Of course it's been parodied to death. And with Oprah taking over in most of our psyches as what we think of when we think of talk shows, we may have forgotten about this mostly serious and in-depth kind of format.
The topics ranged from celebrities (like this short clip of Shelley Long, just after she left Cheers) to "Voodoo Princesses" to "Club Kids" to major issues we are all still talking about. If you missed the introduction, a little blurb at the bottom would fill you in.
The set was minimal and the video/audio quality compared to today's production value is almost laughable. But, at the time, it felt like we were actually in the room. At least I know I was captivated.
The audience members and their comments were almost as interesting as the guests. And remember how at the end of each show, tomorrow's show topic would be thrown out. And if you wanted to watch, you better be in front of that TV tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. sharp to catch the snazzy introduction!