The Arsenio Hall Show-Cancelled Again?

Hey everyone! I had this in the vaults, I meant to push publish and I didn't, butterfingers! Here's my take on the Arsenio Hall Show Travesty.

Oh hi and oh no they didn't. They couldn't. It was reported that Paramount/CBS had cancelled the Arsenio Hall Show. To fans of the show, we're saddened and surprised. Make that really surprised. This past February, the show had a segment where fellow talk show host and old friend Jay Leno appeared to give Hall the good news that his show had been renewed for a second season. The crowd erupted, Hall looked visibly happy to the point of tears. It all seemed perfect--and then it wasn't.


In their "explanation," CBS cowardly said the following, "Unfortunately, ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’ will not return for a second season; while there are many loyal fans of the show, the series did not grow its audience enough to continue. Arsenio is a tremendous talent and we’d like to thank him for all the hard work and energy he put into the show. We’d also like to thank Tribune and all our station group partners for their support of the show.” I call bullshit. As a viewer, and a big fan of Hall's 1989-1994 show, the problems were numerous but one was glaring to an almost startling fact: Guests.

In this show, Hall couldn't seem to get many acts on his show. Even denizens from the lower rungs of the B to the C list seemed to stay away. In another fact, Hall's show had hardly any white guests. I remember seeing Mark Harmon, Joel from Parenthood and that's almost it. The only reason for this isn't a "creative decision" but threats from the folks at Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Fans of the show have to notice that this situation was even more pronounced when "Mr. Happy" Jimmy Fallon took over the Tonight Show.Fallon reportedly plays hardball and this took away even more guests from Arsenio Hall. Excuse me, my diapers "full up" and I can't talk anymore.....


My Take: While the show wasn't as strong as Hall's predecessor, it certainly didn't deserve to be cancelled. And really, when was the last time you've heard of a show given the green light to continue in February--only to be reneged on--in May. I've never heard of that. In rarefied, legalese, I think Arsenio has a "suitcase."