Larry King Live
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Larry King Live | |
|---|---|
 Larry King Live title card |
|
| Genre | Talk show |
| Creator(s) | Larry King |
| Starring | Larry King |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1 hour per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CNN |
| Original run | 1985 – Present |
| Links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Larry King Live is a nightly CNN interview program hosted by broadcaster and writer Larry King. The show premiered in 1985.
Contents |
[edit] Background
The show broadcasts from Los Angeles from CNN's studios. Sometimes, the show broadcasts from CNN's studios in New York and sometimes from Washington, D.C., the city where King gained national prominence during his years as a radio interviewer for the Mutual Broadcasting System. Each studio set features an identical colored-dot map of the world in the background and one of King's trademarks, a vintage RCA microphone, on the desk. The microphone is a prop, as King and his guests use lapel microphones.
[edit] Guests
Every night, King interviews one or more prominent individuals, mainly celebrities, politicians, and businesspeople. The one-hour show is broadcast three times a day in some areas, and can be seen all over the world on CNN International. Among those interviewed include Diane Sawyer, Nancy Grace, Steve Irwin, Sandra Bullock, Enya, Natalie Portman, Celine Dion, Howard Stern, La Toya Jackson, Benny Hinn, Patricia Hearst, Dominick Dunne, Bob Woodward, Mike Wallace, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Wynonna Judd, Donald Trump, John Walsh, Johnny Cash, Mötley Crüe, Richard Pryor, Bill and Hillary Clinton, President & Mrs. George W. Bush, Senator and Mrs. John Kerry, Vladimir Putin, Martha Stewart, James Dobson, Dean Cain, the cast of The Andy Griffith Show, and the cast of NBC's Law & Order.
After the death of a prominent celebrity, King will either replay a recent program featuring said celebrity (for instance, after actor Don Knotts' death in 2006 King replayed the interview with Knotts and Andy Griffith taken several months before) or will bring on family members and close confidantes to the deceased to reminisce on the departed's life.
[edit] Interview style
Some have claimed that Larry King asks "soft" questions in comparison to other interviewers, which allows him to reach guests who would be averse to interviewing on "tough" talk shows. When interviewed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, King said that the secret to a good interview is to get the guest to talk about him- or herself, and to put oneself in the background. A 1996 interview in the Washington Post had King note that he sometimes slips hard questions in between softballs. King prefers one sentence questions. In the Post interview, King also proclaimed that he prepares as little as possible for each program, does not read the books of the authors he interviews, and admitted that the show was not journalism but "infotainment". He said that he tries to project an image of earnestness and sincerity in each interview, and the format of the show (King in suspenders instead of suit and tie, sitting directly next to the guest) reinforce that.
[edit] Call-ins
King also accepts call-in questions on some nights, including a noted frequent caller from Ellijay, Georgia.[1][2] Callers are identified only by city and state, and generally not by name. Despite this fact, Chris Strickland, American singer-songwriter, has publicly acknowledged the fact that he is an avid fan, a regular caller and surprisingly gets through on a frequent basis. Occasionally, surprise guests telephone the show and comment, like Governors, royalty, and celebrities. At times, prank calls come in, often from Howard Stern fans.
The phone number for call-ins is 1-800-676-2100.
[edit] Notable shows
King himself has interviewed people on-site in the White House, their prison cells, their homes, and other interesting locations.
He does not insert his own commentary except when somebody passes away or when baseball is concerned.
King's program is the highest rated on CNN and sometimes covers live breaking news with the help of correspondents like Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer.
The program is one of CNN's longest running programs and was the highest-rated cable news program before The O'Reilly Factor gained increased prominence. The show competes directly with similar shows on other cable news channels.
The November 9, 1993 debate between Ross Perot and Al Gore on the North American Free Trade Agreement was watched in 11.174 million households - the largest audience ever for a program on an ad-supported cable network until the October 23, 2006 New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game on ESPN's Monday Night Football.[3]
Sometimes live animals are featured on the show with their handlers.
King does not do elaborate prep work, but his staff do and his executive producer is the one who really keeps things moving, according to King and others.
