TV REVIEW : ‘Interview’: Howard Stern Explores His Favorite Topic--Himself

The press release calls it “The Howard Stern Interview.” But the title on screen reads “The Howard Stern ‘Interview.’ ” It’s a subtle but significant distinction, for the weekly series that premieres on cable’s E! Entertainment channel at 7 tonight has the trappings of a conventional talk show. In reality, it is another forum for the host to discourse on his favorite subject: Howard Stern.

His first question to guest Garry Shandling is how he liked the show’s opening titles, which feature close-ups of Stern. He goes on to show off his clothes, asks if Shandling realizes how much pressure Stern is under with this series, talks about his movie project and wonders what Shandling thinks of Stern’s popular radio show.

“Do you think I’m as brilliant as Lenny Bruce?” he asks. Shandling, an uncomfortable but game combatant: “You’re somewhere between Lenny Bruce and Sally Jessy Raphael.”

It’s vintage Stern, and his fans are sure to eat it up. At one point the host tries to get Shandling to say something critical of Jay Leno or Arsenio Hall; when he demurs, Stern accuses him of lying. Pressing further, he asks Shandling to name any show he doesn’t like. The comedian finally comes up with “Perfect Strangers”--to which Stern sarcastically replies, “That’s so controversial of you to say.”

But in the world of the TV talk show, where platitudes, banalities and promotion are the order of the day, that is controversial. In his own way, Stern--edgy, aggressive and unpredictable--is lampooning the genre every bit as much as Shandling does in his HBO series “The Larry Sanders Show.”

Stern acknowledges that a lot of celebrities have refused the invitation to appear on the half-hour show with him, and not many are likely to change their minds after watching Shandling squirm like a man who’s been skewered and held over a barbecue. But it’s doubtful that will make any difference to the ultimate success or failure of the series. As Stern would be the first to tell you, the principal reason to watch--or not--is Howard Stern.