Thursday, September 18, 2008

Talking Bonnie Hunt



If I were in charge of programming and I had to come up with the absolutely perfect laidback talk show for folks to just sit back and enjoy the rapport ... I'd have an hour a day with Bonnie Hunt and David Letterman just chatting. But I'm not in charge of programming and I can't do that. Oh well, I now have the next best thing. I have my Dave (not really "my" Dave, but you know what I mean) and now I have Bonnie Hunt on her own show every weekday.

I've adored Bonnie's sense of humor, quick wit, and just a spiffy neat-o kind of personality on talk shows for years. I enjoyed her rather short-lived sitcoms, too. But I think Bonnie's real strength lies in her personality and that's not always easily conveyed in scripted shows. Now, I have my chance! Yay, I say.

If you're old enough to remember, and alas ... I am, the old Dean Martin show, she's built an homage to that set for her show. Yes, she has the pictures on the walls, the pole (not for pole dancing! I don't think so, anyway), and the door through which guests arrive. She doesn't have the martinis, the cigarettes, or Dean. Of course, if she had Dean, we'd be talking a totally different kind of show here. That would just be rather eerie, don't you think? But everybody loves somebody sometime, just not from the grave.

Teaming up with her long-time business writing and comedy partner Don Lake (Second City comedy troupe), Bonnie makes her new show a delightful and entertaining respite amongst the afternoon judge shows. Hey, I'm not knocking the judge shows per se, but the plethora of new ones this season is judicial overload! Instead, I'd rather watch Bonnie chat with her staff, the audience, her guests, and the occasional kid or two. Her guest list isn't quite the norm -- she gives two young guys, one of whom gave his kidney to save the other, as much time as the "name" guest star of the day. She talks about tidbits from her own life and makes me chuckle.

Now, I need a chuckle or two each day in my life. I've got my Bonnie and I hope the show sticks around for a long time to come. You can check out bits and pieces of the show at her website.

I'm going to leave this off with a YouTube video of Bonnie Hunt when she was one of the last guests on Tom Snyder's show. He was another person I admired in the talk show circuit and in this clip, he thinks she would be perfect for a talk show. Hey Tom, you're right!


51 comments:

Petals said...

FIRST!
Jackie - thank you so much for all of your hard work on this season of BB. It was worth it to see that finale, huh??
Now...on to Survivor!!!!

Sally said...

jslucqI'm in BB withdrawal--how nice to find another topic I can comment about!

I've watched parts of Bonnie Hunt's new show and I too enjoyed it. Her segment with Cloris Leachman was hilarious, with Bonnnie reacting perfectly to the outrageous antics. Bonnie's great at telling stories about her own life (breaking into her ex-husband's house to borrow his Blackberry) and I like the way she uses photos as a low-tech but effective graphic device.

I agree with you about Letterman too--he's by far my favorite late-night host.

Sally said...

I just turned Bonnie's show on now, and Dan's her guest! Sounds like Bonnie actually watched BB, which is more than you can say about Craig Ferguson.

PDX Granny said...

What station is Bonnie Hunt on? Sounds like something I'd like!!

Petals said...

Awesome - Dan is making the rounds. He's DA-MAN!

Sally said...

Just noticed that my earlier post starts with my "word verification" letters--that must be why I had to type it twice!

Granny--Bonnie's show is syndicated. This link will help you find out when it's on in your area: http://www.bonniehunt.com/about/whenitson.php

PDX Granny said...

Thanks, Sally! I found it! It's on at 2:00 on our local FOX station. I'm setting it to record.

I'm with you! I'm going thru BB withdrawals. Well, not so much BB, as Jackie's & Friends! :)

Tom`S said...

Jackie,

I think you very well could be in charge.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone else see this?? It just went up on TMZ.com


In the first episode of BB10, Memphis won a sweet 1969 Camaro in a car-pulling contest (don't ask). Small problem -- "Big Brother" couldn't give the car away because the show didn't own it. We're told someone else actually held the title. In fact, the car had already been returned to the owner almost immediately after the contest.

