Short Returns To Late Night

Sat., May 20, 1995

Christy Slewinski New York Daily News

Martin Short has learned many lessons since last season’s rise and fall of “The Martin Short Show.”

And along with the should-haves, and shouldn’t-haves, the did-dos and didn’t-dos, there’s one thing Short has determined: He really is a latenight kind of guy.

You may, or may not, remember Short’s show - three of six taped episodes aired before the network pulled the comedy for retooling. Original plans were to bring the revamped show back in the spring.

After mulling things over, Short approached NBC with another offer a reworking of his vision into a 90-minute, late-night sketch comedy show. The Peacock approved.

“The Martin Short Show” special, which also stars Short’s former costar, Jan Hooks, will air tonight in Short’s old stomping ground, the 11:30 “Saturday Night Live” slot. The show itself is made up of mostly new material - including spoofs on the celebrity of Kato Kaelin, Fox’s “Models Inc.” and NBC’s prime-time schedule - as well as skits rescued from the unseen “Short Show” episodes.

Short, for one, is happy with the compromise. “I just felt that prime time was not going to be able to house this kind of material - there was always going to be an apprehension about it,” he said.

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