It’s going to be the ultimate Odd Couple TV show, but political and radio rivals Al Franken and Bill O’Reilly have signed a two-year contract to co-host a program on Fox News. Whoever thought we’d see the day?
The program came about after several unpublicized attempts by the two to bury the political hatchet.
“I have a bad back due to an old high school wrestling injury and when Bill’s assistant called one day to accept my lunch invitation my assistant mentioned that I would have to leave to go home early that day,” Franken told reporters. “Little did I know that Bill is licensed to do massages. He immediately came over and worked on me for an hour. I never had a nude massage before. He’s a very caring person.”
O’Reilly was similarly impressed by Franken. “I was wrong about him and now when I stand back and take a deep breath I understand his use of political irony,” O’Reilly said. “Perhaps it’s a sign of maturity, but in recent months I have come to love the Los Angeles Times editorial page. Maybe this is what made me more receptive to Al and to appreciate his talent and insight.”
O’Reilly said he was particularly impressed with Al “when he invited me into the sauna at his health club.” When reporters didn’t laugh, he gritted his teeth, smiled and explained. “That’s irony, you guys, irony. See? I’m learning..”
Fox News officials say the program is still untitled. “We want to call it Two Airheads,” O’Reilly said. “Hey, that’s irony…”
Can it get the ratings? Time will tell. Meanwhile, in another Fox-related story, another report says ABC News is re-hiring ex-employee Geraldo Rivera now that Ted Koppel is quitting Nightline.
UPDATE: This is very interesting.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.