John McIntire, former host of PCNC's "NightTalk" and current "Off Q" panelist, will launch a new talk show on Comcast OnDemand. "The John McIntire Show." The first episode, which includes commercials and runs about 50 minutes, will post on Thursday.

"It's really not going to be very political," said Mr. McIntire, who also writes the MacYapper.com blog (www.macyapper.blogspot.com). "It's just going to be more entertaining, although I suppose that remains to be seen."

Comcast customers can find the show by going to the OnDemand menu and clicking on the Your Town -- Get Local, then Entertainment, then "The John McIntire Show."

Mr. McIntire said the first episode was taped in recent weeks and features comedian Gab Bonesso, who is dating Mr. McIntire, as his sidekick and a guest along with filmmaker Carl Kurlander and former Allegheny County coroner Cyril Wecht.

Each interviewee acknowledges his or her pet peeves in jerky behavior before all three appear in a joint discussion panel. The episode will conclude with a "scintillating commentary" by Mr. McIntire, who is known for his outspokenness on political topics.

"I'm not saying I'll never do it," he said of political talk on the program. "But I don't want people to think, 'He's just doing [Keith] Olbermann local.' I also didn't want to scare anybody right away because I'd like this to continue.

"It's irreverent, but I'm pulling a couple of punches just to be safe," Mr. McIntire said. "It's sort of a new strategy."

The production schedule for future episodes is still to be determined, but a second episode is expected to be shot in March.

TV columnist Rob Owen's Tuned In+ is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.