The Chevy Chase Show (1993– ) User Reviews

So Bad It's Good (in retrospect)

[Eclectic Critic · 2 December 2000]

It's hard to believe that seven years have passed since I watched the unbelievably awkward "Chevy Chase Show". I think only the sadistic could have really enjoyed viewing it, such was Chevy Chase's discomfort doing something he clearly was ill prepared for. The first show opened with a bit where Chevy was putting his handprints on the walk of fame and wound up falling in. Immediately I knew we were in trouble. Little did I know that that would be the highlight of the show.

The interview with Goldie Hawn, the first guest, has to go down as the most painful, cringe-inducing interview ever seen on national TV. It certainly is the worst I've ever seen. Chevy was so nervous and his questions were so inane that even Goldie seemed to sense the disaster that was occurring. He engaged in the kind of graceless small talk that would be tedious at a cocktail party, let alone a talk show being viewed by millions. He was just trying to survive and that doesn't lead to pleasant viewing. When I think back on it now, I agree with some of the comments made that it is a sort of cult item, particularly that first show. Enough time has passed where it can be enjoyed as a "so bad it's good" form of entertainment. But while watching it the first time, I know I, and probably quite a few others, just felt sorry for Chevy. He was in way over his head. It does make me appreciate other talk show hosts more, though. It takes special skills and abilities, some probably inborn, to make it all look easy.

I watched a few more shows after that first one-though I can't remember any of the guests-and Chevy did improve somewhat. At least he seemed to relax a little-a "little". Still, even as early as the second show, the only reason to tune in was to see how bad it was going to be. And that incentive was only good for a couple of shows. After that, it was just dull.

"The Chevy Chase Show" was doomed within the first five minutes of the first show. It ranks as one of the most humiliating professional moments in any entertainer's career and, to this day, when I think of Chevy Chase, his show is what stands out in my mind. It taints his whole career for me and undoes a lot of the good that Caddyshack and the Vacation movies had done for that career.

Absolutely the Worst Talk Show in the History of Mankind

[qormi · 1/10 · 27 December 2008]

This show was extremely pathetic, but I would buy the DVD of the aired shows in a minute because they are unintentionally hilarious! For one thing, Chevy Chase seemed to have been strung out on antidepressants, horse tranquilizers, or something; because he was so inept as a host as to seem deliberately horrendous.

He sat down at a desk with a huge 500-galloon salt-water tropical fish tank behind him. This was a novel concept and I liked it. Unfortunately, during one episode, the water had a brownish tinge to it and the fish were obviously dying. It seems that a stage hand with an axe to grind had dumped a cup of coffee into the aquarium. The next show, the tank was gone.

His interviewing skills were so bad as to make Carson Daly seem like Mike Wallace. I remember one interview with Dean Cain where Chevy actually smirked at him and suggested that Cain was gay. You could tell that Dean Cain was visibly restraining himself from punching out the inept host.

This show was quickly cancelled and it's no mystery as to why.

Is it as bad as you've heard? Well... YES!

[Wizard-8 · 1/10 · 20 January 2019]

After reading so many bad reviews of this short-lived talk show, and hearing many bad reports of the show by ordinary viewers, I finally decided to watch the first episode (via YouTube) to see for myself if the show was really that awful. Yes, it was just as bad as it has been made out to be. While Chevy Chase is funny in movies and sketches on television, the position of being a talk show host does not fit him in the least bit. From the start, he is clearly nervous and befuddled about his position, and watching him desperately struggle gives you the feeling of seeing a drowning man in front of you and being unable to help him. The written humor sections of the show by Chase and other writers is just as bad, though the poor delivery certainly didn't help things. It's amazing that the FOX television network didn't first shoot a pilot to see if Chase could handle this new position being offered to him - it would have saved a lot of money (and embarrassment) in the long run.

Beyond terrible

[jqktkrhx · 1/10 · 28 December 2022]

Probably the worst,most uncomfortable show I've ever watched but yet I kept coming back because I couldn't believe I was actually watching such an unbelievable disaster. Love the old Chevy but talk show host was not for him. Chevy had absolutely no idea what to do or say at any point. I remember being completely boxed back in my early 20's and coming home and watching this with my jaw down to the floor in absolute amazement. Definitely check out the episode where Goldie Hawn sings Happy Birthday to Chevy. I could feel myself sweating because I was so uncomfortable for him. So bad, so very very bad.

Unique ideas and trends...

[Demonguy · 10/10 · 13 August 2006]

I remember waiting in anticipation for this series to start. Always a fan of his, I knew that his show would be a little different and more entertaining, (read: less dry), than the offerings that were available. I thought "The Pat Sajak Show" was the worst new talk show by the way.

He held the traditional talk show stage with a few differences. He moved about his stage with ease and with the same style that people are expecting from him.

He differed from his contemporaries by only focusing on 2 guests per night. Let the viewer see and hear more about his guests than other talk show hosts at the time.

The only low-light of his short lived program was a despicable, rude appearance by Corben Bernsen. He came in straight away criticizing Chevy and, in the worst mannered ungrateful way, gave back his appearance gift he thought was cheap, and marched off the stage.

Others view this program as terrible. I believe it is because Chevy is unique in his talent. And, it is some of the more simple and base forms of entertainment. To some people, he's too staid in his style.

