Comedian and actor David Alan Grier, perhaps best remembered as Damon Wayans’ other half of the circle-snapping, flamboyant movie-critic duo on the groundbreaking 1990-94 Fox sketch-comedy show In Living Color, could soon be hosting a talk show for Fox’s Twentieth Television.
Twentieth declined to comment on whether it is talking to the actor (we hear that there’s a firm pilot commitment, but it hasn’t been shot yet). To succeed, Grier would need to convince programmers at the Fox O&Os and stations beyond the core launch group that he has the chops for talk-show TV.
After seeing plenty of multi-talented performers, many with big names, fail as hosts over the years, stations have become somewhat immune to chat-show pitches. Especially after having to listen to the banished talent later admit that conversing with guests is not as easy as it looks—particularly when it requires them to appear riveted by a starlet’s description of her latest straight-to-video epic. But given that Grier possesses a master’s degree from Yale’s School of Drama, in addition to scores of dramatic and comedic acting credits, he might be just the man for the job.
