Friday, February 9, 2024

The Chevy Chase Show

Fox gave Chevy Chase his own talk show to debut in the fall of 1993 - the same time David Letterman jumped from 12:30am on NBC to 11:30pm CBS. If you're reading this, you already know it was a monumental flop. The only entertaining portion was the inventive opening sequence. Judge for yourself, while the links are still active:

1) 9/7/1993-Chase presents comedy and talk fare; guests Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg

2) 9/8/1993-Jason Priestley; the Enchanters

3) 9/9/1993-Harry Anderson; Martin Short

4) 9/10/1993-Kathleen Turner; Robert Townsend; Charlie Kazan, "Wiener Guy"

5) 9/13/1993-Tom Selleck; musician/comedian Rudy Coby

6) 9/14/1993-Stephen Stills; Time Matheson; Scott Flansburg, "the human calculator"

7) 9/15/1993-Dennis Hopper; Anita Morris

8) 9/16/1993-Jennie Garth ("Beverly Hills, 90210"); Garrett Morris; 12-year-old pianist Sergio Salvatore

9) 9/17/1993-Corbin Bernsen; Al Franken; singer Oleta Adams; "Henry the lizard-lover"

10) 9/20/1993-Geraldo Rivera; singer Deborah Allen; finger fitness

11) 9/21/1993-Rita Rudner; Engelbert Humperdinck; tennis match with Billie Jean King and Chris Evert

12) 9/22/1993-Sinbad; Roy Toft & Pancho the Singing Parrot

13) 9/23/1993-Robert De Niro; model Gabrielle Reese; actor/writer Chazz Palmintieri; 87-year-old musician Doc Cheatham

14) 9/24/1993-Kenny Loggins; actor Dean Cain; Tom Squier, "road-kill gourmet"; 11-year-old pilot Victoria Van Meter

15) 9/27/1993-Ron Silver; Jimmy Connors; chef Kazuaki Uehara

16) 9/28/1993-Comedian George Wallace; actor Jonathan Frakes; stockbroker/mentalist Mark Stone

17) 9/29/1993-Sam Elliott; actress Pamela Anderson; Jackie Bibby, "cobra kisser"

18) 9/30/1993-Jamie Lee Curtis; Mark Nevin, "insect chef"

19) 10/1/1993-Musician/poet Henry Rollins; "Tuvan boy wonder"; Kim Alexis; former hockey player Ron Duguay

20) 10/4/1993-Dan Aykroyd; actress Lauren Tom; Susan Montgomery Williams, "bubble gum champ"

21) 10/5/1993-Dave Thomas; basketball player AC Green; "potato chip faces"

22) 10/6/1993-Queen Latifah; actor Doug E Doug; Bill Nye, "science guy"

23) 10/7/1993-Humorist Joe Queenan; actress Lauren Tom

24) 10/8/1993-Michael Damian; Valerie Bertinelli; Taylor Dayne

25) 10/9/1993-Burt Reynolds; musician Dan Fogelberg; comedian Pam Stone

26) 10/12/1993-Lauren Holly; David Fuhrer, "backward talker"; singer Maria McKee

27) 10/13/1993-Band Canadian Brass; Elizabeth Tashjian, nut-museum lady

28) 10/14/1993-Martin Sheen; magician/comedian Rudy Coby; actress Alexandra Paul

29) 10/15/1993-Jim Varney; Jean Stephens, Mary Weems, butterfly-collecting twins

On top of these guests, Janis Ian (musical guest on the very first SNL) was slated for week 3, A. Martinez for week 6, and Elizabeth Ashley and Don Rickles for the unproduced week 7.