Posted on 11/20/2006 12:42:12 AM PST by peggybac
Fox News Channel might air two episodes of a "Daily Show"-like program with a decidedly nonliberal bent on Saturday nights in late January, with the possibility that it could become a weekly show for the channel.
The half-hour show is executive produced by "24's" Joel Surnow and Manny Cota and creator Ned Rice, who previously wrote for "Politically Incorrect" and "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" through This Just In Prods. It would take aim at what Surnow calls "the sacred cows of the left" that don't get made as much fun of by other comedy shows.
"It's a satirical news format that would play more to the Fox News audience than the Michael Moore channel," Surnow said. "It would tip more right as 'The Daily Show' tips left."
The show was pitched as "This Just In" when it first got life as a 20-minute pilot presentation for Fox Broadcasting Co.'s late-night division. But when that network passed, Surnow said it attracted the attention of Fox News Channel chief Roger Ailes.
"I showed it to Roger, and he really liked it and thought it could work on Fox News if we could make it conform to some of the restraints" of a cable news channel. Fox News Channel confirmed that talks were going on.
"Fox News is always looking for new cutting-edge programming ideas," said Bill Shine, senior vp programming at Fox News. "We look forward to working with Joel Surnow on this opportunity."
Taped before a studio audience in Los Angeles, the show will feature two co-anchors, actors Kurt Long ("Cuts," "Games Across America") and Susan Yeagley ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Reno 911!"). It also will feature person-on-the-street interviews and correspondent reports like other shows. But Surnow said that it's not going to be strictly conservative but more in the spirit of the old and rebellious "Saturday Night Live."
"It's not going to hit you over the head with partisan politics," Surnow said. "It'll hit anything that deserves to be hit."
The title "This Just In" was scrapped after producers found out the name was being used by an HBO-AOL production. A new title has not been settled on.
Surnow said the two shows will be completed within the next couple of months and that none of the pilot presentation will be used on air. He said he thinks that it will appeal to millions of people who aren't seeing this type of show on television and that it would skew younger than the normal cable news demographic.
"The most exciting thing for us will be that it's going to be fresh," Surnow said.
In my idea of an all-news cable network parody, I wonder if Fox News would dare to parody itself a bit and have as the head of the news network someone who has an over the top Aussie accent even thicker than that of the late Steve Irwin?
We need a parody of Rita Cosby. A correspondent whose voice is so hoarse that we can't even understand what she is saying. Also some talk show interviewer who is so old fashioned and out of touch with current culture that he doesn't want to even look at the internet because is scared of all the buttons you have to touch (think Larry King).
They need to get "Dennis Miller" for this show!
Please tell me it isn't going to be hosted by Mancow.....
"Hosted." I think that is a problem right there. This is sounding too much like existing political comedy shows. I say there should be something completely different. A fictitious cable news network which present parody clips of news and news talk show segments.
Great show
PJ You're good!
Roger Aisles give this man a call - pronto!
Didn't Dennis Miller already try this?
Or an Olbermann-like show starring a guy with coke-bottle glasses spouting kookie left-wing conspiracy theories. Keith can't detest Fox any more than he already does so this would probably send him into an all-time idiot rant. Even funnier if Fox could get higher ratings with this than Keith can get on his own show. Make sure Olbermann has a gay lover as part of the gag.
FNC should get Glen Beck, he's way better then O'Reilly and Hannity almost as good as Rush.
He tried to do it as a serious talk show, wit humor tossed in- This would be different, a comedy show from the get-go , and very much like his old SNL gig doing Weekend Update. (but now much funnier since he learned he is conservative)
Correction: Miller is Libertarian, not Conservative, but he's still a very funny guy.
Yeah, but Laura Ingraham isn't a comedian. Probably why it didn't work.
Well, sign me up.
OMG, that would be funny!
This will be awesome!!
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