Jack Talk (later Talk Time USA) is the "critically acknowledged"[1] talk show hosted by Jack McFarland which aired on the gay network OutTV. It aired weeknights at 4 AM[2], between "nine hours of The Golden Girls and six queens standing in front of a rainbow flag singing 'Oh, gays can you see'",[1] implying it is the last show before sign off.
Background[]
After becoming a junior executive at OutTV, Jack becomes a producer of a talk show and quickly becomes its host, renaming it Jack Talk. He has implied that he performed sexual favors to get the job.[3] Karen is almost hired as a co-host, but the offer is dropped when the producers discover she is not a drag queen. During the premiere, Jack tripped during his entrance, knocked over the lights and the set caught on fire, his eyebrow getting singed off in the process.[4] According to Will, the first "guest" was a moustache drawn on Jack's hand that he said was Lou Diamond Phillips.
After agreeing to decorate the set, Grace inadvertently appears on Jack Talk as guest, where she performs an impromptu speech about not liking "gay men who don't like themselves". An editing mistake causes Grace to appear homophobic, and she becomes a target of angry backlash from the gay community. She later demands a chance to clear her name appears again on the show. When the angry audience boos her, she retaliates by performing an angry, soulful speech about how she much she loves the gay community and begs them to "love [her] back, damn it!"[5]
Change to Talk Time USA[]
Closeted lesbian Amber-Louise is hired as Jack's co-host after OutTV is bought by a large, right-wing co-operation owned by Nabisco. Jack is offended by the show's newfound censorship, and protests against it by quitting on-air, ultimately being replaced by Amber-Louise after the show is renamed "Talk Time USA".[6]
Known guests[]
- George Takei
- Grace Adler
- "Lou Diamond Phillips"
- Harrison Ford (canceled)
- Angelina Jolie (canceled)
Notes[]
- The set of "Jack Talk" is apparently from the 1982 People's Choice Awards.[7]
- It is hinted that Jack Talk is not a hugely popular show, as evidenced by the lack of bids Jack receives in a charity auction. [1] When Jack says that Jack Talk got a "17 rating and a 10 share.", Will replies, "In this case, that means 17 watched and 10 of them were dressed as Cher." [8]