The ”Ron Reagan Show” premiered at 11 p.m. Monday on WFLD-Ch. 32 in its regular weeknight timeslot, as slickly packaged as a political commercial and often as insubstantial.
First out of the blocks in the season`s new talk show race-are Maury Povich, Jenny Jones and Dennis Miller watching?-”The Ron Reagan Show”
displayed the host`s smooth style, if not always the sharp mind we`ve been led to believe he possesses.
Reagan has said that his show ”is dedicated to the proposition that the audience is intelligent. That good listening makes good talk and that the talk medium can be used to explore topics, not exploit them.”
The topic on the premiere show was, more or less, God. Gathered was a panel prepared to talk about religion and spiritualism. It was a mixed bunch that included a gospel group called Saints & Praise, New Agers, evangelists, ministers and Michael Tolkin, the writer/director of an upcoming film called
”The Rapture.”
Cultural historians may want to note that Reagan`s first question, aimed at Tolkin, was this: ”What`s a nice Jewish boy like you doing making a story about a woman`s search for Christ?”
This rather limp attempt at humor was characteristic of Reagan`s manner throughout the show. Presented with an opportunity to probe some interesting issues, he opted for such self-satisfied one-liners as ”Jesus didn`t have a microwave.”
He did not jump on the outlandish comment from Rev. Ike, who said, ”The homeless have made the choice to be homeless.” He was incapable of effectively orchestrating the conversation between his assembled guests, especially when taking questions and comments from the audience.
Reagan, who cut his television teeth as a feature correspondent for
”Good Morning America,” is comfortable in front of the camera. And the camera, as they say in the biz, likes him.
The set is handsome, if a little busy with geometric designs. The house band, D.A. Young and Dr. Bombay, has an intentionally hip look.
Future programs promise to tackle such topics as ”Rap as Art,” ”An Evening with the Grateful Dead,” ”Sex on Campus,” ”Courtroom TV,”
”Steroids,” ”Comedy Is Not Pretty” and, intriguingly, ”Watergate Reunion.”
That`s a nice mix of fluff and substance. It is to Reagan`s credit, or to that of those packaging his skills, that ”The Ron Reagan Show” is attempting to provide something with more bite than most of what fills the late-night television menu.
It`s inconceivable that Johnny (or Jay), David, Arsenio, or whatever second-rate comic is filling in on ”Into the Night,” might straight-faced ask, as Reagan did, ”What is the difference between Christ and Buddha?”
Reagan did ask that but didn`t look as if he expected an answer, or even cared. Having said, again and again before the show`s premiere, that good listening makes for good talk, Reagan listened too little and talked too much.
