Back in 1984, King Broadcasting announced a new show Sunday's at 6PM called Almost Live!. They hired the winner of the Seattle Stand-Up Comedy competition, Ross Shafer to host a talk show modelled after David Letterman and other late night programs. It featured Ross telling jokes, introducing visiting comedians, and interviewing special guests in front of a live studio audience, with a live band and short taped sequences interspersed throughout. It was filmed an hour in advance, so that any small bits of editing required could be done before the program went live. Hence, it went to air "Almost Live!"

Ross got a surprise when King TV asked John Keister, the current host of their own pre-MTV rock music show REV ( Rocket Entertainment Video ), to contribute his unique style of Northwest humor to the show. Although Ross was unsettled by the unexpected addition of a new comic on his team, he found John to be a gifted writer and talented film maker. With his bits sometimes scrawled on napkins written during lunch, John would take a camera to near by neighborhoods and go wild. It only took a few weeks before John had proven himself, and his role on the program quickly grew. John also had the foresight of asking local stand-up comedians Bill Nye, and Joe Guppy, a founding member of the Seattle comedy/improvisation troupe "Off the Wall Players," to join the cast as well. Also helping out back then was one Pat Cashman, who was already at KING creating promotional videos for the station. Together, this talented team helped write, produce and perform the Emmy-award winning comic sketches that became the hallmark of Almost Live! It was a talented team indeed!

As Ross Shafer's success grew, so did his tendency to appreciate "the finer things in life". When other companies asked the folks at KING for syndication rights, they were turned away. This frustrated Ross, who had come to enjoy the fruits of success and wanted to go national. He began to explore other opportunites, and in 1988, he and head-writer Jim Sharp left for Hollywood where he was offered a job hosting "The Late Show" on Fox after successfully guest hosting for Joan Rivers. Initially, he wanted John Keister to join him, but fortunately for the community his family was rooted here, and John had no taste for the temptations that the other lifestyle had to offer. Yes, John Keister chose Renton over Riverbank, and we in the Northwest are glad he did!

After Ross departed, King TV had to scramble to find a new host for the show. During that interim, they had many "guest hosts" who filled in on a trial basis. Those trying out included Pat Cashman, Tony Ventrella, and many others, some with a bit of national fame. But in the long run, it was decided that John Keister was the best choice to represent the Pacific Northwest, given his local upbringing, familiarity with the entertainment scene and knowledge of local lore.

And so, in 1989, John Keister became the official host of Almost Live! This was a rough season, with John trying to fill Ross' shoes and make the old format work. Sitting behind a desk doing interviews or relaxing in a chair while introducing segments did not mesh well with the great skits and comedy segments being run during the rest of the show, making it difficult to watch. It did not help that Joe Guppy and his wife, cast member Nancy Guppy were leaving the show to go to Los Angeles to work on a revamped version of HBO's Not Necessarily the News. With rumors of the shows cancellation flying about, many other cast members were sending out resumes as well. Fortunately, insightful program director Craig Smith stepped up to bat for the show. He was able to persuade the powers that be to allow John Keister to re-invent Almost Live! for Season 6. And with that, the "talk show format" was gone, and the time was cut to thirty minutes. This is when the decade of sketches truly began!

And for KING TV, the timing of their new format could not have been better. Lorne Michaels had left Saturday Night Live, which then began receiving some of the worst ratings in its history. So bad, in fact, that King petitioned NBC to let them air Almost Live! at 11:30PM, and to push SNL back to midnight. This brought a whole new audience to the show, which found the half hour comedy show much funnier than the hour and half which followed.

Although the show ended over ten years ago, it still re-runs here in the Northwest every Saturday night, for those who still live within range of the KING 5 signal. As I continue construction of the Episode Guide documenting as much history about this one of a kind phenomenom as I can, I will also try to keep abreast of what projects former cast and crew are undertaking today, along with other "fun" ( and some "not-so-fun" ) facts about them. I would also like to thank KING TV for making this website possible. Because of them, Almost Live! has remained a Seattle brand, and made us all proud to be from the great Pacific Northwest. Having the sense of humor and the ability to laugh at ourselves is what really makes our area a great place to live!

my two cents - tax = no sense
George Buford