Showbiz Tonight
Celebrity news, debate, and viewer interaction on HLN.
Showbiz Tonight was a celebrity news program on HLN that ran from February 2005 to February 2014. At the time it was canceled, A. J. Hammer hosted the show from CNN’s New York studio. The program covered and debated entertainment stories and controversies, and included segments where viewers could interact through social media or a toll-free phone line. It originally aired live Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. Eastern, with replays Tuesday through Saturday mornings at 2 a.m. and 4:10 a.m. Eastern. The show also aired multiple times daily in Europe on Star! Scandinavia, a Turner Broadcasting channel.
The series debuted on February 20, 2005, with Hammer and Karyn Bryant as co-hosts. Bryant left at the end of 2005, and Hammer became the primary host, with correspondents occasionally filling in. Brooke Anderson joined as an official co-host in 2009. The show moved from an 11 p.m. to a 5 p.m. Eastern timeslot in March 2010, but returned to 11 p.m. in May 2011, at which point it was recorded hours before airing. A weekday morning replay at 11 a.m. ran from 2009 until April 2011, and weekend editions aired until July 2011. The program initially used a dual-coast format with Hammer in New York and Anderson in Los Angeles. After Anderson left in May 2011 to join The Insider, the show dropped its Los Angeles anchor segments and was produced solely in New York, though some panel discussions still came from Los Angeles via satellite.
Former on-air staff included Brooke Anderson (2009–2011), Karyn Bryant (2005), A. J. Hammer (2005–2014), Jane Velez-Mitchell (fill-in), Jill Simonian (2011), and Nischelle Turner (correspondent, 2011–2014). The program was a revival of Showbiz Today, which aired on CNN and CNN International from 1984 until September 10, 2001. That earlier show featured hosts and reporters such as Peter Bart, Andy Culpepper, Martin Grove, Gloria Hilliard, Dana Kennedy, Lee Leonard, Dennis Michael, Jim Moret, Michael Okwu, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Bella Shaw, Laurin Sydney, Sherri Sylvester, Peter Travers, Bill Tush, and Liz Wickersham.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Entertainment news program
- Presenter
- A. J. Hammer (2005–2014)
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 42 minutes
- Channel
- HLN
- First aired
- 20 February 2005
- Last aired
- 6 February 2014
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- After Anderson's departure, the Los Angeles anchor segments were dropped and the show was recorded solely in New York.
- The program aired multiple times daily in Europe on Star! Scandinavia, a channel operated by Turner NonStop Television.
History
Hosted by A. J. Hammer in New York City and originally co-hosted by Karyn Bryant, this HLN program launched on February 20, 2005. Bryant departed at the close of 2005, leaving Hammer as the primary host with various correspondents stepping in as co-hosts. Brooke Anderson joined as a permanent co-host in 2009. The show initially aired live at 11 p.m. Eastern, shifted to 5 p.m. Eastern on March 29, 2010, then returned to 11 p.m. in early May 2011, though it was now taped hours before broadcast. The 5 p.m. slot was replaced by HLN Special Report with Vinnie Politan. A weekday morning replay at 11 a.m. Eastern ran from 2009 until April 2011, and weekend editions aired Saturday and Sunday evenings until July 2011. The program employed a dual-coast setup, with Hammer in New York and Anderson in Los Angeles. On April 13, 2011, Anderson announced her departure to join The Insider in May, after which the Los Angeles anchor segments were dropped and the show was produced solely from New York. However, discussions between the host and celebrity panelists still originated from both cities, with Los Angeles segments transmitted via satellite. The show aired Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. Eastern, with encores on Tuesday through Saturday mornings at 2 a.m. and 4:10 a.m. Eastern. It also aired multiple times daily in Europe on Star! Scandinavia. HLN canceled the program on February 3, 2014, with the final episode on February 6. Hammer continued covering entertainment stories for the network. The program was a revival of Showbiz Today, which ran on CNN from 1984 until September 10, 2001.
Showbiz Today
Showbiz Tonight is a revival of CNN's earlier program Showbiz Today, which aired from 1984 until September 10, 2001, on both CNN and CNN International. The show featured live broadcasts from New York and Los Angeles, focusing on hard entertainment news such as behind-the-scenes activities and industry deals, along with movie reviews and premiere summaries. Notable past hosts and reporters for Showbiz Today include Peter Bart, Andy Culpepper, Martin Grove, Gloria Hilliard, Dana Kennedy, Lee Leonard, Dennis Michael, Jim Moret, Michael Okwu, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Bella Shaw, Laurin Sydney, Sherri Sylvester, Peter Travers, Bill Tush, and Liz Wickersham.
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