ABC Puts An End To Drinks On Jimmy Kimmel's new show.

Webcenter News ^ | January 29, 2003 | Associated Press

[ConservativeMan55]

Last call at Jimmy Kimmel's new ABC talk show NEW YORK (AP) - It's last call at Jimmy Kimmel's new ABC talk show.

After a boisterous premiere during which actor George Clooney passed around a bottle of vodka and an audience member vomited, the bar that serves drinks to audience members has been shut down.

Kimmel's late-night talk show, to run regularly on weeknights, premiered early Monday two hours after the end of the Super Bowl and was seen by an average of 4.8 million viewers.

Besides Clooney pouring drinks, rapper Snoop Dogg tested censors by several times making an on-camera obscene gesture.

``We were not comfortable with the systems in place for serving wine and beer,'' ABC spokesman Kevin Brockman said.

Daniel Kellison, the show's executive producer, said, ``They just said `let's chill out on it and take it away for now,' and we said fine. We have bigger fish to fry.''

ABC is hoping to build a late-night franchise by replacing ``Politically Incorrect'' with a new show led by Kimmel, former co-host of ``The Man Show'' on Comedy Central. ABC had resisted letting the show operate a bar in the first place, but Kellison pointed out drinks are served at the Disney-owned California Angels' games.

Kimmel, speaking earlier this month, said he wanted to make going to the show a more pleasant experience than it normally is for audience members.

``You stand out there for three hours,'' he said. ``They poke you with cattle prods to get in, and then you're forced to laugh and applaud at certain times. I want to make it more of an evening out where people actually enjoy themselves from the beginning of the experience until the end.''

Drinks aren't served to audience members at Jay Leno's ``Tonight'' show and David Letterman's ``Late Show.'' On-air guests at ``Tonight'' are asked backstage if they want a drink; Letterman's people won't ask, but will get something if it's requested.

Last June, ``Tonight'' show guest Tom Green got progressively drunk on the air as a gimmick, an experiment thought to quickly spiral out of control.

For a new show seeking attention like Kimmel's, publicity about a raucous opening night and bar shutdown might not necessarily be a bad thing.

``It gives us some stature in terms of people thinking this is a different show and not a conventional talk show,'' Kellison said. ``Honestly, what we want to do is create a place where the young audience and young talent feel like this is a fun place to come.''

[SlickWillard]

Prior = Pryor

[Burkeman1]

Bingo. Kimmel appeals to a young crowd of mostly males. His humor is bathroom humor and has no broad appeal. His show won't last six months. He should have stayed at Commedy Central.

[jiggyboy]

Indeed. "The Peter Principle" comes to mind. In retrospect (of course), I find it impossible to believe that he could be as entertaining as a talk-show host as he was as a Man Show host.

[murdoog]

This is the crowd who thinks that being a man is to drink beer and wolf whistle.

No, no,no. It's drinking beer and *belching loudly*, not wolf whistling. Get with the program!!

[job]

which lead to the episode where he helped butters and Kyle for hiring actors to play future time warped butters and Kyle to discourage them from taking drugs.

"use the texture roller, felipe. this is coming together nicely."

[discostu]

Another disturbing episode. The end with real future self of Cartman is truly brilliant.

[JohnnyZ]

This is the crowd who thinks that being a man is to drink beer and wolf whistle. This is the crowd I am ashamed to share any kind of conservative viewpoints with.

So you don't like any of John Edwards friends, the Regular People of America?

[job]

whatever. I do what I want. Whatever.

[judgeandjury]

...rapper Snoop Dogg tested censors by several times making an on-camera obscene gesture.

Say it ain't so! Not choir boy Snoop Dogg!

[Dan from Michigan]

This is the crowd I am ashamed to share any kind of conservative viewpoints with.

[potlatch]

Bella, you're Bru-Bru-Brutal!!!

[Bella_Bru]

CalvaryJohn threatened on another thread to go back to Lucianne.com. I wish he'd quit whining about FR and just do it.

[potlatch]

LOL,I went to the site and sat there deciding if I wanted to 'save' it or not!! Ted Koppel is over in a minute!!

[Bella_Bru]

Oh, it's a favorite graphic of mine. I saved it. ;-)

[potlatch]

My grown kids and grandkids get on my computer a lot, don't want them to come across it. Otherwise I'd keep it, LOL. The show is on here, I'm going to watch.