From: grusin@tramp.Colorado.EDU (GRUSIN MICHAEL)
Subject: Re: Protest Dennis Miller's Cancellation (LONG)
Keywords: miller, cancellation, phone in
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 22:48:03 GMT



You can also write:	Tribune Entertainment
			435 N Michigan Ave
			Chicago IL 60611

Does anyone have an address for The Dennis Miller Show ITSELF in LA?
(The person at the local affiliate thought it was shot at KTLA, a call
there however, said they had nothing to do with the show.  Letters there
would probably help too, or at least cheer up Dennis =).

Here's a letter I wrote this morning to send to Tribune. PLEASE
NOTE that it was written to persuade THEM not to drop the show
and therefore may have exaggerated opinions in places (in particular,
I am and always have been a great fan of Letterman).  So no flames!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribune Entertainment					7/22/92
435 N Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60611


Please don't cancel The Dennis Miller Show!

I was dumbfounded when I heard that the show was being cancelled, 
as (well, at least I thought) it was the best talk show on the air.  
Not only that, but with the main draw (Carson) gone, and late night 
in disarray, The Dennis Miller Show was in the perfect position to 
pick up a lion's share of the viewers... Why are you pulling it? 

I mean, look at what we've got:

Jay Leno is the perfect replacement for Carson; he upholds the
conservative tradition of The Tonight Show (and then some).  This guy
will never offend ANYONE.  Carson's gift was that although he appeared
innocent enough, he kept things interesting with brilliant subtlety.
Unfortunately, Leno can't do subtle, so he sticks to bland; and
consequently there's no surprise or interest left in the show. 

At the other extreme is Arsenio Hall, who must think that just being
reactionary is enough to win popularity.  His guests are the standard
talk-show circuit stars we've seen a hundred times before (if a movie
is opening this week, you KNOW who's going to be on the show.  This
is also a problem for The Tonight Show).  His banter with his guests
is vapid Hollywood gossip, and his monologues are either rages with no
substance behind them, or mediocre stand-up comedy.  The Arsenio Hall
Show is lots of glitter, backed by very little substance.

Late Night with David Letterman was funny and innovative when it first
went on the air, but for the last few years, it has hardly been worth
staying up late for.  NBC's change in management probably had a lot to
do with it, but I also believe that Dave has been on the air for so
long and done so much, that it's getting hard for them to come up with
new material. 

Which brings up a good point; originality is very rare on television
today.  Before it first aired, I frankly didn't expect much from The
Dennis Miller Show (who would, given what's been on the air recently).
But from the beginning, the material on The Dennis Miller Show was
innovative and refreshing; it put me in the mind of those early
Letterman shows, something on TV that was exciting, of all things. 

Dennis Miller is obviously extremely intelligent.  His experience
doing the "news" on Saturday Night Live (which he has thankfully
carried over to his show) makes him uniquely qualified for "current
events" comedy, which is what a nightly talk show's success hinges on.
His political humor is brilliant.  He has no trouble ad-libbing (or
just talking) to the audience and camera, a rare gift in a field of
talk show hosts who get confused if the cue cards don't even say
"we'll be right back". 

Dennis also has a unique rapport with his guests; he has on
interesting people, not the stars travelling the talk show circuit to
plug their latest employment.  He is genuinely interested in his
guests and what they have to say; this interest is infectious and it
carries over to the home audience.  He also speaks his mind, something
that most talk show hosts carefully avoid for fear of offending one
group or another.  I may not agree with all of Mr. Miller's opinions,
but instead of offending me, he earns my respect.  Dennis Miller never
insults his audience's intelligence; he is the thinking man's talk
show host.

If money's tight and you really need to cancel something, cancel Now
It Can Be Told with Geraldo Rivera.  I used to watch it, but I found
myself getting so angry with Geraldo (not his "subjects"), that I
literally refuse to watch it any more.  He calls himself an
"investigative reporter", but his style is the complete opposite of
everything that is good reporting.  He continuously injects his own
"opinion" into his delivery ("...these pathetic sickos..."), and his
interview style has become "confrontational", to say the least ("...I
ought to kick your ass...").  Geraldo goes for the lowest common
denominator - emotional gimmickry; and I find the show insulting in
the extreme. 

But while Geraldo thinks he's making the world better by "exposing"
all the human wreckage that leaves us angry and depressed, Dennis has
been taking another approach.  There ARE a lot of terrible things in
this world (Dennis himself has pointed out some of the serious ones,
and told us how we can help).  But instead of saying "look at this
stupidity, isn't it terrible?", Dennis says "look at this stupidity,
isn't it funny?".  THIS is what keeps us going and brightens our
lives.  Lose Rivera.  Keep Miller. 

I really hope you give The Dennis Miller Show another chance (I'm
buying lots of Pringles and Miller Lite!).  Good late-night shows
never grab huge audiences, but the audiences they do get are loyal,
and continue to grow with time.  Don't go for the lowest common
denominator; go for the quality.  Even though it may not make as much
money NOW, It will be more profitable in the long run.  Trust me. 

And Dennis, if you're reading this; thanks for the laughs, babe.
Come back soon.


Mike Grusin
Boulder CO
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(I'm not saying it's a GREAT letter, but it was important to me to write it).

-Mike (grusin@tramp.colorado.edu)
"I'm surrounded by idiots of my own design" - Joel, MST3000
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