How about this for a “Late Show” Top 10 list idea: “People Most Likely to Replace Dave During His Recovery.”
That’s right, “Late Show” fans. Indefinite weeks of reruns may finally be over as producers of the late night talk show contemplate offers from various TV celebs to fill in as guest host for the show while Letterman recovers from heart surgery.
The list of rumored candidates includes “Who wants to Be a Millionaire” host Regis Philbin, retired sitcom king Jerry Seinfeld, shock jock Howard Stern, and morning talk show hostess Rosie O’Donnell.
Letterman has been off the “Late Show” since Jan. 14 when he underwent a quintuple bypass to clear a blocked artery. He was released from the hospital Jan. 29 and is expected to return to the show in six to eight weeks. No word from the Letterman camp yet on the host’s reaction to the possible guest host arrangement.
SUPER BOWL AD-DAY: Besides the awaited match-up between the Tennessee Titans and the St. Louis Rams, viewers — whether they like it or not — will also be treated to 61thirty-second commercial spots specifically designed to launch during the Super Bowl telecast Sunday.
According to reports, advertisers — including Hollywood studios Universal, Fox, DreamWorks, Buena Vista and 12 Internet dot-coms — are paying an average of $2.2 million for each ad spot (that’s $73,333 per second!), with the most expensive ad topping the $3 million mark. ABC, the network that’s broadcasting the game, is expected to pull in $130 million in ad revenue.
FOX PUSHES DIVERSITY: The Fox network and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are in talks to hammer out a proposal that would increase diversity on the network. The Fox deal is said to be similar to the agreement reached between the civil rights organization and NBC and CBS earlier in the year with one added bonus: Fox will reportedly create a position for someone whose solely in charge of overseeing and implementing the network’s diversity plan.
