Howie Mandel: Welcome back. My first guest spent the last nine seasons playing Corky on Murphy Brown and along the way accumulated five Emmy award nominations. Now she’s starring in her own sitcom, Maggie Winters. Take a look at a clip from this brand new show. Watch this.

Clip:
Maggie: I broke up with Bobby tonight because I saw myself moving backwards and I need this job to help me move forward. I’ll work really hard. I’ll come in early, I’ll stay late. Whatever it takes, just please give me this job.
Rachel: You broke up with Bobby? For reals?
Maggie: Yes. For reals.
Rachel: Let me think about it.
Maggie: Thank you.
Rachel: I thought about it. You’re hired.
Maggie: Rachel! Thank you!

HM: Please welcome Faith Ford! (Faith walks out) Wow. Welcome.
Faith Ford: Thank you, it’s good to be here.
HM: It’s good to have you here. Congratulations to you. You are a busy woman. You really are! You finished nine seasons, nine seasons? of Murphy Brown.
FF: Ten.
HM: Ten seasons. Ten seasons and then you went right into this brand new show.
FF: Yeah.
HM: Was it written specifically for you?
FF: No it wasn’t, actually. It seems like it was because--
HM: It does.
FF: I don’t know. Someone who is coming out of divorce, obviously.
HM: Which happened to you.
FF: Yeah which happened to me in real life, but it wasn’t at all. Kari Lizer, our executive producer/creator/writer sort of wrote it.
HM: And when did you do it? You did it like a week after you stopped Murphy Brown?
FF: They sent me the script the weekend after it finished and I was supposed to read it over the weekend. I went on a trip, took a weekend away. And at the end of the day on Sunday I opened it up and I said “Okay, I’m going to read it.” I liked it at the beginning and the monologue and thought “Boy that seems a little interesting there, divorce.” Then I got on to the mother/daughter relationship and that just sort of sold me because I have a very strong mother.
HM: So you could relate to it?
FF: Yeah.
HM: It’s exactly the same?
FF: Not exactly the same.
HM: What was your mother like?
FF: My mother, she has very strong opinions about me and my life.
HM: Really. Is she happy about how you and your life are going?
FF: She is. She gave me her review on the show which she always does.
HM: Did you get a thumbs up?
FF: She loves Shirley.
HM: The woman playing your mother -- Shirley Knight.
FF: (Mom voice) “Shirley is just -- I just love her. She is so cute! I just love her.” (Faith voice) “What do you think about me, mom? Mom? What do you think about me?” (Mom voice) “Well you know you’re cute too, but I just love Shirley!” (Faith voice) She’s been watching me for ten years.
HM: So she’s bored of you. She wants to see the new things come up. Has she always been this involved in your career?
FF: Absolutely. She entered me in the Teen Magazine model search when I was 16. I wasn’t really that interested.
HM: You didn’t want to do it?
FF: Well, I was thinking about other things like boys and cheerleading.
HM: I have some pictures of you as a teen. So this is when she entered you? (Howie brings out a framed photo of Faith’s high school graduation picture.)
FF: That was my senior year. I had just gotten my wisdom teeth out. Woohoo! Look at the curls! I worked very hard on that hair.
HM: You did?
FF: Yeah.
HM: And it’s time well spent.
FF: And the aqua blue eye shadow...
HM: So she saw this beauty and she entered you in this contest.
FF: Yeah. She displayed it. She feels I could have done it anyway because I’ve got the goods, but she laid it out. She was a school teacher. She went out and got the posterboard and she put 8x10s down to 5x7s. She said there’s a whole way if you look at it, it leads the eye over.
HM: It became a project?
FF: Yeah, it became a whole project for her.
HM: And did you win?
FF: I was a finalist.
HM: Wow. Thank god for posterboard! And you actually went back in the pilot, one episode to your reunion?
FF: My fifteen year reunion. But in real life I went back to my ten year reunion.
HM: Recently?
FF: Well it wasn’t recently.
HM: You don’t want to... What was that like? Were you on Murphy Brown when you went back?
FF: I was. And all they cared about is if I’d met Arnold Schwarzenegger yet or who were the big stars you know.
HM: Really? Have you met Arnold Schwarzenegger yet?
FF: I haven’t.
HM: That’s all I really care about. That’s what they wanted to know? I bet they’re fascinated. Where are you from?
FF: I’m from Pineville, Louisiana.
HM: Pineville, Louisiana? (Two people in the audience clap.)
FF: Are you from Pineville? You are?
HM: You can get a ride home. Wow, isn’t that amazing?
FF: What part? (Audience couple says “New Orleans”)
HM: Which is just outside of Pineville.
FF: How are you holding up with the hurricane and everything. (Audience couple says “Pretty rough.”) Pretty rough? Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.
HM: I hope everything works out for you. (Audience couple says “We had to leave our home”)
FF: Oh, sorry. (One audience person says “Everything worked out good.” and the other says “We had to evacuate.”)
HM: You left your home? And they put you up here? The actually evacuated and we’re putting up local residents at The Howie Mandel Show. I hope everything works out for you.
FF: Me too. I haven’t actually spoken to my parents since the hurricane. (Audience couple says “They opened the Superdome for evacuees”) I think I heard that on the news actually. Which was a nice thing.
HM: Oh, they’re staying at the Superdome? Did you get good seats? (To Faith) So you actually went home for your reunion and everyone-- when you went to school-- you were just telling us you were the Miss Teen. Were you the popular woman on campus?
FF: When I was in school, I was very involved with a lot of things. I was very very active. I couldn’t say that I wasn’t popular. I was a cheerleader when I was in junior high. I didn’t make it in high school so I started a dance line.
HM: Were you the prom queen?
FF: Well I wasn’t the prom queen, in fact I didn’t even go to my prom because...
HM: You didn’t go to the prom?
FF: No, because they all turned me down. Of course you notice I had to ask them anyway. No one asked me.
HM: You asked? You asked the guys?
FF: Yeah.
HM: Why’d you have to ask, didn’t you have a boyfriend?
FF: I kind of had a boyfriend that was in college, technically, but he didn’t want to go. And nobody wanted to go and I asked two other guys that I knew and they didn’t want to go... One had final exams....
HM: Why didn’t he want to go? Your boyfriend.
FF: My first boyfriend in high school sort of broke up with me because I think I got braces, I don’t know.
HM: He broke up with you because you got braces?
FF: I think that was the reason. Herman Rando. That’s his name!
HM: Herman Rando. Are you in contact with him now?
FF: I haven’t talked to him.
HM: You mentioned that name to one of the producers and told us that you broke up with him so we looked up his number.
FF: Yeah?
HM: We know where he is now. So you know what I was thinking? ’Cause you said he broke up with you because you got braces, right? I thought we’d go to commercial then maybe after commercial we could call Herman Rando on the phone. You can confront him on national TV. We can do that. (To audience) You stay right where you are and we’re going to make Herman miserable right after this. COMMERCIALS

