Magic Johnson Will Court Late-Night Fans in Summer

Earvin “Magic” Johnson will attempt to score in the late-night talk-show arena when “The Magic Hour” debuts in syndication next June, Twentieth Television executives said Tuesday.

But the announcement of Johnson’s entry, which had been expected, threw a shroud of confusion and uncertainty over the highly competitive late-night scene, particularly with regard to the future of “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show,” which debuted last August.

Twentieth Television honchos said that Johnson’s show is expected to air at either 11 or 11:30 p.m. and already has been sold to KTTV-TV Channel 11 and the other 21 Fox-owned and -operated stations, which currently air Wayans’ talk show in late night.

The arrival of Johnson’s show, sources said, will probably result in Wayans being moved to a later period after “The Magic Hour,” where there would be fewer viewers available.

But other sources insisted that Johnson’s show is planned only for a summer test run, and that the Fox stations are still in negotiations for the renewal of “Wayans.”

Further complicating the late-night picture is the future of “Vibe,” another syndicated talk show that debuted against Wayans and also has been struggling in the ratings. Viewership has improved since actor-comedian Sinbad replaced original host Chris Spencer in October, but Sinbad has not yet made a long-term commitment to stay with the show, which is distributed by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution.

Executives with the Fox station group, Columbia TriStar Television Distribution and Buena Vista Television, which produces and distributes “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show,” declined comment.

But one highly placed source said that Twentieth Television “would not have made a multimillion-dollar commitment to Johnson’s show if it were not going to be in time periods such as 11 p.m. or 11:30 p.m.”

Twentieth Television President Rick Jacobson said, “If Magic’s show doesn’t perform, it probably won’t be on past the summer. But we are totally confident and fully expect the show to perform and continue for years and years.”

The show is premiering in the summer, Jacobson said, “because there will be a greater audience available. It’s a great time to launch the show and give us momentum going into the fall.”

Jacobson said he has no concerns about the former basketball star scoring in late night, even though “Vibe” and “Wayans,” which were both targeted to youthful urban audiences, have both not performed up to expectations.

“I don’t think there’s a cloud over Magic at all,” Jacobson said. “What both those other shows demonstrated was that there is a certain segment that wants to watch late night but never did. That doesn’t mean the genre is not a successful one.”

He added: “The major difference is Magic himself and who he appeals to. We believe Magic has the opportunity to appeal to a very large audience. His popularity will bring in people who were not brought in by the other shows. Then it will be our job to build an ensemble around him. That will make this a unique entertainment experience.”