"Don't anybody look at the cards," he cautioned the crowd before the taping. "We only use the laughing shots of the audience."

His political jokes went over big. His Radcliffe jokes ("Harvard is where young men come to learn about the wonders of the world--but enough about Radcliffe") went over like lead balloons.

"This is the first three-decker sandwich I've ever played." Hope said about the Forum, which his production crew labelled "intimate."

He talked more about politics and insulted everybody he could think of.

On Henry Kissinger: "Between Lesley and Wellesley, Henry Kissinger learned something that later proved very useful--shuttle diplomacy."

On Timothy Leary: "Harvard's great contribution to the space program."

On the Pope: "They loved him at the White House--finally, a Catholic who wasn't running for something."

On Ted Kennedy: "Ted now has protection but it wasn't easy to find Secret Service agents who could play polo."

On Ham Jordan: "Born with a silver spoon in his nose."

The show, which will include scenes shot at Indiana State University, the University of Florida, the University of Alabama, Colgate, Harvard and the University of Southern California, will be aired November 19 at 9 p.m. on NBC