Arliss
Series DVD Cover
Genre	situation comedy
Running time	30 Minutes
Starring	Robert Wuhl
Country of origin	United States
Original channel	Home Box Office
Original run	August 10, 1996 – September 8, 2002
No. of episodes	80
IMDb profile

Arliss (rendered in its logo as Arli$$) was an American situation comedy on HBO about a sports agent and his group of associates. The series premiered in 1996 and ended in 2002. Reruns of the show aired on ESPN Classic in their comedy block where it was partnered with Cheap Seats. Image File history File links Arliss. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Robert Wuhl (born October 9, 1951) is a comedian turned actor/writer. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network with headquarters in New York City. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network with headquarters in New York City. ... A sports agent is a person who procures and negotiates employment and endorsement deals for an athlete. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1996. ... This is a list of television-related events in 2002. ... Rerun van Pelt is the name of Linus and Lucys younger brother in the comic strip Peanuts. ... ESPN Classic features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. ... Cheap Seats is a television program broadcast on ESPN Classic hosted by brothers Jason and Randy Sklar. ...

Cast

• Arliss stars Robert Wuhl, who also produced the show, as Arliss Michaels, the president of a sports agency who tries to cater to his clients' every need as best as he can.
• Sandra Oh plays Rita Wu, an Asian American woman who is Arliss's personal assistant.
• Jim Turner plays Kirby Carlisle, a middle-aged, ex-football star.
• Michael Boatman plays Stanley Babson, a conservative African American financial advisor.

Robert Wuhl (born October 9, 1951) is a comedian turned actor/writer. ... Sandra Oh (born July 20, 1971) is an award-winning actress. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... A personal assistant, personal aide, or PA for short, is someone who assists in daily personal tasks. ... Jim Turner can refer to: Jim Turner, the American football player Jim Turner, the U.S. Congressman from Texas This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Michael Boatman Michael Boatman (born 25 October 1964 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is an American actor. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

Notable Guest Stars

Nearly every episode included one or more notable personalities, primarily from the sports industry (such as athletes, coaches, and broadcasters), appearing as themselves. Look up Athlete in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In sports, a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of an athletic team or of individual athletes. ... Note: broadcasting is also the old term for hand sowing. ...

Three-plus Appearances

• Bob Costas (1996-2001) (5 episodes)
• Van Earl Wright (1997-2002) (4 episodes)
• Jerry Jones (1996-2000) (3 episodes)
• Jim Lampley (1996-1999) (3 episodes)
• Tommy Lasorda (1996-2000) (3 episodes)
• Jeremy Roenick (2000-2002) (3 episodes)

Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952 in Queens, New York) is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s. ... Van Earl Wright is an American sportscaster with over 20 years of national and local experience. ... Jerrel Wayne Jones (Born on October 13, 1942 in Los Angeles, California) is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise and the Dallas Desperados AFL franchise. ... Jim Lampley (born on April 8, 1949 in Hendersonville, North Carolina) is an American sports broadcaster, news anchor, movie producer and restaurant owner. ... Thomas Charles Lasorda (born September 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League baseball pitcher and manager. ... Jeremy Shaffer Roenick (born January 17, 1970) is a professional ice hockey center playing for the Phoenix Coyotes. ...

Two Appearances

• Jamal Anderson (1999-2000)
• Bob Arum (1997-1999)
• Chris Berman (1997-1999)
• Al Bernstein (1996-1999)
• Barry Bonds (1996-1997)
• Gary Carter (2001)
• Roger Clemens (1997-1999)
• Norm Crosby (1997-2001)
• Oscar de la Hoya (1998-1999)
• Marshall Faulk (2000-2001)
• Ken Griffey Jr. (1999)
• Jim Hill (1996-1999)
• Roy Jones Jr. (2000-2002)
• Eric Karros (1997-1999)
• Larry King (1997-2002)
• Jeanette Lee (1997-2000)
• Al Michaels (1996-1998)
• Gary Miller (2000-2001)
• Jon Miller (1997-2000)
• Chris Myers (1996-1999)
• Pat O'Brien (2000-2001)
• Shaquille O'Neal (1996-2001)
• Andre Rison (1998)
• Curt Schilling (1998-2002)
• Stuart Scott (1999-2000)
• Robert Shapiro (1996-2000)
• Bruce Smith (1997-2000)
• Ozzie Smith (1997-1998)
• George M. Steinbrenner III (1999)
• Katarina Witt (1997-1998)
• Dave Winfield (1998-2000)

