We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Nightly Talk-Show Flops

As of last week Chevy Chase (1) joined Joey Bishop -- who has suffered the mortification of seeing his onetime sidekick Regis Philbin become a superstar -- in the ranks of failed late-night talk-show hosts, the fate of some of whom is described below. Fortunately, Chase's show lasted all of six weeks, so it does not hold the record for short-livedness -- that belongs to the Wilton North Report, which was pulled from the air after only a month.

HOST/SHOW Alan Thicke

Thicke of the Night

AIRED 1983-84

LENGTH OF RUN 10 months

POST-CANCELLATION CAREER

Growing Pains; sitcom and a daytime talk show, in development

HOST/SHOW Joan Rivers

The Late Show

AIRED 1986-87

LENGTH OF RUN 7 months

POST-CANCELLATION CAREER

Syndicated daytime talk show; syndicated gossip show; QVC home-shopping network announcer

HOST/SHOW Dennis Miller

The Dennis Miller Show

AIRED 1992

LENGTH OF RUN 7 months

POST-CANCELLATION CAREER

Stand-up comedy; HBO special; TV commercials touting restaurant chain

HOST/SHOW Pat Sajak

The Pat Sajak Show

AIRED 1989-90

LENGTH OF RUN 14 months

POST-CANCELLATION CAREER

Continues on Wheel of Fortune

HOST/SHOW Ron Reagan

The Ron Reagan Show

AIRED 1991

LENGTH OF RUN 5 months

POST-CANCELLATION CAREER

Television work, with E! Entertainment Television and Fox

HOST/SHOW Phil Cowan and Paul Robins

The Wilton North Report

AIRED 1987-88

LENGTH OF RUN 4 weeks

POST-CANCELLATION CAREER

Disk jockeys in Sacramento, California