''The Dennis Miller Show'' was a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

American comedy and

talk radio show Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

hosted by comedian

Dennis Miller Dennis Michael Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American talk show host, political commentator, sports commentator, actor, and comedian. He was a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1991, and he subsequently hosted a stri ...

Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The compan ...

. The show ran from 2007 until 2015.

Show airtime and format

''The Dennis Miller Show'' aired at different times at various locations with Miller broadcasting out of his home in the

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Co ...

area and with the rest of the show being broadcast from Culver City, California.

Website

The radio show also featured a website with additional material for paid subscribers. The additional website material included a message board, merchandise, and video clips of Dennis answering viewers questions in segment called the "Bathrobe Sessions".

Music

''The Dennis Miller Show'' used music as a significant part of the show. Each Wednesday featured music from a different artist or musical theme, billed as “Bumper Music Wednesday.” Many of the selections were of a

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

format. Frequent bumper music included the ending of " Eclipse" by Pink Floyd, a middle section of "

Radar Love "Radar Love" is a song by the Dutch rock band Golden Earring. The single version of "Radar Love" reached #10 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 and #13 in ''Billboard'' in the United States. It also hit the Top 10 in many countries, including the United ...

" by

Golden Earring Golden Earring (originally known as The Tornados) was a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as The Golden Earrings. They achieved worldwide fame with their international hit songs "Radar Love" in 1973, which went to number one on t ...

, and a piano section of " New Year's Day" by U2.

Notable sayings and characters

* Chimp doctor * Kwok Brothers commercials * Touching Indians—taking phones called, saying from ''

Lost in America ''Lost in America'' is a 1985 American satirical road comedy film directed by Albert Brooks and co-written by Brooks with Monica Johnson. The film stars Brooks alongside Julie Hagerty as a married couple who decide to quit their jobs and travel ...

'' * Slappy and Comandante—fake names for producer Christian and Dennis, aping

Morning zoo Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the wackiness and zaniness of the activities, segments, and overall personality of the show and its hosts. The morning zoo conce ...

radio personalities * "Shalom Aloha"—"and an Aloha Shalom to you" * "Skeetuh?"—"Skeetuh good." * Bit surfin'—"Two Tags on Every Bit!" (Bad joke built off a previous good joke.) * "Starship"—cue to play ''

We Built This City "We Built This City" is a 1985 song by American rock band Starship. It was released as their debut single on their album '' Knee Deep in the Hoopla''. It was written by English musicians Martin Page and Bernie Taupin, who were both living in Lo ...

'' * "Cheng Huan lived alone in a room on Formosa Street above the ''Blue Lantern'', and he sat at his window and in his poor, listening heart..." (Audio clip from ''

Out of Africa ''Out of Africa'' is a memoir by the Danish author Karen Blixen. The book, first published in 1937, recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya, then called British East Africa. The book is a lyrical meditation on ...

'' played when Dennis rambled too much on an obscure humor attempt.) * Siamnesia Torncurtain, the cat shouter—"Hey, get off that!" * The love theme from ''

The Delta Force ''The Delta Force'' is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin (in his final film appearance) as leaders of an elite group of Special Operations Forces personnel based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. Directe ...

'', special music * Dennis' former dog—Chicken Leg Desmond, Welfare Cheat * Woodsy Monckton, the Procrastinative Survivalist * Cass Stokeley, consumptive bouncer * The Burglar Owl—"Who? Me?"

Notable political guests

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

, former

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

* Dick Cheney, former

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...

, former

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

* Donald Rumsfeld, former U.S. Secretary of Defense * Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City *

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current m ...

Michael Chertoff Michael Chertoff (born November 28, 1953) is an American attorney who was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security to serve under President George W. Bush. Chertoff also served for one additional day under President Barack Obama. ...

, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security * John McCain, U.S. senator and former presidential candidate * Mitt Romney, former presidential candidate and

Massachusetts governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuset ...

* Jack Kemp, former vice presidential candidate, HUD Secretary, and congressman * Sarah Palin, former vice presidential candidate and

Alaska governor The governor of Alaska ( Iñupiaq: ''Alaaskam kavanaa'') is the head of government of Alaska. The governor is the chief executive of the state and is the holder of the highest office in the executive branch of the government as well as being the ...

