Word: sajak
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Sajak and Hall are avoiding at least one mistake made by their predecessors: trying to be too different. Thicke of the Night attempted an offbeat mix of comedy and talk but misfired badly. Rivers brought a more abrasive edge and some attempts at wacky stunts to the format but failed to catch on. Only Late Night with David Letterman, with its hip, self-parodying pose, has succeeded in cutting a new path. Letterman's influence will be evident in both shows: each, for example, plans to take the camera outside the studio occasionally. But mostly the newcomers are following...
...paper at least, Sajak, 42, has the right credentials. While growing up in Chicago, he used to sneak out of bed to watch Jack Paar and decided that doing a talk show "would be a fun way to earn a living." He became a radio disk jockey, TV weatherman and local talk-show host; then in 1981 he replaced Chuck Woolery on Wheel of Fortune. Part of the show's success can be traced to his laid-back, let's-not-take-this-seriously attitude. Indeed, Sajak has trouble taking even himself seriously. "No matter how charming and delightful...
...question is what kind of Johnny Carson the '90s will want. Hall, 29, attracts a relatively young audience and says he will have a "melting pot" of guests: "You'll see ((rap singer)) L.L. Cool J and ((country star)) Reba McEntire meeting each other." Sajak, who appeals to an older crowd, will have Barry Goldwater and Vanna White on one upcoming program, and hopes his show's 90-minute length will allow time for more than the usual plug-happy celebrities. "I've always admired Paar's knack of finding witty, interesting conversationalists from the ranks of character actors, politicians...
Both programs are starting with healthy numbers. Sajak is being picked up by 90% of CBS affiliates, more than carry the network's current offerings. Hall's show also will reach 90% of the country with its lineup of independent stations. But producers and network executives are busily trying to lower expectations. "It's foolish to think you can knock off an institution like Carson just because you arrive on the scene," says CBS vice president Michael Brockman. Asserts Lucie Salhany, president of Paramount's domestic television division: "We're not out to get anybody. There's room...
...late- night talk shows of Wheel of Fortune' s Pat Sajak and Eddie Murphy' s sidekick Arsenio Hall are debuting with healthy station lineups and old- fashioned approaches...