“20/20” has found its new co-anchor.
On Tuesday, ABC News announced that longtime broadcast journalist Deborah Roberts will be taking over the spot left behind by Amy Robach, who left network in January.
Read More: Amy Robach And T.J. Homes Return To Instagram With Identical Pics After Exiting From ‘GMA 3’
Roberts, who is married to “Today” veteran Al Roker, will co-anchor the long-running investigative news show with David Muir.
“Once you have really planted yourself firmly into a program like this as I have over the years, you look for more,” Roberts told Variety in an interview upon the announcement. “You always feel like you have a little more ownership of a program and more of a say in what it’s all about.”
Having been with ABC News for 28 years, Roberts has worked on shows like “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America”.
She has served as a...
On Tuesday, ABC News announced that longtime broadcast journalist Deborah Roberts will be taking over the spot left behind by Amy Robach, who left network in January.
Read More: Amy Robach And T.J. Homes Return To Instagram With Identical Pics After Exiting From ‘GMA 3’
Roberts, who is married to “Today” veteran Al Roker, will co-anchor the long-running investigative news show with David Muir.
“Once you have really planted yourself firmly into a program like this as I have over the years, you look for more,” Roberts told Variety in an interview upon the announcement. “You always feel like you have a little more ownership of a program and more of a say in what it’s all about.”
Having been with ABC News for 28 years, Roberts has worked on shows like “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America”.
She has served as a...
- 9/27/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Deborah Roberts is taking up co-anchor duties at ABC News’ “20/20,” the latest in a line of distinguished anchors that includes Barbara Walters, Hugh Downs, Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung and Elizabeth Vargas who have led the long-running newsmagazine.
Roberts is no stranger to the series’ rhythms. She has been contributing to it for 28 years, ever since she joined ABC News in 1995, recruited by Barbara Walters. She will co-anchor the program with David Muir, who has been with the series since 2013. “Deborah brings her love of storytelling, her deep commitment to the truth, and most of all, her humanity to everything she does,” says Muir. “I cannot wait to stand beside her on ‘20/20.'”
Roberts believes her new role will give her a new sense of belonging to the series’ staff, particularly as ABC News has been working to expand how “20/20” is consumed by its audience. “Once you have...
Roberts is no stranger to the series’ rhythms. She has been contributing to it for 28 years, ever since she joined ABC News in 1995, recruited by Barbara Walters. She will co-anchor the program with David Muir, who has been with the series since 2013. “Deborah brings her love of storytelling, her deep commitment to the truth, and most of all, her humanity to everything she does,” says Muir. “I cannot wait to stand beside her on ‘20/20.'”
Roberts believes her new role will give her a new sense of belonging to the series’ staff, particularly as ABC News has been working to expand how “20/20” is consumed by its audience. “Once you have...
- 9/26/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Bob Barker was a pillar of television’s greatest generation.
Barker, the enduring host of “The Price Is Right” who died Aug. 26 at the age of 99, was a World War II veteran who trained as a Navy fighter pilot. But his destiny was not to fly missions in the Pacific theater. Barker’s service to his country came in the years after the war, when he and an elite corps of seasoned radio announcers laid a large part of the foundation for commercial television as we know it today.
Barker was a born broadcaster. He had a resonant voice, and his 6-foot-1 frame didn’t hurt in making an impression on viewers in the early days of grainy TV pictures. But his biggest asset was the gift of being to speak extemporaneously on live television – and make it look and feel natural while doing so.
Bob Barker, Longtime Host of ‘The Price Is Right,...
Barker, the enduring host of “The Price Is Right” who died Aug. 26 at the age of 99, was a World War II veteran who trained as a Navy fighter pilot. But his destiny was not to fly missions in the Pacific theater. Barker’s service to his country came in the years after the war, when he and an elite corps of seasoned radio announcers laid a large part of the foundation for commercial television as we know it today.
Barker was a born broadcaster. He had a resonant voice, and his 6-foot-1 frame didn’t hurt in making an impression on viewers in the early days of grainy TV pictures. But his biggest asset was the gift of being to speak extemporaneously on live television – and make it look and feel natural while doing so.
Bob Barker, Longtime Host of ‘The Price Is Right,...
- 8/27/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
More than any other figure in broadcast journalism, the legendary Barbara Walters made sure her interviews qualified as TV events.
Walters, who died Dec. 30 at the age of 93, reigned as the master of the big-get sit-down with newsmakers of the moment, and in doing so she helped television news ascend to new heights of prominence and influence. Among her many skills was her dexterity in drawing insights from aging Golden Age stars such as Fred Astaire, John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn to world leaders in crisis, from Muammar Gaddafi to Anwar Sadat to Fidel Castro to Vladimir Putin.
From the mid-1970s through the early 2010s, Walters was the undisputed pace-setter in landing coveted interviews with boldface names. And by the accounts of her top competitors over the years, Walters was a fierce contender for big gets until the day she retired from ABC News in 2014. Walters’ March 4, 1999, sitdown with Monica Lewinsky,...
Walters, who died Dec. 30 at the age of 93, reigned as the master of the big-get sit-down with newsmakers of the moment, and in doing so she helped television news ascend to new heights of prominence and influence. Among her many skills was her dexterity in drawing insights from aging Golden Age stars such as Fred Astaire, John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn to world leaders in crisis, from Muammar Gaddafi to Anwar Sadat to Fidel Castro to Vladimir Putin.
From the mid-1970s through the early 2010s, Walters was the undisputed pace-setter in landing coveted interviews with boldface names. And by the accounts of her top competitors over the years, Walters was a fierce contender for big gets until the day she retired from ABC News in 2014. Walters’ March 4, 1999, sitdown with Monica Lewinsky,...
- 12/31/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Barbara Walters, the legendary Emmy-award winning broadcast journalism pioneer and co-creator of “The View”, has died. She was 93 years old.
ABC News confirmed the news on Friday. No cause of death was given. Disney CEO Bob Iger tweeted that Walters died on Friday evening at her home in New York.
Throughout her more than 50-year career, Walter became a staple in broadcasting, helming the “Today” show ABC News, “20/20”, “The View”, and her annual “Most Fascinating People” special, while simultaneously paving the way for other female journalists.
Making a name in an industry dominated by men became an unspoken routine for Walters who began working for “20/20” in 1978. Joining the news magazine reunited Walters with her former “Today” co-host, Hugh Downs, and solidified what became her legacy.
Walters was born on September 25, 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in Boston, Miami and New York, the latter of which is where she launched...
