When Bill Maher Wanted Me Fired From Comedy Central: Art Bell

<p>Creator of Comedy Central, author of the book <em>Constant Comedy</em></p> <p>Notes and links: <a href="https://www.markgraban.com/mistake57">https://www.markgraban.com/mistake57</a></p> <p>My guest for Episode #57 is <a href="https://www.artbellwriter.com/">Art Bell</a>, the creator of The Comedy Channel (which later became Comedy Central). He's also the author of the book <a href="https://amzn.to/2Q0PpbQ"><em>Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor</em></a>, and co-host of the podcast “<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/sc/podcast/constant-comedy-with-art-bell-vinnie-favale-season-1/id1559804362">Constant Comedy</a>.”</p> <p>Today, we talk about Art's “favorite mistake” (it involves the comedian and talk show host Bill Maher) and topics and questions including:</p> <ul> <li>The ad campaign for “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher” and how that ended up leading to an award</li> <li>Why it's bad to surprise the talent</li> <li>Did Al Franken walk out on “<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-30-ca-1436-story.html">State of the Union: Undressed</a>” because he didn’t know it was going to be live??<br> Was that show a better fit, the next year, for Dennis Miller?<br> </li> <li>Having to often talk Nancy Grace into going on the air on Court TV</li> <li>Is it risky to write a memoir like this? Did you need lawyers involved to make sure you weren’t making a mistake?</li> <li><a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1gy0p">Jon Stewart – on “Short Attention Span Theater</a>,&nbsp;was it a mistake to fire his co host <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWlqpgwm7QE&amp;ab_channel=kvnpwrs">Patty Rosborough</a> without taking to him? – telling or asking? He was surprised…<br> Mistake for them to not make him the original host of The Daily Show?<br> </li> <li>Mistake for Michael Fuchs to say the programming quality was a 2 or 3 out of 10?<br> You decided quickly it was a mistake to say you were quitting?<br> </li> <li>New York mag called the chan