Posted by Bud on January 13, 2010 at 20:12:28:
Next up: Late night with Blago
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be unzipping his lip again.
Sneed hears the disgraced ex-gov will get a crack at hosting a late-night Internet talk show complete with a band, celebrity guests and opening monologue.
The 40-minute online talk show, titled "The Late Net Show," will be taped before a studio audience in Manhattan next month and aired at 11 p.m. on either Feb. 11 or 18.
"We're in talks with Donald Trump, Alec Baldwin and Floyd Mayweather to be guests on the show," according to Charlie Oliver, founder of the Web site artoftalk.tv, which will run the show.
The show will have a different celebrity host each week and the band will match the hosts' styles -- possibly Elvis impersonators for Blago, Oliver said.
"We look forward to seeing him step out of his comfort zone as the first host of the 'Late Net Show,'" said Oliver, who added that Blago has expressed interest in doing additional episodes.
"He is super-excited about this. I guess it appeals to his sensibilities and desire to talk to people and engage," Oliver said.
The show will feature a "Blago's Book Club" segment and a roundtable discussion on hot topics. Viewers will also be able to dictate content by voting online. Choices will include hearing Blago sing an Elvis song, recite a poem or movie monologue, or dish advice on subjects ranging from relationships to job searching.
"Because it's online, there's no censorship, it allows for brutal honesty and creativity," Oliver said. "The host and guests will feel at ease to express themselves."
The show will be once a week for a month and if things go well, possibly twice a week thereafter.