Something else on Saturdays
For those burnt out on NBC’s new SNL-all-the-time business model, perhaps you should consider flipping over to FOX. Each Saturday at midnight (right after Mad TV, a show I’ve never seen), FOX has been airing a talk show called, conveniently enough, Talk Show. I watched the show when it first launched a couple month back and found it to be decent, but then baseball playoffs started up and my DVR couldn’t find it. Now that the dreaded Cardinals have won the World Series, the FOX lineup has snapped back in shape, allowing me to get a second look at Talk Show with Spike Feresten. As it turns out, the show is incredibly funny.
Like any new host, the desk segments are still the most awkward. Luckily for them, they’ve built a lot of comedy into the celebrity interviews thereby putting the inevitable awkwardness on the back seat. Of course, asking more of the guests could ultimately be the show’s demise. As of right now Mr. Feresten has “interviewed” primarily FOX personalities and buddies from his days writing for Seinfeld. Hopefully by the time that well dries up, he’ll have gotten more comfortable behind the desk (which is wholly possible as once-a-week isn’t the most demanding of schedules).
The show thrives with the pre-interview comedy segments and remotes. Last Saturday they did a spin on Maury’s Paternity DNA tests that had me laughing out loud not once or twice, but THRICE! The writing style is very similar to Conan’s show, but… I don’t… maybe more LA? Maybe more funny? Or funnier? Both? Either way its a healthy alternative to Saturday Night Live. (Go here or here for clips)
