`Loveline’ extends its advice and humor to MTV

`Loveline” co-host Adam Carolla describes his show this way:

“It’s like one of those engineering contests,” said Carolla, 32, who co-hosts the sex and relationship advice show with Dr. Drew Pinsky. “We get a ball of yarn, some spaghetti and paste and we see if it can hold for two hours. Some nights we have no guests and other times it’ll be guys who skateboard or some bass player I’ve never heard of. But if everyone can sit down and be honest and try to have a good time, then we can try and help a few people.”

“Loveline,” which currently airs its potent mix of candid sex talk, “Animal House” humor and rock ‘n’ roll on WKQX-FM (101.1) at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, is making the transition to television. On Monday, MTV launches a one-hour version of the show that will air at 11 p.m. weekdays.

The televised format will be similar to that of the radio show, based in Los Angeles. Pinsky and Carolla, joined by a celebrity guest or two (it might be Everclear, Fiona Apple, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Poe, Slash or Tony Rich) will take questions on relationships in general and orgasms, infections and AIDS in particular. MTV viewers across the country can participate via home video, fax, E-mail, video conferencing and, of course, telephone.

“I kind of like the anonymity of being radio hosts,” said Pinsky, 38, who goes by the on-air name of Dr. Drew. “We’ve both got great radio faces. But we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to reach another audience. It breaks my heart to hear the terrible things that have happened to some of the people who call us. They don’t know of any other outlet to straighten out their lives so they come to us. The way we look at it, we’re not there to treat them so much as we are to educate them, and the TV show gives us another forum to do this.”

Whether the duo’s format will work visually remains to be seen. But the pair couldn’t be better matched for radio. Married and the father of triplets, Pinsky is an internist and addiction specialist who has a calm voice and a soothing manner. Whether a caller has a question about irregular periods or chronic headaches, he answers each one thoroughly. But when he suspects callers of making up stories, Pinsky has no reservations about nailing them.

Carolla is a bachelor who is as quick-witted as he is obsessed with breasts. He gets the musical guests to talk about things you won’t read in Rolling Stone. Rod Stewart revealed that he wasn’t circumcised, and Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws advised a female caller about the dangers of toxic shock syndrome. Somehow it all sounded natural.

In many respects, Carolla is one step away from Beavis and Butt-Head. He likes nothing better than when someone phones in with a titillating comment about a threesome. And he’ll tell anyone who’ll listen that he’s got his hand down his pants and how much hair he has on his bum.

“Adam exaggerates a lot,” Pinsky said judiciously.

Carolla had another explanation.

“I say a lot of asinine things,” said Carolla, who studied with the Groundlings comedy troupe with Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”) and did stand-up at the Improv in L.A. before landing his radio gig. “I have plenty of strong opinions but I don’t think people think I’m an A-hole. I’m just the guy who says stupid things.”

While Carolla’s politically incorrect comments have offended some studio guests, such as No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani, he also is an insightful person who has a strong grasp of the human psyche. He offers plausible advice in layman’s terms.

“I never went to college and studied like Drew did,” Carolla said. “I’m an idiot. But I’ve had plenty of therapy and I think I picked up a few things just from life and genetics.” (His father is a psychologist and his grandmother is a sex therapist – no, not Dr. Ruth.)

“Adam is one of the funniest, brightest people I know,” Pinsky said. “I used to plan my hospital rounds to be in my car when I knew he was going to be on the radio (on KROQ-FM’s morning show in L.A.) because he was so funny and clever.”

In his 14 years as host of “Loveline,” Pinsky has worked with a number of sidekicks, and he has nothing but kind words for each of them. But he said the show didn’t really become what it has developed into until Carolla signed on a year ago.

“We just clicked from the beginning,” Pinsky said. “You know how when you just meet someone and you know you’re going to get along? That’s what it was like for the two of us.”

Unfortunately, things don’t always click with their guests. Carolla said X’s Exene Cervenka was “a pain” and that “Rodney Dangerfield and Jackie Mason just wanted to plug their – – – – and get out of there.”

“I don’t know who half these people are, but I’ve got a simple attitude with them,” Carolla said of his guests. “Show up, act like you want to be here even if you don’t want to be here and we’ll take care of you. We’ll plug your book, CD, movie project or whatever to a national audience. All I want in return is for you to sit up and speak into the microphone and participate.

“I’m certainly not qualified like Dr. Drew to say anything about anything. But I pay attention and I expect our guests to do that, too. We take our calls seriously.”