Media Scribbler

Ever thought about how much more  you’d watch CNN if they had Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on as analysts for the debates?

Let’s face it — until they toned it down a month or so ago, MSNBC had the unintentional comedy troupe of Olbermann, Matthews, Buchanan and Maddow. But over at CNN, they’ve been relying on mostly the star power of their political team and all their Twittering.

But now D.L. Hughley is headed for the cable news net to launch something completely new — a panel with Hughley and guests waxing wise on politics, entertainment, sports and pop culture.

Part of me loves this idea, because there hasn’t been anything like this on CNN before, even though they have some seriously funny people there. If you follow the Tweets of Rick Sanchez or Don Lemon or remember Anderson Cooper from his “World News Now” days (the show had a polka, for goodness sake!) you know there’s a base to work from.

But I also hope that the show, which is scheduled Saturday at 10 p.m., which means it will try to draw the early crowd who have been waiting for a new Tina Fey-as-Sarah Palin sketch, will not merely be celebrities blowing off steam and causing controversy. Bill Maher already has a show for that. For that matter, “Larry King Live” isn’t so far away from that.

If CNN really wants to copy the success of Comedy Central, with both their fake news shows and the underappreciated “Lewis Black’s Root Of All Evil” (last week’s competition was between “The Hills” and rocket scientists, which was just a hilarious juxtaposition) and give Hughley and his guests stuff to do. Maybe some pre-taped newsey packages about man-on-the-street reaction, which would seem perfect for Hughley.

Since you’re a news network, let them use their talents for making news. But at the same time, also let them have the freedom to stir up stuff from either direction. Lewis Black did it early on by doing an episode featuring the Church of Scientology, which Black has said will never air (a revisiting of the Tom Cruise mess on “South Park”, maybe?) Let them have opinions and voice them and let everyone react to those voices.

And yes, this includes Twitter. Imagine all of us addicts throwing out topics of discussion while throwing our 140-characters apiece into the mix. After all, the folks who would watch would be the same ones sitting at home chatting and snarking online. Could be a winner.

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