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Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
Title card for Red Eye
Genre	Comedy Satire News parody
Presented by	Greg Gutfeld
Starring	Bill Schulz Andrew Levy Pinch (puppet)
Voices of	Mrs. Jackie Gutfeld Bill Schulz (as Pinch)
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	655[1] (As of January 22, 2010)
Production
Location(s)	New York City
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Fox News Channel
Picture format	480i SDTV 720p HDTV
Original run	February 5, 2007 – present
External links
Official website

Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld is a late-night/early morning talk show on the Fox News Channel, airing at 3:00 a.m. ET Tuesday through Saturday, with repeats on Sunday and Monday at 12:00 a.m. ET,^[2]. The show covers a variety of topics, including news, entertainment, sports, and gossip. It is hosted by former Maxim UK editor Greg Gutfeld.

Format

The show features a round table of panelists, as well as guests linked by satellite. The show begins with Gutfeld's introduction of his guests, which include playful, but generally complimentary, descriptions about each of them. Other non-traditional characteristics of the show include the use of offbeat imagery during specific segments; often, they are obscure viral videos featuring animals. Greg Gutfeld, with advisory from sidekick Bill Schulz and ombudsman Andy Levy, writes the daily content. Bill Schulz appears in nearly every broadcast, and he is introduced with a sexually debasing joke or insult by Greg at the top of each show. Andrew Levy (introduced as "TV's Andy Levy" or "TV's Very Own Andy Levy") acts as the show's primary ombudsman for the Pre-Game Report, Halftime Report w/ Andy Levy and Post-Game Wrap-up segments.

Segments

Daily:

• Pre-Game Report "TV's Andy Levy" gives a brief summary of the topics to be discussed in that's night's episode. Near the end of 2009, Levy began adding a rap to the end of the segment. Initially, Gutfeld countered with his own rap; as of early 2010, Gutfeld no longer offers his own rap and has stopped responding to Levy's.
• Greg-alogue: A comedic monologue similar to what is seen on other late night TV talk shows but instead of several topics being referenced, a single topic is discussed extensively, much like "Talking Points" of The O'Reilly Factor. Each Gregalogue ends with a statement that includes a line such as, "And if you disagree with me", "then you're probably a racist" (a mocking reference to the frequency with which those who disagree with President Barack Obama are called racists by their opposition). Formerly, the segment ended with "And if you disagree with me, then you sir are worse than Hitler" (a reference to the frequency with which President George W. Bush was called "worse than Hitler" by the fringe of his opposition). In 2010, Gutfeld began altering the line with each broadcast.
• Halftime Report w/ Andy Levy: Levy points out the mistakes made by Gutfeld and the panel during their discussions, asks questions, and makes comments.
• Post-Game Wrap-Up w/ Andy Levy: Levy asks the panel questions (often, it serves as an opportunity for them to plug a project or appearance). Greg Gutfeld then thanks his guests, offering each a short complement; for example, "A pleasure," or "Always a delight." The exception is Bill Schulz, to whom he usually says "Disgusting," "You disgust me," or "You suck."

Recurring (but infrequent) segments include:

• Annimals: Ann Coulter reads commentary while cute videos of animals are shown.
• Ask-Abee Huckabee The panel asks former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee questions.
• As you know, I draw the news: Greg shows a drawing related to a news story often featuring unicorns (sometimes "Unicorn Jones") and sometimes Fluffy McNutter.
• Father Knows Best Father Jonathan Morris, a Fox News analyst and news contributor, answers questions from viewers on faith, religion and ethical issues.
• Fox News Alert: A fake Fox News Alert done by Andy Levy. Previously, before its return, often having something to do with the King of the Belgians, Albert II.
• Guest Who's Coming on?: Greg talks to guest booker Joshua McCarroll about upcoming guests.
• Master Baden: Michael Baden , a forensic pathologist, appears as a "death correspondent" for items involving bodies and death.
• Mail Time: Gutfeld reads letters and e-mails sent by the viewers. Prior to 2010, the segment was titled "Male Time" to correspond with images of muscular men in briefs. The images now appear to have been permanently removed, and the spelling is now the word "mail" in its intended context.
• Meet your Baker: Greg reads letters to Mike Baker, a former CIA operative, from viewers who then responds.
• Messages for Greg: Greg plays voice mail left by viewers.
• Moment of Intolerance Greg insults someone then offers a Apology.
• Music Notes: Greg talks to Mark Prindle about music news.
• Pinch & Me Sitcom starring Pinch and Bill
• Pop Smear: Popular culture topics are covered.
• Proops' poop: Comedian, Greg Proops discusses his opinions on topical events.
• Red Eye Robot Theater: Short, premade sketches using text-to-movie software from xtranormal, with Greg referring to the computer-generated actors as "robot" versions of the characters they purportedly simulate (Bill, Andy, or various media or political personalities) often ends with one of the robots mentioning lotion.
• Ron's Letters To Obama: Author Ron Geraci reads letters that he has mailed to President Barack Obama.
• Schulz on the Street Bill Schulz goes off set to do a report often involving talking to everyday people.
• Today In McConaughey: Greg talks to the show's "Matthew McConaughey correspond-aughey" Joshua McCarroll about news relating to Matthew McConaughey.
• Twitter News: Andy Levy talks to Greg about posts people have made on Twitter.
• Today's sponsor: Just before going to commercial, Andy attributes that day's show to the sponsorship of something mundane.

