The Howard Stern Show

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

The Howard Stern Show is a syndicated radio show that has run from 1982 until the present day. Broadcast out of New York by Howard Stern and running from 6:00 am till 10 sometimes as late as 12 noon. Howard's show was instrumental in breaking down many barriers in radio from deviating from regular talk and corny morning routines and focusing on gross out jokes, strippers and sideshow style characters mixed with some political and pop culture commentary and news segments. Howard's show has been fined by the FCC several times in his career in the process of developing his shows material.

In 2005, Howard's show was broadcast in several major markets until Clear Channel has his show cancelled in many of those markets prompting Howard's move to Sirius satellite pay radio so his UN PC jokes and material can flourish, profanity isn't censored and the FCC off his back.

The show largely begins with Howard Stern and sidekick/newswoman Robin Quivers discussing the previous days show, upcoming events in the day among other topics. Celebrity interviews are normally in the middle of the show and finally Robin's news report which often ends the day-is considered the best parts of the show. Phone calls from fans/protesters and other games the cast plays are usually interspersed in between.

Howard Stern has been doing this show now for almost 40 years. Most of the cast and show members have been with him at that time.

Main Cast:[when?]

  • Howard Stern - host
  • Fred Norris - cohort, handles a little of everything on show. Does voices, plays sound effects and writes segments. Oddest member of the show.
  • Robin Quivers - news anchor and co host
  • Gary Dell'Abate - Producer and Gofer (baba booey!)
  • Jackie Martling - Head writer - left show in 2001 over contract dispute. Returned to Sirius for his own separate show.
  • "Stuttering" John Melendez - intern. Worked taking calls from listeners and known more for asking celebrities embarrassing questions at press functions or movie premieres (to Chevy Chase "Did you think you'd live to see the day that Garret Morris matters more then you?") Left in 2004.
  • Billy West - Voice talent on the show who appeared intermittently in the early 90's before becoming a full part of the show before leaving again. Famous for his Marge Schott impression and operating Jackie Puppet.
  • Ralph Cirella - Howard's stylist. The Scrappy cause of his suck up tendencies.
  • Arite Lange - Sidekick for Howard and replacement for Jackie Martling in Fall of 2001. Does jokes and still tours and acts. Often absent from the show following drug and rehab incidents.
  • Richard Christy - intern and often prank caller for the show, despite his ability to disguise his effeminate southern voice. Began in 2004
  • Sal the Stockbroker - intern and often co-conspirator at prank calls with Richard Christy. Began in 2004
Tropes used in The Howard Stern Show include:
  • Berserk Button: Howard can be set off by many things, usually when it comes to his competitors who copied his act.
  • Catch Phrase: Baba Booey is the most infamous but there are other lesser known ones.
  • Celebrity Star: Howard can have a wide range of celebrities on his show. Kathy Griffin, William Shatner, Hugh Jackman and Carly Simon among others. Celebrities who are a big deal are often kept a mystery to Stern and staff, who must wear blindfolds and guess at their identities -- including Ringo Starr, Robert Duvall and Pete Rose.
  • The Chew Toy: Gary, though not as much as he once was.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Fred to an extent.
  • Cluster F-Bomb: The Sirius years can often have scattered profanity to Howard Cluster F-Bombing his staff or callers.
  • Creator's Pet: Eric the Midget, while not a member of the show, he makes numerous calls into the show and Howard devotes a lot of time to him. Eric is polarizing to say the least and turns off many listeners and even subscribers to Sirius. Howard does have enough sense to pull the plug on Eric from time to time though.
  • Crowning Moment of Awesome: Too many to mention.[context?]
  • Crowning Moment of Funny: Too many to mention.[context?]
  • Crowning Music of Awesome: The jazzy tune that opened the show for many years.
  • Dude, Not Funny: Stern's career is full of these.
  • Evil Laugh: Many people's opinions of Robin's laugh which is constant throughout the show.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar: A lot in his terrestrial radio days, even though the FCC would still fine the show for what was done. In a bit of irony, Howard would often report on similar radio shows doing similar acts which would never get fined. See Berserk Button.
  • Jerkass: Howard can be one at times. Eric the Midget is often one.
  • Mistaken for Special Guest: George Takei often sat in as an announcer a couple times a year in the Sirius years.
  • Only Sane Employee: Howard as he would point out to Gary many times.
  • Prank Call: Sal Governale and Richard Christy, writers for and on-air personalities on The Howard Stern Show, have made numerous prank calls for the show, calling up public-access TV shows, other radio programs and just random people. They have also pranked celebrities with a fictional radio program they "host" called the "Jack and Rod Show". Unsurprisingly, Howard Stern participates in their pranks.
  • Proud to Be a Geek: Howard admits to being a Star Trek fan and reading Superman and 'Batman comics. Ralph to an even bigger extent.
  • The Quiet One: Fred. When he talks, take notice, if you make fun of him, run-he does bite back.
  • Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Gilbert Gottfried as a guest was loathed/loved by half the audience. Now most audience members love Gilbert, though he hasn't changed his act or attitude much.
  • Rogues Gallery: The Wack Pack, a collection of frequent guests who are afflicted, odd or otherwise interesting to say the least. Crackhead Bob, Hank The Angry Drunken Dwarf, Fred the Elephant Boy, Eric The Midget, John The Stutterer, Evil David Letterman, Crazy Alice, Yukko the Clown, Underdog Lady among many others.
  • The Scrappy: Ralph Cirella mainly. Hired as Howard's stylist he was a fan of Howard's when he was hired and he has no problem coming into an on air segment when he isn't needed or overstaying his welcome once he's there. Howard once responded that Ralph gets more hate mail then a Ku Klux Klansman who is a frequent caller to the show. If that's not enough he's a super geek, extremely self centered and manages to get girls.
  • Seinfeld Is Unfunny: No one did Howard's style of material when he first arrived and when he became a hit, everyone wanted to do a Howard Stern style show and many competitors were so bad that when Howard went into their market he conquered them in the ratings very swiftly. Lately, Howard hasn't changed his act much and so many people now do a "Howard Stern Show" styled radio show that his uniqueness has diminished and the impact is lessened.
  • Shock Jock: Even more so than one-time coworker (and frequent archenemy) Don Imus, Stern is the Trope Codifier if not the Trope Maker.
  • Smarter Than You Look: Despite having plenty of toilet humor and naked women on his show, Stern is a graduate from Boston University and is well versed in current events.
  • Song Parody: Not uncommon in his early years. He opened his first show on WNBC in 1982 with "New Jerk, New Jerk", a parody of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York".
  • They Changed It, Now It Sucks: The change from terrestrial radio to satellite along with changes to staff and segments along with it.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Gary in the satellite years toughened up to be more competent at his job.
  • The Unintelligible: Crackhead Bob and Fred the Elephant Boy have severe speech impediments. John The Stutterer.
  • The Woobie: Again, Gary. Artie with his substance abuse.
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