Jamal Anderson (born September 3, 1972) was a running back in the NFL, playing for the Atlanta Falcons. ... Bob Arum (born December 8, 1931 in New York, New York), is a Harvard-educated lawyer of Jewish descent who helped the White House during President John F. Kennedys time there. ... Christopher (Boomer) James Berman (born May 10, 1955, in Greenwich, Connecticut) is a sportscaster, who anchors SportsCenter, Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown, Baseball Tonight, U.S. Open golf, and other programming on ESPN. He joined ESPN a month after its founding and has been with the network since. ... Al Bernstein is a writer, stage performer, recording artist, radio host, and boxing analyst. ... Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964 in Riverside, California) is a Major League left fielder for the San Francisco Giants. ... Gary Edmund Carter (born April 8, 1954), also nicknamed The Kid, has been regarded as one of the top hitting Major League Baseball catchers in baseball history. ... William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962 in Dayton, Ohio), nicknamed The Rocket, is one of the preeminent Major League baseball pitchers of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest pitchers of all time[1]. He has won seven Cy Young Awards... Norm Crosby (September 15, 1927-) is a comedian sometimes associated with the Borscht Belt, but often seen on television in the 70s. ... Oscar de la Hoya (born February 4, 1973) — nicknamed the Golden Boy — is a Mexican American boxer who won a gold medal for the United States Boxing Team at the Barcelona Olympic Games and considered one of boxings all time greats. ... Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American football player in the National Football League. ... Ken Griffey, Jr. ... Jim Hill is a Los Angeles-based sportscaster, and he currently serves as lead sports anchor and sports director at KCBS-TV (Channel 2). ... Roy Levesta Jones Jr. ... Eric Peter Karros (born November 4, 1967 in Hackensack, New Jersey) is a former American baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1991-2004. ... Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger on November 19, 1933) is an award-winning American broadcaster. ... Jeanette Lee (born July 9, 1971) is a successful American pool player. ... Alan Richard Michaels (born November 12, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American television sportscaster. ... Gary G. Miller (born October 16, 1948), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing Californias 42nd congressional district (map). ... Jon Miller (born October 11, 1977 in San Francisco, California) is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. ... Chris Myers is a sports broadcaster who works for numerous media outlets and covers several different sports. ... Pat OBrien is a totally badass dude that attends school in Rockville Maryland. ... Shaquille Rashaun ONeal (born March 6, 1972), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is one of the most famous American professional basketball players playing today; he is generally regarded as being one of the most dominant players in the National Basketball Association. ... Andre Previn Rison (born March 18, 1967 in Flint, Michigan) is a former American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football Leagues Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football Leagues Toronto Argonauts. ... Curtis Montague Schilling (born November 14, 1966 in Anchorage, Alaska) is an American Major League Baseball player, a right-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. ... Stuart Scott (born July 19, 1965 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American sportscaster for ESPN, most visibly as an anchor on SportsCenter. ... Robert Leslie Shapiro (born September 2, 1942 in Plainfield, New Jersey), is a high-profiled attorney who is most notable for being part of the defense team which successfully defended O. J. Simpson from the charges that he murdered his ex-wife Nicole and Ronald Goldman in 1994 (the trial... Bruce Smith (b. ... Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954 in Mobile, Alabama), is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball, a 13-time Gold Glove Award winner who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. ... George Michael Steinbrenner III (born July 4, 1930), often known simply as The Boss, is best known as the principal owner of the New York Yankees. ... Katarina Witt (December 3, 1965, Staaken) is a German figure skater, in Germany commonly affectionately called Kati Witt. Won two Olympic Gold Medals for East Germany, first in the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics and the second in 1988 at the Calgary Olympics. ... David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951 in St. ...

One Appearance

• Kobe Bryant (1996)
• Michael Irvin (1998)
• Tony Gonzalez (2000)
• Dan Marino
• Emmitt Smith
• Joe Theisman
• Rich Eisen

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. ... Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys. ... Full name: Anthony Gonzalez Birthdate: February 27, 1976 Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA Ethnic Background: Hispanic(paternal Grandfather, Joseph), African American (Maternal Grandfather), Indian (Maternal Grandmother, Helen), Jamaican (Paternal Grandmother), and Cape Verdian (paternal Grandfather, Joseph) His last name, Goncals, is pronounced “Gonzalez” when Americanized, and when his grandfather... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida) is a former American football player, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. ... Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann. ... Rich Eisen (courtesy of NFL Network) Rich Eisen (born June 24, 1969), is an American television journalist who is currently the host of the NFL Network show, NFL Total Access. ...