HM: Okay, I’m back with Faith Ford. If you’re just joining us, she told us about some boyfriend that broke up with you, you think, just because you got braces?
FF: Or a permanent, I din’t know what it was.
HM: Okay, either one of those two. Both lousy reasons to break up with you.
FF: Yeah.
HM: Our crack staff got his phone number. He has no idea. This is so much fun we’re going to make him miserable, aren’t we?
FF: Yeah. He’ll probably hang up.
HM: You think he’ll hang up?
FF: I don’t know. We’ll see.
HM: Okay, Herman... Herman. I got to get cleared first. He’s got to know that he’s on TV. Because legally we can’t blackmail him. We’re not allowed to blackmail! The phone’s ringing. (To telephone) Herman Rando’s office? Is Herman Rando in?.... He can’t return the call, this is very important.... You’re going to have to break into the meeting. We’re on live television right now. This is Howie Mandel.... Okay, thank you. (To Faith) He’s in a meeting. It’s a very important meeting. This is his secretary. But I think this is worth breaking up the meeting for.
FF: He’s an attorney now.
HM: He’s like your little Kenneth Starr isn’t he? Oh my god, they’re going to break into the meeting!
FF: Oh my word!
HM: Is he in Louisiana?
FF: I don’t know. I think he’s in Dallas now.
HM: I’m on hold. Sing something for the people.
FF: I’ll do a cheer.
HM: Okay, do a cheer.
FF: (Stands) This was the hardest for me to learn.... Up and down, our team don’t mess around. ’Cause we are the best from the east to the west. And when our team is up, you’re down.
HM: (To phone) Hello? (To Faith) Do you know a poem? I don’t know.
FF: I could do “There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea.”
HM: I want to get him, I don’t want to lose this.
FF: (Singing) There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a knot on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a knot on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a frog on the knot on the log in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a frog on the knot on the log in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a wart on the frog on the knot on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a wart on the frog on the knot on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea.
HM: This is the best interview I’ve ever done. I’ll try dialing again.
FF: There’s a hair on the wart on the frog on the knot on the log on the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hair on the wart on the frog on the knot on the log on the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a flea on the hair on the wart on the frog on a knot on a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a flea on the hair on the wart on the frog on a knot on a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea.
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea.
(Singing a verse of jibberish)
There’s a hole, a hole, a hole in the bottom of the sea. (Cheers and applause from the audience)
HM: I couldn’t get him on the phone.
FF: Herman!
HM: He’s an idiot. (To Herman) If you’re watching, you’re an idiot. Look what you gave up. She’s a beauty. He’s an idiot. (To Faith) You are absolutely wonderful. You are a delight.
FF: Thank you.
HM: I’m sorry I couldn’t make his life miserable, I may try again a little later on in the show. I got another segment. Faith Ford, “Maggie Winters,” CBS Weekdays at 8:30. We’ll be back with Joe and Jennifer Montana after this.