* Paul Ryan, congressman and former vice presidential candidate *

Ted Sorensen Theodore Chaikin Sorensen (May 8, 1928 – October 31, 2010) was an American lawyer, writer, and presidential adviser. He was a speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy, as well as one of his closest advisers. President Kennedy once called hi ...

, special counsel and speechwriter for

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (born January 17, 1954) is an American environmental lawyer and author known for promoting anti-vaccine propaganda and conspiracy theories. Kennedy is a son of U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy and a nephew of President ...

, environmental activist and son of

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

Frequent guests

* Debra Saunders, conservative columnist from San Francisco *

Victor Davis Hanson Victor Davis Hanson (born September 5, 1953) is an American commentator, classicist, and military historian. He has been a commentator on modern and ancient warfare and contemporary politics for ''The New York Times'', ''Wall Street Journal'', ...

, conservative historian and author from California *

John Bolton John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United Sta ...

, former UN ambassador (played on to the song "

I Am the Walrus "I Am the Walrus" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 television film ''Magical Mystery Tour''. Written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released as the B-side to the single "Hello, Goodbye" a ...

" due to his

walrus moustache The walrus moustache is characterized by whiskers that are thick, bushy, and drop over the mouth. The style resembles the whiskers of a walrus, hence the name. History Reportedly an ethnic trait of Celts and Gauls, the walrus moustache enj ...

) *

David Dreier David Timothy Dreier OAE (/ draɪər/; born July 5, 1952) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California from 1981 to 2013. He was one ...

, former California congressman (a weekly guest during the first few years) * Jillian Melchior, ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

'' columnist *

Charles Krauthammer Charles Krauthammer (; March 13, 1950 – June 21, 2018) was an American political columnist. A moderate liberal who turned independent conservative as a political pundit, Krauthammer won the Pulitzer Prize for his columns in ''The Washingt ...

, conservative columnist, author, and television commentator *

Jerome Corsi Jerome Robert Corsi (born August 31, 1946) is an American politcal scientist and author critical of the left wing. His two ''New York Times'' best-selling books, '' Unfit for Command'' (2004) and ''The Obama Nation'' (2008), attacked Democrat ...

, conservative writer and conspiracy theorist (played on to the theme music from ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'') *

Mike Murphy Michael James Murphy (born 20 October 1941) is an Irish broadcaster, actor and property developer. He is best known for his long broadcasting career with RTÉ, presenting many TV shows such as ''The Live Mike'', '' Winning Streak'' and '' The Bi ...

, Republican Party political consultant (played on to the theme music from '' The Dam Busters'') * Bill Kristol, editor of the ''

Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...

'' and television commentator * Thaddeus McCotter, former Michigan congressman and presidential candidate *

Mark Steyn Mark Steyn (; born December 8, 1959) is a Canadian author and a radio and television presenter. He has written several books, including ''The New York Times'' bestsellers '' America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It'', ''After America: G ...

, conservative author and music critic *

Peter Noone Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone (born 5 November 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor. He was the lead singer "Herman" in the 1960s pop group Herman's Hermits. Early life Noone was born in Davyhulme, Lancashir ...

, singer from Herman's Hermits and Santa Barbara neighbor *

Orson Bean Orson Bean (born Dallas Frederick Burrows; July 22, 1928 – February 7, 2020) was an American film, television, and stage actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He was a game show and talk show host and a "mainstay of Los Angeles’ small ...

, actor, comedian, and raconteur * Zuhdi Jasser, Muslim critic of extreme Islamism *

Dana Carvey Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his seven seasons as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1993, which earned him fiv ...

, comedian and impressionist *

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock ...

, rock musician and hunting-rights advocate * Adam Sandler, comedian, actor, and film-maker *

Norm Macdonald Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...

, comedian, actor and writer *

Jesse Lee Peterson Jesse Lee Peterson (born May 22, 1949) is an American conservative radio host, pastor, and broadcaster. He is the founder of Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND), a far-right Christian ministry, and hosts the programs ''The Jesse Le ...

