Whos was ETs competitor in the 80s?
I know now there is The insider, but I thought there was another show back in the 80s that competed with ET on another network.
I thought the hostess name was Gil or something.
Entertainment Tonight had several competitors in the 1980s. They were PM Magazine (titled Evening Magazine in some markets), Inside Edition, Hard Copy, and A Current Affair.
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And ironically enough, all of them except for "A Current Affair" (property of 20th Century Fox) are now owned by CBS along with ET!!!
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I thought change was good for ET in the '90s because the new generation of entertainment news shows led by "Extra" and "Access Hollywood" were after the show's blood. But nonetheless, ET as CBS/Paramount's flagship syndicated program remains one of the top-rated because, well, they started all this nearly 30 years ago!
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Wow, another amazing post from the Big O!
I haven't watched "ET" for more than a decade now and I'm surprised it's even still on, but in the early to late '80s, it was quite a force to be reckoned with. It covered the entertainment industry provocatively and critically while its detractors focused on such superficial issues as Mary Hart's legs. Those who put the show down probably didn't think much of the industry it covered anyway.
I continued to watch the weekend editions well into the '90s, when they'd feature extended "where are they now" segments and background pieces.
I haven't watched the show at all lately, so I can't speak on "ET's" downward spiral, but you are a person of great credibility with me and I admire your passion.
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Old post, but agreed on all points.
In the eighties, the local affiliates hosted a show called PM magazine which aired at the same time in the evenings, but there was no cable at that time for most people, so ET was it.
I've watched it for the first time in decades this summer and indeed, I'm surprised it's still on.
Nancy O'Hell makes Mary Hart seem like Princess Grace. It's a very stupid show that sensationalizes with terrible inaccuracies.
Oh yes, I remember "P.M. Magazine," which seemed more focused on features in general than entertainment in particular. A lot of local affiliates had similar version of this show after the news with similar, rather generic names like "Hour Magazine."
I must confess that since that post a few years ago, I've gotten in the habit of turning on "Entetainment Tonight" when it airs locally at midnight in my area. I almost inevitably fall asleep to it, and I don't think I miss much. It feels more like an infomercial these days, and indeed many of their advertisers (Papa Murphy's Pizza comes immediately to mind) are incorporated into their "news" segment.
They also have an annoying tendency to suck up to celebs like Oprah Winfrey, or whoever they happen to have an "exclusive" interview with. And when there's a dramatic national news story like the Boston Marathon bombings, they do an "entertainment" angle with celebs' reaction or somesuch superficial nonsense.
The show is indeed horrible now, yet I watch it (when I'm awake).
INDEED!!! I also confess what brought me here, was that Barbie doll wannabee promoting her "exclusive" interview with Oprah which, according to her, has resulted in exposing an international racial incident.
BTW, check out her website. The "contact Nancy" section really only leads to her newsletter subscription.
To each his own, but what I found disgraceful was Karen Black's death didn't even receive an honorable mention. In the eighties, the show did suck up to the celebrities who were most popular, but the show paid homage to the golden era stars as well. In contrast, the idiots working on the show today do not have a clue and epitomizes the modern day epidemic of being famous for no talent.
That Nancy O'Hell website is pathetic, even for an entertainment "journalist." Is she she making so little on "the #1 syndicated magazine show" that she has to supplement her income hawking beauty products?
I fell asleep Thursday before "E.T." aired (thanks, Jimmy Kimmel), so I didn't see the lack of Karen Black coverage. Such a tragic loss of a major figure during the last great era in film in my opinion, but I don't expect anything more from this show, which seems to be courting a different demographic than fans of great eras in film.
And if a shop clerk told me a $38,000 handbag was too expensive, I'd agree and head for the nearest Goodwill. Of course I'm not black. Nor am I a woman, for that matter. ;-)
Oh yes, I remember "P.M. Magazine," which seemed more focused on features in general than entertainment in particular. A lot of local affiliates had similar version of this show after the news with similar, rather generic names like "Hour Magazine."
Amusingly, both PM Magazine and Hour Magazine were both produced and distributed by Group W Television. share
That comes as no surprise to me.
It seems the time is right for a genuine, journalistically sound program about the entertainment industry, but I doubt that will happen.