Some of the best talk show hosts have been celebrities, and vice versa, throughout the history of this celebrated medium. However, that doesn’t mean just anyone can hold the desk equally. Keep that in mind as you take in this list of famous celebs who tried to make a talk show happen, but just couldn’t hold their own.
Regis Philbin – The Regis Philbin Show – 1981 – 1982
Throughout the history of Regis Philbin’s best movie appearances, as well as his career as a legendary talk show host, the man made a name for himself as someone who knew how to talk to people. But even with his resume of success bookending The Regis Philbin Show’s 1981-1982 run, there was still room to learn as this short-lived endeavor proved.
Alan Thicke – Thicke Of The Night – 1983 – 1984
Could Alan Thicke have made Thicke of the Night last under more ideal circumstances? Maybe, but then again, any show that tried to take on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson kind of deserved to be put through the wringer. On the plus side, Thicke wasn’t too far off from starring in Growing Pains, where he’d show us his smile again.
Joan Rivers – The Late Show – 1986 – 1988
Joan Rivers’ “permanent guest host” status on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show was exactly why the comedy icon landed her own series, The Late Show. Directly competing with that NBC landmark in a live program for the Fox network, this albatross supposedly ended the long friendship between Rivers and Carson.
Pat Sajak – The Pat Sajak Show – 1989 – 1990
Being a game show host isn’t the same as being a talk show host. Just ask game show icon Pat Sajak, whose own attempts at crossover success with The Pat Sajak Show never landed. Low ratings took this show out of commission, with Sajak not even hosting the final episode of his own show. After which point the only gaffes Pat would witness were those made on Wheel of Fortune.
Dennis Miller – The Dennis Miller Show – 1992
Sometimes talk shows fail because of not playing to the right audience. In the case of SNL vet Dennis Miller, we would see him flourish through HBO’s Dennis Miller Live program between 1994 and 2002. However, the syndication market didn’t exactly pick up on the man’s unique vibe, which is more than likely why The Dennis Miller Show never made it out of 1992.
Chevy Chase – The Chevy Chase Show – 1993
One of the most infamous late-night flameouts of all time, The Chevy Chase Show saw the SNL comedy legend trying to compete in the late-night wars on behalf of the fledgling Fox network. Not only did Chase’s show fail, but it was the continuation of a long-standing curse that TV titan still encounters to this day.
Jon Stewart – The Jon Stewart Show – 1993 – 1995
“Cancellation should not be confused with failure.” David Letterman imparted those words to Jon Stewart as The Jon Stewart Show was literally canceled the day of that very interview. An unsuccessful jump from MTV to syndication could be the major factor that was to blame, though Letterman’s words eventually rang true when Stewart went on to become The Daily Show’s longtime host in 1999.
Charles Grodin – The Charles Grodin Show – 1995-1998
Charles Grodin’s expertise in playing a curmudgeon made him a popular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. So one could think placing that energy behind the desk would be a recipe for success, and that’s what CNBC had hoped when debuting The Charles Grodin Show. Twenty-six episodes later, that assumption was tested, and proven false.
Keenen Ivory Wayans – The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show – 1997 – 1998
With the magnetism that propelled him to success in movies and with TV’s In Living Color, surely Keenen Ivory Wayans had the juice to turn late night on its head, right? Nope. Lasting only a few short months, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show was out like a flash. Judging by Keenen’s claims that he wasn’t really given the free reign he’d expected with the series, it’s no surprise why.
Magic Johnson – The Magic Hour – 1998
Eight weeks was all it took for NBA legend Magic Johnson to flame out on the talk show circuit. The Magic Hour was anything but, with critics clearly not digging the man’s style when it came to holding court on TV. Save for an infamous episode with one of his staunchest critics, Howard Stern, there wasn’t much enchantment to be found here.
Martin Short – The Martin Short Show – 1999 – 2000
The bad news is that certified comedy legend Martin Short didn’t last very long as the host of The Martin Short Show. However, the silver lining to be had is the fact that this short engagement in the land of talk shows did give us one of his most memorable characters, as this was the launching pad for one Jiminy Glick.
