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Add the andPOP Facebook Application(andPOP) - Despite the recent onslaught of daytime talk shows, closely followed by their cancellations, actress Megan Mullally feels that her new show, simply titled "The Megan Mullally Show," can be one of the rare exceptions.
Mullally's talk show is atypical. The former star of "Will & Grace" has decided to pay homage to the variety shows of the 1970s and '80s. Although she grew up watching talk and variety shows (featuring the likes of Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, Carol Burnett and Sonny and Cher), hosting her own she never really dawned on her.
It wasn't until the actress was a substitute host for David Letterman a couple of years ago and when she interviewed Madonna for a VH1 special, that she realized hosting a talk show could be something she could actually do.
"I just really loved doing both of those things, and I got a good response. (It made me realize) hosting was a job that a person could really have which hadn't really dawned on me until then," she says.
After "Will & Grace" ended, Mullally says she was approached by King World about hosting her own talk show. Almost immediately after getting wind that other distribution networks were fishing for her, NBC offered her a talk show deal.
Mullally says her show, which debuts this week in syndication (on CH in parts of Canada), combines talk, as well as variety elements - skits, sketches and musical numbers. She also plans to do video segments and have lots of audience participation. Even the traditional opening monologue will be different on "The Megan Mullally Show."
"I will be telling a story about something that happened to me or something I've been thinking about, and that will develop into a video of something I shot, or a comedic sort of take on a song that we fell into or going out to the audience and doing something with an audience member, we change it up from day to day," Mullally says.
She says that she doesn't really have an interview style down pat quite yet, and that she is looking at her new gig as "on the job training."
"It's interesting, I feel like each interviewer has their own interviewing style and I feel that the interviewer determines the interview, because I know when I've been interviewed by people who don't normally have a good sense of humour, it's not as good an interview."
She also doesn't plan to do too much research on her guests - she'll have research done for her and will come across stuff about her guests on her own, but that she prefers the talk shows that take on more of a conversational approach as opposed to ones that seem very scripted.
"I do like that style from back in the day when some of those talk shows were really real conversational and you thought you were in someone's living room," she says, adding Carson was someone she really admired because there would be shots of him watching comedians or musicians as they performed.
"You could always tell by the tilt of his head whether he was enjoying the song or the comedian. I think he was a wonderful interviewer."
Despite heavy daytime competition, Mullally says she has received nothing but good wishes from other talk shows hosts. From Jay Leno to Conan O'Brien, the other hosts have been quick to give her advice and tips.
"(The) advice varies from person to person - Jay told me the first 10 minutes are the most important; Conan has stressed that just being yourself is important," she says.
Mullally says she was surprised by her recent Emmy win for her portrayal of Karen Walker in the last season of "Will & Grace." In fact, she didn't have much time to prepare before the show in case she won because she was so busy working on her talk show.
"What I really wanted to do was accept that award on behalf of everyone that worked on 'Will & Grace.' It was a wonderful way to book end the experience of doing that show."
Mullally says it will be surreal but great to have her former co-stars on her show as guests. She says Debra Messing is already booked, and she can't wait to see her again.
Mullally is quick to say that as a star who does interviews herself, she doesn't mind answering the same question over and over again, but there is one question which drives her crazy - whenever she is asked to do Karen's voice.
"That one got old, but I still oblige on occasion," she laughs, adding the voice just came to her when as she read the early scripts for the show, she just tried to think of what would make her laugh.
Mullally's first guest is Will Ferrell, one of her favourite actors. She's very excited to speak with Ferrell and to have contestants from "So You Think You Can Dance" on the show.
And the competition? She isn't worried.
"I can't even think about that. We're just doing our show and making it the best that we can make it. I really feel that there is room for everyone and I feel like all those people have a lot to offer. I feel like we're doing what we're doing, and that there's a niche for everyone."