ABC News confirmed the news on Friday. No cause of death was given. Disney CEO Bob Iger tweeted that Walters died on Friday evening at her home in New York.
Throughout her more than 50-year career, Walter became a staple in broadcasting, helming the “Today” show ABC News, “20/20”, “The View”, and her annual “Most Fascinating People” special, while simultaneously paving the way for other female journalists.
Making a name in an industry dominated by men became an unspoken routine for Walters who began working for “20/20” in 1978. Joining the news magazine reunited Walters with her former “Today” co-host, Hugh Downs, and solidified what became her legacy.
Walters was born on September 25, 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in Boston, Miami and New York, the latter of which is where she launched...
- 12/31/2022
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Longtime TV news anchor and host Barbara Walters, known for her work on NBC’s Today and ABC’s 20/20 and The View, has died at the age of 93.
ABC News tweeted the news Friday evening, posting: “Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93.”
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Breaking: Barbara Walters, who...
ABC News tweeted the news Friday evening, posting: “Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93.”
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Breaking: Barbara Walters, who...
- 12/31/2022
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Longtime TV news anchor and host Barbara Walters, known for her work on NBC’s Today and ABC’s 20/20 and The View, has died at the age of 93.
ABC News tweeted the news Friday evening, posting: “Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93.”
More from TVLineThat Time Barbara Walters Was Surprised With an All-Star Team of 20+ Fellow Female Journalists -- WatchBarbara Walters Remembered by Oprah, Hosts of The View and Others: 'She Paved the Way for So Many'TVLine Items: She Said on Peacock, Stan...
ABC News tweeted the news Friday evening, posting: “Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93.”
More from TVLineThat Time Barbara Walters Was Surprised With an All-Star Team of 20+ Fellow Female Journalists -- WatchBarbara Walters Remembered by Oprah, Hosts of The View and Others: 'She Paved the Way for So Many'TVLine Items: She Said on Peacock, Stan...
- 12/31/2022
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Barbara Walters, the Emmy-winning TV personality and a trailblazer in a male-dominated broadcast journalism, has died. She was 93.
“Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died,” ABC News tweeted Friday night.
Related Story Barbara Walters Remembered: 'The View’ Co-Hosts, Oprah Winfrey & Others Pay Tribute To Late News Anchor Related Story Barbara Walters To Be Remembered In Two ABC News Specials Related Story Barbara Walters "Was A True Legend, A Pioneer," Bob Iger Says After Broadcast Icon's Death
Walters was the first woman to co-host a major network morning show, NBC’s Today, and later to co-anchor an evening newscast, albeit in an ill-fitting and ill-conceived attempt to pair her with Harry Reasoner on ABC in the mid-1970s.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
But that setback was just a prelude to a career as...
“Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died,” ABC News tweeted Friday night.
Related Story Barbara Walters Remembered: 'The View’ Co-Hosts, Oprah Winfrey & Others Pay Tribute To Late News Anchor Related Story Barbara Walters To Be Remembered In Two ABC News Specials Related Story Barbara Walters "Was A True Legend, A Pioneer," Bob Iger Says After Broadcast Icon's Death
Walters was the first woman to co-host a major network morning show, NBC’s Today, and later to co-anchor an evening newscast, albeit in an ill-fitting and ill-conceived attempt to pair her with Harry Reasoner on ABC in the mid-1970s.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
But that setback was just a prelude to a career as...
- 12/31/2022
- by Ted Johnson and Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmy-winning newswoman and celebrity interviewer Barbara Walters, the doyenne of television news, has died, her publicist confirmed to Variety. She was 93.
Having blazed a trail for women in TV news, Walters was the highest-paid television journalist at one time, earning as much as 12 million per year at ABC, where she worked from 1976 until her retirement from ABC News and from her show “The View” in May 2014. She put in 12 years at NBC’s “Today” show prior to that.
Walters received multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for best talk show host for her work on “The View,” winning in 2003 and 2009, and she also received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for her specials, winning in 1983. She also won a Daytime Emmy in 1975 for “Today” and shared a News and Documentary Emmy for her work at ABC on coverage of the turn of the millennium.
As Variety wrote in an article on her retirement, “Walters...
Having blazed a trail for women in TV news, Walters was the highest-paid television journalist at one time, earning as much as 12 million per year at ABC, where she worked from 1976 until her retirement from ABC News and from her show “The View” in May 2014. She put in 12 years at NBC’s “Today” show prior to that.
Walters received multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for best talk show host for her work on “The View,” winning in 2003 and 2009, and she also received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for her specials, winning in 1983. She also won a Daytime Emmy in 1975 for “Today” and shared a News and Documentary Emmy for her work at ABC on coverage of the turn of the millennium.
As Variety wrote in an article on her retirement, “Walters...
- 12/31/2022
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Barbara Walters, the glass-ceiling-shattering newswoman whose intimate television interviews with celebrities and world figures blended show business and journalism and induced many a tear, has died. She was 93.
Walters, the first female co-host of the Today show, the first evening news anchorwoman in broadcast history and a co-creator and co-host of The View, died Friday evening at her home in New York, ABC News announced.
Walters revealed in May 2013 that she would retire from journalism upon the conclusion of The View season in 2014. “I thought it was better to go when people are saying, ‘Why is she leaving?’ than, ‘Thank goodness she’s leaving!’” she said.
Yet Walters soldiered on with exclusive interviews, like one with Peter Rodger, the father of Elliot Rodger, the Uc Santa Barbara student who killed seven people in May 2014.
Walters also was known for co-hosting the ABC news...
Barbara Walters, the glass-ceiling-shattering newswoman whose intimate television interviews with celebrities and world figures blended show business and journalism and induced many a tear, has died. She was 93.
Walters, the first female co-host of the Today show, the first evening news anchorwoman in broadcast history and a co-creator and co-host of The View, died Friday evening at her home in New York, ABC News announced.
Walters revealed in May 2013 that she would retire from journalism upon the conclusion of The View season in 2014. “I thought it was better to go when people are saying, ‘Why is she leaving?’ than, ‘Thank goodness she’s leaving!’” she said.
Yet Walters soldiered on with exclusive interviews, like one with Peter Rodger, the father of Elliot Rodger, the Uc Santa Barbara student who killed seven people in May 2014.
Walters also was known for co-hosting the ABC news...
- 12/31/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SAG-AFTRA’s unclaimed residuals fund has grown to roughly $76 million – up 60% from $48 million six years ago. According to the union, the fund now contains 124,000 separate accounts for members and others, living and dead, that it can’t locate. That’s up from 96,000 accounts in 2016.