Queen Latifah – The Queen Latifah Show – 1999 – 2001/2013 – 2015
Sometimes it all comes down to timing and ratings, both of which seemed to be the death knell for The Queen Latifah Show in its two separate incarnations. The 1999-2001 run could be seen as ahead of its time, while the 2013-2015 run saw a promising start leading to declining ratings.
Wayne Brady – The Wayne Brady Show – 2001 – 2004
It’s still hard to believe that the charming and quick-witted Wayne Brady couldn’t make it in daytime talk. Though the Let’s Make A Deal host is doing quite well for himself now, The Wayne Brady Show was a bit of a stumbling block on his career path. Luckily, right before the show went off the air, Wayne’s infamous Chappelle’s Show sketch went to air, and it gave him a win that overshadowed the whole business.
Zach Galifianakis – Late World with Zach – 2002
Zach Galifianakis’ Late World with Zach on MTV is a particularly notable example of what happens when a talent like this Hangover star lands at the wrong time. All of the ingredients were there, as MTV let Zach be Zach; but people weren’t clued into the gag just yet, because many of Galifianakis’ best movies weren’t out yet. By the time Between Two Ferns kicked off though, the world was ready, and a confrontational legend was born.
Caroline Rhea – The Caroline Rhea Show – 2002 – 2003
When a notable talk show host leaves, there’s always the question of who carries on their legacy of schtick. As The Rosie O’Donnell Show came to a close, Caroline Rhea’s talk show, The Caroline Rhea Show, attempted to pass that torch to the Sabrina the Teenage Witch legend. The networks, and audiences, were not exactly supportive, and after 195 episodes, it was no more.
Sharon Osbourne – The Sharon Osbourne Show – 2003 – 2004
Before Sharon Osbourne’s “embarrassing” departure from The Talk, she struck it out on her own to try and parlay some of her reality TV fame into a chat show. And yet, The Sharon Osbourne Show didn’t last, as the show failed to land a following, leaving Sharon to let it die a quiet, un-renewed death.
John McEnroe – McEnroe – 2004
Tennis is a grueling sport, but talk shows can be even more of a battlefield if you’re not careful. John McEnroe learned that the hard way during a handful of months in 2004, when his series McEnroe went from a critically panned debut to a critically panned finale. Even his most dedicated fans have probably overlooked it, with a mere mention of the series prompting many exclamations of, “You can’t be serious!”
Megan Mullally – The Megan Mullally Show – 2006 – 2007
Sometimes our preconceptions get the better of us, and shows like The Megan Mullally Show suffer as a result. As audiences were taken aback by Mullally failing to be her Will & Grace character in real life, there was nowhere to go but down for this daytime talk show.
George Lopez – Lopez Tonight – 2009 – 2011
If it wasn’t for Conan O’Brien, Lopez Tonight may have had a healthy run on TBS. Though it seemed his hiring could have boosted George Lopez’s show, the only shake-up it got was being moved into a later time slot, with weakened ratings. However, this all happened with O’Brien trying to avoid any sort of bad blood along the way, with the host even paying tribute to this slain series on its final night of air.
Wanda Sykes – The Wanda Sykes Show – 2009 – 2010
Following in the footsteps of Joan Rivers’ The Late Show and Chevy Chase’s The Chevy Chase Show, Fox really wanted to make late-night happen with comedian Wanda Sykes. Unfortunately for the network, The Wanda Sykes Show was such a disappointment that it hasn’t even tried to mount another original program in that later evening block since.
Katie Couric – Katie – 2012 – 2014
A staple of NBC’s Today, seeing Katie Couric go to daytime talk felt like a lateral move. Moving to ABC to do so was certainly the most shocking turn of it all, at least until Katie was mutually canceled by its star and overseers. What started as a good run soon fell into a slump, leaving this enterprise grounded by 2014.
