Dennis Miller Does CNBC

Sarcastic stand-up signs on to host a four-night-a-week political talk show on CNBC

By Bridget Byrne Oct 31, 2003 11:15 PMTags

Dennis Miller has a new home.

CNBC is the latest verbal stumping ground for the snarky wit and wisdom of Miller, a six-time Emmy winner who previously held forth as Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" faux newscaster on NBC, Monday Night Football joker in the booth for ABC and Dennis Miller Live all-around funny guy on HBO.

The stand-up comic will be sitting down on the cable net for a four-nights-a-week political talk show. (Yes, another one of those.) The untitled program will be taped in Burbank and begins airing in January at 9 p.m. ET. Terms of the multiyear deal were not disclosed.

In June, the registered Republican, whose cheerleading for George W. has earned him a ride on Air Force One and a lift in the President's limo, was being considered a suitable candidate to provide commentary on Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes' political debate show on Fox News Channel. But that deal fizzled, for reasons unknown, and now Miller will be competing for attention against Fox's Bill O'Reilly, whom Miller describes as running "a good show."

Of course, Miller's more outspoken than that when going after those on his left. He has dubbed filmmaker Michael Moore "a stupid moron" for his "Shame on you, Mr. Bush!" antiwar speech at the Academy Awards, and said of the Democratic presidential candidates, "I haven't seen a starting nine like that since the '62 Mets."

Remarks like those have apparently made Republicans take him so seriously that there had also been intimations he might even join the political fray for real, backed to run against California's Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer.

MSNBC had also considered hiring Miller last year to host a prime-time talk show, but instead went with Phil Donahue, a choice they quickly ditched.

CNBC prime time has been on the down slide recently and next year will lose one of its star names, Brian Williams, who hosts the nightly newscast. Williams is headed to NBC to replace the retiring Tom Brokaw anchoring the network's Nightly News.

Currently in CNBC's 9 p.m. slot is The Capital Report four nights a week and Maria Bartiromo's news show on Mondays.

NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker, who had approached Miller with the CNBC offer, said, in traditional TV exec-speak, "Having Dennis Miller return to the NBC family is one of the most exciting things to happen to us in years."

Miller, meanwhile, described his career choice this way to the Associated Press, "I have the same approach I would use if I were crossing a prison yard late at night. I zigzag to stay ahead of everyone."

Miller's move to CNBC wasn't the only notable cable news casting of the week. ABC's Chris Wallace, who most recently held down a senior correspondent position on the Alphabet net's Primetime Thursday and subbed for Ted Koppel on Nightline, is jumping to Fox News Channel, where he will host Fox News Sunday.

Wallace, the son of 60 Minutes man Mike, had previously served as NBC's chief White House correspondent through much of the 1980s. He is also expected to lead Fox News' coverage of next year's presidential election.