History Series / HotSeatWithWallyGeorge

* AlterEgoActing: The Wally George seen on TV was very different from the actual Wally George. Most of what he presented about himself on ''Hot Seat'' was either wildly exaggerated or outright fake; the extent of his views, the reach of his show, even his real name![[labelnote:*]]He claimed it was "Walter Lloyd George"; it was actually George Walter Pearch.[[/labelnote]] Unfortunately for Wally, many Hot Seat fans, as well as people viewing his show today, took his comments at face value, making him seem like a much nastier, closed-minded guy than he actually was.

The series ended in December 1992; Wally would still host highlight shows at a local level, and stay active in broadcasting until shortly before his 2003 passing. While not as well-known as its contemporaries, Wally George and his Hot Seat have remained cult favorites.

Wally George had been a fixture in California since the 1950s, working as a radio DJ and hosting local talk shows. Hot Seat was just the latest in a long line of gigs, debuting on KDOC Anaheim on July 16, 1983. The show gained notoriety that November, during a debate on the US invasion of Grenada. The argument got so heated, the guest flipped over Wally's desk and stormed off the set! National news got wind of it, and syndication followed in January 1984. As the years went on, the guests got crazier, the action got rowdier, and the audience got louder. Viewers either loved ''Hot Seat'' for its zany atmosphere and crazy interviews, or despised it for loudmouth Wally's right-wing views and belittling comments; even today, you'll find people sharply divided over the show.

->"Are you ready to get on the Hot Seat with Wally George? Hang on for the wildest, most controversial talk show on television! Featuring enthusiastic participation from our live studio audience, and interviews with provocative newsmaking guests! And now, here he is...that hard-hitting, award-winning, conservative voice of television, Wally George!"

Before Jerry Springer, before Morton Downey Jr., there was Wally George. For almost 10 years, the conservative commentator hosted Hot Seat, a TalkShow that helped pave the way for the trash TV of the following decades.

Wally George had been a fixture in California since the 1950s, working as a radio DJ and hosting local talk shows. Hot Seat was just the latest in a long line of gigs, debuting on KDOC Anaheim on July 16, 1983. The show gained notoriety that November, during a debate on the US invasion of Grenada. The argument got so heated, the guest flipped over Wally's desk and stormed off the set! National news got wind of it, and syndication followed in January 1984. As the years went on, the guests got crazier, the action got rowdier, and the audience got louder. Viewers either loved Hot Seat for its zany atmosphere and crazy interviews, or despised it for loudmouth Wally's right-wing views and belittling comments; even today, you'll find people sharply divided over the show.

* AlterEgoActing: The Wally George seen on TV was very different from the actual Wally George. Most of what he presented about himself on Hot Seat was either wildly exaggerated or outright fake; the extent of his views, the reach of his show, even his real name![[labelnote:*]]He claimed it was "Walter Lloyd George"; it was actually George Walter Pearch.[[/labelnote]] Unfortunately for Wally, many Hot Seat fans…as well as people viewing his show today…took his comments at face value, making him seem like a much nastier, closed-minded guy than he actually was.

--> The following program is a product of its time. Wally George’s Hot Seat aired in the 1980s & 1990s, and does not reflect the views or opinions of KDOC-TV Los Angeles.

* GuiltyPleasure: Oh yes. Shouting matches, insults flying from both sides, over-the-top trolls, all with an audience who'd cheer and boo everything as if it were a wrestling match. Some liberals and punk rock fans, people who Wally would gleefully call "ludicrous lunatics", are admitted fans of Hot Seat.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite his blustery on-camera persona, Wally was very cordial to his guests when he was off the Hot Seat stage. He was genuinely excited to have Music/{{GWAR}} on the show, and got along famously with their lead singer.
--> Oderus Urungus: From Wally, I felt true warmth and camaraderie. We both played characters; we understood each other perfectly. When I told him on the show, “I'd like to see you crucified,” nothing could've been further from the truth.
** On the other hand, a lot of his early guests were unprepared for Hot Seat because Wally behaved so differently the first time they'd met, and made no indication of what the show actually was. Blase Bonpane, the man who flipped Wally's desk in 1983, was not happy that the same polite man he spoke to over the phone was brutally insulting the guest just before him. Blase refused offers to return to Hot Seat afterwards, dismissing Wally as a "complete phony" and “charlatan”.
* MsFanservice: Had quite a few of them as guests. One notable incident was when the guest was a stripper; Wally derisively told her he would never go to see her act. She responded “Wally, let me tell you something. You might be seeing it sooner than you think!” She proceeded to strip right then and there, only stopping when a security guard picked her up and carried her out!

* UnbuiltTrope: Wally didn’t call himself “The Father of Combat TV” for nothing. The audience chanting his name, the over-the-top guests, the security guards ready to eject unruly guests, the furniture abuse? All done on Wally’s show first, long before Jerry Springer and Geraldo Rivera.

* VisualPun: In the later episodes, Hot Seat's intro included a photo of a burning chair.

Before Jerry Springer, there was Wally George. For almost 10 years, the conservative commentator hosted Hot Seat, a TalkShow that helped pave the way for the trash TV of the following decades.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite his blustery on-camera persona, Wally was very cordial to his guests when he was off the Hot Seat stage. He was genuinely excited to have GWAR on the show, and got along famously with their lead singer.

Compare The Morton Downey Jr. Show, Wally's East Coast equivalent. Not to be confused with the short-lived [[Series/HotSeat lie detector based game show from 1976]], or the pricing game involving a moving chair on ''Series/ThePriceIsRight''.

* BerserkButton: Don't dare insult the United States...or RonaldReagan...in Wally's presence. He wasn't fond of racism either, frequently taking notorious white supremacist Tom Metzger to task.

* NoBudget: Comes with being made in a tiny local station. The set was miniscule, and the audience could only seat roughly 80 people. (Although they certainly had enough energy to fill a stadium!) Unfortunately, the lack of budget carried over to archiving the shows...KDOC simply couldn't save them all, and most were recorded over.