Watch out late-night show veterans Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien; there is a new rookie in the late-night line-up, and his name is Spike Feresten.
Feresten is the host of the late night talk show, “Talkshow with Spike Feresten.”
This comedic, sarcastic and somewhat insulting show contains all the traditional elements of a successful talk show.
However, the vibrant, witty and fast-paced show is not flawless. Some of the most prominent problems are the show’s appeal, the topics of interest and the host.
To get away from the stress of classes or just to have a good time, more often than not, college students enjoy a night on the town during the weekend.
But the students that are home may not have the urge to stop and watch a late night talk show.
“Talk Show with Spike Feresten” may not appeal to every demographic that attends college.
The demographics are not just an issue but the show does not have a band, trusty sidekick or any women.
Therefore the show may not be entertaining enough to stay on the air.
There are certain ingredients that are imperative to a successful talk show recipe like celebrity interviews, previously taped segments and audience participation.
“Man on the Street,” “Idiot Paparazzi” and “Electric Lincoln” are some elements that make the show stand out among the crowd. Although the topics are comedic, they are not necessarily comprehensible to everyone and may be difficult to find funny.
The show’s targeted audience is comprised of college students to adults in their early 40s. For example, during the Idiot Paparazzi segment of the show, there were cameramen who humiliated people that looked similar to celebrities.
Many of the celebrities they chose were people many college students may not be familiar with like Keith Richards, Tom Selleck and Karl Rove. The gap between the generations is too wide to target one select type of viewer.
Fox has not had very good luck when it comes to late night talk shows. Every late night talk show the network has ever produced has failed for one reason or another. It has been 13 years since Fox’s last attempt at a late night talk show.
Now the network has decided to gamble on another one with a host nobody knows. He went from behind the scenes to the face of the talk show.
Who is this 42-year-old, messy, blondish-brown haired, square glasses wearing host? Spike Feresten begins the show acknowledging the fact that his audience is applauding someone they don’t even know.
Feresten first began his career as an intern for NBC. Eventually he nailed a job as a staff writer for “Saturday Night Live.” When others would hear and read the jokes he came up with, he was recognized for his talent and promoted.
From that point he began to write jokes for the Dennis Miller segments of the “Weekend Updates” portion of SNL. Feresten’s claim to fame was his infamous “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfield.
His works also include writing for television shows such as, “The Simpsons,” “The David Letterman Show” and the upcoming movie “Beemovie.”
Peter Liguori, the president of Fox Entertainment, said, “My hopes are to see the show grow creatively. If the creative side works, the options open up for Spike and the show.”
Though Feresten has been compared to Conan O’Brien, it is up to the viewers to decide his fate on late night television.
“Talk Show with Spike Feresten” airs every Sunday at midnight immediately following MADtv.