers nightly. [9] [10] By contrast, Late Show with David Letterman guaranteed fewer than four million viewers to their advertisers. [10] The Chevy Chase Show's actual ratings were much lower, averaging fewer than three million viewers. [9] Fewer than two million people tuned in during the show's final weeks. [9]

Lucie Salhany, the then-chairwoman of Fox Broadcasting, announced on October 17, 1993, that the network had decided to cancel the show "in the best interests of both its affiliated stations and its star". [9] Salhany spoke about Chase's first episodes: "He was very nervous. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing to watch it." [1] [9] Chase issued a statement regarding the cancellation, in which he called the talk-show format "very constraining" and promoted his upcoming film, Cops and Robbersons . [9] Chase had never intended the show to be a long-term series, even if it had been successful, and claimed in an interview that he would "never be tied down for five years interviewing TV personalities". [11]

Within 48 hours of the final show, workmen had already dismantled and painted over the Chevy Chase Theater's sign. [3] The theater was later renamed the Nickelodeon on Sunset, which remained its name until the theatre closed in 2017. Fox ran reruns of In Living Color in the former time slot of The Chevy Chase Show after the cancellation. In November 1993, Fox was in talks with Howard Stern to replace Chase's show, [12] but the talks went nowhere. With the exceptions of talking with Stern and attempting to sign Conan O'Brien in the early 2000s, [13] Fox has not attempted to air late-night network programming on weeknights since The Chevy Chase Show left the air, opting to give the 11:00 p.m.midnight time slot back to its affiliates, some of whom use at least part of that time to air extensions of their 10:00 p.m. local newscasts.

In a 2007 interview with Time , Chase spoke of the show, saying that it was "an entirely different concept than what was pushed on me. I would never do it again. What I wanted had a whole different feel to it, much darker and more improv. But we never got there." [14] In an A&E Biography on Chase in 2009, Chase explained that because he had signed a contract with Fox, he was obligated to do the show the way the network wanted. During an interview on Norm Macdonald Has a Show , Chase reiterated his dislike of the experience, noting that the only thing he liked about the program was interviewing Robert De Niro. [15]

In 2002, TV Guide ranked the show number 16 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list, [16] and in 2010, TV Guide Network listed the show at No. 16 on their list of 25 Biggest TV Blunders alongside The Megan Mullally Show . [17]

Chase later parodied the show's failure in a Doritos commercial that aired during Super Bowl XXVIII, in which the spot is literally cancelled midway through its production and Chase is banned from the studio lot. ("Tough year," he remarks. "Good chip.")

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Letterman</span> American television host and comedian (born 1947)

David Michael Letterman is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC and ending with the May 20, 2015, broadcast of Late Show with David Letterman on CBS. In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of Late Night and Late Show, surpassing his friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history.

<i>Late Night with David Letterman</i> American late-night talk show (1982–1993)

Late Night with David Letterman is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the Late Night. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February 1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

<i>Late Show with David Letterman</i> American late-night talk show (1993-2015)

Late Show with David Letterman is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the Late Show franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, and CBS Television Studios. The show's music director and leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, was Paul Shaffer. The head writer was Matt Roberts and the announcer was originally Bill Wendell, then Alan Kalter. In most U.S. markets the show aired from 11:35 p.m. to 12:37 a.m. Eastern and Pacific Time, and recorded Monday to Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m., and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The second Thursday episode usually aired on Friday of that week.

<i>The Tonight Show</i> American late-night talk show franchise (1954-present)

The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien (2009–2010), and Jimmy Fallon (2014–present). Besides the main hosts, a number of regular "guest hosts" have been used, notably Ernie Kovacs, who hosted two nights per week during 1956–1957, and a number of guests used by Carson, who curtailed his own hosting duties back to three nights per week by the 1980s. Among Carson's regular guest hosts were Joey Bishop, McLean Stevenson, David Letterman, David Brenner, Joan Rivers, and Jay Leno, although the practice has been mostly abandoned since hosts currently prefer reruns to showcasing potential rivals.

<i>Late Night with Conan OBrien</i> American late-night talk show (1993–2009)

Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the Late Night. Hosted by Conan O'Brien, it aired from September 13, 1993 to February 20, 2009, replacing Late Night with David Letterman and was replaced by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am Eastern/11:37 pm Central and 12:37 am Mountain in the United States. From 1993 until 2000, Andy Richter served as O'Brien's sidekick; following his departure, O'Brien was the show's sole featured performer. The show's house musical act was The Max Weinberg 7 and led by E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg.

<i>The Tonight Show with Jay Leno</i> American talk show hosted by Jay Leno (1992–2009 & 2010–14)

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of The Tonight Show. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, replacing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and was replaced by The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. The show returned from March 1, 2010 to February 6, 2014, replacing The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and was replaced by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

<i>The Arsenio Hall Show</i> American late-night talk show

The Arsenio Hall Show is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall.

Broadcast programming is the practice of organizing or ordering (scheduling) of broadcast media shows, typically radio and television, in a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or season-long schedule.

The Late Show is an American late-night talk show and the first television program broadcast on the then-new Fox Network. Hosted by comic actress Joan Rivers, it debuted on October 9, 1986, under the title The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers. It is also the first late-night show hosted by Arsenio Hall.

