Can late night television welcome back one of the past stars? This fall, Arsenio Hall will soon find out if his upcoming revival of The Arsenio Hall Show will receive a warm welcome after last being on the air as a host in 1994.
Speaking Tuesday afternoon (July 29) at The Television Critics Association “Summer Press Tour” event, the 57-year-old Cleveland native announced that his show will return to nationwide television September 9. Working with CBS Television Distribution, the show will air on Tribune and major market syndicated CBS stations. Although it has been 19 year since Hall has manned a talk show desk, he appears to be ready to embrace the changes of the 21st Century regarding late night television.
“It can drive people from the computer to the TV screen,” he said of social media’s impact on the industry. “But it’s not necessarily essential. [Jay] Leno isn’t really into it, and yet he’s No. 1.”
Hall also said, “I’m excited to jump back into it. When you write a joke and you’re able to use Google, I can’t wait to write jokes and do comedy and prepare interviews in this digital world.”
Executive producers Neal Kendall and John Ferriter said that the show has been in planning for the last three years. Ferriter said he’s been pushing the veteran host and comedian, and hopes the show will be a smash.
“My goal was to help Arsenio kind of finish the job,” said Ferriter. “He did six seasons and then he just kind of went away. Now he gets a chance to finish what he started”
And Hall isn’t trying to reinvent himself too much, either. “Basically, what I’ll do is just assert my personality and hope people will hang with me,” shared Hall.
No word if Hall is going to bring back the “dog pound” for his studio audience.
The Arsenio Hall Show debuts this September.
[Props to Deadline]
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Photo: TCA
