Talk Shows

Triumph, a regular on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, is a puppet and the creation of Robert Smigel. Smigel also created the animated short TV Funhouse on Saturday Night Live. Triumph has a new CD, Come Poop With Me, featuring such tracks as "Underage Bichon" and "Lick Myself." He's appeared on Hollywood Squares and on the MTV Video Music Awards, where he almost came to blows with rapper Eminem.

Late night talk show host Conan O'Brien celebrates ten years on the air Sunday September 14, 2003, with a primetime special on NBC. In 1993, he moved into the Late Night host slot when David Letterman went to CBS. Prior to Late Night, O'Brien was a writer for Saturday Night Live and writer and producer for The Simpsons.

He starred in HBO's parody of talk-shows, The Larry Sanders Show. It featured Shandling as a veteran talk-show host. His guests included Robin Williams, Howard Stern, and, actual talk show host, David Letterman playing themselves. The show went off the air in 1998, but reruns of the show are currently airing on the network Bravo. Shandling also starred in It's Garry Shandling's Show. Shandling also appears in the new Seinfeld documentary, Comedian,which shows in theaters now.

Born and raised outside Chicago, Wax moved to England during her 20s, and found success as a performer, writer and TV personality. Wax scripted the British TV comedy Absolutely Fabulous and has had many other hit TV series on the BBC. Her new memoir is called How Do You Want Me?

Host of NPR’s The Tavis Smiley show, TAVIS SMILEY. He’s the author of the new book “Keeping the Faith: Stories of Love, Courage, Healing, and Hope from Black America” (Doubleday). The book is a collection of personal narratives by ordinary African Americans. SMILEY also provides commentary twice a week on ABC radio’s Tom Joyner Morning Show. And he’s a contributor for CNN and a contributing correspondent on ABC’s PrimeTime.

Actress, writer, comic Ellen Degeneres is soon to begin a stand-up tour. Her five-year sitcom Ellen won an Emmy for her much-anticipated coming-out episode. At the same time Degeneres' character realized she was gay, the entertainer revealed her own sexual orientation. Degeneres talks about coming out, her former relationship with actress Anne Heche, and why she resists becoming a lesbian role model. Degeneres is the author of the book, My Point... And I Do Have One.

He wrote and starred in his films which include the hipster comedy Swingers and Made (which he also directed). In each film he teamed up with fellow actor and friend Vince Vaughn. Recently he also starred in the romantic comedy Love and Sex. His latest project is a new talk show series Dinner For Five which he created and hosts for the Independent Film Channel

TV critic David Bianculli remembers Steve Allen who died Monday at the age of 78.

Jon Stewart is the co-producer and anchorman of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” The show is an alternative take on the news. Previously Stewart had a part on HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show.” He also hosted Comedy Central’s “Short Attention Span Theater.”

Comedienne Joy Behar. She can be seen regularly on the ABC women's talk show, "The View." She also appears as a neurotic patient on "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist for Comedy Central." She has a new book, "Joy Shtick: or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does it Come with Attachments?" (Hyperion)

TV critic David Bianculli reviews this weekend's premiere of Michael Moore's new series "The Awful Truth" on the Bravo channel. Moore is best known for his film "Roger and Me."

TV critic David Bianculli previews the final episode of "The Larry Sanders Show" on HBO which airs this Sunday.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season premiere of the satirical HBO comedy. Bianculli says it was worth the wait.

O'Brien took over David Letterman's spot in 1993, and his "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" has just celebrated it's third birthday. Previous to that, he was a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons.

Terry continues her interview with Jay Leno. He talks about his early career and how he developed his style of humor.

Host of Comedy Central's "Politically Incorrect," Bill Maher. The former stand-up comic's new book is "Does Anybody Have a Problem With That: Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits," (Villard) With panelists of diverse ideologies (Patty Hearst to Al Sharpton to G. Gordon Liddy...) and sometimes explosive conflicts, the show has been described as "the McLaughlin Group on acid." Beginning in January, "Politically Incorrect" will air right after Nightline on ABC.

Veteran television announcer Bill Wendell retires this week after 37 years at NBC. Wendell is currently the announcer for "Late Night with David Letterman." He's famous for adding the long "A" in his introduction "Here's...Daaay-vid Letterman" Wendell also emceed several games shows and was the Tonight Show announcer in 1956 and 1957.

Playwright and satirist from South Africa Pieter-Dirk Uys. He has a television talk show in South Africa with an unusual twist: instead of hosting his show as himself, he dresses in drag as an Afrikaner dowager named Evita. His guests have included such leaders as Nelson Mandela.

Critic David Bianculli talks about former "Tomorrow" host Tom Snyder's move from CNBC to a late show on CBS.

Writer Anne Lamott tells us about her real-life nightmare defending single motherhood on national TV.