“The funds may be unclaimed for a variety of reasons including a bad address or as a result of mail returned for other reasons; unresolved estate issues, or the funds may be in trust for an inactive or dissolved loan out corporation,” a spokesperson for the union said. “Most often, residuals may be waiting for a recipient or their agent to formalize a change of address or submit the appropriate paperwork to claim the funds. The union uses a number of tools to locate and get money to those individuals due unclaimed residuals including mail, email and telephone outreach to last known address and telephone number,...
“The funds may be unclaimed for a variety of reasons including a bad address or as a result of mail returned for other reasons; unresolved estate issues, or the funds may be in trust for an inactive or dissolved loan out corporation,” a spokesperson for the union said. “Most often, residuals may be waiting for a recipient or their agent to formalize a change of address or submit the appropriate paperwork to claim the funds. The union uses a number of tools to locate and get money to those individuals due unclaimed residuals including mail, email and telephone outreach to last known address and telephone number,...
- 1/10/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Throughout 2021, we will continue to update this In Memoriam photo gallery with major celebrity deaths from film, television, theater and music. The first major entertainment figures to be honored in the 2021 gallery are talk show host Larry King, Emmy and Tony winner Hal Holbrook, Oscar and Emmy winner Cloris Leachman, Emmy winners Peter Scolari, Cicely Tyson and Jessica Walter, Oscar champ Olympia Dukakis, Oscar/Tony/Emmy winner Christopher Plummer and legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, an Oscar, Tony and Grammy winner.
The previous year of 2020 suffered many losses, including:
Actors Chadwick Boseman, two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland, Oscar champ Sean Connery and honorary Oscar recipient Kirk Douglas
TV legends Carl Reiner, Diana Rigg, Jim Lehrer, Hugh Downs, Gene Reynolds, Alex Trebek and Regis Philbin.
Grammy champs John Prine and Kenny Rogers, plus Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Eddie Van Halen, Little Richard, Bill Withers and Neil Peart, plus...
The previous year of 2020 suffered many losses, including:
Actors Chadwick Boseman, two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland, Oscar champ Sean Connery and honorary Oscar recipient Kirk Douglas
TV legends Carl Reiner, Diana Rigg, Jim Lehrer, Hugh Downs, Gene Reynolds, Alex Trebek and Regis Philbin.
Grammy champs John Prine and Kenny Rogers, plus Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Eddie Van Halen, Little Richard, Bill Withers and Neil Peart, plus...
- 11/27/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Even though Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony will be shortened to just one pre-taped hour on TNT and TBS, the special In Memoriam segment will still be a highlight. Since the 2020 event aired on January 19, it will be over 14 months until the one on April 4. That means even more actors, actresses and members of SAG/AFTRA will hopefully be honored than the 40 people in the tribute last year.
Chadwick Boseman died last August and is a four-time nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The two individual nominations are for his leading role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and his supporting performance in “Da 5 Bloods.” Those two films also are nominated for the top ensemble category.
Oscar winners who have died in the past 14 months include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Academy Award nominees include Boseman, Kirk Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm,...
Chadwick Boseman died last August and is a four-time nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The two individual nominations are for his leading role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and his supporting performance in “Da 5 Bloods.” Those two films also are nominated for the top ensemble category.
Oscar winners who have died in the past 14 months include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Academy Award nominees include Boseman, Kirk Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm,...
- 4/2/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Janice Johnston has been promoted to executive producer of ABC’s newsmagazine 20/20.
Johnston, who has been senior producer of the show, is only the fourth person to lead the show as EP since its launch in 1978 (with original hosts Harold Hayes and Robert Hughes quickly replaced by Hugh Downs).
Johnston will report to David Sloan, senior executive producer of network primetime content, who oversees the news division’s primetime programming.
In a memo to staff, ABC News President James Goldston wrote that Johnston has “been at the helm of critical programming in the last year, including our two-hour broadcast on Vanessa Guillen and three breaking news specials on the Covid-19 pandemic. Janice also led two-hour 20/20 events on John Lennon’s life, legacy and last days, the Yosemite Serial Killer and Robin Roberts’ interviews with three women kidnapped and held captive in Cleveland for a decade.”
Johnston joined 20/20...
Johnston, who has been senior producer of the show, is only the fourth person to lead the show as EP since its launch in 1978 (with original hosts Harold Hayes and Robert Hughes quickly replaced by Hugh Downs).
Johnston will report to David Sloan, senior executive producer of network primetime content, who oversees the news division’s primetime programming.
In a memo to staff, ABC News President James Goldston wrote that Johnston has “been at the helm of critical programming in the last year, including our two-hour broadcast on Vanessa Guillen and three breaking news specials on the Covid-19 pandemic. Janice also led two-hour 20/20 events on John Lennon’s life, legacy and last days, the Yosemite Serial Killer and Robin Roberts’ interviews with three women kidnapped and held captive in Cleveland for a decade.”
Johnston joined 20/20...
- 1/14/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
As we finally turn the calendar on the Cruelest Year, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the memorable people we lost from the world of entertainment. Click through the photo gallery above.
Among those who passed during 2020 were big-screen Hollywood legends from Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland to Sean Connery and Chadwick Boseman, sitcom favorites Jerry Stiller and Dawn Wells and two of the all-time showbiz multihyphenates in Carl Reiner and Buck Henry. Other actors who left us include Diana Rigg, Max Von Sydow, Brian Dennehy, Kelly Preston, Fred Willard, Naya Rivera, Nick Cordero, Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Indian stars Irrfan Khan and Soumitra Chatterjee.
The movie world also mourns filmmakers Alan Parker, Joel Schumacher and Kim Ki-duk, along with a man who would be on a Mount Rushmore for film composers: Ennio Morrocone.
Also gone this past year were such admired TV personalities as Regis Philbin,...
Among those who passed during 2020 were big-screen Hollywood legends from Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland to Sean Connery and Chadwick Boseman, sitcom favorites Jerry Stiller and Dawn Wells and two of the all-time showbiz multihyphenates in Carl Reiner and Buck Henry. Other actors who left us include Diana Rigg, Max Von Sydow, Brian Dennehy, Kelly Preston, Fred Willard, Naya Rivera, Nick Cordero, Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Indian stars Irrfan Khan and Soumitra Chatterjee.
The movie world also mourns filmmakers Alan Parker, Joel Schumacher and Kim Ki-duk, along with a man who would be on a Mount Rushmore for film composers: Ennio Morrocone.
Also gone this past year were such admired TV personalities as Regis Philbin,...
- 12/31/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Many TV legends and contributors were included for the “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony for ABC. But producers are always forced to omit some of the 100+ insiders who died since the last ceremony. Who was left out of the group that was honored?
