Showbiz Tonight
Encyclopedia
Showbiz Tonight is an American
entertainment
news program
on HLN (formerly CNN Headline News).
Showbiz Tonight is hosted by A.J. Hammer at CNN New York
. The show reports and debates celebrity entertainment news stories and controversies, along with social networking segments involving viewer interaction via social networks and the program's call-in toll free number. The program airs weeknights at 11 p.m., with encore presentations at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. ET/PT.
when it originally aired on February 20, 2005. During the duration of the program, hosting changed with Bryant leaving the show at the end of 2005 and Hammer took on primary hosting duties with correspondents filling in as co-hosts. Brooke Anderson
became an official co-host in 2009.
The live telecast moved from 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on March 29, 2010, but moved back to 11 p.m. in early May 2011, with the first-run broadcast now airing taped, recorded hours in advance of its initial airtime; meanwhile, the 5 p.m. airing was dropped and replaced with HLN Special Report with Vinnie Politan. A weekday morning replay aired at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT from 2009 until April of 2011, and a weekend edition, broadcast as either a best-of format or a replay of the Friday show, depending on events, aired on Saturday and Sunday evenings until July 2011.
On April 13, 2011, it was announced that Anderson would leave the program to join the syndicated entertainment program The Insider
in May; with Anderson's departure, Showbiz Tonight has dropped its Los Angeles-based anchor segments for the time being (the program used a dual-coast format with Hammer based in New York, where the program is now solely recorded from, and Anderson in Los Angeles). However, story packages that include discussions between the host and celebrity panelists continue to originate from both cities, with segments originating from Los Angeles done via satellite.
until September 10, 2001 on the main CNN
network and the international network CNN International
. The show's hosts broadcasted live from both New York and Los Angeles, and the format was mainly hard entertainment news
mainly involving behind the scenes activities and deals, along with movie review segments and premiere summaries rather than the current day format. Previous hosts and reporters on Showbiz Today include:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
news program
News program
A news program, news programme, news show, or newscast is a regularly scheduled radio or television program that reports current events. News is typically reported in a series of individual stories that are presented by one or more anchors...
on HLN (formerly CNN Headline News).
Showbiz Tonight is hosted by A.J. Hammer at CNN New York
Time Warner Center
The Time Warner Center is a mixed-use skyscraper developed by AREA Property Partners and The Related Companies in New York City. Its design, by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, consists of two 750 ft towers bridged by a multi-story atrium containing upscale retail shops...
. The show reports and debates celebrity entertainment news stories and controversies, along with social networking segments involving viewer interaction via social networks and the program's call-in toll free number. The program airs weeknights at 11 p.m., with encore presentations at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. ET/PT.
History
Hosted by A.J. Hammer in New York City, the program was also hosted by Karyn BryantKaryn Bryant
Karyn Bryant is an American actress, writer, and television personality.-Early life:Bryant was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, completed secondary school at Lawrence Academy at Groton, and received bachelor's degrees from Brown University in political science and...
when it originally aired on February 20, 2005. During the duration of the program, hosting changed with Bryant leaving the show at the end of 2005 and Hammer took on primary hosting duties with correspondents filling in as co-hosts. Brooke Anderson
Brooke Anderson
Brooke Victoria Anderson is co-host of The Insider. Previously, she was a culture and entertainment anchor and producer for CNN and served as co-host for Showbiz Tonight on HLN. Based in CNN's Los Angeles, California bureau, Anderson joined the network in July 2000.Anderson graduated in 2000 with...
became an official co-host in 2009.
The live telecast moved from 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on March 29, 2010, but moved back to 11 p.m. in early May 2011, with the first-run broadcast now airing taped, recorded hours in advance of its initial airtime; meanwhile, the 5 p.m. airing was dropped and replaced with HLN Special Report with Vinnie Politan. A weekday morning replay aired at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT from 2009 until April of 2011, and a weekend edition, broadcast as either a best-of format or a replay of the Friday show, depending on events, aired on Saturday and Sunday evenings until July 2011.
