7B
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/The Charlotte Post
Thursday August 7, 1997
‘Vibe’ and ‘Keenen’ go head to head where Arsenio Hall has gone before
By Frazier Moore
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - A new battle-
tront for the late-night wars?
Or just more talk?
It's hard to say right now, but
this much is sure: "The
Keenen Ivoiy Wayans Show"
premiered Monday. "Vibe,"
with host Chris Spencer, also
premiered Monday.
Talk about talk-show syn
chronism!
Each syndicated hour (check
local listings for times and sta
tions) features a young black
host who presides over
celebrity interviews, comedy
and live music from the
hottest bands.
Each program tapes just
hours before airtime, at
Hollywood studios virtually
within shouting distance of
each other.
Each pledges to be different
from Leno's and Letterman's
late-night institutions - and
from the other, even while
echoing each other's spiel (atti
tude, style, energy!).
In short, each wants to land
the audience that's been adrift
these past three years, ever
since "The Arsenio Hall Show"
barked its last. For it was the
pioneering Arsenio who identi
fied the niche of the urban
young adult in late night,
seized it, and then, when he
quit, left behind a tantalizing
vacuum.
So say hello to "Vibe" and
"Keenen." Each dearly hopes
to follow in Arsenio's woof-
steps.
Spencer
"If you look at the landscape
of television, there's a void,"
Wayans noted in a phone
interview
Wednesday,
"so we
couldn't
help say-
i n g ,
' H m m m ,
let's take a
shot.
That's why
other peo
ple had the
same idea
at the same
time."
It's the only time Wayans
brought up "Vibe."
Likewise, in a separate inter
view, Chris Spencer attempted
to keep up the appearance that
he's just tending his own gar
den, with no thought of the one
about to bloom across the way.
"Keenen Williams?"
Playfully garbling Wayans'
name, Spencer feigned sur
prise over his fellow newcom
er. "I hadn't heard!"
Of course, there are a few dif
ferences between "Keenen"
and "Vibe."
Initially "Vibe" vrill be avail
able to 97 percent of the U.S.
audience, while "Keenen" will
be seen in 90 percent of the
nation.
At the outset, Wayans, 39, is
better-known than his "Vibe"
counterpart. The driving force
behind the Fox sketch-comedy
series "In Living Color," he
also wrote, directed and
starred in the film "I'm Gonna
Git You Sucka." He is execu
tive producer as well as host of
the show that bears his name.
A decade younger than
Wayans, Spencer was a rising
comic who had been a guest on
both "Arsenio" and "In Living
Color," as well as a star of a
shortlived Fox sitcom, when
"Vibe's" producers chose him
for the show that bears not his
name but instead that of the
popular young-adult maga
zine. Think of the TV venture
as a sort of brand extension.
But an even bigger brand
name belongs to "Vibe" execu
tive producer Quincy Jones, a
godfather in the entertain
ment world. His star value is
such that he poses beside
Spencer in some of "Vibe's"
publicity shots.
Not surprisingly, "Vibe" talks
big, promising splashy produc
tion values, inventive staging,
even satellite remotes from
glamorous events like pre
mieres and "mega-parties."
"I wish them luck," Wayans
said with a laugh.
"We all have to work within
the confines of the talk-show
genre," he argued, with the
deciding factor in each show's
success not technical pizzazz,
but "the host and that host's
sensibility. Dave has a differ
ent sensibility from Jay. And
I'll have a different sensibility
from them."
As well as that new guy?
"And from Chris," Wayans
said.
Only time will tell if, even in
markets where the two new
shows don't compete head-to-
head, they will b6 forced to
divvy up a finite group of view
ers Arsenio once had all to him
self.
Or if, instead, "Vibe" and
"Keenen" can start with that
audience, then build on it by
attracting the broader demo
graphics both hosts say they
welcome.
As Spencer cracked, "I want
those other people, the people
who now watch cable at night
or rent movies or commit
crimes. I'm gonna bring the
crime rate down with my
show!"
Meanwhile, each host makes
nice with the other, preaching
peaceful coexistence as they set
out on paths that, at the start,
at least, are parallel.
Wayans: "I think there's
enough viewers for everyone."
Spencer: "I think we can hoth
work out."
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32
Continued from 4B
Daniel Winans is the sometimes
forgotten member of the Winans
clan. He’s done several albums,
one of which Brotherly Love, won
a Grammy. He’s back with a new
CD, On The Inside. It’s a dandy.
Like his brothers and sisters,
Daniel is comfortable in either
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Christian or even hip-hop are
nas. This CD leans more toward
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be very happy with this CD.
Daniel is in fine voice. He’s not a
powerful vocalist, nor does he do
vocal gymnastics. He’s sincere
and shows it.
The whole family (except BeBe)
was involved in this work. CeCe
does a haunting duet called
“Without Love.” It’s a heart-tug
ging song of praise. The Winans
add background vocals on ‘Thie
Tb You,” a bubbling, joyous num
ber which asks for help with
vices. And Debbie’s duet called
“My Satisfaction” owes as much
to hip-hop as it does gospel.
Well done, Daniel. Well done,
indeed.
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