Arliss on Other Programs

In July 1999, Wuhl also appeared on World Championship Wrestling's Monday Nitro in the company's dying days as a guest announcer. Joining Scott Hudson and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Robert did not appear as himself but was named as Arliss and acted in character. He announced that "the WCW" (sic) would appear on Arliss because none of the Big Three networks would have WCW. Arliss stayed in character on color commentary as Randy Savage, Gorgeous George, and Miss Madness walked to the ring. Arliss said he was scouting Dennis Rodman, who was doing his third stint with the company. The Arliss appearance was panned by fans and wrestling critics, especially because most people didn't know what an "Arli$$" was. Wuhl appeared for cross-promotion as WCW was owned by Time Warner (and Nitro aired on TNT), as was HBO. At the time both shows had low ratings, it was apparently hoped that Arliss fans would watch wrestling and vice versa. Whul never appeared or mentioned on WCW TV again and the stunt did nothing notable to improve the ratings of either program. In the Arliss episode entitled "To Thy Own Self Be True", WCW creative head Eric Bischoff guest stars along with wrestlers Lex Luger, Randy Savage and Gorgeous George. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... WCW Monday Nitro was the weekly Monday night TV show on TNT, produced by the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW). ... Scott Hudson is a professor at the Washington State University. ... Bobby The Brain Heenan (born Raymond Louis Heenan on November 1, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois), is an American professional wrestling manager and commentator. ... The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional broadcast (over the air) TV networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC. NBC and CBS were founded as radio networks in the 1920s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Stephanie Bellars is a professional wrestling valet and the former girlfriend of Macho Man Randy Savage. ... Noreen Kristina Nora Greenwald (born September 7, 1977), better known by her ring name, Molly Holly, is an American professional wrestler. ... Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961, in Trenton, New Jersey) is an American former professional basketball player best known for his defensive and rebounding ability, leading the National Basketball Association in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive years and earning NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven... Time Warner Inc. ... Turner Network Television, usually referred to as TNT, is a cable TV network created by media mogul Ted Turner and launched with a showing of his favorite film, Gone with the Wind, on October 3, 1988. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are generally referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Eric Bischoff (born May 27, 1955[1]), is a former professional wrestling promoter and on-screen personality, most known for serving as President of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later on-air General Manager of World Wrestling Entertainments RAW brand. ... Lawrence (Larry) Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), is an American former professional wrestler, bodybuilder and football player better known by his ring name, Lex Luger. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... There are several people that go by the name Gorgeous George, including: Gorgeous George is the ring name of the late, famed male professional wrestler George Wagner. ...

During the October 12, 2002 episode of Saturday Night Live, guest host Sarah Michelle Gellar delivered the following monologue in a fake television commercial sketch: October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 90-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Sarah Michelle Gellar (born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

You know the feeling. Someone's about to tell a joke, and you panic. What if you start laughing? Lots of us experience slight loss of bladder control. An embarrassing accident can happen any time. Sometimes, just when laughing. That's why I watch "Arliss" on HBO Comedy. It's nice to know that, every weekday at midnight, I can sit down with Robert Wuhl and the gang at Arliss Michaels Sports Management, and, a half-hour later, my drawers will be as dry as a bone. And now I know I'll be able to get 100% bladder control whenever I'm feeling insecure. Because all seven seasons of "Arliss" are now available on DVD. That's over forty hours of keep-your-pants-dry entertainment! So, don't let slight loss of bladder control cramp your style. Watch "Arliss", and take back your life. Ask your doctor if "Arliss" is right for you. Side effects may include nausea, depression, and slight sexual dysfunction.

Criticism

Despite its lengthy run on HBO, Arliss never caught on with viewers and was bashed by many critics; Entertainment Weekly consistently referred to it as one of the worst shows on television[1]. Many felt that the show was subpar and that the show's frequent use of obscure sports references made the humor something only die-hard sports fans would understand. In addition, rumors swirled that Arliss was kept on the air, despite its poor ratings and scathing reviews, mainly because of Robert Wuhl's friendship with top HBO executives^{[citation needed]}. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are generally referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ...

External links

• HBO: Arliss
• Arliss at the Internet Movie Database
• Jump The Shark - Arliss