On April 13, 2011, it was announced that Anderson would leave the program to join the syndicated entertainment program The Insider
The Insider (TV series)
The Insider is an American tabloid television news program covering events and celebrities. It debuted on September 13, 2004 as a spinoff of Entertainment Tonight and started as a popular segment that took viewers "behind closed doors" and gave them "inside" information...
in May; with Anderson's departure, Showbiz Tonight has dropped its Los Angeles-based anchor segments for the time being (the program used a dual-coast format with Hammer based in New York, where the program is now solely recorded from, and Anderson in Los Angeles). However, story packages that include discussions between the host and celebrity panelists continue to originate from both cities, with segments originating from Los Angeles done via satellite.
Correspondents
- Kareen WynterKareen WynterKareen Wynter is a general assignment correspondent for U.S.-based television news network CNN. She is based in CNN's Los Angeles bureau. In the 1990s, Kareen Wynter worked for WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio....
- correspondent (?–present) - Jill Simonian - correspondent (2011–present)
- Nischelle TurnerNischelle TurnerNischelle Turner is an entertainment & lifestyle reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles. She was a general assignment reporter for KTTV FOX 11 from 2004 and to October 2, 2008 and worked as a sideline reporter for FOX's Sunday NFL broadcasts, and did segments for a show called Dailies...
- correspondent (2011–present)
Former on-air staff
- Brooke AndersonBrooke AndersonBrooke Victoria Anderson is co-host of The Insider. Previously, she was a culture and entertainment anchor and producer for CNN and served as co-host for Showbiz Tonight on HLN. Based in CNN's Los Angeles, California bureau, Anderson joined the network in July 2000.Anderson graduated in 2000 with...
- anchor/correspondent (2009–2011, now at The InsiderThe Insider (TV series)The Insider is an American tabloid television news program covering events and celebrities. It debuted on September 13, 2004 as a spinoff of Entertainment Tonight and started as a popular segment that took viewers "behind closed doors" and gave them "inside" information...
) - Karyn BryantKaryn BryantKaryn Bryant is an American actress, writer, and television personality.-Early life:Bryant was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, completed secondary school at Lawrence Academy at Groton, and received bachelor's degrees from Brown University in political science and...
- anchor/correspondent (2005)
Showbiz Today
The program is a revival of Showbiz Today, an earlier program that ran from 19841984 in television
This article is a list of television-related events in 1984.-Events:*January 9 – Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" ad first airs, which propels Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase to national prominence....
until September 10, 2001 on the main CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
network and the international network CNN International
CNN International
CNN International is an international English language television network that carries news, current affairs, politics, opinions, and business programming worldwide. CNN is one of the world's largest news organizations. It is owned by Time Warner, and is affiliated with CNN, which is mainly...
. The show's hosts broadcasted live from both New York and Los Angeles, and the format was mainly hard entertainment news
Hard News
Hard News: The Scandals at The New York Times and Their Meaning for American Media is a 2004 book by journalist Seth Mnookin about the reign of Howell Raines at The New York Times.Mr...
mainly involving behind the scenes activities and deals, along with movie review segments and premiere summaries rather than the current day format. Previous hosts and reporters on Showbiz Today include:
- Peter BartPeter BartPeter Benton Bart is an American journalist and film producer. He perhaps best known for his lengthy tenure as the editor of Variety, an entertainment-trade magazine....
- Andy Culpepper
- Martin GroveMartin GroveMartin Grove could mean any of the following:* Martin Grove Road, a secondary north-south thoroughfare in Etobicoke and Vaughan, in the province of Ontario, Canada* Martin Grove , a Vivastation of the Viva Orange rapid transit line in Toronto, Canada...
- Gloria Hilliard
- Dana Kennedy
- Lee LeonardLee LeonardLee Leonard is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of cable television networks ESPN and CNN.-Early life:...
