Original morning show may seem like an oxymoron. The genre is calcified, with its his-and-her hosts, wacky weathermen, fake living rooms and caffeinated time checks. The ““Today’’ show’s big innovation last year was to move into a storefront fishbowl in Rockefeller Center – right back where it started 40 years ago. ““Good Morning America’’ thinks its new theme song – Des’ree’s VH-1 hit ““You Gotta Be’’ – is going to bring back fleeing young viewers. As for the chronically third-place ““CBS This Morning,’’ what can you say except, um, they mean well? We’re a captive audience in the morning, and the networks know it. They don’t mess with the formula.
““Breakfast Time’’ does, starting with the set: a fully functional 6,500-square-foot New York City apartment/romper room for cohosts Tom Bergeron, Laurie Hibberd and Bob. When Hibberd was sick she interviewed goofball tennis brothers Luke and Murphy Jensen while laid up in the bedroom. There’s no TelePrompTer or IFB earpiece telling the show’s whip-smart anchors what to say. ““The post office is issuing commemorative stamps of Marilyn Monroe and Richard Nixon,’’ Bergeron announces. ““I was wondering if they were doing a special “Nailed by the Kennedys’ series.’’ Other morning shows are timed down to the nanosecond. ““Breakfast Time’’ is relaxingly casual about the clock. You get all the basic morning-show food groups – news, weather, advice, movie stars – but with a Lettermanesque flavor. The packaging is pure fun.
It’s also pure Fox. Rupert Murdoch’s typically brash idea for his nine-month-old cable venture was to do 24 hours of live TV aimed at TV’s most-wanted generation (the X in fX). On in nearly 20 million homes, though not in its native Manhattan, most of the channel is still larded with distinctly unlive ““Hart to Hart’’ and ““Fantasy Island’’ filler. But ““Breakfast Time’’ is the flagship. It starts with aerobics at 6 a.m. and keeps bouncing along at MTV speed for three hours. A family is invited on every show. Regular segments include house shrink Sheenah Hankin, who delivers stern ““Get over it!’’ advice, and anti-Martha Stewart recipes like how to grill swordfish on a car manifold. Most refreshingly, famous guests are treated with mild satire. ed begley jr. leads an environmentally correct life, explained the on-screen text introducing the ecosensitive actor. The loose ambience even gets some stars to stick around past their required interview time. Only once has the presence of Bob caused a bad scene. An alternative band called the Bottle Rockets said either the damn puppet goes or we go. They went. And Bob made fun of them all morning.
