Syndicated (check local listings)
Once a madcap comedian whose trademark gag was adapting a rubber glove into headgear, Howie Mandel has matured into a daytime talk show host with a cute-but-respectable image and a format featuring showbiz guests and light banter. Since his program's premiere last month in 95 percent of the country, he has mentioned his three kids so often he sounds like a politician courting the family-values vote. He heaps praise on all who grace his stage (including "gorgeous," "beautiful," "absolutely adorable" Jennifer Aniston, who "just epitomizes everything"). But as guest Dennis Miller correctly pointed out, Mandel has an "innate amiability" that makes him hard to dislike, plus a flair for funny out-of-studio bits that are Lettermanesque, only gentler.
Bottom Line: He's hardly a penetrating interviewer, but you won't want to kick Howie out of your house
Your Reaction