Retired:

• Ab News: Greg or Courtney Friel reports the news while videotape of Courtney Friel, Shira Lazar, or Diana Falzone (sometimes clips of all three) exercising is shown.
• Bill-A-Buster: After Gutfeld gives his Gregalogue (with Greg Gutfeld often expressing a right-wing viewpoint), Bill Schulz will give a left-wing counterpoint to the Gregalogue. Often, during his Bill-A-Busters, Bill will wear a pair of "granny glasses."
• Previously on Red Eye: A video clip is shown at the beginning of the show of something that supposedly happened on the last show, usually a scene from an obscure film of the 1970s.
• Yoga News: Similar to Ab News, Gutfeld reads the news while a video of Lauren Sivan in various yoga poses plays.

Recurring jokes

During the course of the show, Greg Gutfeld will often use running jokes in certain situations. For instance, he will often mock Andy Levy for being a cat owner by introducing his Halftime segment with a cat joke, leaving Andy on the spot to respond to the comment. Gutfeld will also make frequent sexual insinuations regarding Bill Schulz; and, ask Schulz feigned questions that imply he was at some point a relevant political operative. Examples of this include "Bill, you predicted this would happen back in 1982," and "Bill, when you were working on Gary Hart's campaign..."

Gutfeld also makes mocking references to a variety of locations. Hawaii is typical referred to as its own country, independent of the United States, and various universities are often referred to as places Gutfeld has never heard of. One of the most frequently recurring jokes featured on the show is the supposedly genuine fondness Gutfeld has of unicorns, in concert with his presumably equal disdain for the mythical creature known as a griffin.

Pinch

"Pinch," a New York Times Correspondent who is a caricature of the elite media, is a puppet made from a stack of New York Times papers (and is often insinuated to be the New York Times itself, rather than just a correspondent). The puppet is voiced by Bill Schulz, who also operates the mouth movements by pulling a string atop the puppet. Pinch is often coughing and since July 15, 2009, Bill changes Pinch's eyes in the opening introduction. As a reference to the national epidemic of newspapers slimming down and reducing content, Pinch has been reduced to merely one section of newsprint. Throughout 2008–09, Pinch was asked questions throughout the show as if he were an integral part of the panel; later, his participation was limited to the panel introduction in the show's opening, and he is only occasionally part of any post-opening segments. He is introduced alongside the rest of the panel at the beginning of the show, usually speaking after Gutfeld prompts, "Good to see you again, Pinch." Schulz then recites a rhyme in the role of Pinch, one that usually references a New York Times columnist or reporter by name.

Controversy

Legal issues

Following the first weeks of the program, the Chicago Tribune filed suit against News Corporation, the company which owns Fox News Channel, alleging that the show's title could be confused with the Tribune's free commuter daily, RedEye, launched in 2002. FNC admitted it did not run a trademark check prior to naming the program and changed the title of the show's section of the FoxNews.com website from Red Eye to Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.

The Canadian Military

In a five-minute segment broadcast March 17, 2009, Gutfeld and his panel satirically mocked Canadian Lieutenant General Andrew Leslie's recent comment that the Canadian military may require a one year "synchronized break" once Canada's mission in Afghanistan ends in 2011. "Meaning, the Canadian military wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white Capri pants," Gutfeld said. "I didn't even know they were in the war," panelist Doug Benson added. "I thought that's where you go if you don't want to fight. Go chill in Canada." Gutfeld also said, "Isn’t this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country? They have no army!" Schulz poked fun and made statements about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and their ceremonial red uniforms, and concluded by saying "This is not a smart culture!"