Bethenny Frankel – Bethenny – 2012 – 2014
How’s this for a story? The Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel tried to kickstart her talk show Bethenny, only for it to initially get shelved. Fate seemed to smile on the entrepreneur as the show was revived for a run between 2012 and 2014. Only 170 episodes would be produced before the hammer came down, freeing Frankel up for appearances on shows like Shark Tank.
Kris Jenner – Kris – 2013
It wasn’t cancellation that ended Kris’ brief 2013 run, as the talk show fronted by Kris Jenner was only being tested when it aired. Coincidentally the most notable episode was its finale, which saw Kanye West showing off the first photos of her granddaughter North. Ratings spiked, but it couldn’t save this ship from sinking.
Khloé Kardashian – Kocktails With Khloé – 2016
A TV show where the host drinks with their guests? Not a bad move, especially when someone with clout like Khloé Kardashian could get the concept greenlit for cable. Unfortunately for Kocktails with Khloé, the show struck out after 14 episodes; more than likely due to the perfect storm of airing on cable and audience feedback sounding rather disappointed with the overall product.
Harry Connick Jr. – Harry – 2016 – 2018
For someone as adept at conversation and shenanigans as Harry Connick Jr., to fail in the talk show landscape always feels like a waste. Harry capitalized on the former American Idol judge’s star power and charisma, but even then audiences weren’t buying as heavily as when he was a part of Fox’s former reality show fixture.
Sarah Silverman – I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman – 2017 – 2018
There still isn’t a clear answer as to why Hulu canceled I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman. A mashup of talk show and sketch show, Silverman took on the tough issues of our modern times with her trademark sense of humor. Twenty-one episodes still don’t seem like a long enough run, but that’s sadly where things ended.
Lilly Singh – A Little Late With Lilly Singh – 2019 – 2021
With Carson Daly giving up the throne of Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC made what seemed like a smart move. By tapping famous YouTuber Lilly Singh for her show A Little Late with Lilly Singh, the network was clearly trying to get the younger generation to tune into this tested timeslot. It didn’t work, even with some changes to the format in the second season, and with this show’s demise also came that of the 1:35 A.M. slot at NBC.
Kathy Griffin – Kathy – 2012 – 2013
Giving Kathy Griffin her own talk show, after years of being banned from shows like Ellen and The View, was probably a bit of a surprise. In fact, the only thing that would have been more surprising is if Kathy had actually lasted past its short spell of 24 episodes on Bravo.
ALF – Alf’s Hit Talk Show – 2004
ALF’s Hit Talk Show tried pretty hard in its extremely brief run to make TV Land viewers stay up a bit later. Not even guests like Merv Griffin and Doris Roberts, not to mention professional sidekick/Tonight Show legend Ed McMahon could push this affair past seven episodes.
Russell Brand – Brand X With Russell Brand – 2012 – 2013
You’d think a talk show with Russell Brand at the helm would be something so controversial you’d have at least heard of it. That appears to not be the case, as FX failed to crack the same molds it had broken with shows like The Shield with its two-season run of Brand X with Russell Brand.
Bonnie Hunt – The Bonnie Hunt Show – 2008 – 2010
Bonnie Hunt not only had the comedic chops and kindness to host something like The Bonnie Hunt Show, but she infused it with a creative spin. Thanks to guests being able to enter the set through various methods of excitement, like a firepole, there seemed to be some magic in giving the Cheaper by the Dozen star a daytime talk slot. Two seasons, and even a couple of award nominations later, it was lights out.
Fran Drescher – The Fran Drescher Tawk Show – 2010
For six seasons and 146 episodes, Fran Drescher charmed the world as Fran Fine on CBS’ The Nanny. Sadly, that sort of effortless affability didn’t help The Fran Drescher Tawk Show make it past 16 episodes in 2010. And yes, that did include a humorous reunion with her co-star Charles Shaughnessy.
Even with the most pleasing personality, the best time slot, and a pedigree in the business, talk shows are a concept that can still present a gamble. Many celebrities have tried, and many more probably will in the future; because when you can make it as a talk show host, you can pretty much write your own ticket from that point on.