With his clogged-nose Brooklyn accent, neck-chafing red suspenders, and eight marriages, he was easy to mock. Marrying the Ghost of Karl Lagerfeld at the 2023 Met Gala. Before she spit-roasted celebrity fashion donts or shamelessly harangued pompous actors on awards-show red carpets, the late Joan Rivers was a fearless, pioneering stand-up comedian whose showbiz breakthrough came, as it did for many comics, via Johnny Carson. It takes a rare journalistic talent to lance someone with a facial expression alone, but Emily Maitlis made a flick of her orbs speak a million incredulous words during a 2019 Brexit interview with Labours Barry Gardiner. Grosss greatest moment, though, came in a steel-cage match with Kisss face-painted vulgarian Gene Simmons, in 2002. Paxman appeared, by that point, genuinely curious. Starting in 1982, David Letterman became a night time routine for many viewers. He was a model of understatement, relying on a subtle wink, a skeptically raised eyebrow, a behind-the-beat quip. Mo Gilligan Another British talk show host who is probably best known on the standup circuit, Mo Gilligan really has every attribute that an audience would be looking for. Another night, he held up a sign that said, I HAVE A SHOW ON A CHANNEL THAT THINKS CREED IS COOL. Late World often settled for being a bizarre deconstruction of talk shows rather than actually funny, but six years later, Galifianakis found a perfect way to express his disdain for TV convention with Between Two Ferns, a tightly edited Funny or Die series in which he (convincingly) plays the inept, distracted, hostile host of a cable-access show who somehow lands famous guests like President Obama and Brad Pitt. Later, motivated by what he called a deconstructionist contempt for talk shows, he introduced his sidekick, Geoff, a gay robot with a mohawk. Krishnan Guru-Murthy Dismantled then-MP Jim Devine on his expenses. We trust in celebrity interviewers to get the truth out of, even the most tight lipped, celebrities. She was wildly criticized for asking her what kind of tree Hepburn would be. Bill OReilly stormed out of an interview, and Hillary Clinton got huffy when pressed on gay marriage. Who leaked the Pentagon documents? What we know about Jack Teixeira No one gets more out of his guests than Maron, whose now-familiar emotional touchstones family background as class determinant, art as the pursuit of truth, self-acceptance and forgiveness give every interview a sweetness and depth without equal. Amicably dubbed "The King of all Media", Howard Stern, is a polarized celebrity. Although these are hardly the only high intensity interviews Stewart has had, they are certainly memorable. Riverss stand-up tagline was, Can we talk? and she was a enthusiastic interviewer with a big New Yawk yap, happy to play the fool to make her guests look their best. Space Ghost was a vain, dimwitted Saturday-morning cartoon superhero who tried to revive his career with a talk show filmed in outer space, but his attempts to interview B-list celebrities were undermined by backstage bickering with his uncooperative sidekick, Zorak, and sarcastic director, Moltar, both of whom hes imprisoned. Thats how long VH1 left Late World With Zach on the air in 2002. 11 . Stewart has markedly interviewed: President Barack Obama- and confronted him on his poor first debate during the 2012 elections, former Vice-President Al Gore- where he grilled Gore about selling "Current TV" to Al Jazeera which is largely funded by oil money. Though a naturally easygoing man, he was now angry, which added a new and wonderful danger to his final NBC shows, including the piercing jibe, I just want to say to the kids out there, you can do anything you want in life. No host was more identified with lofty conversation than Dick Cavett, who was as influential (if not nearly as popular) as Johnny Carson. Dismantled then-MP Jim Devine on his expenses. Fi Glover Told Jeffrey Archer that, according to a computer analysis, "Your book is worse than a Sun leader.". David Brinkley: co-anchor of the top-rated Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC from 1956 to 1970, which he followed by a distinguished career as an anchor and commentator at NBC and ABC News. Jimmy Kimmel once said that Leno fans were the stupid group, and he summed up the argument against Jay: He totally sold out. When Johnny Carson died, Ferguson had been hosting The Late Late Show for less than three weeks. Youre just so deep into yourself. Terry Gross: She gives no fucks. For over 30 years, Howard Sterns calling and gift has been getting his guests, many wildly famous, to talk freely about all the things theyd rather not talk about. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Most of all, though, Colbert is wickedly funny, and seems too smart to play dumb, even for a major-network paycheck. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Rene Montagne - Special Correspondent/ former Host, Morning Edition. UK Politics - BBC News And when it fired him three years later, he launched a syndicated talk show, which ran until 1986 and made him a TV sultan. The shows appeal, aside from meta comedy (Can you say bang a dog up the ass on TV? Space Ghost asks), was the sense that he was the only host who told the truth. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. He was a master chef who opened a Burger King. As Leno might point out, Burger King sells a lot of hamburgers. And though his private life was a mess four wives, an ocean of booze, strained relationships with his kids on camera, he made comedy seem effortless, like his role models Bob Hope and Jack Benny. Great interviews of the 20th century | Theguardian | The Guardian So (in)famous has this 1997 run-in become that its pretty much part of the UKs cultural fabric now; a moment of shared history that is never far from a TV-replay somewhere. Hes been taken into a fridge, said a bemused Swain to the millions watching at home. Great interviews of the 20th century 11 August 2008 Bill Clinton: 'You had to assume there was going to be some blowback' Former US president Bill Clinton discusses climate change, Kyoto, AIDS. UK Politics - BBC News Unless Jay Leno wants to do it, too. Maybe we need to reconsider who won that battle Leno is off the air, and OBrien is still on, as is the Masturbating Bear. EVV-ree-BAH-dee gets a car!)Number of times Tom Cruise bounced up and down on Oprahs sofa to celebrate his love for Katie Holmes in a 2005 episode: 2Number of books selected as part of Oprahs Book Club: 65Number of TV hosts whose careers were launched by appearances on Oprah: 7 (Dr. Phil, Gayle King, Dr. Oz, Suze Orman, Iyanla Vanzant, Rachael Ray, Nate Berkus)Oprahs estimated net worth: $2.9 billion. Famous British Political Leaders - The Famous People Stewarts fake news show offered more analysis and courage than any other TV program, and with his array of blank stares, double takes, and openmouthed, bug-eyed outrage, he became the Meryl Streep of reaction shots. From who's dating who, to baby news, to breakdowns, we always tend to look to celebrity interviewers to get the most captivating information from the stars. Stern seems to be able to get celebrities to admit their deepest darkest secrets. All while Smith, herself, increasingly gave the impression of a woman trying to hide behind her own fringe. Consider this: After 9/11, comedy rolled into a fetal position. They homemakers supposedly want chitchat. Cathy Newman Told George Galloway, "I think you got a little bit carried away," when he compared his Bradford by-election victory with the Arab Spring. A special mention in particular goes to the time he told BBC Breakfast: Its very good to have me on.. But in Johnnys chair, Leno became a consensus comedian whose O.J. Then TV stations did. (and composed Thinking, the shows famous theme song) and Wheel of Fortune, acquired a hotel empire, and amassed a fortune estimated at $1 billion. Which championship basketball team does The Views classic lineup most closely resemble? Diane Lane, in 1983, talked about her mother being playmate of the year in 1957. Martin Mull brought mustachioed smarm to the role of Gimble, a condescending blowhard stuck in a hick town, and Fred Willard (setting the tone for the rest of his career) played oblivious sidekick Jerry Hubbard. When a sitcom actor 35 years past his prime cant be bothered to sit in your shows padded armchair, youre circling the drain. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. The mother of a toddler and expecting again in July. These books give us a record of our times via the moments best comic minds. Hes still neurotic, thankfully (and reliably funny), but the bitterness has subsided, mostly due to the enormous success of his podcast, and the narcissism has given way to a profound curiosity about and empathy for the inner lives of artists: fellow comedians, as well as actors, directors, and musicians (recent guests run from Brillo-headed nonagenarian comic Marty Allen to alt-comedy nerd Barack Obama). Why me? Hall asked. And when it fired him three years later, he launched a syndicated talk show, which ran until 1986 and made him a TV sultan. The comedic stance of the show allows Stewart to take the news and interviews to a level that isn't supported in a serious news format. Eventually, his ratings were good enough that NBC promised him the networks prize job, hosting The Tonight Show. By May of 2009, Ellen had hosted her 1000th episode and interviewed Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton and Justin Timberlake, among others. Words like eruditeand intellectualstuck to him, but his shows most memorable moments were loud and tense: writers Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal trading murderous insults, Georgias pro-segregation governor Lester Maddox walking off the set because the host called his supporters bigots, or Cavett