To mark the 20th Anniversary of the show, ABC's Barbara Walters was a guest host and interviewed King on his reflections of his career.
[edit] In fiction
Larry King appeared as himself during two fictionalized airings of his show in the book and movie Primary Colors. First, he was part of a presidential campaign's effort to discredit an embarrassing audio tape, and later he interviewed another Democratic candidate (played in the film by Larry Hagman).
[edit] Criticism
King is frequently accused of Infotainment, "soft-ball" questions, and pandering to sensationalist news stories; for instance, the death of Anna Nicole Smith has taken up most of King's shows since the event, causing the cancellation of numerous guests and interviews that were already scheduled. Another criticism of Live is its focus on Missing white woman syndrome.
In response to "'soft-ball' questions" accusations, King says, "I've never understood that. All I've tried to do is ask the best questions I could think of, listen to the answers, and then follow up. I've never not followed up. I don't attack anybody -- that's not my style -- but I follow up. I've asked people who say this, `What's a softball question?' They'll say, 'You say to some movie star, what's your next project?' To me, that's not a softball. To me, that's interesting -- what are you doing next?" Furthermore, King is no fan of the current generation of talk-show hosts, who use their guests as props or punching bags. He calls them "I" hosts, because they are more interested in lecturing their guests than in listening to them. "I hope I never do that," he says, "I'm not saying it's bad. If you watch Bill O'Reilly, that is Bill O'Reilly. It's not my cup of tea, I don't care for it, but I can understand why a lot of viewers do."[4]
[edit] Topics
One of King's recurring topics is the paranormal. A frequent guest is John Edward of the popular televised show Crossing Over with John Edward. He was on the day before September 11th, 2001. Edward comes on the show and gives callers a free chance to supposedly communicate, via him, with their dead loved ones. King also had alleged psychics such as Sylvia Brown and James Van Praagh on from time to time to do readings and discuss the future. King sometimes allows skeptics such as James Randi to debate the psychics. In an April 2005 episode, King hosted a panel discussion regarding Evangelical, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and atheist views on the afterlife.
Larry King often airs tributes to recently deceased celebrities that feature archived interview clips and segments with the person's friends and associates.
During major election coverage, the program may center on political analysis and commentary, as the show's airing generally coincides with the closing of polls in many states.
[edit] Guest hosts
When King is absent, Ryan Seacrest, Court TV/CNN Headline News' Nancy Grace or other interviewers substitute for him. On June 8, 2005, sportscaster Bob Costas was named as the regular substitute anchor for the show,[5] filling in roughly 20 times a year and not on a set schedule.[6] In 1994[7] and 2002[8] as an April Fool's joke, Kermit the Frog hosted the show.
In March 2007, journalist and First Lady of California Maria Shriver sat in as guest host for a couple of shows. In April, 2007, Star Jones Reynolds and Jimmy Kimmel sat in as guest hosts.
[edit] References
- ^ Joseph A. D'Agostino. "Conservative spotlight: Joe McCutchen", Human Events, 1999-10-15. Retrieved on December 30, 2006.
- ^ James Salzer. "Backer assails state's senators", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2005-06-19. Retrieved on December 30, 2006.
- ^ Giants-Cowboys draws largest cable audience. ESPN (October 25, 2006). Retrieved on October 26, 2006.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Costas taking CNN role: News network announces television host to be substitute anchor of "Larry King Live."", CNN, 2005-06-08. Retrieved on December 30, 2006.
- ^ Lisa de Moraes. "CNN's Designated Sitter: Bob Costas To Be Larry King's Regular Guest Host", The Washington Post, 2005-06-09. Retrieved on December 30, 2006.
- ^ CNN 20: Kermit Hosts 'LARRY KING LIVE' April 1, 1994. CNN.com transcripts (2000-04-01). Retrieved on December 30, 2006. (full transcript)
- ^ Ford Motor Company (2006-01-30). CELEBRATED ACTOR, AUTHOR, SINGER AND JOURNALIST KERMIT THE FROG MAKES SUPER BOWL DEBUT IN FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AD. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