<i>The Pat Sajak Show</i> American late-night talk show

The Pat Sajak Show is an American late-night television talk show that aired on CBS from January 9, 1989, to April 13, 1990.

<i>The Jay Leno Show</i> American late-night talk show (2009–2010)

The Jay Leno Show is an American prime time talk show hosted by Jay Leno that was broadcast by NBC from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010. The series was a spiritual successor to his previous late-night talk show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and used a similar format consisting of a comedic monologue, followed by celebrity interviews and other comedy segments.

Lucille "Lucie" Salhany is an American media executive of Jordanian and Lebanese Heritage. Salhany was the first woman to head a broadcast television network in 1993 in the position as Chairwoman of Fox Broadcasting Company. She later created the United Paramount Network. She has had over 30 years of experience in the entertainment business, and during the height of her career, was one of the most powerful women at the C-Suite level.

The Wilton North Report is a late-night combined newsmagazine, talk show, and variety show that aired on Fox in December 1987 and January 1988. It was Fox's second attempt at a regular late-night show, replacing The Late Show. The series premiered on December 11, 1987, and ended four weeks later, on January 8, 1988. Hosted by Phil Cowan and Paul Robins, the show sought to combine comedy with newsmagazine-style features and serious interviews. Michael Hanks initially served as the show's announcer, with Don Morrow filling that role for its final two weeks.

<i>The Tonight Show with Conan OBrien</i> American late-night talk show (2009–2010)

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fifth installment of The Tonight Show. Hosted by Conan O'Brien. It aired from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, replacing The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and was replaced by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

<i>Late Night</i> (franchise) American late-night talk show franchise

Late Night is an American late-night talk and variety show airing on NBC since 1982. Four men have hosted Late Night: David Letterman (1982–1993), Conan O'Brien (1993–2009), Jimmy Fallon (2009–2014), and Seth Meyers (2014–present). Each iteration of the show was built around its host, and maintained distinct identities aside from the title, time slot, and network. The longest-serving host to date was O'Brien, who hosted Late Night with Conan O'Brien for almost 16 years, from September 1993 to February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Late-night talk show</span> Genre of comedic talk show, airing late at night

A late-night talk show is a genre of talk show, originating in the United States. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest interviews, comedy sketches and music performances. It is characterized by spontaneous conversation, and for an effect of immediacy and intimacy as if the host were speaking directly to each member of the watching audience. Late-night talk shows are also fundamentally shaped by the personality of the host.

2010 <i>Tonight Show</i> conflict American late-night talk show fiasco

The 2010 Tonight Show conflict was a media and public relations conflict involving the American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, over the timeslot and hosting duties of the long-running franchise The Tonight Show.

<i>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert</i> American late-night talk show

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second iteration of CBS' Late Show franchise. The program is taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, the same studio as its predecessor Late Show with David Letterman. It airs new episodes live to tape in most U.S. markets Mondays to Thursdays at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT, as with its competitors Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

<i>The Late Show</i> (franchise) American media franchise

The Late Show is an American late-night talk show franchise on CBS. It first aired in August 1993 with host David Letterman, who previously hosted Late Night with David Letterman on NBC from 1982 to 1993. Letterman's iteration of the program ran until his retirement on May 20, 2015. Comedian Stephen Colbert, best known for his roles on Comedy Central programs The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, assumed hosting duties that September. The show originates from the Ed Sullivan Theater in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York, and airs live to tape in most U.S. markets at 11:35 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 10:35 in the Central and Mountain time zones.

References

  1. 1 2 The New York Times article: "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Chevy Chase's Ratings Deliver Frowns at Fox".
  2. Entertainment Weekly article: "Err Time: Denise Richards is in good company -- look back at 10 major movie stars who flopped on TV".
  3. 1 2 3 Entertainment Weekly article: "One Down".
  4. "10 Questions with Mark DeCarlo". Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  5. The New York Times article: "The Set Makes The Host"
  6. 1 2 Entertainment Weekly article: "TV Review - Lord of the Ring (1993)".
  7. 1 2 Time article: "Late-Night Mugging".
  8. Harrington, Amy (November 6, 2009). "Worst Talk Shows in TV History". Fox News . Archived from the original on September 28, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The New York Times article: "Chevy Chase's Show Canceled After 6 Weeks".
  10. 1 2 The New York Times article: "Chevy Chase's Many Rivals: Jay, Dave and the Local News".
  11. Read, Max (April 5, 2012). He's not Chevy, he's an (expletive): A history of Chevy Chase's horrific behavior Archived 2015-05-26 at the Wayback Machine . Gawker. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  12. "Fox network courting Stern to replace Chase, insider says". Los Angeles Daily News . November 25, 1993. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  13. Carter, Bill (April 12, 2010). "Conan O'Brien Will Do a Late-Night Show on TBS". The New York Times . p. 28. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  14. Time article: "10 Questions for Chevy Chase"
  15. "Norm Macdonald Has a Show | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
  16. TV Guide Guide to TV . Barnes and Noble. 2004. pp.  228. ISBN   0-7607-5634-1.
  17. "Breaking News - TV Guide Network's "25 Biggest TV Blunders" Special Delivers 3.3 Million Viewers". The Futon Critic. 2010-03-02. Retrieved 2010-03-10.