'NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE' When the show must go on, there's one man for the job

Everybody's No. 1 second choice was Regis.
ZAP2IT.COM
When it became apparent that Dick Clark's recent stroke would keep him from hosting ABC's New Year's Eve festivities, both the network and Clark's production company scrambled to make a list of potential replacements.
"That first day I was sort of in shock," says Larry Klein, the long-time producer of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve." "But then immediately you have to get back to business. ...
"We over here at Dick Clark Productions came up with a list of names quickly. ABC worked up a list of names quickly. ... The next day, it turned out that our No. 1 choice, and ABC's No. 1 choice, was Regis."
And so, just like that, Regis Philbin will fill in for Clark for the 33rd annual "New Year's Rockin' Eve," overseeing the festivities from Times Square in New York. (Popster Ashlee Simpson will host some of the show's musical segments from Los Angeles).
A New York guy
"It's an American tradition, and gosh, I've seen Dick on and off over the years doing it," says Philbin, who's the Guinness-certified world record holder for most hours logged on television.
"It'll be a new experience for me and a lot of fun, I'm sure. I'm here in New York, I've kind of got the feeling of New York, so I'm just anxious and excited to be part of it."
Philbin will interrupt a Caribbean vacation with his family for a couple of days to do the show, then return to the tropics after wrapping things up about 1:30 a.m. EST on Jan. 1. It's something he says he's happy to do for his friend Clark.
"I've always enjoyed watching all the excitement in Times Square, then the ball coming down ... it's just part of our TV life," he says. "I just never thought I'd be asked to do this. Dick being the old pal that he is, I was flattered and honored."
Paul Shefrin, Clark's spokesman, says the 75-year-old is recovering well from mild stroke he suffered the week of Dec. 6. "He has full intentions of watching (the show), whether at the hospital or from home," Shefrin says.
Producer Klein says the show will acknowledge Clark's absence and wish him well, but he doesn't want to turn it into a tribute to him.
"I do have a montage that you'll be seeing of the weather conditions through the years and what Dick went through in Times Square. You'll see things like that," Klein says. "But as far as a tribute, no. Dick is not gone, Dick will be coming back. This is a celebratory night. I don't want it to be a downer. ... It's still a New Year's Eve festivity."
Philbin, meanwhile, is looking forward to working a live show, which he says suits him better than doing taped material.
"I find that [with live TV] my juices are flowing, and I just seem to get into [it] better than if it's on tape, with the constant stopdowns and what have you," he says. "To be live on this show means everything to me. It's one of the reasons I said yes. ... As I said, it's really an honor to be asked to pinch-hit for Dick on this major show."