Ricky Gervais on Conan: Cheeky Guest Segment or Tonight Show Audition?

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I'm calling it now. At some point in the near future, Ricky Gervais will be in discussions with a major U.S. network for a talk show. Stay with me...Gervais has proven that he is a charming conversationalist, completely comfortable poking fun at celebrities and himself. His show would be a boon for any network since it could easily be exported to the U.K. And to top it all off, this weekend's Golden Globe host boasts a hardscrabble upbringing and razor sharp sense of humor that skews to that coveted 18 to 49 demographic. If the rumors are true, and Jay Leno is finally fleeing NBC, or the Peacock wants to save face by naming a fresh face Tonight Show host, then Gervais would be their safest bet.

Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien [11:35 PM, NBC]

Guests: Ricky Gervais, Dallas Howard, Whitney Cummings

Coco's days are numbered at the peacock so soak up each and every one of these last episodes. Hopefully tonight's show skips the self-pitying segments and Howie Mandel-assisted skits in favor of some cheeky Gervais insights on the situation. And maybe more Na'vi assistant?

The New Adventures of Old Christine [8 PM, CBS]

The Tiffany Network continues to toe a very straight line this week as NBC continues to dig its own grave. In tonight's prime time line-up, Eric McCormack guest-stars as Christine's (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) shrink. At 8:30 P.M., Jay Mohr serves up standard sitcom fare in Gary Unmarred as his title character snoops through his son's email inbox. Surfer Laird Hamilton and his real-life wife Gabrielle Reece even show up for the fun.

American Idol [8 PM, Fox]

From Beantown to the ATL, the mania continues in tonight's second installment of the ninth-season premiere of AI. Remember each of Simon's grimaces because this is the last time he will be visiting Atlanta on AI audition duty. Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi fill the roles of Simon's supportive supporting cast. If you missed last night's smash hit of an episode, kindly refer to Louis Virtel's handy three-point recap here.

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Aliens [10:30 PM, AMC]

As Avatar swoops towards that half billion dollar box office mark, now might be an appropriate time to reflect on the scope of Cameron's career. Tonight, AMC features the Mighty Cameron's '86 blockbuster sequel to Alien. The Sigourney Weaver flick was shot on a shoestring budget (when compared to Avatar's $200 million in production funds) and proves once and for all that the perfect bad-ass female who can crush alien eggs is out there.



Comments

  • Majean says:

    You can call it but it's not gonna happen. American audiences do not know him well enough for NBC to take a gamble like that, and I know I'm not the only one who doesn't find him funny.
    I would actually like to see Chelsea Handler take the spot but I know she's too edgy for NBC.

  • academy screamer says:

    ricky or colbert, that'd would be a tough call... i think you're on to something, Julie.

  • Jeff F. says:

    That'll never happen. Sounds good on paper, but if Conan couldn't pull a large enough audience, Gervais won't be able to either.
    Cobert would be a good choice. Jerry Seinfeld would work well and already has a great relationship with NBC. Plus, he'd naturally pull a large audience, just because of his old sitcom. I'd tap him as the host more than anyone else.

  • Mike says:

    "...for NBC to take a gamble like that..."
    This is the network that put Jay Leno on in primetime.
    Personally, I like the idea of Gervais hosting, and I think he's familiar enough (he's that one funny British guy from some movies that I know you know). Chelsea Handler would be an interesting choice (first regular female host of The Tonight Show?), but she has too much going for her at E!. And is the world truly ready for Ed McMahon as a Mexican-midget? Speaking of E! personalities moving to the peacock, I hear that Kristina and Karissa Shannon from the Girls Next Door might need a new gig. 🙂 Seriously though, if twenty bazillion jobs isn't too many for Joel McHale, he would be an interesting fresh face to see, too.

  • hollywoodjeffy says:

    All of this presupposes that Gervais would actually want to host a talk show. He is famous for wanting complete creative control over all his projects, which he would obviously never get from the meddling monkeys at NBC.

  • DarkKnightShyamalan says:

    Yeah, exactly. And hell, the guy gets bored with his *own* shows after around twelve episodes; can you imagine him doing three hundred generic shows a year for someone else?

  • stolidog says:

    What's Greg Kinnear been up to lately?

  • Alex says:

    Ricky Gervais has a bad history when it comes to interviewing celebs. He's much better on the other end of the table.