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Le Show

Genre	News commentary, comedy, music
Running time	59 minutes
Country	USA
Languages	English
Home station	KCRW
Starring	Harry Shearer
Recording studio	Santa Monica, California, New Orleans, Louisiana et al.
Air dates	since December 3, 1983
Audio format	Stereo
Website	http://harryshearer.com/news/le_show/
	http://feeds.kcrw.com/kcrw/ls

Le Show is a weekly syndicated public radio show hosted by satirist Harry Shearer. The program is a hodgepodge of satirical news commentary, music, and sketch comedy. Shearer, an impressionist who is probably best known for his voice work on The Simpsons, writes the sketches and usually performs all the voices.

The show first aired on December 3, 1983^[1] and ran under various titles for several months before Le Show was selected from the results of a listener contest.

Le Show usually originates live on Sunday mornings from "The Le Show Dome" at KCRW in Santa Monica ("The city known around the world," Shearer says in his sign off, "as the home… of the homeless."), but is occasionally recorded at or broadcast from other NPR and public stations when Shearer is on the road. Several shows a year are based in New Orleans, where Shearer has a residence, which usually feature local musicians.

Availability

The program is carried on many National Public Radio and other public radio stations throughout the US. It is also available internationally on NPR Worldwide, American Forces Network and shortwave radio WBCQ The Planet (7.415 MHz).^[2] Since the merger of the XM and Sirius satellite radio services the program is no longer available on either; on which Shearer commented, "because I guess, you know, mergers are good."^[3]

The show is also available as streaming audio from Shearer's website and as free downloadable files from Audible.com^[4]. The show has also been made available as a podcast on iTunes^[5] along with other KCRW programs. The podcasts differ from the broadcast and streaming versions, in that they generally include only a few seconds of the music Shearer spins for the show.^[6] Exceptions are musical parodies and original songs written and performed by Shearer.

News segments

The show features a number of recurring news segments, referred to by Shearer as "a copyrighted feature of this broadcast". Currently many episodes include the following:

• Apologies of the Week (public apologies reported in the news)^{[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][1][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}
• News From Outside the Bubble (News stories from international sources, usually the UK.)^{[7][9][11][12][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}
• News of the Warm (Shearer reads news on Global warming)^{[1][8][11][13][14][16][17][20][21][23]}
• The Trades (Shearer reads items from trade magazines)^{[8][12][14][22][23][24][25][26]}

Other news features that recur less often on the program include:

• Burying the Lede (News stories with alarming tidbits buried down in the story)^[27]
• F is for FEMA (News stories concerning the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - usually showcasing some aspect of incompetence - particularly focusing on the Hurricane Katrina aftermath)^[12][19]
• Found Object Department (Shearer plays audio from network feeds that was not intended to air)^[9][28]
• Let's Get Scared (Shearer reads news stories with frightening implications).^[29][30][31]
• Los Angeles Dog Trainer Corrections (Shearer reads the extensive and often unusual LA Times errata.)^[10][32][33]
• News from the Digital Wonderland (News items, usually negative, concerning the switch-over from analog to digital television transmission)^[13][34][35]
• News of Inspectors General (News reports of the findings of U.S. Government Inspectors General)^{[10][16][20][23]}
• Tales of Airport Security (sent in by listeners)^[11][20][32]
• The Year in Rebuke (The last one or two shows of each year feature repeats of key news related items, songs and sketches from that year).^[36][37][38]

Comedy segments

There are many recurring comedy sketches or parodies on the program.

Continental Public Radio

Shearer often parodies the other programming found on public radio, often as part of a fictional "Continental Public Radio" (CPR). These are populated with such personalities as host Aviva Schlorman, reporter Ira Zipkin, political editor Jonathan Ziziks and others, all voiced by Shearer. Recurring parodies include:

• All in All "CPR's weekly attempt to bring what's behind the news in front of the news and leave it there."^[35][13][39]
• At Loggerheads "Dichotomous dialogue from both sides of the rhetorical divide." (Debates on news topics).^[40][41]
• Book Bag (Book review program hosted by Ira Zipkin).^[42]
• The Edible Table (Lampoon of public radio shows such as The Splendid Table)^[9][43]
• Media Nation "CPR's weekly look into the world of the media and the media of the world." (Host Chris Edwards is clearly intended to mimic Bob Edwards).^[7][44]
• More Than You Know "The weekly public radio series that focuses on events and personalities outside your ken." Host: Jacob Kitzle.^[33][35]
• Mouth to Mouth "An audio encounter with a personality in or out of the news." (Interview program).^[45]
• News from Lake Reverie (A parody of the "News from Lake Wobegon" segment of A Prairie Home Companion)^[46][47]
• Up To Here (Daily news & politics program). "A daily once-over not so lightly on the story at the top, of what's behind, today's news." Hosted by Milton Getzler.^[48][49]
• What Up, Dog? "News blogozine for the young and the newsless." Host: Cody Outscoop. (Parodies NPR's attempts to reach younger audiences such as Bryant Park Project)^[50][51]

