Conrad Black is hosting a new television show called Zoomer. We’re very excited
We knew Conrad Black had big plans for his release from prison. What we didn’t know is that they involved co-hosting a weekly television show for viewers 45 and up (but, really, of course Conrad Black is hosting a TV show!). The Zoomer—Television For Boomers With Zip begins airing in late spring on VisionTV, and the early details suggest the hour-long show is going to be something a spectacle. Below, the five things we’re most gleefully looking forward to watching.
1. The name Since ZoomerMedia boss Moses Znaimer is behind the show, we suppose we can forgive the “Zoomer” part of the name. The cheery “Boomers With Zip,” bit, however, is too much. Does Black really have zip? And if so, how does his zip compare to other zippy Boomers like, say, Helen Mirren or George Clooney? Questions to ponder in the months to come.
2. The faux-intellectual set The roundtable set has the conspicuously “learned” vibe you would expect from Baron Black of Crossharbour. Each episode, he and co-host Denise Donlon discuss current affairs with three guests at a table covered in newspapers, books and a decanter of wine (natch).
3. The signature harangue Black’s “Talk Black” segment isn’t what the name might suggest (though we really wish it was). Instead, the famously verbose Lord is going to get his rant on weekly, orating on issues like ageism, gun control, the economy and—of course—the U.S. justice system.
4. The division of labour Donlon and Black also conduct separate interviews with celebrity guests. In the pilot episode, Black speaks to Donald Trump about the U.S. national debt, while Donlon delves into the sex lives of seniors with Zoomer magazine editor Suzanne Boyd. Can a producer with a sense of humour please consider switching up the assignments?
5. The unbearable awkwardness of pre-taped segments While the roundtable segments are taped in front a live audience, other scenes are pre-taped around the city. Donlon pretends to teach Black how to do yoga in one, and how to use the TTC in another (his response: “Where’s the business class?”). Even the pros at Saturday Night Live can’t always pull off sketch comedy—we can’t wait to see how uncomfortable things get when Black tries it.
• Sex toys for seniors and yoga in a suit: What to expect from Conrad Black’s TV show [Globe and Mail]
• Conrad Black strikes deal to host weekly TV show [CBC]
(Images: television, ellenm1; Conrad Black, UrsaSharp)
