Okay, I learned a lot from watching the premiere of The Bonnie Hunt Show yesterday. It looks like it has the potential to be a great show and really a lot of fun. She's definitely paying homage to some of the great shows of old like The Dean Martin Show, The Mike Douglas Show and others. It may take her a while to segue into a better host than guest but I think she's on the right path as long as she focuses on entertainment. But she has to follow some rules...
Rule #1
If you have Robin Williams on as a guest, don't do anything but wind him up and let him go. He was like an ADHD kid on pixie sticks. Hysterically funny. ("What's the French version of "Anne Frank"? She's upstairs!") But Bonnie kept trying to throw in a zinger of her own now and then and he totally stomped on her lines, talked over her and was pretty Robin Williams like. As the host, you need to know when to talk to draw your guests out more, but if they don't need drawing out then just lay back and let them do their thing.
Rule #2
See rule #1. Joe Mantegna "surprised" her by showing up with a heart shaped pizza. (Okay, does anyone really buy that she's surprised. The guy had enough sandwiches for a studio audience and had to get past security for cryin' out loud, no body thinks he 'just dropped by'. Pu-leez). Now Joe might have been an interesting interview but we'll never know because Robin was still in a manic phase and walked all over whatever Joe might have been saying. Wait until Robin is gone, preferably escorted off set by several large security guards, before you let the next guest come out. (Side note, I think it would be weird to be married to Robin. Aside from being only slightly less hairy than Sasquatch, he has to just go catatonic at some point after all that manic energy.)
Rule #3
If you are going to do the "kids say the funniest things" bit, please keep them to less than three minutes. After that, it wears a bit thin. Same rule applies to all family members and pets.
I think this show is going to be awesome, as soon as Bonnie hits her stride. Anyone who liked "Life with Bonnie" will like this show, as it's just a version of the 'show within a show'. Holly Wortell is even on, I'm not sure what character she's playing but I expect to see her evolve too. Check your local listing for channel and show times.
