Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 15, 1995 TAG: 9507190017
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LYNN ELBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
``Rise and shine. It's a beautiful day in America,'' trills the theme song that introduces hosts Michael Burger and Maty Monfort each weekday morning on ABC (at 11 on WSET-Channel 13).
The pair refrain from springing unwelcome surprises on their guests or acting as referees in the family battles of women who steal their daughters' boyfriends - the kind of tactics favored by competitors.
Their job, as they and executive producer Karen Glass see it, is to provide an upbeat alternative to the daytime swarm of lowest-common-denominator talk shows.
That could mean a comic piece on Burger's efforts to coach the show's ``adopted'' Little League team. Or a touching profile of a Houston couple who adopted nine siblings. Or tips on buying and using a personal computer.
There's also the standard celebrity interview. It's part of a good-natured formula that Glass says has viewers - although not yet in substantial numbers - swooning in gratitude.
``It's absolutely the theme of all the viewer mail,'' Glass says. ``The first thing people say is `thank you, thank you,' underlined. `Thank you for putting on this kind of show. It's the only show I can watch with my kids.'''
The hosts say they understood from the outset that their role model was more ``Live With Regis & Kathie Lee'' than, say, ``Jerry Springer'' (a talkfest with a particular fondness for the tawdry).
``Considering it was [produced by] Disney, I never thought it was anything other than that,'' Monfort says of her show. ``Mike & Maty,'' starting its second year, is from Disney's Buena Vista Television.
And does that suit the vivacious, Cuban-born blonde? ``Absolutely,'' she replies.
``I like the fact you can cry and you can laugh on our show, and we've done both of them ... It's a little bit of everything all mixed in,'' Monfort says. ``As time goes on, the mix gets better.''
Monfort, a veteran of Spanish-language TV in Miami, was hired in part because of her chemistry with the droll Burger, whose background is stand-up comedy. She describes herself as ``his best audience.''
``People ask me `Are you guys married?' I get that all the time,'' she says. (For the record, her husband of eight years is Tony Novia, editor of a music industry magazine; Burger is single.)
Burger says the on-screen chemistry with his buoyant TV mate continues to evolve.
``With Maty, there's still so much of what she says that surprises me. We're calling them `Matyisms,'' he jokes.
Their partnership raises comparisons to Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford, but Glass is quick to point out differences in the two shows.
``Celebrity interviews are a part of what we do, but not the staple,'' she says. ``When we talk to our audience, it's not even the draw ... the human interest angle is absolutely what the draw is.''
The emphasis on out-of-studio segments, such as this month's ``beach party'' shows from Malibu, and on how-to pieces also distinguish the program, she says.
Topics that appeal to the show's core audience of 18-to-49-year-old women and to families in general are ``Mike & Maty's'' turf. The recent segment on computers discussed such family friendly areas as educational software and vacation-planning with PCs.
But there's room for the more provocative, as well.
``We're not married to one, tunnel-vision type format,'' Burger says. ``We did an `[AIDS] Day of Compassion' show that was as powerful as anything we've ever done. And the next day ...''
``We had on RuPaul,'' interrupts Monfort, mentioning the flamboyant cross-dresser.
``Go figure,'' Burger resumes. ``Then Englebert Humperdinck rides his motorcycle on the set.''
But Monfort, who deems herself a ``Regis & Kathie Lee'' admirer, says she would be happy to be a copycat in one regard.
``The other day Regis mentioned they've been together 10 years. It's just so cool to think there's a possibility Michael and I could be doing this show in 10 years.
``If people think we work together well now, imagine when you've been through 10 birthdays together.''
by CNB