Comedian Bil Dwyer, Las Vegas Sun, Aug. 13, 2004

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Dwyer all over the dial with hosting duties Lisa Ferguson Friday, Aug. 13, 2004 | 8:55 a.m. Just try and channel surf without stumbling across Bil Dwyer's grinning mug: Chances are, you won't strain your clicking thumb attempting to find him. First stop: VH1 (Cox cable channel 39). The comedian -- who headlines Palace Station's Laugh Trax from Tuesday through Aug. 21 -- can be seen cracking wise during installments of the network's "I Love The '70s," "I Love the '80s" and "I Love the '90s," which air in a seemingly endless loop. "One of those is a lie: I didn't really love the '70s," Dwyer joked during a recent call from his West Hollywood, Calif., office. On the popular shows, actors, comedians and B-list celebs dole out their generally sarcastic two-cents worth on fads, fashions, music and events that marked each decade. "They give you the topics (ahead of time) so you're able to do a little research," Dwyer explains of gearing up to tape the trivia fests, "but you do have to remember stuff. I think some people do a lot of research, and I think some people just have these crazy memories." Among his own recollections: Ubbi-Dubbi, a goofy language spoken on the old PBS children's series "Zoom." "I am a master of it," he boasts. Unfortunately, producers of "I Love the '70s" didn't ask Dwyer to pontificate about it. "I was like, 'Aw, man, I could have done my whole thing in Ubbi-Dubbi.' It was killing me. I just remember it from when I was a kid and I've always kept it with me." Those would be the days before Chicago-bred Dwyer got his start in comedy, nearly a dozen years ago, after performing in a stand-up competition at Southern Illinois University. He moved to Los Angeles soon after and -- following stints as a Universal Studios tour guide and a doorman at The Improv in Hollywood -- began his comedy career in earnest. In the years since, the father of three, whose act is marked by jokes about his family life and some current events, has appeared on television's "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Ally McBeal"; and in the flick "What Planet are You From?" among others. He starred in his own 2001 Comedy Central special, and recently made his third appearance at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. Don't set the remote control down just yet: Surf on over to cable's Game Show Network (Cox cable channel 68), where you'll find Dwyer calling the quirky action on "Extreme Dodgeball," airing at 10 p.m. Tuesdays. The game show/sporting event pits teams of grown-up, gear-laden, deadly serious contestants against each other for rounds of the age-old playground game. With microphone in hand and looking every bit the pro sportscaster alongside co-hosts Zach Selwyn and Jerri Manthey (the latter of "Survivor" fame), Dwyer reports on the games' ridiculous plays. Even he concedes the goings-on are a bit silly: "You can't see my face when we're calling the games; it's rarely straight." The series premiered earlier this year and has been a ratings winner for GSN. The second season is set to begin taping this fall. The game "touches something in people," he explains. "Whatever memories it brings back -- fond or unfond -- it's kind of fun to watch." Sort of like "Battlebots," a similarly unusual show that aired on Comedy Central from 2000-2002, which Dwyer hosted. The premise: Shade-tree scientists and their homemade robots squared off during episodes in shows of "my-'bot-can-pulverize-your-'bot" force. Comparing his "Battlebots" and "Dodgeball" duties, he says, "It's kind of similar. There's terminology that you use to make the game sound more professional ... and I think the people who do both things are just about equally as crazy." Dwyer says he grew to respect the "Battlebots" contestants: "They're crazy geniuses, they really are, sometimes lacking in social skills but, you know, they're working in garages most of the time; they're not saying hello to people a lot." Although Dwyer is: He contends bigger crowds are turning out for his stand-up shows these days. "I think if they see me on VH1 they kind of get a better feel for what I'm like, but with 'Dodgeball,' it's almost like we're playing a character. You've almost gotta play it straight and that way it makes it funnier." Something about game shows and Dwyer (who declines to reveal his age) just seems to mesh: Prior to "Dodgeball" and "Battlebots," he also hosted "Dirty Rotten Cheaters" on cable's Pax network; and Fox Sports Network's "Ultimate Fan League." "I think I always wanted to be a game show host. The lack of order that's in my life, I really appreciate it in a game show." He's unable to explain, however, why he has hosted several sports-oriented shows. "I think maybe something just comes through when it comes to me and sports. I'm not a sports geek by any means, but I read the sports page every day and I know what's going on, but I'm not one of those idiot savants who knows every sports trivia record that goes on." If Dwyer has his way, television viewers may see even more of him on the tube beginning next year. He and fellow comedian Christopher Titus recently sold to Sony an idea for a sitcom based "kind of loosely" on Dwyer's stand-up act and family, which is being shopped to networks as a potential mid-season replacement or for a slot on next year's fall schedule. In the meantime, get your Dwyer fix by flipping to Fox Sports Network (Cox cable channel 49), home of "The Sports List" airing at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. nightly, where he and other quasi-pundits wax nostalgic about all things athletic. "I think eventually these list shows are gonna be overrunning cable," he jokes. "It's gonna be 'I Love the Colors.' 'Oh, red, yeah, I remember red -- stop signs.' " Out for laughs All's been quiet since Aug. 2 at The Comedy Zone at The Plaza. The club has been temporarily shuttered, moved out of the hotel-casino's showroom and is slated to reopen Aug. 31 in a ballroom there. Formerly operated under a four-wall rental agreement, Comedy Zone will begin operating as a joint venture between the Plaza and the national Comedy Zone chain. Some details (including the new venue's seating capacity and show times) are still being finalized, though a Plaza rep says the show will continue to feature a trio of comics that rotate weekly, and will likely retain its $21.95 ticket price. Castoff contestants from NBC's "Last Comic Standing," which aired its season finale on Thursday, are heading to town: Catch Monty Hoffman -- who failed to make the cut earlier this year to live with other comics in the reality series' house -- when he plays Riviera Comedy Club Oct. 4 through Oct. 10; and Kathleen Madigan, one of the final six contestants this season who was axed on the Aug. 5 episode, headlines Sept. 1 through Sept. 9 at The Improv at Harrah's. On a related note, catch the second "LCS" season in its entirety when it repeats from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday on Comedy Central (Cox cable channel 56). Also coming to The Improv: Richard Jeni, who is set to take the stage Sept. 14-19. Marc Price, best known to "Family Ties" fans as next-door neighbor Skippy, is also on the bill that week.