Presidential or political parodies

Among the many presidential and political parodies are:

• Alternative Scenario Playhouse "Duelling dramatizations from radio's premiere venue of bifurcated possibilities." (Shearer re-enacts two possible versions of events behind the news).^[52][53]
• Clintonsomething (a thirtysomething parody)^[23][34][54]
• Dick Cheney: Confidential (parody of hard-boiled detective stories)^[17][21][48]
• 41 calls 43 (George H. W. Bush calls George W. Bush)^[1][11][18]
• The Gore Room (Al Gore and Al Franken host a liberal talk radio show. Dropped after the liberal Air America radio network, featuring Al Franken, began broadcasting.)^[7]
• Hellcats Of The White House (soap opera parody tales from the Reagan White House. Followed by "Hellcats Of The White House: The Bel-Air Years".)
• Newt Gingrich calls his mom^[34][55]
• Nixon in Heaven^[40][8][27]

Other sketches

Other recurring comedy sketches include:

• Bad Day at Black Rock (behind-the-scenes parody of CBS News, the title references a 1955 movie)^{[25][29][41][48]}
• (Inside) Extra Access Tonight (lampoon of various entertainment news shows)^[15][56][57]
• Health File (Medical radio program hosted by new age physician Dr. Manfred Weichner)^[42]
• Larry King Live (Parody of the CNN program)).^[19][30]
• Mind Your Own Business (Business news radio program hosted "from the trading floor" by Mike Tutinello)^[26][58]
• The O'Reilly Factor (Parody of the Fox News Channel program)^[10]
• Strictly from Blackwell (Mr. Blackwell presents a show from Beverly Hills)^[14][31][58]

Comedy interviews

Shearer will interview someone in-studio or via telephone. For the phone interviews, he claims to be opening up the phone for listener calls (even though no phone number was announced) or will reveal that there is an incoming call on "the newsmaker line". These are among the few comedy segments in which voices other than Shearer's are heard.

Many are voiced by writer Tom Leopold who has worked with Shearer on several other projects.^[59] These include:

• Tony Bellalaqua (a listener in the midwest).^[60]
• Lyle Condit (Congressman Gary Condit's youngest brother).^[61]
• David Feldman (A high school teacher and friend of Monica Lewinsky).^[62]
• Yvonne Della Femina (a multiple-sex-change recipient with a storied past).^[24][63][64]
• John Walker Lindh (the so-called "American Taliban")^[65]
• Elvis Presley (on the issuance of his U.S. postage stamp)^[66]
• Ira Rifleman (a listener who allegedly bought Scott Peterson's truck).^[67]
• Tyler Michael Tucker (an actor from a failed TV program).^[68]

Other personalities not voiced by Leopold include:

• David Manning (the fictitious film reviewer, voiced by a computer voice synthesizer)^[69]
• Ralph the Talking Computer (a computer synthesized voice)^{[54][70][71][72]}
• Barry Saint-Martin^[18] aka Barry Saint-Michael^[73] (actor Alex Lowe)
• Shabshab (a former Saddam Hussein lookalike and stereo salesman in Iraq voiced by Shearer)^[56][74][75]

On very rare occasions Shearer has announced a phone number and taken actual listener calls.^[76]

Interview segments

A few times each year the show will feature Shearer conducting a serious interview as a major segment of the program, often with a musician who will play music as well. Sometimes these interviews will comprise the bulk of the program, other times they will be interspersed with the usual mix of other segments.

Musician interviews

Musicians are often associated with New Orleans and will appear on one of the programs Shearer records in that city. They have included:

• Marcia Ball^[77][78]
• Henry Butler^[79]
• Evan Christopher^[32]
• Joe Krown^[80]
• Phillip Manuel^[81]
• Tom McDermott^[32][82]
• Judith Owen (Shearer's wife, who also sings on some of the original comedic songs heard on the show)^[83][84]
• David Torkanowsky^[85]
• Allen Toussaint^[86][87]

Other interviews

Non-musicians interviewed will usually be a scientist or author who has insight into a news issue, often the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans. These have included:

• John M. Barry on the levees in New Orleans and SLFPA.^[88]
• Dr. Robert Bea on levee failures in New Orleans during Katrina.^[89]
• Dan Cameron on the Prospect 1 New Orleans biennial art project.^[73]
• Lolis Eric Elie on reporting about New Orleans.^[90]
• Ivor van Heerden on the Katrina disaster in New Orleans.^[91][92]
• Jane Mayer on her book The Dark Side^[93]
• Mort Sahl on his career as an American satirist.^[94]
• Scott Simon on reporting at the political conventions.^[95]

Music segments

"An eclectic mix of mysterious music" is how KCRW describes the music played between other segments on the program.^[96] The tracks are not announced on air, but the names are published a few days after the show airs on HarryShearer.com.

