9 Stars Whose Late-Night Talk Shows Didn’t Make the Cut
Russell Brand
This star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall — and brief husband of Katy Perry — hosted an FX talk show, Brand X, for two 13-episode seasons between 2012 and 2013. At the time of the show’s cancellation, FX announced that they were developing a scripted comedy with the actor, but that show never transpired.
Chevy Chase
In 1993, a then-fledgling FOX bet big on this Saturday Night Live alum, giving him a much-hyped late-night talk show with an expensive set. The Chevy Chase Show lasted only five weeks, though, and earned a rare “F” grade from Entertainment Weekly.
Zach Galifianakis
Believe it or not, Between Two Ferns was not this actor’s first faux-serious talk show: He also hosted Late World With Zach on VH1 for all of nine weeks in 2002. Fun fact: One of his celebrity guests was Bradley Cooper, with whom he’d star in The Hangover seven years later.
Kathy Griffin
After the success of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Bravo went into business with this comedienne again with the 2012 talk show Kathy, but lightning didn’t strike twice. The cable channel canned the show after two seasons.
Magic Johnson
From June to September 1998, this NBA star hosted The Magic Hour, a talk show that failed to impress critics and audiences. After its cancellation, Johnson claimed the managers and agents of black celebrities blocked their clients from appearing on the show.
John McEnroe
This tempestuous tennis star is still better known for his Wimbledon wins and his on-court tantrums than his 2004 CNBC show, McEnroe, which reportedly got a 0.0 Nielsen rating before the cable channel gave it the boot.
Brian McKnight
This 16-time Grammy nominee’s The Brian McKnight Show lasted from September 2009 to March 2010. In fact, the syndicated talk show was so fleeting that it hasn’t even been dignified with a Wikipedia entry.
Alan Thicke
Before he starred on Growing Pains fame, this late actor tried to go up against The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson with a talk show of his own, the syndicated Thicke of the Night. It didn’t work, but the show — which lasted from September 1983 to June 1984 — at least marked the network TV debut of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Keenen Ivory Wayans
High-profile celebrity guests such as Samuel L. Jackson and Whitney Houston were not enough to save this In Living Color alum’s syndicated talk show, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show, which lasted from August 1997 to March 1998.
ABC has unceremoniously bumped The Alec Baldwin Show to Saturday nights, signaling the network’s disappointment in Baldwin’s talk show after viewership dropped from a lackluster 2 million in October to a dismal 1.5 million this month.
But the 30 Rock alum isn’t the only big star to host a poorly-received talk show. These other celebs didn’t succeed in their primetime and late-night gabfests either. Click through the gallery above for nine stars — from a beloved TV patriarch to a couple of edgy comedians and more.
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