Memphis the Mixologist was none the wiser because no one told him about the snag while he was inside the house. But on Tuesday, Memphis gained his freedom, losing to Dan, and learned the car he had come to treasure wasn't really his. Another problem -- the car has been repainted since it was on the show.

We're told producers are now scrambling to buy the car from the real owner. Sources say the real owner will turn the keys over for $24,000. A '69 Camaro online sell for anywhere between 7 and as much as 80 grand. Fact is, Big Bro doesn't have a lot of bargaining power, so they are more SOL than HOH.

We made several calls to "Big Brother" -- so far, no comment.





-Holly

Anonymous said...

DAN IS ON BONNIE HUNT TODAY!! WOOHOO!!!

Tom`S said...

In the first episode of BB10, Memphis won a sweet 1969 Camaro in a car-pulling contest (don't ask). Small problem -- "Big Brother" couldn't give the car away because the show didn't own it.

************************
Sounds similar??
My brother bought another 69 camro - I dare not repeat how he lost his original car.......... Hmmmmmmm--HmmmMMM - Regardless Jackie you deserve to be paid.. Smile : )

Go Jeff Gordon

Edward
Jimmy

Bro -Tony
Dale --JR

Tom`S said...

Memphis will get his car back..

We have it

Sally said...

That whole deal about Memphis' Camaro seems really odd. Why would BB/CBS give away a car they didn't own? And since they've had months to work out the details for the car, why would they wait until the show ends to start "scrambling to buy the car"? Very odd.

Lars said...

That whole deal about Memphis' Camaro seems really odd. Why would BB/CBS give away a car they didn't own?

***************************** $$$
It is very odd.

Jackie,
I apology for writing off topic, ironically another vehicle was placed in an area on Aug 4, 2008..Some of you probably understand why the confusion arose, this was a very serious matter, in fact it still is.

meb said...

Love Bonnie Hunt! Her quick wit knocks you off guard and you're laughing hysterically when she's already on to something else. Such an artist!!!

Jackie I thanked you before for all you've done this season, and want to thank you again. I also want Zoetawny to know how much I appreciate all her graphics. The two of you make a great team.

Can't wait for Survivor and TAR!

Petals said...

{{meb}} How're you feeling this week? The perfect ending to a great BB season must do wonders, right?

Anonymous said...

This is from the TMZ site...Poor Memphis

"In the first episode of BB10, Memphis won a sweet 1969 Camaro in a car-pulling contest (don't ask). Small problem -- "Big Brother" couldn't give the car away because the show didn't own it. We're told someone else actually held the title. In fact, the car had already been returned to the owner almost immediately after the contest.

Memphis the Mixologist was none the wiser because no one told him about the snag while he was inside the house. But on Tuesday, Memphis gained his freedom, losing to Dan, and learned the car he had come to treasure wasn't really his. Another problem -- the car has been repainted since it was on the show.

We're told producers are now scrambling to buy the car from the real owner. Sources say the real owner will turn the keys over for $24,000. A '69 Camaro online sell for anywhere between 7 and as much as 80 grand. Fact is, Big Bro doesn't have a lot of bargaining power, so they are more SOL than HOH."

Hope this is ok to copy to here!!! If not remove Jackie

RBennie said...

I've never actually seen Bonnie on any talk shows (not much of a talk show watcher), but I have always enjoyed her in movies. I hope her show will be successful, but the success ratio on most talk shows isn't too great.

Anonymous said...

Why can't I find the Early Show interview with Dan/Memphis where they actually receive their checks? Wasn't that on yesterday morning?

meb said...

petals... I'm doing great, thanks for asking... and yes, the way BB ended was icing on the cake!

delee... thanks for reminding me of the Criminal Minds repeat finale. I had seen it, but I wanted to refresh my memory so I could prepare for the premiere. I can't wait. This show is so good.

And I saw that even tho the Closer just had their finale, they'll be back in Januaury with some new episodes. I love this show as well.

