The Arsenio Hall Show
A late-night talk show revived nineteen years after its original run.
The late-night talk show *The Arsenio Hall Show* was created by and starred comedian Arsenio Hall, airing in syndication across the United States. The program had two separate runs: the first began on January 3, 1989, and ended on May 27, 1994; a revival premiered on September 9, 2013, but was canceled after a single season, with its final episode on May 21, 2014. Both versions were produced by Hall’s own company, Arsenio Hall Communications. The original series was produced and distributed by Paramount Domestic Television and taped at Stage 29 on the Paramount Studios lot in Los Angeles. For the revival, production moved to Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood, with Tribune Broadcasting, Octagon Entertainment, and Eye Productions handling production, while CBS Television Distribution managed distribution.
**First series (1989–94)**
**Background** Hall first hosted a late-night program in 1987 on Fox’s *The Late Show*, stepping in after Joan Rivers was let go. He was given a 13-week stint, during which he unexpectedly gained popularity. In his final monologue as host, Hall explained he had only agreed to 13 weeks because he had plans to “do other things,” and soon after began working on the Eddie Murphy film *Coming to America*. He eventually signed with Paramount Television, though Fox later decided it wanted to keep him—after the fact. Hall had a long history with Paramount, having served as the in-house comedian on its weekly music series *Solid Gold* for several years and co-hosting its final two seasons. *Arsenio* debuted on Tuesday, January 3, 1989, with guests Brooke Shields, Leslie Nielsen, and Luther Vandross. It was one of two late-night shows to premiere that month; the other was *The Pat Sajak Show* on CBS, hosted by *Wheel of Fortune*’s Pat Sajak. Unlike Sajak, Hall had prior experience hosting a late-night program, while Sajak had no emceeing background outside *Wheel*. Hall also targeted a clear, underserved demographic—younger urban viewers—whereas Sajak aimed for the audience already watching *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*. Premiering a week before Sajak’s show gave Hall a head start, and his program became a near-instant hit. Sajak’s show, by contrast, flopped in the ratings and was canceled after just over a year.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Variety, talk show
- Creator
- Arsenio Hall / Marla Kell Brown
- Starring
- Arsenio Hall
- Announcer
- Burton Richardson / Diana Steele
- Music
- Michael Wolff and the Posse
- Open Theme
- composed by Arsenio Hall
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 7
- Num Episodes
- 1,525
- Executive Producer
- Arsenio Hall / John Ferriter / Neal Kendall
- Location
- Paramount Studios Hollywood, California (1989–94) / Sunset Bronson Studios Hollywood, California (2013–14)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, with guests Brooke Shields, Leslie Nielsen, and Luther Vandross. It was one of two late-night shows to debut that month, the other being The Pat Sajak Show on CBS. Hall benefited from prior experience hosting a late-night program, having hosted The Late Show in 1987. The show aimed primarily at a younger urban audience and quickly appealed to young people of all races, becoming known as a 'Night Thing' with a party or nightclub theme. Recurring features included Burton Richardson's long introduction of Hall, the 'Dog Pound' audience section, and the running gag 'things that make you go hmmm...' which inspired a 1991 C+C Music Factory song. The show's house band, 'Posse,' was led by Michael Wolff. In 1992, presidential candidate Bill Clinton appeared on the show, playing the saxophone, an appearance considered important in his political career. The show's ratings declined due to the premiere of three late-night series, leading to its cancellation in 1994. Nineteen years later, Hall returned for a revival that premiered on September 9, 2013, but was cancelled after one season.
Reader's Guide
The Arsenio Hall Show is significant for its cultural influence during its original run, particularly in reaching the 'MTV Generation' and attracting a wide variety of guests not common on other talk shows. The show reportedly made about US$1.2 million in profits per week for its syndicator Paramount during the 1990-91 season, totaling US$62.4 million for the year—more than the company made from its most popular prime-time series, Cheers. The show also featured a notable incident in December 1990 when four members of Queer Nation interrupted Hall's monologue to protest the lack of gay guests, leading to a heated exchange. Hall's interview with Bill Clinton in June 1992 is often cited as helping build Clinton's popularity among minority and young voters. The revival in 2013, produced by Tribune Broadcasting, Octagon Entertainment, and Eye Productions, and distributed by CBS Television Distribution, lasted only one season, airing its finale on May 21, 2014.
Did You Know?
- Presidential candidate Bill Clinton played the saxophone on the show in June 1992.
- The revival series was cancelled after one season, with the finale airing on May 21, 2014.
More in American Television Series Revived After Cancellation 1-24
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