Student-run late show to launch

Taping for Boston University's first late-night talk show BU Tonight began last month and is scheduled to air on BU's new cable network next fall.

The talk show will focus on current events around the campus and the Boston area.

College of Communication sophomores Jordan Newman, Jason Marcus and Joshua Gee created BU Tonight and began to plan for the show last semester. They said their goal was to produce a show that would be relevant to students.

"The national news has already been done," Marcus said. "You can watch [Jay] Leno for that. We're more focused on BU campus - you're not going to hear jokes about Michael Jackson, but Eli Wiesel is fair game."

COM freshman Jennifer Piotter said BU Tonight was a great idea for a campus television show.

"I like that it's going to focus on issues that actually affect me and my environment," Piotter said.

The creators said the show is also designed to help promote unity on campus.

"We want this to be a talking point for BU students," said Newman, the executive producer. "BU Tonight will address controversial issues that people on campus can relate to. I think this is something that can bring the campus together and further promote the common ground experience."

The staff of BU Tonight is made up of about 25 students from colleges throughout the university, but most of them are from COM. Twelve student writers are generating the material and scripts, while advertising and public relations students are helping to publicize the show. College of Fine Arts students are involved in theme song writing and set building.

"There's an unbelievable amount of talent out there," Newman said. "BU Tonight provides a creative outlet for students and generates a quality product for the university."

COM professor Christopher Cavalieri said BU Tonight will be a great experience.

"This group of students is very independent," he said. "It's great when a group of enterprising students has the time and energy to make something like BU Tonight viable."

A late-night talk show will be a unique and important addition to the BU television network, the creators said.

"It's a necessity to have a show like this," Marcus said. "BU has a soap opera, a sci-fi show and a news magazine. The talk show was missing."

"The late-night talk show is important to TV networks," Newman said. "If you look at NBC or ABC, the late-night talk show hosts are the images people remember. They're really staples for the network."

BU Tonight will be hosted by Rob O'Reilly, a COM junior who is also a columnist for The Daily Free Press.

Marcus said the show will be a great experience for the students who help to produce it.

"Students participating in BU Tonight get a real world experience," he said. "They start from scratch, going from development to production to broadcast. It's an invaluable experience."

Cavalieri stressed the importance of working on a show like BU Tonight.

"Participating in this kind of show teaches students a greater respect for the process," Cavalieri said. "The enormous amount of learning and work raises the learning curve to a vertical line."

Each episode of BU Tonight will feature a guest interview and a performance by a musician or stand-up from a comedian.

The creators of the show said they were confident the show will continue once they graduate.

"We have a year and half to perfect the show," Marcus said. "We hope people can carry on after we're gone. I definitely see it lasting into the future."

Cavalieri was also optimistic about the show's future.

"There's a lot of good energy - that's a good sign," Cavalieri said. "I think it will develop just as any other BU TV show has evolved."