Phil McLean Show goes out with a bang

They may be a little crazy and a little strange, with alumni Taylor Jones singing in the opening theme song to The Phil McLean Show, but that has not stopped seniors Phil McLean and Matt Clark from producing over 50 episodes of their popular late-night television show broadcasted on the University Cable Network (UCN).

The idea of The Phil McLean Show originated during McLean and Clark's first year at BVU when then senior Tom Weeks was hosting The Late Show on UCN. Since Weeks was graduating, the time slot when The Late Show was previously broadcasted opened up. McLean immediately became interested in hosting a similar show and approached Clark about becoming the producer.

"Tom (Weeks) had his show and I have my show. Some of the ideas are the same, but they are really two different shows," McLean said. "Tom's show was a different kind of comedy. I just tried to branch out and create a show I thought was entertaining. Matt Clark helped me do that."

To make The Phil McLean Show have its own feel to it, Clark and McLean took the original set from The Late Show and re-designed it the summer before their sophomore year at BVU.

"We went to Dave Walker (Assistant Professor Speech Communication), who suggested that we do a 1950s/1960s style that was popular with game shows and talk shows at the time," Clark said.

After the set design was in place and painted, McLean conducted auditions for a guitar player with the help of senior Tyler Kirkholm. Then senior Cody Schug was selected, with the promise that current senior Cliff Coggins would take over when Schug graduated.

The first episode of The Phil McLean Show aired in September 2005 on the UCN. Originally, McLean and Clark had a goal of making 100 episodes before they graduated. Due to busy schedules, McLean and Clark were only able to make around 50. This still makes The Phil McLean Show the longest-running series on the UCN.

McLean's ideas for the show mainly revolve around what he finds funny.

"I think it's funny that let's say I wanted a certain mayor (Jon Kruse) of a certain city (Storm Lake) to be on the show and I might have been told to stop calling, I personally find it hilarious to keep calling, asking him to be on the show," McLean said.

Clark notes that some of the funniest Phil McLean Show moments have been brainstormed by McLean a night or two before the show is taped.

"The few monologues he wrote out weren't very funny," Clark said. "So we decided not to go that route because he's better when he's just talking."

In celebration of the end of the longest-running series on the UCN, a 22-hour Phil McLean Show marathon aired beginning on Wednesday at 11 p.m. leading up to the live spectacular of the last Phil McLean Show ever last night at 9 p.m. The live show was set up in Anderson Auditorium for Phil McLean Show fans to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the show. Jerry Johnson, assistant professor of media studies, made a special appearance and sophomore Neil Anders showcased his musical talent.

"We went out with a bang," Coggins said.

While McLean is excited the show is over and he is now able focus his time on other things, like writing a certain human physiology paper, he knows his true feelings have not set in yet.

"I think next week or closer towards graduation I'll be sad that it's gone and done," McLean said. "I'm sure someone will make a show similar to mine next year. It might be good, it might not, I don't know yet."

Clark, on the other hand, wishes the show could have kept on going so they could have made their goal of 100 episodes.

"I wish this year we would have done a lot more shows - that's the only thing I'm upset about. I feel like this year and last year we could have done more and we didn't. We all got busy and we just didn't have time after awhile, which happens," Clark said. "I'm sad to see it go because what do I do next? It's been a big part of my educational career and now it's over."

As for any advice McLean has for current students who might want to follow in his footsteps?

"If you want to make a show, go for it. That's all I can say," McLean said.