''The Magic Hour'' is an American

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...

hosted by basketball player

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...

. The series aired in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

from June to September 1998.

Synopsis

Soon after its debut, the series was panned by critics citing Johnson's apparent nervousness as a host, his overly complimentary tone with his celebrity guests, and lack of chemistry with his sidekick, comedian

Craig Shoemaker Craig Shoemaker (born November 15, 1964) is an American stand up comedian, actor, author, writer and producer. He was named Comedian of the Year at The American Comedy Awards on ABC and garnered two NATAS Emmy awards. He is best known for his 90 ...

. The series was quickly retooled with Shoemaker being relieved of his 'sidekick' responsibilities and relegated to the supporting cast after the third episode. Comedian Steve White (who had been part of the supporting cast) became the new sidekick for a period of time. Radio personality and UPN Sports host Kenny Sargent was considered for Johnson’s new

Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the ABC game sh ...

styled side man, but finally comedian and actor

Tommy Davidson Thomas Davidson (born November 10, 1963) is an American comedian and actor. He was an original cast member on the sketch comedy TV show ''In Living Color'', Mitchell on ''Between Brothers'' (1997-1999), Dexter on ''Malcolm & Eddie'' (1999-2000) ...

was brought in as the new sidekick and Johnson interacted more with the show band leader

Sheila E. Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving t ...

Jimmy Hodson was the show's announcer and a comedy cast member. The format of the show was also changed to include more interview time with celebrity guests.

Howard Stern appearance

One vocal critic of ''The Magic Hour'' was

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...

. Stern would regularly mock Johnson's diction and hosting abilities on his popular

morning show Breakfast television (Europe, Canada, and Australia) or morning show (United States) is a type of news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts live in the morning (typically scheduled between 5:00 and 10:00a.m., or if it is a lo ...

. In an attempt to confront Stern (and to boost ratings), Stern was booked to appear on the show as a guest (along with ''Playboy'' Playmate

Karen McDougal Karen McDougal (born March 23, 1971) is an American model and actress. She is known for her appearances in ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month for December 1997 and Playmate of the Year of 1998.Fegley, Richard, & Wayda, Stephen (photog ...

). Stern appeared on the July 2 broadcast with the band, the Losers, and played the song " Wipe Out". While being interviewed by Johnson, Stern asked Johnson about his lifestyle prior to contracting

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

and if he practiced

safe sex Safe sex is sexual activity using methods or contraceptive devices (such as condoms) to reduce the risk of transmitting or acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. "Safe sex" is also sometimes referred to as safer se ...

with his wife. Stern also asked about "the white guy comedian", referring to Johnson's previous sidekick, Craig Shoemaker, who had been fired shortly before Stern's appearance for publicly calling the show "an absolute nightmare" (Stern mocked Shoemaker's short-lived replacement, Steve White, predicting he wouldn't last long, which came true).

Cancellation

The highly publicized episode featuring Stern increased viewership for a time, but ratings soon dropped off. The series was canceled after eight weeks. Johnson later blamed the demise of his talk show on a lack of support from black celebrities who refused or could not appear on his show. Johnson claimed, "Their managers and agents keep them off of the black shows."

In popular culture

In his book ''What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History'', author David Hofstede ranked the show at #26 on the list.

References

External links