One day around Christmas a couple of years ago, my friend
and I were tooling around Rockefeller Center, home of NBC, when someone came up to us and asked us if we wanted to see
a talk show."Uh, which show is it?" we asked warily, knowing that any of NBC's popular shows have audience lines going out the door.
"Last Call with Carson Daly!" the probable intern chirpily replied.
"No thanks," we said dismissively, as if she was a Hare Krishna in a banana suit holding out cupons for free smoothies. The dejected intern went to go beg other rubes (oops, I mean visitors) to see her boss' show.
That's what I think of when I think of Last Call, even after it moved to Los Angeles: it's a show that can't even find enough people to fill its studio audience, much less watch it on TV. I mean, really, it's on at 1:30 in the morning. At this point of the night, only hallucinating insomniacs, stoned college students, and people who drink coffee at 11:00 at night (like I did tonight) are watching the show.
So why do I see reasonably decent stars booked on the show? Tonight, for instance is my girl Sarah Chalke from Scrubs and singer Ben Harper (who's actually there all week). Do either of these people need the tiny amount of publicity being on a talk show at 1:30 in the morning brings? What's drawing them to Carson? My mind is boggling, but I might just be coming down from the caffeine. If anyone knows, please tell me in the comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-05-2006 @ 2:24AM
Tim Dorr said...
These shows cost next to nothing to make, so there's no reason they're going to drop it anytime soon. If it's profitable and got a cult, why axe it? Maybe if Carson ever gets bored, but that would be the only reason I could think of.
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5-05-2006 @ 2:29AM
TVsMatt said...
I actually caught an episode of this show recently (since it moved to LA) and was surprised by the fact that it wasnt that bad. Not good enough for me to set my VCR for (yeah, I still have/use a VCR) or to be sorry I missed an episode of - but still not as bad as it was in the past.
.mf.
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5-05-2006 @ 2:44AM
brian said...
must be that the aforementioned 'demographic' are the same people that make 5 easy payments of 19.95 on a pair of scissors that will cut a penny. maybe they think 500 viewers = 500 ben harper albums sold, 500 new scrubs viewers?
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5-05-2006 @ 4:31AM
Lindsay said...
I have kind of grown fond of Carson. He seems really sweet, he has fun, and he's smart. His show is on pretty late, and I watch it most of the time. I've loved him since TRL. He seems really down to earth, and he does appreciate his fans.
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5-05-2006 @ 4:58AM
Paula said...
well.....Carson is on TV for some reason. I am sure he would not be on the air if he were not a hit.
HOWEVER, I do think that you slandered college students when you ensenuated that if they are up at that time they are stoned. If they were stoned they probably would be asleep.
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5-05-2006 @ 6:15AM
katie said...
Yes, I had a similar experience while taking the NBC tour in NYC. They were hounding people, hawking the show left and right as our group was finishing up the tour. A few young people took the tickets and with giddiness left the group and were shown where to go for the show. At that time I didn't even know who he was. I might have taken advantage of being on a show but had to scoot to catch the next bus home....
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5-05-2006 @ 7:12AM
Bruce Bromley said...
It either has to be contractual, Sarah being part of the NBC family. Or Carson's show must have a well stocked bar back in the green room. It's hard to see any other reason someone would be there just for six minutes on the couch with Carson.
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5-05-2006 @ 8:53AM
cheryl said...
I do get to watch the Carson Daly Show that often because like you said it is on so late. But honestly I like it better then Conan O'Brien. It's a more mordern show with not a lot of the lame humor you sometimes find on other shows. He usually has great guests and he is a young guy that can appeal to a younger crowd. I would watch more if there was a network that would put him on earlier. Why doesn't fox do it??? do they have a late night show? Here my fox affiliate goes to news at 10:00 P.M. put him on after that and I would probably watch him all the time. And I'm not a young teenager I'm in my early thirties and married with kids but it's nice to watch something different. To be honest I don't even watch most of the other late nite shows anymore I switch to TBS or something else. They've just gotten so boring.
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5-05-2006 @ 11:59AM
Erica said...
I managed to catch the show a few nights back...Not only is it a bad time slot, Carson's a crappy host.
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5-05-2006 @ 3:02PM
doc said...
You can't discount the egostroke involved in being invited. It reaffirms someone's celebrity and could be the reason for some of the bookings. Other than that, I would guess back room deals, corporate synergy, and things of that ilk also come into play.
And this just in from Carson Daly: 'Why would anyone do an interview with Joel Keller on TVSquad? Do these people need the tiny amount of publicity being on a website frequented by television obsessives brings?'
:D
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5-06-2006 @ 3:47AM
Erin said...
Carson > Seacrest.
Why not go on his show? Celebs get to be on tv and he will only ever be accommodating and flattering.
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5-06-2006 @ 5:41AM
Jo Kraynick said...
It's kind of funny that you think that. In my trips to LA and NYC I have been offered free tickets to Carson, Politically Incorrect, Leno, Letterman, Oprah, Conan, Montel, Danson, Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, MTV and others as well as movie screenings.
That being said...
Celebrities like airtime. Whereever they can get it. AND they get paid. Yeah, it's a pittance, but money is money. Carson's show isn't the worst one out there. It's entertaining for a night worker like me.
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