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
- 9/21/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
For Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on ABC, producers will have the always difficult task of assembling a memoriam segment. Even though the event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will be virtual, it’s a certainty they will include the popular “In Memoriam” on the show.
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
- 9/20/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
In just the past few days alone, the entertainment industry has lost some icons and favorites from film, television and Broadway. Our newly updated photo gallery above now features 29 people who have died in the first half of 2020, included the recent losses of TV legend Carl Reiner, Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone, veteran newsman Hugh Downs, theatre star Nick Cordero and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Daniels.
Here are some of the bios included in our special photo gallery tribute:
NBA superstar Kobe Bryant died on January 26 in a helicopter crash at age 41. After he retired from playing, he won an Oscar for his animated short “Dear Basketball” in 2018.
Broadway star Nick Cordero died on July 5 age age 41 after complications from Covid-19. He was a Tony nominee for “Bullets Over Broadway” and also starred in “Rock of Ages,” “Waitress” and “A Bronx Tale.”
Singer, songwriter and fiddler Charlie Daniels died...
Here are some of the bios included in our special photo gallery tribute:
NBA superstar Kobe Bryant died on January 26 in a helicopter crash at age 41. After he retired from playing, he won an Oscar for his animated short “Dear Basketball” in 2018.
Broadway star Nick Cordero died on July 5 age age 41 after complications from Covid-19. He was a Tony nominee for “Bullets Over Broadway” and also starred in “Rock of Ages,” “Waitress” and “A Bronx Tale.”
Singer, songwriter and fiddler Charlie Daniels died...
- 7/7/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Former Today show host Hugh Downs died on Wednesday at the age of 99. Downs' great-niece Molly Shaheen said in a statement that her great-uncle died "peacefully" while surrounded by his loved ones at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. where he retired to follow his departure from 20/20 in 1999. The Emmy Award-winning broadcaster celebrated his 99th birthday in February. The former Today show host's career began in Chicago when he joined NBC as a newscaster. His talent as a journalist eventually landed him a role as newscaster for the famous morning show in 1962. In his role, he kept Americans informed of historic moments taking place across the...
- 7/2/2020
- E! Online
Hugh Downs, a veteran broadcaster who is perhaps best known for co-anchoring 20/20 with Barbara Walters during the ABC newsmagazine’s heyday, died on July 1 at his Scottsdale, Ariz. home. He was 99.
According to the Washington Post, Downs’ great-niece Molly Shaheen said that the cause of death was a heart ailment, and that Downs did not have Covid-19.
More from TVLineHoda Kotb Breaks Down Following Coronavirus Interview on Today -- Watch Emotional VideoToday's Savannah Guthrie Stays Home, Works Out of Basement Amid Coronavirus Concerns -- Watch VideoToday Hosts Sit Out Monday's Show After Staffer's Covid-19 Diagnosis
After starting out his broadcasting career on radio,...
According to the Washington Post, Downs’ great-niece Molly Shaheen said that the cause of death was a heart ailment, and that Downs did not have Covid-19.
More from TVLineHoda Kotb Breaks Down Following Coronavirus Interview on Today -- Watch Emotional VideoToday's Savannah Guthrie Stays Home, Works Out of Basement Amid Coronavirus Concerns -- Watch VideoToday Hosts Sit Out Monday's Show After Staffer's Covid-19 Diagnosis
After starting out his broadcasting career on radio,...
- 7/2/2020
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Hugh Downs, anchorman for the ABC news program “20/20” and, before that, NBC’s “The Today Show,” died Wednesday in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 99.
Downs’ career in broadcasting spanned more than half a century. And despite his assertion “I am not a talent, I am a personality,” Downs proved a first-rate interviewer and journalist time and again. His personality was ingratiating and low-key; well into his 70s, his pleasant demeanor made him a welcome guest in the nation’s living rooms. With Barbara Walters, his co-host on both “Today” and “20/20,” he formed one of the most complementary partnerships in television news programming.
Prior to “Today,” Downs made a name for himself as emcee of the quizshow “Concentration” and as sage in residence on the Jack Paar “Tonight Show.”
After early work in radio and TV, Downs moved to New York in 1954 to join Arlene Francis on NBC’s “Home” show,...
Downs’ career in broadcasting spanned more than half a century. And despite his assertion “I am not a talent, I am a personality,” Downs proved a first-rate interviewer and journalist time and again. His personality was ingratiating and low-key; well into his 70s, his pleasant demeanor made him a welcome guest in the nation’s living rooms. With Barbara Walters, his co-host on both “Today” and “20/20,” he formed one of the most complementary partnerships in television news programming.
Prior to “Today,” Downs made a name for himself as emcee of the quizshow “Concentration” and as sage in residence on the Jack Paar “Tonight Show.”
After early work in radio and TV, Downs moved to New York in 1954 to join Arlene Francis on NBC’s “Home” show,...
- 7/2/2020
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Hugh Downs, who began appearing on television at the dawn of the medium and gained fame as co-host of 20/20, host of Today and as Jack Paar’s sidekick on the Tonight Show, has died.
The Washington Post and New York Times cited a statement from Downs’ family in reporting his death on July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Az. The cause was reported to be a heart ailment, and not related to Covid-19.
Downs appeared on air for more than 10,000 hours, which was a record until Regis Philbin eclipsed it in the 2000s. He officially signed off in 1999 after more than a half-century on the air.
Viewers in the 1980s and 1990s got to know Downs during his long co-hosting stint with Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20. In her 2008 memoir, Audition, the Post recalled, Walters noted their different approaches but also her fondness for Downs.
“Hugh and I had different personalities and different styles,...
The Washington Post and New York Times cited a statement from Downs’ family in reporting his death on July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Az. The cause was reported to be a heart ailment, and not related to Covid-19.
Downs appeared on air for more than 10,000 hours, which was a record until Regis Philbin eclipsed it in the 2000s. He officially signed off in 1999 after more than a half-century on the air.
Viewers in the 1980s and 1990s got to know Downs during his long co-hosting stint with Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20. In her 2008 memoir, Audition, the Post recalled, Walters noted their different approaches but also her fondness for Downs.
“Hugh and I had different personalities and different styles,...
- 7/2/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Hugh Downs, the legendary TV broadcaster whose career has spanned more than six decades, died on Wednesday. He was 99.
A great-niece, Molly Shaheen, confirmed his death to local news in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Downs had been living. Sheehan and Downs reps did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for confirmation.
