Oops!
Dennis Miller gets the axe
Last Updated Thu, 12 May 2005 15:05:41 EDT
CBC Arts
NEW YORK - The cable business network CNBC is cancelling Dennis Miller's nightly talk show, barely 16 months after it launched.
In a memo to staff, CNBC head Mark Hoffman said that when Miller was informed that his show was being axed, he "let me know that his strong preference is to leave the program immediately."
The last instalment of Dennis Miller will air Friday.
At the time of his debut, the channel announced that Miller would bring his "take-no-prisoners, suffer-no-fools style" to prime time.
The audience, however, did not warm to that style. According to Nielsen Media Research, the show had an average of 168,000 viewers. That number dropped to 114,000 after last year's presidential election.
Although those who know him say he has always had a conservative streak, many viewers were surprised by Miller's outspoken right-wing political stance.
When the show premiered, for instance, Miller told the Associated Press that he would not be making jokes about U.S. President George W. Bush.
"I like him. I'm going to give him a pass. I take care of my friends," he said.
Some guests on the show who did not share Miller's views were uncomfortable on air, making for interviews that were painful to watch.
Miller has had a checkered history on television. He first came to the attention of the public as the host of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update faux newscast.
He carved out a niche with his brand of intelligent and sarcastic comedy, popularizing the phrase "I am outta here."
After leaving Saturday Night Live in 1991, he hosted the short-lived Dennis Miller Show the following year. This was in an era when seemingly everyone was getting a nightly talk show.
A successful run as host of Dennis Miller Live on HBO followed, earning him five Emmy Awards. He was also a commentator on Monday Night Football.
CNBC has had a time carving out a niche in prime time. It cancelled McEnroe, a nightly chatfest hosted by former tennis star John McEnroe, last year.
McEnroe twice registed a 0.0 rating, meaning that, statistically speaking, it had no viewers.
Miller has been rumoured to be a possible candidate to run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican from California.
cbc.ca
|
