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* ShortRunners: The show was infamously cancelled after ''five weeks'' on the air (though it ended up running for an additional week). Less than ''48 hours'' after the final taping, workmen had already dismantled and painted over the Chevy Chase Theater's sign.
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* StopMotion: The intro is done in claymation, featuring a clay Chevy Chase jumping from building to building in Los Angeles grabbing letters from various signs, in order to create the show's logo.
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* WetCementGag: In the premiere, there's a sketch where Chevy goes to put his handprints in the wet cement on the sidewalk outside, only for it to be way too thin, so he {{Pratfall}}s through it.
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In 1993, Creator/{{NBC}} infamously gave Creator/JayLeno the hosting gig on ''Series/TheTonightShow'' over Creator/DavidLetterman, who would then move to Creator/{{CBS}} and compete with Leno on ''Series/TheLateShow.'' Of course, they'd go on to firmly establish their dominance of the late night talk show format in America for many years to come. However, during this time of upheaval, Creator/{{Fox}} decided they wanted to get in on the action, even despite their own shaky history with late night. They approached the one and only Music/DollyParton to host a show, but Dolly and her management turned Fox down. Instead, Dolly suggested Creator/ChevyChase could do the job.
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In 1993, 1992, Creator/{{NBC}} infamously gave Creator/JayLeno the hosting gig on ''Series/TheTonightShow'' over Creator/DavidLetterman, who would then move to Creator/{{CBS}} the following year and compete with Leno on ''Series/TheLateShow.'' ''Series/TheLateShow''. Of course, they'd go on to firmly establish their dominance of the late night talk show format in America for many years to come. However, during this time of upheaval, Creator/{{Fox}} decided they wanted to get in on the action, even despite their own shaky history with late night. They approached the one and only Music/DollyParton to host a show, but Dolly and her management turned Fox down. Instead, Dolly suggested Creator/ChevyChase could do the job.
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* SerialNumbersFiledOff: Chevy wasn't doing ''Weekend Update'' on this show, he was doing '''''News''' Update'', which was largely the same basic premise.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_chevy_chase_show.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E10TheSimpsons138thEpisodeSpectacular Five fabulous weeks!]]]]
In 1993, Creator/{{NBC}} infamously gave Creator/JayLeno the hosting gig on ''Series/TheTonightShow'' over Creator/DavidLetterman, who would then move to Creator/{{CBS}} and compete with Leno on ''Series/TheLateShow.'' Of course, they'd go on to firmly establish their dominance of the late night talk show format in America for many years to come. However, during this time of upheaval, Creator/{{Fox}} decided they wanted to get in on the action, even despite their own shaky history with late night. They approached the one and only Music/DollyParton to host a show, but Dolly and her management turned Fox down. Instead, Dolly suggested Creator/ChevyChase could do the job.
Several million dollars later, it turned out that even Dolly Parton makes mistakes.
Chevy went into the show with a $3,000,000 contract and boatloads of hype, highlighted by print ads giving a TakeThat to Letterman (featuring Chevy with a gap-tooth and the tagline "Ready to Fill the Late Night Gap"). Hollywood's ''Aquarius Theater'' was given a $1,000,000 renovation into the ''Chevy Chase Theater,'' complete with a big new sign out front, and basketball hoops and a ''live fish tank'' on the stage (the latter of which was reportedly a huge chore to maintain). Chevy got a strong house band - the Hollywood Express - fronted by jazz saxophonist and legendary session musician Tom Scott. The show premiered on September 7th, 1993.
Unfortunately, right from the premiere, Chevy looked visibly nervous and uncomfortable in this setting, and his monologues made his inexperience doing proper stand-up comedy all too clear. Ensuing attempts at alternative comedy and SurrealHumor - inspired by Chevy's hero, Creator/ErnieKovacs - were more confusing than anything, and ''News Update,'' his attempt at recreating ''Series/SaturdayNightLive's Weekend Update,'' only slightly improved the proceedings, mostly because it was the only part of the show that put Chevy in his element. The celebrity interviews showed Chevy - never known as a people person, to put it charitably - the most adrift, struggling to be conversational and inquisitive unless it was an old friend of his, such as Creator/DanAykroyd.
The show was a critical disaster right from the jump, and it reflected in the ratings, which steadily dropped until they were less than half of what Letterman was pulling in with ''The Late Show'' at the same time. Fox cut their losses and cancelled the show after five weeks, "in the best interests of both its affiliated stations and its star." The theater was re-renamed the ''Aquarius Theater'' mere days after the last episode, with the sign painted over, and [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain any trace of the show was removed post-haste.]]
Thanks to both this and the dismal performance of his film ''Film/VegasVacation'' a few years later, Chevy Chase's career never fully recovered, though he managed a brief comeback with his stint on ''Series/{{Community}}.''
!!Tropes associated with The Chevy Chase Show include:
* BizarreInstrument: In a rarity, the desk had a piano built into it, so Chevy could play along with the band.
* DeerInTheHeadlights: Chevy tended to have this face when presenting a monologue, especially the very first.
* DisguisedInDrag: One sketch, ''The Crying Game'' (named for [[Film/TheCryingGame the film]], of course) involved three women on stage, whom Chevy had to talk to one by one, and guess which was actually male.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: On the episode with Dan Aykroyd, there's a cold open where Dan uses a straight razor to shave Chevy's face, and proceeds to cut him numerous times, leaving an [[BloodyHilarious utterly ridiculous amount of blood.]] Chevy seems mostly unfazed. Subverted when Dan gives him some aftershave.
