Joan Rivers BBC2 CAN WE TALK

We all know Joan Rivers had a flop talk show in 1986... Fox's "Late Show," which she hosted from Oct. 9 of that year until May 15, 1987 (ending the same week as "Hill Street Blues" btw). But earlier in the year she had a DIFFERENT flop talk show... "Can We Talk?" on BBC2. I came across this curio while looking for a clip of Kenneth Williams, from the "Carry On" films. Turns out he was the guest on episode 3 (of six) in the show's only season (British seasons being really short). On imdb, someone who must have watched the entire run had this to say:

"It was the kind of tacky, tasteless rubbish for which American television was once notorious ( and which we in the U.K. now seem to have adopted as the norm for chat shows ). Guests included the late Christopher Reeve, Kenneth Williams, Samantha Fox ( whom she asked if she was a virgin ), Kermit the frog ( yes, really ) and Bernard Manning, the latter famously humiliating co-host Peter Cook with: "You used to be very funny once, Peter.". Rivers' interviewing technique was atrocious, most of the questions concerned sex, and as a result the show looked tired after just one edition. Cook's contribution to the show was negligible, it was painful to watch this comedy genius reduced to playing second fiddle to the ghastly Rivers. Fortunately, the show did not get a second season."

Sounds a lot like her American show, actually, which didn't seem that bad from the clips I've seen. The two shows even look similar, visually. No sign of her late husband Edgar in the credits, but UK comedy legend Barry Cryer is listed as a script associate on imdb.

The episodes are listed as March 10, 17, 24, 31 and April 7 and 14, 1986. This was during a long break in between her guest-hosting stints on "The Tonight Show." In fact, after the BBC2 show ended, she would host just one more week for Johnny before they had a falling out over her move to Fox.

The only info I can find on specific episodes is that #3 included Kenneth Williams, Dudley Moore, Phil Collins, and Samantha Fox. The rest of the guest list on imdb is pretty epic: Christopher Reeve, Cher, Kermit, Joan Collins, Jacqueline Bisset, Rupert Everett, Susan George, Tracey Ullman, George Hamilton, Twiggy, Barry Manilow, Marvin Hamlisch, Bob Monkhouse, Depeche Mode, Ray Parker Jr., Michael Barrymore, Su Pollard, Cynthia Payne, Bernard Manning, Feargal Sharkey, Russell Grant and Arcadia (a Duran Duran offshoot). Dr. Ruth and Dame Edna are listed as appearing in two episodes, while Nancy Reagan is listed as an uncredited phone cameo. Almost all of these guests were famous in America, too, and I have to think this was Joan's way of showing NBC she could headline a show?

The two clips I found are Dudley Moore and then Kenneth Williams.

For more on Joan's talk shows, check out her 1969 series "That Show."