, founder of The Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny *

Kyndra Rotunda Kyndra Kaye Rotunda (née Miller, born 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and former officer in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps . She is a law professor at the Chapman University School of Law. Education She atten ...

, former officer in the U.S. Army JAG Corps *

Thomas Sowell Thomas Sowell (; born June 30, 1930) is an American author, economist, political commentator and academic who is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. With widely published commentary and books—and as a guest on TV and radio—he becam ...

, economist, author, and photographer *

Jake Tapper Jacob Paul Tapper (born March 12, 1969) is an American journalist, author, and cartoonist. He is the lead Washington anchor for CNN, hosts the weekday television news show '' The Lead with Jake Tapper'', and co-hosts the Sunday morning public a ...

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

and

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

correspondent (nicknamed by Dennis as Tap-Tap the Chiseler) * Bob Massi,

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

legal analyst (nicknamed by Dennis as Classy Bobby Massi)

Program staff

* Christian Bladt, producer and

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

during later years. * David S. Weiss, comedian and sidekick from March 2007 until February 2010. * The rest of the staff were given nicknames with the sound board operators named Liev and Saberhagen and the call screeners and additional staff named Coltrane, Munga, and Agent Starling.

Frequent substitute hosts

* Larry O'Connor, a website writer and former theatre manager *

Andrew Breitbart Andrew James Breitbart (; February 1, 1969 – March 1, 2012) was an American conservative journalist, and political commentator who was the founder of ''Breitbart News'' and a co-founder of ''HuffPost''. After helping in the early stages of '' ...

, a conservative website publisher and commentator *

Nick DiPaolo Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealing * Short for nickname Place ...

, a stand-up comedian * Royal F. Oakes, a Los Angeles-area lawyer and legal analyst *

Douglas Urbanski Douglas Urbanski is an American film producer and occasional film actor. He is a twice Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe Nominated and BAFTA-winning motion picture producer. Life and career Urbanski was born in Somerville, New Jersey. In addition ...

, a film producer and raconteur * Christian Bladt, the show’s producer * Other mostly one-time substitute hosts included

Jon Lovitz Jonathan Michael Lovitz (; born July 21, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1990. Lovitz starred as Jay Sherman in '' The Critic'' and played a baseball scout in '' A League of ...

Allen Covert Allen Stephen Covert (born October 12, 1964) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for his starring role in the 2006 comedy film '' Grandma's Boy'', and his supporting actor role in the movie '' Strange Wilderne ...

Scott Baio Scott Vincent James Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on ...

Clint Howard Clinton Engle Howard (born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is the second son born to American actors Rance and Jean Howard, and younger brother of actor and director Ron Howard. His 200-plus acting credits include feature films such as ...

, Larry Miller,

Howie Carr Howard Louis Carr Jr. (born January 17, 1952) is an American conservative radio talk-show host, political author, news reporter and award-winning writer. He hosts ''The Howie Carr Show'' originating from his studios in Wellesley, MA and broad ...

Greg Gutfeld Greg is a masculine given name, and often a shortened form of the given name Gregory. Greg (more commonly spelled " Gregg") is also a surname. People with the name *Greg Abbott (disambiguation), multiple people * Greg Abel (born 1961/1962), Canad ...

, Thaddeus McCotter, and

Robert Wuhl Robert Wuhl (born October 9, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television comedy series '' Arliss'' (1996–2002) and for his portrayal of newspaper reporter Alexander Knox in Tim Bu ...

Related Projects

* ''The Dennis Miller Option'', a twice-weekly 2018 podcast hosted by Dennis Miller and Christian Bladt * ''Red Circle Sports with Dennis Miller'', a 2018 sports podcast hosted by Dennis Miller * ''The P’Od podcast'', a weekly hour-long 2015 podcast hosted by Dennis Miller and Adam Carolla * ''

The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...

'', weekly Dennis Miller comedy segments every Wednesday * ''The Bladt Cast'', a podcast by show producer Christian Bladt and other former staff

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dennis Miller Show Conservative talk radio American talk radio programs