Later HM: If you’re just joining us, we’re trying to call Herman Rando. So if you’re watching and you know Herman Rando, tell him to get off his phone. I have people in the booth dialing. So if we get him, we’re going to talk to him. In the next segment we’re going to get him on the phone. Let’s move on with the show.

Later
HM: We’re back and guess who’s on the phone. Herman Rando’s on the phone. (Audience boo’s loudly) Wait! Now don’t do that! Herman, are you there?
Herman Rando: I’m here.
HM: This is Howie Mandel and I’m calling from The Howie Mandel Show. And I have a guest here, Faith Ford, does that name sound familiar?
HR: Hi, Faith.
FF: Hi, Herman.
HR: How are you?
HM: She was telling us about you and when you were in school. Do you remember?
HR: Sure.
HM: Why did you break up with her?
HR: Oh, Faith.
FF: For no reason, Herman, I think it had to do with my braces and my permanent, is that true?
HR: I think it had something to do with a miniskirt. (Faith starts laughing)
HM: Those are reason to keep it going, Herman! What did you do with a miniskirt?
FF: Are you talking about the red thing w ith the red shoes that I had?
HR: And the white hose, yeah. (Faith is laughing again.)
HM: The red thing with the red shoes?
FF: I had this puffy miniskirt that I--
HM: A puffy miniskirt?
FF: And it had this red candy-stripe, red and white candystripe. Is that the one you’re talking about?
HR: That’s it.
HM: That was the straw that broke the camel’s back? (To Faith) You were a looker, weren’t you? (To Herman) So that’s why you broke up with her? Because of something she was wearing?
HR: Oh gosh, let’s hope not.
HM: Have you seen her lately?
HR: Oh sure, I’ve seen her on TV.
HM: On TV. And she’s beautiful.
HR: Oh absolutely.
HM: And she’s funny.
HR: Absolutely.
HM: So you have to admit, you’re an idiot. Look at what you missed out on. She’s happily married now. Are you married now?
HR: No, I’m not. I’m engaged.
HM: You’re engaged, oh wonderful!
FF: I heard you were engaged. Congratulations, Herman. My mother keeps me abreast of all the hometown things.
HR: Thank you.
HM: Well, congratulations and many happy years. But I just hope she never wears a puffy miniskirt and a striped thing, never gets braces or a perm. I wish you the best of luck in your life, thank you for being a good sport today, Herman.
HR: Thanks, Howie.
FF: Bye Herman!
HR: Bye Bye.
HM: We cleared that up, it’s off your chest and you can feel better about yourself now, right?
FF: I feel so much better!
HM: And what better way to follow up that kind of healing than with exotic animals. Jackie Navarro is up next.

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