While promoting his show to television critics over the summer, Martin Short brushed off a question about whether his format would confuse the audience.
That format had the real Short playing a fictional Martin Short who had a fictional wife (Jan Hooks) who also co-starred on his fictional TV variety show - meaning that his fictional wife was also playing fictional characters on that fictional variety show."I remember as a kid watching the first `Laugh-In.' I said, `What's this?' " Short said. "Within three shows, I just got it."
As it turns out, within three shows "The Martin Short Show" just "got it," too - yanked off the air that is.
And not a moment too soon. An unwatchable mish-mash of weak sketches and terrible sitcom, "Martin Short" has been dragging down NBC's efforts to build a comedy block on Tuesday nights.
This "Short" disaster leaves three unanswered questions:
1. Whatever possessed NBC to think that Martin Short could carry a weekly sitcom to begin with?
2. Why didn't NBC just cut its losses and cancel this show altogether? Amazingly, the show is still in production, and NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield has promised that it will return to his network sometime in December.
3. How could it possibly take anyone three shows to "get" "Laugh-In"?
CLAIRVOYANCE: Short may have been kidding when he looked at what the future might hold for him. Or maybe he's clairvoyant.
"Cut to a year from now when I'm a neighbor on `Roseanne,' " he said.
Short should be so lucky.
STUNT CASTING: Yes, "Frasier" has been getting beaten badly by "Home Improvement" in the ratings.
But "Frasier" will be bringing on a secret weapon - Lilith.
Bebe Neuwirth, whose appearance as Frasier's ex-wife last season brought the show its best ratings ever, will guest star in a pair of upcoming episodes. (No air dates have been set yet.)
And if the race with "Improvement" doesn't tighten up, don't be surprised if the producers accede to Ted Danson's publicly stated desire to do a guest appearance as Sam Malone.
SCHEDULE SWITCH? In another highly publicized ratings battle - this one between medical dramas - NBC's excellent "E.R." is beating the stuffings out of CBS's excellent "Chicago Hope" on Thursday nights.
Rumor is that CBS may move its show - and sooner instead of later. Stay tuned . . .
HE LIVES: When David Caruso is written out of "NYPD Blue" after four episodes, his character (John Kelly) won't be killed off.
Too bad.
The show returns to ABC's Tuesday night schedule next week.
WILLARD IN UTAH: "Today" show weatherman Willard Scott will be doing his forecasts on Wednesday morning from right here in Utah.
The big guy will be in Park City, and he'll undoubtedly gush about the Beehive State between the weather and birthday greetings.
QUOTABLE: Julie Brown, who worked with Geena Davis on "Earth Girls Are Easy," was more than a bit surprised when Davis won a best supporting actress Academy Award for her role in "Accidental Tourist"
"It's like anybody at any time could suddenly win an Oscar," Brown said "While we were making `Earth Girls,' I liked Geena, but she was (ticking) me off a few times. And then the next year she wins an Oscar. It's just very weird.
"So, I guess you should be nice to everybody, huh?"
As to why she was upset with Davis, "I had written this script and she's a wonderful actress, but she was, like, making out with Jeff (Goldblum - her husband at the time) and not concentrating," Brown said. "She wasn't doing this one scene the way I thought she should have done it."