Prison Break is back and am enjoying that, is anyone else watching?

Flashpoint was a new show that I got hooked on. Negotiators ... really keeps you on your seat.

As you can see, I've been watching a lot of TV and probably have missed mentioning a few and I still got to keep up with Big Brother.

RBennie said...

Yes, MEB I'm watching Prison Break. You gotta love that Michael Scoffield, brains and beauty, LOL.

meb said...

rbennie... He is gorgeous, isn't he. And they showed a segment where he was having those tatoos removed, but they never showed yet, what he looks like under that shirt. Hmmmm... wonder what they're saving that for.

Clever writers again, to keep coming up with ways to get to the next card holder. That kid worries me a bit that he's going to do something to jeopardize the whole mission. He's pretty much into this for his own purposes, other than getting a get out of jail free card.

LOVE IT!

Anonymous said...

I'm watching Dan & Memphis on Housecalls. Those two crack me up!

Apparently Dan didn't know that April & Ollie were "doing the deed" until Monica told him. He was grossed out that he had to sleep in the HOH bed after they had been in it. He just said to Memphis "that's probably why they didn't want us to flip the mattress".

EWWWWWWWWWW!!!

Jackie S. said...

Orkmommy - I posted that video in my previous post.

Petals said...

okay, but.... DUH! How can they (the HGs) not have known about April & Ollie's bang-a-palooza? Geesh! And the one or two that DID know obviously didn't tell anyone else (which is admirable, yes).

Anonymous said...

I thought there would be a longer more in-depth interview in the studio. That short little one wasn't much...

Petals said...

Orkie - are you a Survivor fan?

Petals said...

OH! Did I mention that the girl in my office made the Bachelor? After many trips to & fro for auditions, she got a call this week. Filming begins 2nd week of Oct. She's excited; she loves kids, wants them, and this new bachelor has a 3 yr old boy. When it airs, I'll be sure to point her out to you guys, but until then, it's sssshhhhhhh.

meb said...

petals... that's going to be fun watching someone you know. Are we going to like her? LOL You know how we are if we don't care for one of the "girls". We can be ruthless.

joy n said...

TMZ has a new item pertaining to that '69 Camaro. And a pic of Memphis in the car.

Memphis, the "Big Brother" contestant who won a 1969 Camaro the show "didn't even own", has decided he doesn't want the car anyway.

After setting up a test drive to see if he wanted the classic car - which "Big Bro" would've had to purchase from the rightful owner - Memphis realized the gas guzzler wasn't for him and chose to pocket an undisclosed amount of greenbacks instead.

Smart choice, I believe.

Sydney said...

Nancy B in Houston -- how did you fare thru Ike?

Anonymous said...

Watching the feeds play back, I understand the Jerry hate stuff. eww, ewww, ewwww, yuck, yuck. It's not right no matter if you served our country.

Anonymous said...

That said, I feel sorry for his ole ass and glad Keesha won instead of him. Did I say YUCK?

Lars said...

Good Morning

it's freezing this morning

Sydney said...

Hi All -- What are we doing post BB while waiting for TAR and Survivor to start?? Jackie is watching Bonnie (I went to her site and watched some clips -- she had Billy Nye the Science Guy on, someone I wanted to marry a decade or two ago, as I have an occasional thing for a smarty pants like him).

I got to go to a wildlife shelter yesterday and help to feed 700 baby squirrels that have been turned in in the wake of Hurricane Ike. They have to be fed 4 x a day and I covered three rounds. Put some pix up on Adventures in Nature. They have to feed them daily like that for at least 2 months til the littlest can be released into the wild. I just have to praise the devotion of the people who run these places for hurt and helpless animals.

Jackie, thank you for another great show covered on your blog and for creating such a great community of folks. I know it's all been said before but it's worth repeating! I truly hope everyone here hangs on year round. I always get so traumatized when our BB friends leave after visiting us every day for 3 months, only to return when BB is on again!

