The news I broke Sunday about CNN developing a comedy program for its latest hire, Bill Weir, jogged some memories of the first time CNN tried to be funny.
In 1988, Richard Belzer and P.J. O’Rourke hosted a show with special correspondent Will Durst and Rick Derringer’s band. The pilot, produced by Frank Radice, was shot “live to tape” at Carolines Comedy Club — but it never aired.
When Ted Turner saw it, he supposedly said, “Good show, but we don’t do comedy at CNN.”