ARsenio HALL, the former prince of late-night television,

returns with a vengeance to reclaim his crown. WooF! WooF!

By AMY ELISA KEITH | Photography by D OVE SHORE

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that he could say, Dad, I think this guy is cool, and up in Seattle,
they love him. It reminds Hall of the slam-dunk debut of Snoop
Lion (then Snoop Doggy Dogg) on the show in 1994 . Clearly, an eye
for talent runs in the family.
Next year will mark 20 years since the original Arsenio Hall Show
went dark. Throwback nostalgia, however, has its limits. Everybody thinks you come back and, Its Arsenio, so give him a show,
but it wasnt like that, says Hall, admitting it took him five years
to convince network executives to gamble on him again. I talked
to one [executive,] and she looked at me like I farted, he says, eyebrows raised. She had no understanding of why I would want to
come back after all this time.

Arsenio Hall, who once reigned supreme over 90s

late-night TVs younger audience, is getting a second
shot at fame, fortune and millions of woofing fans.
And hes damned scared

playing to win

Now shooting the new talk show on a fraction of the budget of his
previous deal, Hall is not in it for the money. He has given up the
company jet and lavish penthouses. The funnymanwho still feels
like a 12-year-old practicing magic back in Clevelandhas returned
to the late-night chair for one reason: He wanted that excitement
back. After his good friend George Lopezs talk show ended, Hall
was not only struck by the void left in his wake but also couldnt stop

Sitting in his corner

office with a view of
the Hollywood sign,
Hall says, Its incredible to be back.
R E E D S A X O N / /A P/ C orb i s

fter all, Hall is no stranger to the exhilarating highs and stomach-dropping lows of show biz. Theres a fear,
and I think thats what makes me not
come back lazy; I failed in this town,
says the 57-year-old entertainer and
father. Smacking the conference table in his L.A. production office, he
says, I know what failure feels like.
On the other hand, he knows that
success is oh-so-sweet since stepping back into the bright lights in September, to now host the 21stcentury version of his Arsenio Hall Show. Eyeing a stack of promotional posters bearing his name in big block letters, Hall grins. Its
incredible to be back. The CBS hourlong nationally syndicated talk
show [check local listings for air time] feels like home for the comedic vet who is plotting to get Beyonc and daughter Blue Ivy on his
stage, perhaps as the New Age version of Bill Clinton and his sax.
Ill even take Matthew [Knowles], he jokes.
For his second act, Hall is taking the best of his previous talk
shows format and remixing it with current affairs and musical
acts, including The Posse, his newly formed house band.
Once known for having his finger on the pulse of young
America, Hall 2.0 aims at an older demographic, ages 35 to
55, which he considers the grown-up version of the rumpshaking college kids he used to target. Hes ditched the
flattop, shoulder pads and baggy suits but, at press time,
Hall is still debating whether to bring back his ultimate
fan section, the Dog Pound. Not to worry. He has not tired

of the woofing and hopes his audience will continue the nostalgic
show of love. When I go to the mall or when me and my son go to
Disneyland, people bark. Thats how they say hello to me, says Hall.
With a quick snap of his fingers, he spontaneously launches into a
story about his son, Arsenio Jr., 14 (whose mother is Halls former
manager Cheryl Bonacci), who has been trying to bargain with his
dad to stay up late so he can attend the nightly tapings. Im like,
How about Fridays? but hes like, Dad, you keep telling me this is
history, Hall says, laughing. He got me.
Fatherhood, Hall admits, was what lured him away from Hollywood after his first taste of famethat along with the complacency
that often accompanies stardom. I approached [the business] like
a fat, rich, lazy Hollywood artist who really wanted to be with his
son, he says recalling a canned DreamWorks sitcom deal. All I
wanted was some semblance of a family. Soon after, parenting
became first priority, and carpooling and homework replaced 24/7
working hours and late-night partying with the likes of Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy. Hall is better at juggling daddy duties this
time around: Part of being a dad is getting a call at 10:30 a.m. [from
my son saying,] I forgot my lunch card, my locker key and all of
that. But raising a teenager has its perks. Hes my consultant,
says the proud papa, beaming as he recounts Juniors suggestion
that he book Macklemore to perform on the show. It was so cool

friends such as Alec Baldwin and Quincy Jones from nagging him
about a comeback. I had paper and wasnt happy because I wasnt
telling jokes and doing what I wanted to do. Winning Celebrity Apprentice in 2012, plus short stints on Access Hollywood and Piers Morgan Live only whetted his appetite for the limelight. I hadnt gotten
it out of my system, he admits.
Like a realistic jokester, Hall is already working on material hell
use should the show get canned. Theres no guarantee, he says as
he looks out over Studio A1 with the view of the Hollywood sign in
the distance. Im coming back and at the same time thinking that
if I fail, Ill say it was a special.
Humor aside, even if just for a moment, Hall is banking on his
seasoned skills and urban following to distinguish him from fellow
talk show hosts the Jimmys (Kimmel and Fallon). Im trying to
make history. Whether its discussing hot-button politics or letting Kanye West do a 20-minute set, Hall insists, I know what my
grassroots audience needs. And if all doesnt go according to plan,
he can always call Bobby Brown to do a killer performance of My
Prerogative to blow the whole thing into one big house party. No
matter what happens, if I fail, I did my best and I failed doing my
thing, he says, flashing that megawatt grin. We can bark to that.

Then-presidential
candidate Bill Clinton
won over young American
voters with a saxophone
solo in 1992.

theres a
fear, and i
think thats
what makes me
not come back
lazy; i failed
in this town.
. . . im trying
to make
history.
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