Downs was best known for co-anchoring “20/20” with Barbara Walters from the show’s second episode in 1978 until his retirement in 1999. His lengthy broadcast career also includes work on “Today Show,” “Concentration” and “Tonight Starring Jack Paar”.
Also Read: Danny Hicks, 'Evil Dead II' and 'Darkman' Actor, Dies at 68
He first served as the announcer for “Hawkins Falls” — the first successful television soap opera — in 1950. In 1957, he replaced Franklin Pangborn as the announcer of “The Tonight Show” with host Jack Parr. (Parr was the predecessor to Johnny Carson.)
In 1958, Downs began hosting the game show “Concentration,...
A great-niece, Molly Shaheen, confirmed his death to local news in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Downs had been living. Sheehan and Downs reps did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for confirmation.
Downs was best known for co-anchoring “20/20” with Barbara Walters from the show’s second episode in 1978 until his retirement in 1999. His lengthy broadcast career also includes work on “Today Show,” “Concentration” and “Tonight Starring Jack Paar”.
Also Read: Danny Hicks, 'Evil Dead II' and 'Darkman' Actor, Dies at 68
He first served as the announcer for “Hawkins Falls” — the first successful television soap opera — in 1950. In 1957, he replaced Franklin Pangborn as the announcer of “The Tonight Show” with host Jack Parr. (Parr was the predecessor to Johnny Carson.)
In 1958, Downs began hosting the game show “Concentration,...
- 7/2/2020
- by Tim Baysinger and Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Hugh Downs, the congenial broadcaster whose thousands of hours on network television included two decades on the ABC primetime newsmagazine 20/20 and nine years as the head man on NBC’s Today show, has died. He was 99.
Downs, who also served as Jack Paar’s announcer/sidekick for five years on The Tonight Show and hosted the game show Concentration for almost a decade, died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his family said in a statement.
After getting his start on radio stations in the Midwest, Downs was the announcer on the legendary children’s puppet series Kukla, Fran and Ollie and on ...
Downs, who also served as Jack Paar’s announcer/sidekick for five years on The Tonight Show and hosted the game show Concentration for almost a decade, died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his family said in a statement.
After getting his start on radio stations in the Midwest, Downs was the announcer on the legendary children’s puppet series Kukla, Fran and Ollie and on ...
1982: General Hospital's Bryan visited his father.
1988: Guiding Light's Rick had an epiphany on his wedding day.
1997: Another World's Felicia removed her bandages.
2004: Guiding Light's Reva told Cassie that Jb was Jonathan."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1953: On Hawkins Falls, May Shipley (Vivian Lasswell) came to Dr. Floyd Corey (Maurice Copeland) for help with a problem. Meanwhile, Sue Riga (Toni Gilman) tore into Mitch Fredericks (Jim Bannon). Hugh Downs was the announcer for the show at this time.
1975: On Ryan's Hope, Delia Ryan (Ilene Kristen) accused Jillian Coleridge (Nancy Addison) of...
1988: Guiding Light's Rick had an epiphany on his wedding day.
1997: Another World's Felicia removed her bandages.
2004: Guiding Light's Reva told Cassie that Jb was Jonathan."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1953: On Hawkins Falls, May Shipley (Vivian Lasswell) came to Dr. Floyd Corey (Maurice Copeland) for help with a problem. Meanwhile, Sue Riga (Toni Gilman) tore into Mitch Fredericks (Jim Bannon). Hugh Downs was the announcer for the show at this time.
1975: On Ryan's Hope, Delia Ryan (Ilene Kristen) accused Jillian Coleridge (Nancy Addison) of...
- 10/22/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
You can tell it’s film noir — even the cabin cruiser has Venetian blinds. Ernest Hemingway’s favorite film adaptation of his work is this uncompromised story of a good man taking a criminal course on the high seas. John Garfield is again ‘one man alone’ against the system, and the moral quicksand all but swallows up Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter and Wallace Ford.
The Breaking Point
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 889
1950 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 97 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 8, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter, Juano Hernandez, Wallace Ford, Edmon Ryan, Ralph Dumke, Guy Thomajan, William Campbell, Sherry Jackson, Donna Jo Boyce, Victor Sen Yung, Peter Brocco, John Doucette.
Cinematography: Ted D. McCord
Film Editor: Alan Crosland Jr.
Original Music: Howard Jackson, Max Steiner
Written by Ranald MacDougall from a novel by Ernest Hemingway
Produced by Jerry Wald
Directed by Michael Curtiz
After...
The Breaking Point
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 889
1950 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 97 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 8, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter, Juano Hernandez, Wallace Ford, Edmon Ryan, Ralph Dumke, Guy Thomajan, William Campbell, Sherry Jackson, Donna Jo Boyce, Victor Sen Yung, Peter Brocco, John Doucette.
Cinematography: Ted D. McCord
Film Editor: Alan Crosland Jr.
Original Music: Howard Jackson, Max Steiner
Written by Ranald MacDougall from a novel by Ernest Hemingway
Produced by Jerry Wald
Directed by Michael Curtiz
After...
- 7/22/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Mildred Pierce
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 860
1945 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 111 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date , 2017 /
Starring Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, Bruce Bennett, Lee Patrick, Moroni Olsen, Veda Ann Borg, Jo Ann Marlowe, Butterfly McQueen.
Cinematography: Ernest Haller
Art Direction: Anton Grot
Film Editor: David Weisbart
Original Music: Max Steiner
Written by: Ranald MacDougall from the novel by James M. Cain
Produced by: Jerry Wald, Jack L. Warner
Directed by Michael Curtiz
James M. Cain’s 1941 novel Mildred Pierce offers a venal and self-destructive view of America not with a story of respectable bourgeois society, not the criminal underworld. A de-classed, suburb-dwelling nobody fights her way onto the social register by using men and by hard work… and then watches as her obsessive goals blow up in her face In Cain’s worldview it’s every woman for herself. He drags in an odd personal theme,...
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 860
1945 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 111 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date , 2017 /
Starring Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, Bruce Bennett, Lee Patrick, Moroni Olsen, Veda Ann Borg, Jo Ann Marlowe, Butterfly McQueen.
Cinematography: Ernest Haller
Art Direction: Anton Grot
Film Editor: David Weisbart
Original Music: Max Steiner
Written by: Ranald MacDougall from the novel by James M. Cain
Produced by: Jerry Wald, Jack L. Warner
Directed by Michael Curtiz
James M. Cain’s 1941 novel Mildred Pierce offers a venal and self-destructive view of America not with a story of respectable bourgeois society, not the criminal underworld. A de-classed, suburb-dwelling nobody fights her way onto the social register by using men and by hard work… and then watches as her obsessive goals blow up in her face In Cain’s worldview it’s every woman for herself. He drags in an odd personal theme,...