telling LSD guru Timothy Leary he was full of crap. To alienate both Leary and Nixon now, thats an accomplishment! By the very nature of the office, a British prime minister should carry themselves with dignity and gravitas. Of course theres sex, The 32 Greatest Talk-Show Hosts Ever, Ranked, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Arrive at the Met Gala Fashionably Late, The Best, Weirdest and Most On Theme Met Gala 2023 Looks, The Best and Wildest Beauty Looks on the 2023 Met Gala Red Carpet, The Best and Wildest Beauty Looks at the 2023 Met Gala, Heres What Will Happen to Your Fave TV Show If Theres a Writers Strike. On one episode, he admitted, I cant stand doing this, which was evident to the dozens of people who were watching. Admittedly, the political versions are unlikely to topple Love Island: The Morning After from the top of the iTunes chart - although episodes of the Guardian 's Politics Weekly podcast and the . Starting with Indecision 2000, the former stand-up comic exposed what Tom Brokaw calls the absurdities, hypocrisies, [and] juvenilia of the political charade. Out with David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Craig Ferguson, and Stephen Colbert. A career news reporter, Snyder was square and insistent, whether chiding a dominatrix (To me, this is sick) or Charles Manson, at whom he barked, Stop the hogwash. NBC canceled Tomorrow and replaced him with Letterman, who more than a decade later showed his respect by hiring Snyder at CBS as the host of the then-new Late Late Show. Before he retired from Larry King Live in 2010, he said the greatest question an interviewer could ask is, Why? Many began to appreciate King only after they got to know his wretched replacement, Piers Morgan. Doja Cat Becomes an Actual Cat for Met Gala. Whats the matter with you? she sniffed. But it seems that no one else is liking the minty-fresh look. The aggressive political interview: it's not just Sales and Alberici 5-Down, Eight Letters: Show that gave us New New York. In 1986, when the burgeoning Fox network gave her The Late Show With Joan Rivers,competing directly against Carson (after NBC failed to consider her a suitable successor to him), Rivers became the first female late-night talk-show host. All rights reserved. Its priceless! he gurned. Matt Hancock must believe in nationalisation, wrote Labour MP Charlotte Nichols afterwards, given that he keeps getting publicly owned., But just how does his humiliation rank among previous car crash exchanges? Peter Andre v Kay Burley Sometimes, though, a bad interview has nothing to do with the interviewee. If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey show, Oprah wrote in 2002, which makes Donahue the most influential figure in daytime-TV history. In the 90s, Donahue clones from Sally Jessy Raphael to Jerry Springer would dumb down and tabloid up his format, and his run soon ended. The most gripping TV drama of the year is happening behind closed doors. Pass the cream, will ya, hon? Yes or no? He was congenial without being charming, funny without being clever. Dominic Cummings) was, well, rather unorthodox: he grinned, he chuckled, he laughed manically. Gosling described an embarrassing encounter at a Turkish bath house in New York. His famous "Late Night Top Ten" and evening monologue get the audience warmed up. Well, for the most part. And yet, his hair-gelled-news-anchor-mocking-hair-gelled-news-anchors tightrope shtick was appealing; comedian Janeane Garofalo admitted shed had sexy dreams about him, and when asked in an interview if it was true, she replied, Yes, unfortunately.. That, and the 634 other WTF episodes, are as good as a talk show gets. 6. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Shandling knew talk shows; after a stint as a sitcom writer, he turned to stand-up, with successful appearances on The Tonight Show leading to a gig as one of Johnnys recurring guest-hosts in the 80s. Nine weeks. Jeremy Clarkson has come a long way from being a local journalist to becoming a recognized public personality, thanks to his appearance as a presenter in the popular TV show Top Gear. Larry King Liveaired from 1985-2010. The show went national: People tuned in to see him yell, Sit down, you fat bitch, and, I would have kicked your fucking nuts out. Guests backed out. Hes still neurotic, thankfully (and reliably funny), but the bitterness has subsided, mostly due to the enormous success of his podcast, and the narcissism has given way to a profound curiosity about and empathy for the inner lives of artists: fellow comedians, as well as actors, directors, and musicians (recent guests run from Brillo-headed nonagenarian comic Marty Allen to alt-comedy nerd Barack Obama). Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Howard Stern called him an ass-kisser; George Lopez labeled him two-faced and the worst interviewer on TV; and Arsenio Hall, Dennis Miller, and Craig Ferguson all mocked him.