In Canada, a country which has contributed troops and whose soldiers have been fighting in Afghanistan, the comments sparked outrage. Benson was scheduled to appear in Canada at Edmonton's The Comic Strip April 3–5, 2009, but the shows were canceled after the owner received threats of "bodily injury" toward the American comic. "Some were saying he wouldn't make it from the airport to the club. For everyone's safety, we decided it was best to avoid the scenario altogether," manager Rick Bronson said. Death threats were also made to Greg Gutfeld's elderly mother; her home address was posted publicly on the Internet.

Subsequently, Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay called on Fox to apologize for the comments, describing the remarks as "despicable, hurtful and ignorant". Others were outraged, such as comedian Tom Green, who on his Internet talk show, Tom Green's House Tonight, went on a rant on Fox News and Greg Gutfeld, he even stated he will never go on Red Eye again. Greg Gutfeld issued an apology shortly thereafter, while maintaining his claims that the show is satirical and wasn't meant to offend.

Rachel Marsden's departure

On Wednesday, May 30, 2007, regular Red Eye panelist Rachel Marsden was removed from the show and escorted out of the Red Eye offices by security guards, which Marsden alleged is standard procedure when a Fox employee is fired.^[3][4] On her blog, Marsden, said, "I will no longer be appearing on the show, as I have been told that it is heading in a 'different direction' from its inception and I am the 'first casualty'. As a political and news commentator, being a panelist on what had become a totally off-the-wall-and-into-orbit show was an interesting experience. It was also the first time that I was ever considered the 'sane one' on any program, so I am grateful for that unique opportunity and wish the boys the very best of luck.'"^[5] Her last appearance on the show was the May 30, 2007, episode at 2 a.m., a few seconds after talking through the applause of a Jeffrey Ross punchline.

Censoring

Despite its late-night time slot, Red Eye is occasionally censored by its network. Rather than using the recognizable bleep censor noise that characterizes network censoring on television, the Fox News Channel often deletes audio during comments that it deems censorious.

Ratings

Information about Red Eye's Nielsen ratings is sparse, but it appears to have at least fairly consistently been the number-one cable news show in its time slot. In March 2007, when the show was still airing at 2 a.m., Red Eye averaged 309,000 viewers in its time slot, down about nine percent from March 2006 but still beating MSNBC's true-crime programs and CNN's reruns of Anderson Cooper 360°. In the age 25-54 demographic, however, the show was up 15 percent from the prior year. In March 2006, the 2-3 a.m. time slot averaged 134,000 demo viewers; in March 2007, it was 154,000. In the 18-34 demo, the time slot was up 27 percent, from 33,000 to 42,000.^[6]

After the show moved to its current 3 a.m. time slot in October 2007, Red Eye's ratings decreased. As of the show's one-year anniversary, average viewership dipped 15 percent, to 285,000. The 25-54 demo was down 24 percent, to 123,000.^[7] The show's second anniversary episode on February 5, 2009, however, appeared to show significant improvement: Red Eye averaged 390,000 viewers, with 166,000 in the 25-54 demo; CNN's Larry King Live re-run averaged 301,000 viewers with 108,000 in the demo; and MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews re-run averaged 214,000 viewers with 126,000 in the demo.^[8]

Nielsen also found that in March 2008, 6.1% of Red Eye's total viewership came from those who recorded the show as opposed to watching it when it aired.^[9]

In July 2009, Red Eye averaged 335,000 viewers, with 135,000 in the demo.^[10] In September 2009, Red Eye averaged 433,000 viewers, with 203,000 in the demo.^[11] The program has more overall viewers than every CNBC show, every MSNBC show that is on before Hardball with Chris Matthews, most of Headline News, and American Morning on CNN.^[12] This fact was mentioned on the Rush Limbaugh radio show on Wednesday, October 7, 2009.

In 2009, Red Eye was the 40th-highest rated cable news program, in terms of average total viewers. It averaged 365,000 viewers, with 163,000 in the demo.^[13]

On February 8, 2010, Mediaite reported that during the first week of February, Red Eye surpassed both MSNBC and CNN's prime-time line-ups in the demo. The show "had better ratings in the A25-54 demographic than Campbell Brown at 8pmET and Larry King Live at 9pmET, and tied Anderson Cooper 360° at 10pmET (Monday-Thursday)."^[14]

References

External links

• Official site
• The Daily Gut - Home of each show's Greg-alogue and guest list
• The Activity Pit - Official fan site
• Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld at the Internet Movie Database
• Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld at TV.com