Brian Damage
10-08-2007, 10:07 AM
October 8, 2007 -- JOE Buck, Fox's No. 1 sports announcer, is quietly being tested out as a late-night TV host.
According to a report in today's edition of Broadcasting & Cable magazine, Fox re cently shot a half- hour pilot in New York to see how Buck handled a sit- down talk show.
"The format cur rently under considera tion would include both interviews and comedy and be set in front of a small studio audience," the authoritative trade magazine reports.
It is the latest move by Fox in its push to create a new late-night series to compete with Jay Leno and David Letterman.
Late-night and early-morning TV shows are, by far, the most profitable kinds of programs on network TV - and the absence of both on Fox has been a drag on network profits ever since Fox began in 1986.
Now Fox appears poised to launch an 11 or 11:30 p.m. show in 2009, no matter what.
That's when NBC says Conan O'Brien will take over the "Tonight" show from Jay Leno. NBC promised the show to Conan - and agreed to a $45-million penalty payment to him if it backs out of the deal - to keep him from signing with another network.
The move has caused a lot of head-scratching in the TV business and all eyes are on Leno right now.
Leno, TV's reigning late-night ratings king, has been making thinly-veiled jokes on the air about being pushed out of the job and has not yet agreed to stay with NBC in some other capacity.
The Post's Cindy Adams reported last week that Fox was ready to sign Leno if he decides to jump ship.
But the look-see at Buck, 38, indicates that Fox is preparing to move into late night with or without an established name.
A spokesman for Fox yesterday declined to comment.
But it appears the network would like to ease Buck into the new role with, perhaps, a weekly half-hour show.
Buck is the son of the late, famed baseball announcer Jack Buck.
And he has some entertainment-business chops.
He twice substituted for Craig Kilborn as host of "Late Late Show" on CBS in 2004 - and acted in a series of funny beer ads a few years ago.
Fox has tried twice before, without success, to start late-night shows - in 1986 with Joan Rivers and again in 1993 with Chevy Chase.
According to a report in today's edition of Broadcasting & Cable magazine, Fox re cently shot a half- hour pilot in New York to see how Buck handled a sit- down talk show.
"The format cur rently under considera tion would include both interviews and comedy and be set in front of a small studio audience," the authoritative trade magazine reports.
It is the latest move by Fox in its push to create a new late-night series to compete with Jay Leno and David Letterman.
Late-night and early-morning TV shows are, by far, the most profitable kinds of programs on network TV - and the absence of both on Fox has been a drag on network profits ever since Fox began in 1986.
Now Fox appears poised to launch an 11 or 11:30 p.m. show in 2009, no matter what.
That's when NBC says Conan O'Brien will take over the "Tonight" show from Jay Leno. NBC promised the show to Conan - and agreed to a $45-million penalty payment to him if it backs out of the deal - to keep him from signing with another network.
The move has caused a lot of head-scratching in the TV business and all eyes are on Leno right now.
Leno, TV's reigning late-night ratings king, has been making thinly-veiled jokes on the air about being pushed out of the job and has not yet agreed to stay with NBC in some other capacity.
The Post's Cindy Adams reported last week that Fox was ready to sign Leno if he decides to jump ship.
But the look-see at Buck, 38, indicates that Fox is preparing to move into late night with or without an established name.
A spokesman for Fox yesterday declined to comment.
But it appears the network would like to ease Buck into the new role with, perhaps, a weekly half-hour show.
Buck is the son of the late, famed baseball announcer Jack Buck.
And he has some entertainment-business chops.
He twice substituted for Craig Kilborn as host of "Late Late Show" on CBS in 2004 - and acted in a series of funny beer ads a few years ago.
Fox has tried twice before, without success, to start late-night shows - in 1986 with Joan Rivers and again in 1993 with Chevy Chase.