CHRIS ROCK SHOW, THE {ARSENIO HALL, PUFF DADDY} {SECOND SEASON PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The second season premiere in this series of nighttime talk shows hosted by Chris Rock. This episode features guest appearances by Arsenio Hall and musical performers Puff Daddy and Mase. The program opens with Greg Gumbel's news bulletin stating that Rock has been killed in the ongoing "Comedy Wars," and several other noteworthy comedy figures, including Robert Townsend, Jimmie Walker, Nipsey Russell, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Janeane Garafolo and Andrew Dice Clay, offer their opinions on the "tragedy," in which Carrot Top is soon implicated. In his opening monologue, Rock comments on the following topics: the strong backlash against aggressive paparazzi since the death of Princess Diana; Al Sharpton's bid for mayor of New York; the latest in the story of Abner Louima's assault by New York police; a report that Montclair, New Jersey is an ideal spot for interracial couples; and the recent release of Forbes magazine's list of the most successful musicians. Rock then performs a song "honoring" the recent death of violent Congo dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
Hall then joins Rock onstage and discusses the following: his experience with fans', especially female fans', reaction to his celebrity; the competition between "The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show" and Quincy Jones' program "Vibe"; his "rivalry" and pranks with other comedians like Eddie Murphy; and how current singers' lyrics are far more frank about their sexual connotations than those of past artists. Next, Rock talks with "Professor Thad Taylor," who asserts that racism is at an all-time high and shows video footage of himself facing discrimination in restaurants and cabs, though Rock notes that he is inexplicably nude in all of the scenes shown. Finally, Puff Daddy and Mace perform "Been Around the World."
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: November 30, 1999 11:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:26:51
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 122117
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Comedy; African-American Collection - News/Talk; Talk/Interview
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 1997-2000
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Chris Rock … Executive Producer
- Michael Rotenberg … Executive Producer
- Nancy Geller … Executive Producer
- Nina Rosenstein … Coordinating Producer
- Sue Fellows … Supervising Producer
- Liz Stanton-Tormey … Producer
- Jeff Stilson … Producer, Writer
- Jon Hayman … Producer, Writer
- Louis C.K. … Co-Producer, Writer
- Chuck Sklar … Co-Producer, Writer
- Nelson George … Consulting Producer
- Tara Elia … Segment Producer
- Krysia Plonka … Segment Producer
- Melanie Roy … Segment Producer
- Linda Mendoza … Director
- Lance Crouther … Writer
- Gregory Greenberg … Writer
- Ali LeRoi … Writer
- Paul Kozlowski … Writer
- Wanda Sykes Hall (see also: Wanda Sykes) … Writer
- Grandmaster Flash … Music by
- Lenny Kravitz … Theme Music by
- Chris Rock … Host
- Montaria Ivey … Announcer
- Arsenio Hall … Guest, Interviewee
- Puff Daddy (see also: Sean Combs; P. Diddy) … Guest, Performer
- Mase (see also: Ma$e) … Guest, Performer
- Greg Gumbel … Guest
- Robert Townsend … Guest
- Jimmie Walker … Guest
- Nipsey Russell … Guest
- Keenen Ivory Wayans … Guest
- Janeane Garofalo … Guest
- Andrew Dice Clay … Guest
- Carrot Top … Guest
- Mario Joyner … Cast, Professor Thad Taylor
- Quincy Jones
- Abner Louima
- Eddie Murphy
- Mobutu Sese Seko
- Al Sharpton
- Diana Spencer (see also: Princess Diana)