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| Arsenio Hall |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
There is something fascinating about being a late night talk show host. Having to get up and entertain audiences as they are getting ready for sleep is a test that has been going on for decades. While Johnny Carson may have been the ultimatum of hosts, it has been hard to find a single individual with his presence or charisma that can carry a show with quality and ratings. The closest things seem to come is with Jay Leno and David Letterman, even though both are 90's stalwarts who are aging and appealing to an older audience. With exception of Jimmy Fallon and Craig Ferguson, it doesn't feel like there is fresh blood in the market.
However, just as the markets grew and channels began branching out, it almost seems like it is mandatory for every channel to have a late night talk show. Maybe it isn't to promote upcoming media. Maybe it is just to get the audience to laugh. The diverse group of notable hosts include Jon Stewart (The Daily Show), Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately), Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report), Conan O'Brien (Conan), Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer (Nikki & Sara Live), George Lopez (the cancelled Lopez Tonight) and the youngest of the bunch: W. Kamau Bell (Totally Biased). With plenty more to develop in the near future, it almost seems like a crowded market for the 11 PM times slot.
What is more impressive is that among them all, there is a diverse group of nationalities, age brackets, and even women have their own shows. It almost feels like there is too much diversity in late night to the point where the best move would be to just package highlights and air them on the news to keep audiences from becoming overwhelmed. I used to watch late night talk shows more often, and there is something fun about the experience.
Still, there was no expectations for the return of the Arsenio Hall Show.
While I am a child of the 90's, I will admit to only knowing about Hall's work through folklore, or what passed for it. I knew about the dog pound and the famous picture with Bill Clinton. However, when I discovered that he was coming back, my expectations weren't of joy, but more curiosity. It was a new show, same as the old one. In a way, it almost felt like nothing had changed since his biggest competitors were Leno and Letterman when we last saw him and they still are. How exactly is this guy going to be a big draw now that the landscape has changed and being one of the few notable African American talk show hosts is no longer a distinction?
In fairness, the CW almost seems to be retooling the network to cover all of the nostalgia bases. The most successful of the batch is Whose Line is it Anyway?, which was recently picked up for another season. They are also doing Sex and the City prequel series the Carrie Diaries. While they have their share of original programming, it seems like the CW's biggest strengths is on the basis that it will remind you of things you used to like and are still potentially worth liking.
I caught the September 12, 2013 episode of the Arsenio Hall Show, which was my first full length episode of watching him do his thing. The most immediately striking thing about his performance is that he was more lively and interactive with his audience than most of his local channel competitors. While his viewpoint was distinctly that of the African American perspective, his jokes were more transcendent and worked more on a universal relative basis. There was even a sketch in the opening monologue in which an elderly uncle figure makes fun of things ranging from the recession to strip clubs to same sex marriage (to which the joke was that in marriage, all sex is the same. Maybe we should try different sex marriage). It was edgy, but not offensive. It felt fresh, though not necessarily youthful.
Hall is actually one of the more enjoyable hosts in the circuit right now. Maybe it could be that this is only his fourth show, but he has a presence that is welcoming. With plenty of pointing and movement, he controls the crowd with suave and even if there is a cult-type relationship already built into it, he is a master of the relationship between audience and host in ways only Conan O'Brien has achieved from what I've seen.
It is hard to properly judge this episode on the distinct basis that this is just his fourth show, as he makes clear at varying points, even comparing himself to Leno's four digit number of Tonight Show gigs. He is still too wrapped up in nostalgia of the old show, as each segment featured at least one callback to his previous version of the Arsenio Hall Show. They showed clips of him interviewing Mark Harmon, even Penn and Teller regaled on their past and included a special appearance by Hall's idol John Thompson. To finish the trifecta, he had his musical guest promise to bring New Edition onto the show, to adamant love. Even his bumper music featured funky instrumental versions of 90's hits by 2Pac and Ice Cube.
Still, it would be rude to criticize the show for being nostalgic in its first week back. When Conan O'Brien briefly hosted the Tonight Show, his first week was packed full of what could only be described as a Welcome Back Party, including Tom Hanks bestowing on him the nickname Coco. As it stands, the hat trick for Hall to pull off is to keep up his energy and promises. He claims to have exclusive content coming up, and while it appeals to a slightly larger audience than Leno, most of the guests at the moment are old friends, and their stories reflect that. This is Hall's Welcome Back Party, and it is pretty interesting.
Another striking feature of Hall's show is the layout. I am very much used to a very long monologue and segments where the guests don't come on until the last half hour. With this show, it only starts off with a monologue, but is done within 15 minutes. From there, it alternates between guests until the show is over. The most interesting one of the night belongs to Hall's interview with a passenger aboard the International Space Station. The enthusiasm in his questions and ability to relate on a familial level made the segment go from hacky gimmick to deeply personal and thus more interesting.
Who knows if the success of the return of the Arsenio Hall Show will result in anything new to late night. Hall comes from the old school era and while presenting his show different enough to not be jumbled in, will have to do a lot to compete with the younger, hip crowd that is looking to come in very soon. This is mostly referencing Jimmy Fallon, who is scheduled to take over the Tonight Show next year. He is already a viral sensation and has made late night fun for a younger crowd. Hall is a lot of fun, but hopefully he doesn't get lost in the shuffle for seeming old hat.
As I said at the beginning, another issue is that there's too many competitions to really keep one on top. It is really an advantage that he is on a network that is fine with taking risks. Even if they lose momentum, the CW doesn't have the same problematic dedication to ratings as CBS. He will still be around. The only question is how relevant will he be? I feel bad for reviewing so shortly into the series resurgence, but it was something that struck my curiosity. I am glad that I did, as it finally gives me reason to respect Arsenio Hall beyond the mythos of 90's performer that lingered over my childhood.
I'm considering doing another Channel Surfing column on the Arsenio Hall Show in a few months when the show has been out for awhile. Maybe then I can be able to properly grade it, even though from what I already see, I am looking forward to this program's future. Highly entertaining.
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