* PortentOfDoom: PlayedForLaughs when Creator/WhoopiGoldberg gave him a "good luck charm" in the first episode - the high-heeled shoes she wore on the first episode of her own talk show, ''The Whoopi Goldberg Show.'' The joke is obviously that her show didn't last very long, but ultimately, this show would fare ''much'' worse.
* SerialNumbersFiledOff: Chevy wasn't doing ''Weekend Update'' on this show, he was doing '''''News''' Update'', which was largely the same basic premise.
* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: The interview in the premiere with Creator/GoldieHawn ended with Goldie suddenly breaking into a love ballad, singing to Chevy. As some critics have pointed out, it's eerily reminiscent of when Music/BetteMidler sang to Creator/JohnnyCarson before Johnny ended his run on ''The Tonight Show.''
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[[caption-width-right:350:[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E10TheSimpsons138thEpisodeSpectacular Five fabulous weeks!]]]]
In 1993, Creator/{{NBC}} infamously gave Creator/JayLeno the hosting gig on ''Series/TheTonightShow'' over Creator/DavidLetterman, who would then move to Creator/{{CBS}} and compete with Leno on ''Series/TheLateShow.'' Of course, they'd go on to firmly establish their dominance of the late night talk show format in America for many years to come. However, during this time of upheaval, Creator/{{Fox}} decided they wanted to get in on the action, even despite their own shaky history with late night. They approached the one and only Music/DollyParton to host a show, but Dolly and her management turned Fox down. Instead, Dolly suggested Creator/ChevyChase could do the job.
Several million dollars later, it turned out that even Dolly Parton makes mistakes.
Chevy went into the show with a $3,000,000 contract and boatloads of hype, highlighted by print ads giving a TakeThat to Letterman (featuring Chevy with a gap-tooth and the tagline "Ready to Fill the Late Night Gap"). Hollywood's ''Aquarius Theater'' was given a $1,000,000 renovation into the ''Chevy Chase Theater,'' complete with a big new sign out front, and basketball hoops and a ''live fish tank'' on the stage (the latter of which was reportedly a huge chore to maintain). Chevy got a strong house band - the Hollywood Express - fronted by jazz saxophonist and legendary session musician Tom Scott. The show premiered on September 7th, 1993.
Unfortunately, right from the premiere, Chevy looked visibly nervous and uncomfortable in this setting, and his monologues made his inexperience doing proper stand-up comedy all too clear. Ensuing attempts at alternative comedy and SurrealHumor - inspired by Chevy's hero, Creator/ErnieKovacs - were more confusing than anything, and ''News Update,'' his attempt at recreating ''Series/SaturdayNightLive's Weekend Update,'' only slightly improved the proceedings, mostly because it was the only part of the show that put Chevy in his element. The celebrity interviews showed Chevy - never known as a people person, to put it charitably - the most adrift, struggling to be conversational and inquisitive unless it was an old friend of his, such as Creator/DanAykroyd.
The show was a critical disaster right from the jump, and it reflected in the ratings, which steadily dropped until they were less than half of what Letterman was pulling in with ''The Late Show'' at the same time. Fox cut their losses and cancelled the show after five weeks, "in the best interests of both its affiliated stations and its star." The theater was re-renamed the ''Aquarius Theater'' mere days after the last episode, with the sign painted over, and [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain any trace of the show was removed post-haste.]]
Thanks to both this and the dismal performance of his film ''Film/VegasVacation'' a few years later, Chevy Chase's career never fully recovered, though he managed a brief comeback with his stint on ''Series/{{Community}}.''
!!Tropes associated with The Chevy Chase Show include:
* BizarreInstrument: In a rarity, the desk had a piano built into it, so Chevy could play along with the band.
* DeerInTheHeadlights: Chevy tended to have this face when presenting a monologue, especially the very first.
* DisguisedInDrag: One sketch, ''The Crying Game'' (named for [[Film/TheCryingGame the film]], of course) involved three women on stage, whom Chevy had to talk to one by one, and guess which was actually male.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: On the episode with Dan Aykroyd, there's a cold open where Dan uses a straight razor to shave Chevy's face, and proceeds to cut him numerous times, leaving an [[BloodyHilarious utterly ridiculous amount of blood.]] Chevy seems mostly unfazed. Subverted when Dan gives him some aftershave.
* PortentOfDoom: PlayedForLaughs when Creator/WhoopiGoldberg gave him a "good luck charm" in the first episode - the high-heeled shoes she wore on the first episode of her own talk show, ''The Whoopi Goldberg Show.'' The joke is obviously that her show didn't last very long, but ultimately, this show would fare ''much'' worse.
* SerialNumbersFiledOff: Chevy wasn't doing ''Weekend Update'' on this show, he was doing '''''News''' Update'', which was largely the same basic premise.
* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: The interview in the premiere with Creator/GoldieHawn ended with Goldie suddenly breaking into a love ballad, singing to Chevy. As some critics have pointed out, it's eerily reminiscent of when Music/BetteMidler sang to Creator/JohnnyCarson before Johnny ended his run on ''The Tonight Show.''
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