Larry is pressed to do a sponsored live commercial for a gardening tool called The Garden Weasel during his show, which creates animosity between him and his boss, Melanie Parrish. Actor Robert Hays guests on the show.
Larry is upset when the up-and-coming comedian David Spade appears on rival Jay Leno's late-night talk show and tells the same jokes he was supposed to tell on his show first; Hank gives his elderly groupies a tour of the studio.
After market research shows that audience members don't find him likable, Larry goes out of his way to be nice to everyone and asks Artie to run the show by focus groups.
After embarrassing CCTV footage of Larry emerges, he allows himself to be persuaded that all publicity is good publicity, a decision he grows to regret.