TVSquad

The variety show format seems like a no-brainer for success - get someone with star power and surround them with a bunch of ringers and some weird people spinning plates or bending themselves into curious shapes, and voila! Instant hit, right? But there have been some spectacular failures in recent TV history. Maybe it's the fact that there are so many talent/reality shows now that a show with no "winner" or competition doesn't seem as interesting.

Somehow, despite all of that, Ellen DeGeneres has managed some success with the format, and is now on her third - Ellen's Bigger, Longer & Wider Show, on TBS Saturday at 9PM.

Perhaps it's the fact that it's on TBS, which means the stakes are slightly lower than on the main networks. Or the fact that DeGeneres brings a loyal fanbase from her Ellen DeGeneres Show and her stand-up. Those would be the reasons you would look for if you were an industry executive or a media critic.

Previewing the actual show, however, yields a much simpler answer - Ellen is a funny, likable performer. Her written material is smart and engaging, and when she improvises with guests or her audience, her wit doesn't flag. The opening sequence and monologue were entertaining, concluding with DeGeneres's promise to her audience that, "You'll be blown and grabbed. There's your promo, TBS."

Ellen's Audience Q&A


Mentioning guest magician David Blaine, she says, "A very handsome man and I are going to do some... we're going to make some magic together, and that hasn't happened since the 80s."

The camera shows DeGeneres reacting with the audience to all of her guests, giggling as a contortionist bends and twists and shoots a bow and arrow with her feet. Her reaction to a guy who bends things with his throat (from the inside) with an assist from a toaster, is the same as her audience. She asks how he can do that, he says he's gotten used to it. "You can get used to anything," Ellen says, "that doesn't mean you do it."

The Chicago crowd gets their hometown big star in Kanye West, and comedian Joe Wong delivered a strong set (with much of the same material as his Letterman set from April). The show rolls along quickly, the light, entertaining diversion that variety shows are supposed to be. And yes, Ellen dances a bit, and even sings along with her audience. The fact that they are singing with her is probably the reason why she has been able to keep doing this.