Aside from the musicians already mentioned, tracks played frequently include such acts as Johnny Adams,^[70] Astral Project,^[54] Marcia Ball,^[46][49][63] The Beach Boys,^[16][26][31] The Beatles,^[22][26][73] The Bobs,^[13] Bonerama,^[15] Charles Brown,^[61] Oscar Brown, Jr.,^[47][53] Henry Butler,^{[7][12][34][53][54][71]} Jon Cleary,^{[7][46][54][67][83]} Nat King Cole,^[58] Shawn Colvin,^[70] Ry Cooder,^[1][11][18] Elvis Costello,^[54] Dr. John,^{[35][46][47][70][83][84]} Dave Edmunds,^[15][16][34] Eliane Elias,^[21] Georgie Fame,^[14][17][23] Finn Brothers,^[28][42] Ella Fitzgerald, John Fogerty,^[13][25][30] Fountains of Wayne,^[25][33] Michael Franks,^[69] Marvin Gaye,^[12] Gilberto Gil,^[15] The Hi-Lo's,^[26] Dan Hicks,^[76] Dick Hyman,^[13] Jamiroquai,^[23][25][31] Louis Jordan,^[74][84] Keb' Mo',^[30][68][74] Sonny Landreth,^{[14][53][67][74]} Lenine,^[1] Los Lobos,^[58] Lyle Lovett,^[63][71][76] Phillip Manuel,^[31] Peter Martin,^[47] Paul McCartney,^[53] The Meters,^[47] Van Morrison,^[63] Mr. Scruff,^[17][22] Randy Newman,^[19][34][80] Rosa Passos,^[34] Nicholas Payton,^[55] Alan Price,^[61][70] Brian Protheroe,^[31] The Quantic Soul Orchestra,^[33] The Radiators,^[35] Bonnie Raitt,^[34] Marcus Roberts,^[25] Smokey Robinson,^[55] Shorty Rogers,^[67] The Rolling Stones,^[69] Kermit Ruffins,^[76] Alice Russell,^[1][17] Frank Sinatra,^[21][44][55] Jill Sobule,^[58][69] Steely Dan,^[10][14] They Might Be Giants,^[12] Irma Thomas,^[21][46] Richard Thompson,^[68] Mel Tormé,^[63][70] The Whitlams,^[42] The Who,^[58] Brian Wilson,^[55] Charlie Wood & the New Memphis Underground,^[10][49] XTC^[20] and many others.

When a notable musician has died, the next aired program will often feature mostly or only that artist's work during the music segments. People so featured have included George Harrison,^[29] Ray Charles,^[97] Oscar Brown, Jr.,^[57] Blossom Dearie,^[98] Les Paul^[27] and Robert Kirby.^[39]

Segment theme music

• The show opens with an archival recording of Ben Grauer saying "Here it is", followed by Shearer saying, "From deep inside your radio..." over a fragment of classical music.
• A looped sample of Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey by Paul McCartney is used for Apologies of the Week, with emphasis on McCartney saying "sorry".^[20]
• Glenn Yarbrough singing the Rod McKuen song "Listen to the Warm" is used for News of the Warm.^[99]
• Joe Satriani playing "Summer Song" (from the album The Extremist) is the theme for (Inside) Extra Access Tonight
• The segments F is for FEMA, Los Angeles Dog Trainer Corrections, Let's Get Scared, News from the Digital Wonderland and News of Inspectors General use original music recorded and sung by Shearer.
• Clintonsomething uses the original theme music from thirtysomething.
• The Trades uses "Rut" by Carla Bley, from the CD "Nightglo" on ECM

Criticism

On July 2, 2006, Wisconsin Public Radio cancelled Le Show as part of a revamp of the network's programming. On the July 16 edition of the program, Shearer claimed WPR was "displeased with the political content of the broadcast."^[100] WPR Director of Radio Phil Corriveau told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the program's political content was a minor factor and the decision had to do with Le Show's consistency: "I think he's brilliant. But I think if you listen to the show, they can be brilliant, or they can really ramble on."^[101]

References

External links

• HarryShearer.com (includes a RealAudio archive of Le Show dating back to 1995)
• KCRW: Le Show (Show usually originates live at 10am on Sunday, Los Angeles local time)