Why it failed

[haizen · 26 March 2008]

I remember this show very well and wished very much for it to succeed. Chevy is likable and talented... but NOT as an interviewer. He was terrible. He simply was totally uncomfortable being in the position of having the full responsibility of being the host and improvising in the moment, and he appeared to have no idea how to have fun with guests and ask the simplest of questions: his mind would go blank and he just sat there at a loss, apparently terrified. It was a shame. He had Tom Scott's great band, and when the show folded -- after 5 weeks? -- there goes the band, there goes the opportunity, and there goes the audience. The show was genuinely that bad. Ya have to be able to take your mind off yourself if you're going to be able to interview people effectively, and unfortunately he had no clue how to do this. Perhaps the timing was bad and he just wasn't reading to go on the air as himself rather than as a character. Still, he was likable and I was sorry that he couldn't make a go of it. Even Goldie Hawn as a guest was unable to bring out the best in Chevy Chase as an interviewer. Those 5 weeks must have been pure agony. Toward the end of the show's run, I know it was for the audience, and it was truly merciful that the show was finally pulled.

Unintentionally hilarious

[Aaron-17 · 10 March 1999]

This notoriously short-lived talk show definitely falls into the "so-bad-it's-good" category. The premiere episode featured a Goldie Hawn interview and musical number that will go down in cringe-inducing television history. Trust me; in ten more years, THE CHEVY CHASE SHOW will be a sought-after cult item for lovers of shlock (the same folks who shell out big bucks to snicker at old Dean Martin roasts). Some enterprising video company should jump on the bandwagon!

Unnatural Disaster

[A_Minor_Blip · 3 May 2006]

Wow was this show bad. I actually bought a DVD online of the first episode. It's so great to watch. It's such a disaster. Have you ever seen the film BROADCAST NEWS? This film centers on three people in the news, two of whom are males, one a talented newscaster, another a talented news writer. The news writer wants to be a newscaster (he thinks it'll be easy since it seems so brainless compared to writing the news), and so he tries out, on the air, to read the news, and finds it's a lot harder than he'd realized (and that the newscaster guy, whom he thought was dumb, really had some talent). This news writer is sweating on the air, his lips are thin, his face pale. This is how Chevy looked for the entire six weeks of his show. Like he had no idea what he'd gotten into. A deer caught in headlights, that of a Mack truck, and the truck didn't stop. There's one point on the show where Chevy had Queen Latifah as a guest. As usual with his guests, there was a point of very uncomfortable silence (this show was like watching a bad first date). During this silence, Chevy turned to the actress and said, "So... Queen Latifah", in a tone like he was just passing time before... the show's demise, which happened only weeks after. Oh man was this show bad. Bad and sad. Here's the situation in a nutshell: With the likes of Johnny Carson and David Letterman, who are only famous for interviewing famous people, to be a buffer between the general public and famous people, you MUST at least SEEM interested in their lives. Chevy was just another billionaire, just like his guests, and he could care less of their doings (and vice versa). This shined through. Oh yes, the Chevy Chase Show, one of the worst in television history... and the funnest to watch. I wish I had the entire season on DVD. I'd watch it on a loop, a loop without end.

And you're not (funny, that is)

[Professr-4 · 25 June 1999]

I wish episodes were re-run or available on tape because nobody who hasn't seen it can understand how truly awful it was.

Why it ever came into being is a mystery because the host hadn't been funny in years and, even in his heyday, his talents were extremely limited.

He rode into public prominence on the whirlwind that was the original SNL, and in many ways, symbolized the show, although his talents paled next to those of his castmates. But his smug irreverence touched a nerve in those post-Watergate, the-systems-sucks-so-let's-have-a-few-laughs days. He was the first to leave SNL and certainly proved the axiom about striking when the iron is hot by churning out a few humorous, money-making films before reaching his level of incompetence and cannonballing into a series of unfunny comedies and endless "Vacation" remakes.

A good movie could be made about the original SNL cast and what became of them; Gilda and Belushi aside, I think the saddest case is Aykroyd, who may have been the funniest of the original crew and has now deteriorated into appearing in the type of vehicles he used to lampoon with laser-like precision.

BTW, Bill Murray, for you youngsters, was NOT an original SNL cast member.

Chevy Chase became Merv Griffin with this show, minus the class

[cinemadave · 21 October 2005]

When I was in 8th Grade, Chevy Chase was a hero of mine in 1976. Despite all the hype and support of the fledging FOX Network, "The Chevy Chase Show" revealed Chevy Chase as a petty man who had become what he once mocked.

The Goldie Hawn interview is a legend of bad taste. I remember Dan Aykroyd being a guest on the show. At least Aykroyd provided some dignity to his old co star. Aykroyd sang "Rubber Biscuit." Chase kept saying, "Boy we used to have a good time." And at point, Chevy Chase went from cool to Merv Griffin!

Given his public meltdowns as of late, we have come to see that Chevy Chase's source of comedy was not cleverness, but self loathing. Like his old SNL writer, mean spirited humor does not appeal to individuals beyond the 8th Grade.

A talented, hilarious and original work of art.

[sww7044 · 24 August 2000]

This was an under rated show. It was easily one of the best shows ever. The comedy was rich and drop dead funny. Chevy Chase, with the power of "funny" delivers a hour of on the floor laughing. The skits often made me have random outbursts of chuckles for the next month. And the monologue, well I wish I knew the secret because it was too funny to even repeat. Chevy Chase is a comic genius that needs to be stopped or I will die of laughter. And to all you people out there that criticize this work of art are just plain jealous. Chevy, if you are reading this, don't listen to them. They want your talent but won't get it. This show was brilliant. Chevy brought outstanding wit to the interviews and had perfect timing. This show will always hold a legacy of memories and an impact to the comic world and heart for internity.