Inside the Dictators' Studio

Inside the Dictators' Studio
Format:	Talk Show
Runtime:	59 minutes
Starring:	James Lipton
Opening Theme:	Richard Wagner
First Aired:	1944
Country:	Germany
Network:	The History Channel

Inside the Dictators' Studio is the Emmy-winning original series on The History Channel, cable television network. The show is hosted by James Lipton. It is produced and directed by Adolf Hitler. The program, which premiered in 1944, is seen in 79 American homes and in 2 countries around the world. It is taped in a small room inside the Reichstag in Germany.

About the program

A drawing of the show's host, James Lipton, during his old-school, Stalin-stache era.

The program began as a televised craft seminar for students of the School of the Americas, originally a joint venture of The United States of America and Satan. It was taped in the School of the Americas auditorium.

In May 2005, the contract between the show and the SOA was not renewed. Beginning with the sixty-first season, in the fall of 2005, the program has been taped at the Reichstag in Germany. The show now has a new set, which has a more classical dictatorial-feel. The set was designed by Augusto Pinochet and Saddam Hussein for the British Broadcasting Company and The History Channel.

A photo of the show's host, James Lipton, during his modern, Hitler-stache era.

Since its premiere, Inside the Dictators' Studio has had over 30 guests. While most of the show is a one-on-one interview conducted by Lipton, the program ends with the host submitting a CIA-created questionnaire to the guest dictator. The questionnaire concept was originated by French TV personality (and former Emperor) Napoleon Bonaparte. The program usually concludes with a question-and-answer session with the students.

About the Host

“Who does his grooming? It's very lovely.”

~ Oscar Wilde on James Lipton's facial hair

“Oh, I looooove what you've done with your facial hair, and I see you've been keeping up with the product-use, too!”

~ Kyan Douglas on James Lipton

• James Lipton has hosted other talk-interview shows in the past, such as "Inside the Mind of a Crazed Teenage Rapist", "Inside the Rapper's Studio", "Inside a Gynecologist's Office", and "Inside Edition, version 2.0".
• Lipton often changes his facial-hair style, but it is constantly based upon that of a great, widely-known dictator
• Lipton hates tea
• Lipton hates you
• Lipton loves his mother, his boyfriend, horses, and America too
• His birth name was Jesua Jameson Lipton-Folger

A photograph of Adolf Hitler, a recurring guest and show director, on stage at the Reichstag during a taping.

Criticism

Inside the Dictators' Studio has been the target of criticism in its last year because many of the guests, such as Keanu Reeves, for example, have nothing to do with being a dictator. In addition, there are some who claim that Lipton is far too over-indulgent in praising some guests. This has led to several parodies of the show.

• Dubya has boycotted the show upon learning that Fidel Castro would appear on the show while he, himself, has yet to appear

Hyper-Criticism

• The black and white nature of many episodes (mostly those featuring Hitler and Stalin) is seen as tacky by many television critics

Hyper-Hyper-Criticism

• Many people with ADHD find it hard to sit-through an entire episode

Guests

Ben Affleck Simón Bolívar Fidel Castro Józef Grzegorz Chlipicki

Johnny Depp José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia y Velasco Adolf Hitler

Saddam Hussein James Earl Jones Daniele Manin Joseph McCarthy

Benito Mussolini Pol Pot Josef Stalin Darth Vader

Ensemble Guests

• Cast of Friends (Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston, and Matthew Perry)
• Members of The Reagan Administration (Ronald Reagan, Henry Kissenger, William Wallace, Alexander Haig, and James Baker)

Trivia

• The questions that Lipton most-frequently asked:

1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. In what ways does genocide turn you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
4. What makes genocide harder, the UN, or the US?
5. What is your favorite curse word?
6. What is your favorite barn yard animal?
7. Who is your favorite Television host?
8. What sound or noise do you love?
9. What sound or noise do you hate?
10. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
11. What profession would you not like to do?
12. If Heaven exists, to whom would you want go give a Pearl Necklace?

• When Adolf Hitler revisited in 1987, Lipton announced him as the first encore guest of the show. In truth, he actually wasn't. Josef Stalin had appeared twice on the show: in a solo appearance in 1966 and 1975.
• When Fidel Castro was on the show, he flew in straight from Cuba for the interview. However, he did not make it on time for the interview and was 104 hours late. During the 104 hour wait, the students of the Hitler Youth were bored by watching season 1 of Carlos Mencia show. The whole interview lasted until 5am in the morning, 4 days later.