- 1/28/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey joined just about every female anchor currently on network TV to bid farewell today to Barbara Walters, who is retiring this week from The View and ABC News.
After taping a reunion with current and former co-hosts of The View (welcome back, Star Jones, Rosie O’Donnell and Lisa Ling!) that aired earlier today, Walters, 84, rejoined current hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd for one last lovefest behind the desk for a final show that’ll run Friday. Dressed in a white jacket and black skirt, Walters walked on stage for one last...
After taping a reunion with current and former co-hosts of The View (welcome back, Star Jones, Rosie O’Donnell and Lisa Ling!) that aired earlier today, Walters, 84, rejoined current hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd for one last lovefest behind the desk for a final show that’ll run Friday. Dressed in a white jacket and black skirt, Walters walked on stage for one last...
- 5/15/2014
- by Lynette Rice
- EW - Inside TV
To complain that Big Brother is ridiculous is not to get Big Brother. It’s like complaining that Lady Gaga is pretentious or that Madonna is 55: These are obvious facts and not inherently damning ones. Big Brother should be infuriating, just like Survivor and The Amazing Race, except it doesn’t even bother with the ruse of achievement. This is a game about Cutting. B*tches. Up. Behind their backs and to their face. All the time. It is seriously ridiculous, and the seriousness is often sweet as hell.
Take for instance last night’s episode, where our new Hoh Aaryn turned the game around with some thrilling eviction nominations. That’d be satisfying enough, except Big Brother 15‘s cast is renowned for bad decision-making, and that brings us to today’s topic: 5 regrettable, hilariously dumb moments from the cast. Bring a hanky, because these five examples from Sunday...
Take for instance last night’s episode, where our new Hoh Aaryn turned the game around with some thrilling eviction nominations. That’d be satisfying enough, except Big Brother 15‘s cast is renowned for bad decision-making, and that brings us to today’s topic: 5 regrettable, hilariously dumb moments from the cast. Bring a hanky, because these five examples from Sunday...
- 8/19/2013
- by Louis Virtel
- The Backlot
David Muir's "20/20" vision has been enhanced. Greatly.
The weekend anchor and weekday correspondent for "ABC World News" already had a reputation as one of television's busiest, most energetic journalists when he added another big role to his portfolio last month: co-anchor (with Elizabeth Vargas) of ABC's Friday newsmagazine, succeeding Chris Cuomo, who has moved to CNN.
"It's an incredible opportunity," the personable Muir tells Zap2it. "Only a handful of people since Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters have had the opportunity to anchor '20/20,' so when they asked me, you can imagine my reaction.
"'20/20' is going to allow me to do more of what viewers have seen on other broadcasts - and you'll see a much stronger relationship between 'World News' and '20/20.' You'll see some of the hard-news reporting that viewers have become familiar with when I sit there with Diane (Sawyer, anchor of...
The weekend anchor and weekday correspondent for "ABC World News" already had a reputation as one of television's busiest, most energetic journalists when he added another big role to his portfolio last month: co-anchor (with Elizabeth Vargas) of ABC's Friday newsmagazine, succeeding Chris Cuomo, who has moved to CNN.
"It's an incredible opportunity," the personable Muir tells Zap2it. "Only a handful of people since Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters have had the opportunity to anchor '20/20,' so when they asked me, you can imagine my reaction.
"'20/20' is going to allow me to do more of what viewers have seen on other broadcasts - and you'll see a much stronger relationship between 'World News' and '20/20.' You'll see some of the hard-news reporting that viewers have become familiar with when I sit there with Diane (Sawyer, anchor of...
- 3/15/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Los Angeles — Broadway superstar Audra McDonald is adding a new chapter to her long history with Lincoln Center.
The singer-actress is the new host of "Live From Lincoln Center," PBS said Tuesday.
McDonald will emcee seven broadcasts from December through spring 2013, starting Dec. 13 with "The Richard Tucker Opera Gala" and Dec. 31 with the New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve gala.
"It's a great honor. I'm thrilled that they came to me and trusted me to do it," said McDonald, 42, whose five Tony Awards include a trophy this year for "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess."
Her memories of the Lincoln Center performing arts complex in Manhattan run deep.
"I remember watching Beverly Sills broadcasting from the Met (the center's Metropolitan Opera House) on my PBS channel at my home in Fresno," McDonald said, adding that she was amazed at the venue's size and "inspired by the music."
As a high school student,...
The singer-actress is the new host of "Live From Lincoln Center," PBS said Tuesday.
McDonald will emcee seven broadcasts from December through spring 2013, starting Dec. 13 with "The Richard Tucker Opera Gala" and Dec. 31 with the New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve gala.
"It's a great honor. I'm thrilled that they came to me and trusted me to do it," said McDonald, 42, whose five Tony Awards include a trophy this year for "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess."
Her memories of the Lincoln Center performing arts complex in Manhattan run deep.
"I remember watching Beverly Sills broadcasting from the Met (the center's Metropolitan Opera House) on my PBS channel at my home in Fresno," McDonald said, adding that she was amazed at the venue's size and "inspired by the music."
As a high school student,...
- 11/27/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Longtime Time magazine art critic and historian Robert Hughes, whose The Shock Of The New eight-part documentary exploring modernism from the Impressionists through Warhol was seen by more than 25 million viewers when it aired on the BBC and subsequently on PBS, died today at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx. Hughes was 74 and died after a long illness, the New York Times reported. The bluntly articulate Hughes was popular and well-known enough that in 1978 ABC News tried him out as anchor of its new magazine show 20/20 but reviews of his debut were so bad that he was promptly replaced by Hugh Downs.
- 8/7/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Twenty years ago, the hottest genre in network television wasn't sitcoms, dramas or reality shows — it was newsmagazines. CBS's 60 Minutes was the number-one show. ABC had Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs scoring big ratings on 20/20 and signed Diane Sawyer for Primetime. NBC had the most difficult time getting a newsmagazine off the ground until it launched Dateline NBC on March 31, 1992 after trying and failing with 17 other shows.
Over the next 20 years...
Read More >...
Over the next 20 years...
Read More >...
- 5/22/2012
- by Stephen Battaglio
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Matt Lauer doesn't seem to be taking the talk of Ryan Seacrest replacing him very seriously. The "Today" host joked about Seacrest joining the show at a celebration Thursday celebrating its 60th anniversary. Also read: Seacrest 'Can't Imagine' Life Without 'Idol' “The people in the room right now, their names are so closely associated with the 'Today' show,” Lauer said at the party, according to the New York Post. "Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley, Deborah Norville, Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric . . . Ryan Seacrest." The room...
