Viewers hitching on to Chuckwagon.(television broadcaster and former basketball star Charles Barkley)(Brief Article)

The Fat Butt, still foisted on us. Is that so bad?

Our protagonist is Charles Barkley, the artist formerly known as The Round Mound of Rebound, now a rookie-of-the-year analyst on Turner Sports' Inside the NBA.

His role is the same as it ever was; he's on TV a couple of times a week, shooting from the hip, ever the go-to guy-particularly for quote-hungry vultures who regale him as Ali in his prime. Like when he was musing off-camera about his ex-league: "It sucks now. It's the best basketball there is, but it's not good. I'm going to say it, and I don't give a rat's ass what anyone thinks." Thanks for the sound bite, Chuck. Have a good show.

Barkley's numbers are actually up slightly this season. He's averaging almost 60 minutes a night, and he tipped the scales at 312 in his latest televised weigh-in, nyuk-nyuk. Interestingly, he's showing even less killer instinct than in his legendary championship-less career. He hasn't spit on host Ernie Johnson Jr.; he hasn't thrown co-star Kenny Smith through a window.

In the process, he has become a TV All-Star. "Charles was great from the start," producer Mike Kiley says. "The real deal."

He's showcased in a tailor-made offense; he doesn't read a TelePrompTer, he just posts up with opinions. Scottie Pippen, who bestowed the Fat Butt moniker, hasn't offered a review yet, but Turner claims Barkley's and the show's biggest fans are players who hurry home after Wednesday-Thursday games on TNT or TBS. Inside the NBA retains a remarkable 81 percent of its lead-in audience. Even the competition is wowed. "Best show on TV," says a fan at ESPN.

It used to be mere halftime and postgame highlights narrated by Johnson, sometimes with Smith, Reggie Theus or Cheryl Miller. Then Barkley retired, joined Turner late last season on a pro bono basis and turned the volume way up.