- After helping launch ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 1979 a year prior, Leonard moved to CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, where he hosted People Tonight, the network's first Los Angeles-based live entertainmentEntertainmentEntertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
news talk show. Many of today's major name celebrities made their first national talk show appearances on People Tonight. including Tom CruiseTom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Tom HanksTom HanksThomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
and Pee Wee Herman. The show was ground-breaking in its coverage of Hollywood red carpetRed carpetA red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
premieres and many breaking stories including the death of John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Natalie WoodNatalie WoodNatalie Wood, born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko was an American film and television actress. After first working in films as a child, Wood became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old.Wood began acting in movies at the...
. Robin LeachRobin LeachRobin Douglas Leach is an English celebrity writer famous for hosting his first show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, in the mid-1980s and into the mid-1990s, which focused on profiling well-known celebrities and their lavish homes, cars and other materialistic endeavors...
cut his teeth as a New York based correspondent before signing on to do Entertainment TonightEntertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
and later launching the pop culture hit series, Lifestyles of the Rich and FamousLifestyles of the Rich and FamousLifestyles of the Rich and Famous is a television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes and business moguls....
. Leonard stayed at CNN until 1982, when CNN hired veteran talk show host Mike Douglas. - Dennis Michael
- Jim MoretJim MoretJim Moret is currently the chief correspondent for the syndicated television news magazine Inside Edition. Moret has covered entertainment news and traditional hard news stories for over 25 years...
- Michael OkwuMichael OkwuMichael Okwu is a Nigerian American television journalist and correspondent.Michael Okwu joined NBC News as a correspondent in April 2004. Okwu is based in Burbank, California, and contributes to Today, NBC Nightly News and MSNBC....
- From 1997 to 2000, Okwu co-presented Showbiz Today Reports. He was a CNN Entertainment News correspondent while contributing reports as a full-time general assignment correspondent. - Lisa SchwarzbaumLisa SchwarzbaumLisa Schwarzbaum is an American film critic. She joined Entertainment Weekly as film critic in the 1990s. She has been featured on CNN, co-host on Siskel & Ebert At the Movies as well as a cultural, theater and television reviewer....
- Bella Shaw
- Laurin Sydney
- Sherri SylvesterSherri SylvesterSherri Sylvester was a longtime entertainment reporter for CNN, and sometimes filled in as hostess of Showbiz Today.-Work:*, CNN, May 1, 2001*, CNN-Showbiz Today, July 30, 1996*, CNN, June 30, 1995...
- Peter TraversPeter TraversPeter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
- Bill TushBill Tush-Biography:Bill Tush's career began as a radio DJ in 1965 in Latrobe, PA as a morning host for the Mid Morning Polka Party. His radio career landed him in Atlanta, GA in 1974, where he would eventually join Ted Turner at his struggling local television station, WTCG Channel 17...
- Tush was made senior entertainment correspondent for CNN in 1993 and relocated to NYC to host Showbiz Today. - Liz WickershamLiz WickershamLiz Wickersham is an American television personality best known as the host of CNN's entertainment newsmagazine Showbiz Today.-Miss Georgia USA:...
See also
- A.J. Hammer
- Karyn BryantKaryn BryantKaryn Bryant is an American actress, writer, and television personality.-Early life:Bryant was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, completed secondary school at Lawrence Academy at Groton, and received bachelor's degrees from Brown University in political science and...
- Brooke AndersonBrooke AndersonBrooke Victoria Anderson is co-host of The Insider. Previously, she was a culture and entertainment anchor and producer for CNN and served as co-host for Showbiz Tonight on HLN. Based in CNN's Los Angeles, California bureau, Anderson joined the network in July 2000.Anderson graduated in 2000 with...
- Sibila VargasSibila VargasSibila Vargas is a news anchor in the morning and 11 a.m.editions of "CBS 2 News" for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, formerly of KRIV-TV in Houston, Texas, and former CNN entertainment reporter.- Early years :...
- Leo LaporteLeo LaporteLéo Gordon Laporte is an Emmy Award winning, American technology broadcaster, author, and entrepreneur. A former resident of Providence, Rhode Island, he now lives in Petaluma, California with his wife Jennifer and two children, Abby and Henry....