Sydney said...

where are you Lars? Must ba back in Canada? I thought you might still be in Texas... were you not caught there during Ike, trying to get a generator on?

lynn1 said...

Jackie, Thanks for the heads-up on Bonnie Hunt. I will check her out next week.
I am old enough to remember The Dean Martin Show! I watched it regularly.
My 2 favorite talk show hosts of all time were Jack Paar and Tom Snyder!

Lars said...

Sydney
I'm in Odessa headed to Maryland?

We stopped for directions, oh my gosh the gen, was a mess.

I recieved a call late last night I shouldn't worry, I thought everything was taken care of.

Sydney I will post in your blog, I don't want to sound paranoid about Texas drivers.

RBennie said...

Good morning all. I hope all is well with everyone in our little community. It's a chilly morning here in NYC - somewhere in the mid 50s right now.

Sydney - don't worry I won't leave you, LOL. I know we tend to lose a lot of people once BB is over, but I can't imagine not logging on to Jackie's blog every morning. As long as Jackie keeps blogging, I'll keep logging on.

MEB - are we the only ones here who watch Prison Break? Michael isn't the only eye candy either. I think Lincoln and Sucre are pretty yummy too. I really can't warm up to Sarah though for some reason. She just doesn't seem to be a strong enough personality for Michael. He needs someone with some fire in them.

I stated earlier on that Memphis should just take money in place of the car. That whole situation was very bizarre.

Laurie - did we convince you yet to watch Survivor with us? Do you watch TAR?

Hey Orkmommy - we need something new to have a friendly wager over. Maybe Survivor will offer up something good.

Anonymous said...

Rbennie - How bout we bet on how long April & Ollie last? I give it 3 months...

Now Survivor...does anyone want to be in a virtual survivor pool? There wouldn't be any money involved. I'll take care of organizing it for those interested. The first 18 people who email me at orkmommy@gmail.com will randomly get assigned a castaway and when they get booted, so do you. Last one standing wins! It's fun even when you don't necessarily like the one you get because at least you have someone to root for from the beginning.

Jackie - I'll put you in automatically so you don't have to email me. Unless you don't want to play...just let me know.

RBennie said...

I just emailed you Orkmommy. Count me in on the Survivor pool. As far as April & Ollie go, I would give them at least 6 months. I figure they will stay together longer just to prove it wasn't just a showmance.

Anonymous said...

Oh...it's awn like Donkey Kong sista'!

I got your email and have you in the pool!

Sydney said...

Yay Rbennie! I feel at least a little relieved, lol.

Ork, I would like to join the pool but also would be pissed if I got assigned one of the people I hate and then get ousted because of their stupidity! But can I get over it and join in the fun? I guess I'll e-mail you too.

RBennie said...

LOL, I know what you mean Sydney. Now I'm all worried that I'm gonna wind up with an idiot that I hate and have to root for them anyway. Should be a blast.

Sydney said...

Hi Ork - when I clicked on your e-mail me thing on your blog it didn't go thru, tried a few times and lost your e-mail address when my computer crashed last summer... can you include me in the pool?

Rather than NOT join the pool for fear I'll end up being this year's wacky girl scout leader/teacher who sings annoying songs and gets voted off first, or one of the egotistical, young and stupids they always cast, I've decided I will root AGAINST my castmeember with great glee!

Anonymous said...

Sydney - Got your comment and you're officially IN!

joy n said...

Orkmommy, I don't have your email either, but would love to be 'in' too.

Anonymous said...

Joy - You're IN!

Anonymous said...

MEB & rbennie-Prison Break is one that me and my better half watch together. I started watching and he joined in.

As for Lincoln and Michael, a yes, they are both easy on the eyes lol!

Anonymous said...

There is a link over on Jokers for the Bonnie Hunt interview w/Dan for those of you who misses it.

Anonymous said...

Sydney,

Did well through Ikey. Only was without power (THANK GOD) for about 1 1/2 days. Back at work last Wednesday. They spoiled us and bought us lunch, so now I'm wondering where lunch is at now!