The Morton Downey Jr. Show

Style

The program featured screaming matches among Downey, his guests, and audience members. Using a large silver bowl for an ashtray, he would chainsmoke during the show and blow smoke in his guests' faces. Downey's fans became known as "Loudmouths", patterned after the studio lecterns decorated with gaping cartoon mouths, from which Downey's guests would go head-to-head against each other on their respective issues.

Downey's signature phrases "pablum puking liberal" (referring to left leaning progressives) and "Zip it!" briefly enjoyed some popularity in the contemporary vernacular. He particularly enjoyed making his guests angry with each other, which on a few occasions resulted in physical confrontations. For example, one time, American activist and politician Roy Innis knocked away American civil rights activist Al Sharpton for interrupting him, forcing the both of them to engage in an all-out brawl. Despite the incident, Downey Jr. decided to keep the show going, though he did not press charges on either Innis or Sharpton for aggravated assault.

During one controversial episode, Downey introduced his gay brother, Tony Downey, to his studio audience and informed them Tony was HIV positive. During the episode, Downey stated he was afraid his audience would abandon him if they knew he had a gay brother, but then said he did not care.

He was considered a pioneer of the trash talk format along with The Richard Bey Show, with Richard Bey who appeared in a documentary about Downey in 2012.

Reception

Downey gained a mixed to negative reception from television critics. 'The Washington Post wrote about him, "Suppose a maniac got hold of a talk show. Or need we suppose?" David Letterman said, "I'm always amazed at what people will fall for. We see this every 10 or 12 years, an attempt at this, and I guess from that standpoint I don't quite understand why everybody's falling over backwards over the guy."

In 2012 a documentary about the show was released called Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie.

Cancellation

Despite starting out with 78 stations and a nationwide audience through WWOR’s EMI Service, the ratings for Downey’s program never stayed high enough for those stations to continue airing it. The program stopped taping new episodes in June 1989 and a cancellation notice came shortly after; Downey had offered to change his show to a weekly offering but Quantum Media, MCA, and WWOR would not agree. The show ceased distribution on September 15; it had been estimated that 75% of the stations airing Downey did not renew their contract with MCA to continue carrying it.

References

References

1. (October 27, 1987). "Now Introducing ...Morton Downey Jr.". [[Sun Sentinel]].
2. (December 14, 1987). "TV Host Sneers To Succeed". [[The New York Times]].
3. (January 3, 1988). "Morton Downey Jr. The Pit Bull of Talk-Show Hosts".
4. (14 March 2001). "Morton Downey Jr., trash TV pioneer, 68".
5. (30 May 2016). "10 Pioneers of Trash Television".
6. (13 August 2015). "CNN doc chronicles "trash TV" pioneer Morton Downey Jr.".
7. (May 16, 1988). "Morton Downey Jr. Is Taking His Abrasive Style Nationwide". [[The New York Times]].
8. "When ''The Morton Downey Jr. Show'' examined—and mimicked—pro wrestling's shtick". [[The A.V. Club]].
9. (March 14, 2001). "Morton Downey Jr. Made Bullying a TV Trademark". [[The Los Angeles Times]].
10. (June 20, 1988). "His Love for a Brother Brings Morton Downey's Compassion Out of the Closet".
11. "Shriek! Chic! It's Morton Downey! Talk's Mr. Nasty, Coming On Strong With the Art of Abuse", ''The Washington Post'', July 6, 1988
12. Toro, Gabe. (2013-06-05). "Review: ‘Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie’".
13. (July 20, 1989). "Downey Show Canceled". [[The New York Times]].
14. (August 7, 1989). "Morton Downey Jr. Faces a Terrible Fate: Silence".