- 1/14/2012
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Tune in alert for a special event on NBC. On January 14, 1952, Dave Garroway welcomed America to .Today,. and the news broadcasting landscape was forever changed. Six decades of historical moments are served up by the country.s number one morning news destination for more than 16 years straight. From NBC Each day next week, starting Monday, January 9, Matt Lauer, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will look back at "Today's" illustrious past. On Friday, January 13, .Today. will host an anniversary celebration with past co-anchors and hosts including Meredith Vieira, Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel, Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley, Barbara Walters, Hugh Downs, Jim Hartz, Deborah Norville and many...
- 1/5/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Goats are truly the people of the barn. They have human faces, and their teeth look like they just came out of Hugh Downs’ mouth. As anyone who truly knows me can tell you, they are hoof down my favorite animal on Earth, as evidenced by this photo of me kissing one nearly on the mouth. (It was our third date. I also had a handful of Grade B goat feed, which is actually just Chex Mix.) Anyway, here’s a goat that is after my own heart, in that he just adores classical music, in this case, Tchaikovsky‘s Nutcracker. Maybe it’s the chill in the air, or maybe the fact that I’m on roughly no sleep, but this video is truly a gift delivered to me from whatever God you believe in. I am forever indebted to Bex Schwartz’ Tumblr for bringing this to me.
- 11/21/2011
- by Michelle Collins
- BestWeekEver
You know the old saying: Boys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses? Well, today, we have an update: People of any gender will gladly make passes at Anderson Cooper wearing glasses. And now you can make passes (in your head, during your dreams) daily, as Anderson is set to debut a new syndicated daytime talk show this September. And in an effort to get the word out about the show, Anderson has created his very own Youtube channel dedicated to short adorable promos showing his “real” side. Like, did you know that he’s had worry lines since he was 8 years old? And that his vision is not 20/20 like fellow handsome white-haired anchor Hugh Downs? (20/20 jokes? Is this thing on? Note that I’m slapping myself in the face.) But here’s the thing Andy (Can I call you Andy? Or &-y for short?): No promotion necessary.
- 7/11/2011
- by Michelle Collins
- BestWeekEver
Saturday mornings are one of the few times of the week where, usually, I don't have to be anywhere. I often find myself unwilling to leave my bed and catching up on television. Over the past few years, I've used the time to delve into trashy Friday-night TV. In the past it was NBC's Lipstick Jungle or ABC's Women's Murder Club. (I know, I know—laugh all you want. I don't care!) And now, inexplicably, it's ABC's long-running and now often Barbara Walters-less (boo!) newsmagazine 20/20. Random, right? 20/20, really? But seriously, it's so good this season. Let me explain. I...
- 10/10/2009
- by Tanner Stransky
- EW.com - PopWatch
Barbara Walters will step down as co-anchor of 20/20 in September after 25 years at the helm of the ABC newsmagazine show. ABC on Sunday announced on ABCNews.com that Walters had asked for an early release from her contractual obligation. ABC News said Walters would shift to producing more primetime news specials for the network in addition to delivering her signature Barbara Walters Specials. Walters also will continue as co-host and executive producer of ABC's popular daytime chat show The View, which she launched in 1997. "Starting in September, I want to have more flexibility in my life without the responsibilities of a weekly newsmagazine," Walters said in a statement. " '20/20' has been an integral part of my life and a major focus of my work." Walters has co-anchored 20/20 since its inception in 1979. She has worked alongside John Stossel for the past year. Her original co-anchor Hugh Downs retired in 1999. An ABC News spokesman said the network would take its time in selecting a new co-anchor for the show because Walters will not depart for another eight months. "My admiration for Barbara and her contributions to ABC News and our national conversation cannot be overstated," said Bob Iger, president of ABC parent Walt Disney Co. Walters became the first woman to anchor a nightly news broadcast on one of the Big Three networks when she joined ABC News in 1976 following a 13-year run on NBC's Today.
- 1/26/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
8-11 p.m.
Monday, May 19
ABC
Trying to boil down 50 years to three hours (including commercials) is no easy task. Just ask anyone who has ever tossed a 50th wedding anniversary bash. But exec producer Don Mischer and his cohorts do a reasonably spiffy job here in catching most of the highlights, lowlights and midlights of ABC's purported half-century of existence. We say "purported" because ABC actually boasted a primetime schedule as early as 1948, which would in fact make it 55 years old. In Hollywood, clearly, even networks aren't immune to the obsession with trying to trim years from their lives. But "ABC's 55th Anniversary Celebration" obviously carries somewhat less cache for a sweep extravaganza.
Of course, this is also a precipitous time for the network to be using fuzzy math given the ongoing sorry state of its primetime fortunes. But again, this here is about celebration, not wallowing, and indeed ABC has had plenty to be proud of in its glorious history. The celebration touches all of the key areas with panache, giving it a sparkling (if sometimes token-driven) sheen.
Staged at the Pantages Theatre and shot on film to give it a classier and more consequential look, the all-star retrospective trots out nearly every living soul who has ever meant anything to the network -- with the ghost of ABC's late news/sports impresario Roone Arledge hanging tantalizingly over the proceedings. We get reunions of the casts of "Welcome Back, Kotter" (complete with John Travolta), "The Brady Bunch", "The Mod Squad", "Happy Days", "Family Matters", "The Love Boat" and even the still-going "NYPD Blue". This serves mostly as a gauge for how poorly, or well, these people have aged. And "Dynasty"'s Joan Collins looks significantly better and younger now than she ever did on the show, which points to the miracle of ... well, something.
Tellingly, David Caruso isn't present with the "NYPD" cast, nor is Ellen DeGeneres there for the brief tribute to "Ellen".
There are kicky moments scattered throughout, such as clips featuring the appearances of Harrison Ford on "Love, American Style", Tom Hanks on "Love Boat" (be very afraid), stars Ryan O'Neal on "Peyton Place" and Michael Douglas on "The Streets of San Francisco", Jodie Foster on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" and Burt Reynolds on "The Dating Game". There's Sonny & Cher and the Jackson Five on "American Bandstand". And exes O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett (herself an ABC icon, of course, from "Charlie's Angels") arrive onstage together.
We also get clip packages galore, of course, paying self-homage to ABC's groundbreaking work in sports broadcasting (via the Olympics, "Wide World of Sports" and "Monday Night Football"), in longform movies and miniseries, in comedy and at the Oscars -- which is somehow missing the most electric Academy Awards moment of them all, which featured Charlie Chaplin in 1972.
