The Return of Arsenio Hall

Arsenio Hall is back. Not only did he win The Celebrity Apprentice, he also is planning to host a new late-night syndicated talk show in 2013. Can he recapture the glory of his heyday, when The Arsenio Hall Show was a surprise hit with memorable star appearances, not to mention the unforgettable saxophone playing by then-Presidential-Candidate Bill Clinton?

The late night television landscape was a lot different back then. Johnny Carson was the undisputed king as long-reigning host of The Tonight Show. This was before David Letterman was wooed to start The Late Show on CBS. Back then, talk show hosts tried and failed to dethrone Carson from the ratings zenith. After a string of unsuccessful challengers, such as Pat Sajak, Chevy Chase, and Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall managed to attract a strong following of young viewers.

His demise came when local CBS affiliates were obligated by their parent network to drop his show to run Letterman's new program. Hall's syndicated talk show never recovered.

Now, there are popular talk shows everywhere, not just on the big broadcast networks, but on pay channels as well. How will Arsenio fare against so much competition? Let's see if he can surprise the world again.