Some things do indeed receive unnervingly short shrift, like the ABC News legacy (dispensed with in roughly five minutes of reflection from Peter Jennings and Ted Koppel) and most anything that predates the mid-1960s. There is, however, a little something for everybody in the star-studded special. And let it be said that while ABC may admit to being 50, it doesn't look a day over ... well, OK, 50.
ABC'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
ABC
Don Mischer Prods.
Credits:
Executive producer: Don Mischer
Producer: Charlie Haykel
Director: Glenn Weiss
Ling producer: Bill Urban
Co-producer: Julianne Hare
Associate producer: Mark R. Leed
Writers: Dave Boone, Brian Brown, Sara Lukinson, Jon Macks, Stephen Pouliot, Jeff Stilson
Music director: Harold Wheeler
Production designer: Robert Keene
Art directors: Brian Stonestreet, Alex Fuller
Set decorator: Dwight Jackson
Costume designer: Paula Elins
Editors: Mike Polito, Mark Stepp, Bill Weinman Appearances by: Muhammad Ali, Tim Allen, Jim Belushi, LeVar Burton, Drew Carey, Richard Chamberlain, Dick Clark, Michael Cole, Joan Collins, Hugh Downs, Peter Falk, Farrah Fawcett, Michael J. Fox, Dennis Franz, Jennifer Garner, Dorothy Hamel, Florence Henderson, Bonnie Hunt, Peter Jennings, Jimmy Kimmel, Sugar Ray Leonard, Carl Lewis, Peggy Lipton, George Lopez, Susan Lucci, Joan Lunden, Jim McKay, Gavin MacLeod, John Madden, Camryn Manheim, Penny Marshall, Al Michaels, Joe Namath, Ryan O'Neal, John Ritter, Roseanne, John Travolta, Barbara Walters, Damon Wayans, Jaleel White, Cindy Williams, Clarence Williams III, Oprah Winfrey, Henry Winkler...
Monday, May 19
ABC
Trying to boil down 50 years to three hours (including commercials) is no easy task. Just ask anyone who has ever tossed a 50th wedding anniversary bash. But exec producer Don Mischer and his cohorts do a reasonably spiffy job here in catching most of the highlights, lowlights and midlights of ABC's purported half-century of existence. We say "purported" because ABC actually boasted a primetime schedule as early as 1948, which would in fact make it 55 years old. In Hollywood, clearly, even networks aren't immune to the obsession with trying to trim years from their lives. But "ABC's 55th Anniversary Celebration" obviously carries somewhat less cache for a sweep extravaganza.
Of course, this is also a precipitous time for the network to be using fuzzy math given the ongoing sorry state of its primetime fortunes. But again, this here is about celebration, not wallowing, and indeed ABC has had plenty to be proud of in its glorious history. The celebration touches all of the key areas with panache, giving it a sparkling (if sometimes token-driven) sheen.
Staged at the Pantages Theatre and shot on film to give it a classier and more consequential look, the all-star retrospective trots out nearly every living soul who has ever meant anything to the network -- with the ghost of ABC's late news/sports impresario Roone Arledge hanging tantalizingly over the proceedings. We get reunions of the casts of "Welcome Back, Kotter" (complete with John Travolta), "The Brady Bunch", "The Mod Squad", "Happy Days", "Family Matters", "The Love Boat" and even the still-going "NYPD Blue". This serves mostly as a gauge for how poorly, or well, these people have aged. And "Dynasty"'s Joan Collins looks significantly better and younger now than she ever did on the show, which points to the miracle of ... well, something.
Tellingly, David Caruso isn't present with the "NYPD" cast, nor is Ellen DeGeneres there for the brief tribute to "Ellen".
There are kicky moments scattered throughout, such as clips featuring the appearances of Harrison Ford on "Love, American Style", Tom Hanks on "Love Boat" (be very afraid), stars Ryan O'Neal on "Peyton Place" and Michael Douglas on "The Streets of San Francisco", Jodie Foster on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" and Burt Reynolds on "The Dating Game". There's Sonny & Cher and the Jackson Five on "American Bandstand". And exes O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett (herself an ABC icon, of course, from "Charlie's Angels") arrive onstage together.
We also get clip packages galore, of course, paying self-homage to ABC's groundbreaking work in sports broadcasting (via the Olympics, "Wide World of Sports" and "Monday Night Football"), in longform movies and miniseries, in comedy and at the Oscars -- which is somehow missing the most electric Academy Awards moment of them all, which featured Charlie Chaplin in 1972.
Some things do indeed receive unnervingly short shrift, like the ABC News legacy (dispensed with in roughly five minutes of reflection from Peter Jennings and Ted Koppel) and most anything that predates the mid-1960s. There is, however, a little something for everybody in the star-studded special. And let it be said that while ABC may admit to being 50, it doesn't look a day over ... well, OK, 50.
ABC'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
ABC
Don Mischer Prods.
Credits:
Executive producer: Don Mischer
Producer: Charlie Haykel
Director: Glenn Weiss
Ling producer: Bill Urban
Co-producer: Julianne Hare
Associate producer: Mark R. Leed
Writers: Dave Boone, Brian Brown, Sara Lukinson, Jon Macks, Stephen Pouliot, Jeff Stilson
Music director: Harold Wheeler
Production designer: Robert Keene
Art directors: Brian Stonestreet, Alex Fuller
Set decorator: Dwight Jackson
Costume designer: Paula Elins
Editors: Mike Polito, Mark Stepp, Bill Weinman Appearances by: Muhammad Ali, Tim Allen, Jim Belushi, LeVar Burton, Drew Carey, Richard Chamberlain, Dick Clark, Michael Cole, Joan Collins, Hugh Downs, Peter Falk, Farrah Fawcett, Michael J. Fox, Dennis Franz, Jennifer Garner, Dorothy Hamel, Florence Henderson, Bonnie Hunt, Peter Jennings, Jimmy Kimmel, Sugar Ray Leonard, Carl Lewis, Peggy Lipton, George Lopez, Susan Lucci, Joan Lunden, Jim McKay, Gavin MacLeod, John Madden, Camryn Manheim, Penny Marshall, Al Michaels, Joe Namath, Ryan O'Neal, John Ritter, Roseanne, John Travolta, Barbara Walters, Damon Wayans, Jaleel White, Cindy Williams, Clarence Williams III, Oprah Winfrey, Henry Winkler...
- 5/19/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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