Entertainment Tonight

For the Canadian version, see Entertainment Tonight Canada.

Entertainment Tonight
File:Entertainment Tonight 2014 logo.png
Created by	Al Masini
Presented by	Weekday editions: Nancy O'Dell Kevin Frazier Weekend edition: Cameron Mathison Nischelle Turner
Theme music composer	Michael Mark (original) will.i.am (2012 recomposition)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	38
No. of episodes	11,765 (as of April 12, 2019; 9,805 weekdays; 1,960 weekend)
Production
Executive producers	Brad Bessey (2014–2016) Rick Joyce (2016) Sharon Hoffman (2016–2019) Erin Johnson (2019-present)
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	22 minutes (weekday editions) 44 minutes (weekend edition)
Production companies	Paramount Domestic Television (1981-2006) (seasons 1-25) CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006-2007) (seasons 25-27) CBS Television Distribution (2007–present) (season 27–present) in association with: Cox Broadcasting (1981–1998) (seasons 1–17) Taft Entertainment Television (1981–1987) (seasons 1–6) Great American Broadcasting (1987–1991) (seasons 7–10) TeleRep (1981–1991) (seasons 1–10)
Original release
Network	Syndicated
Release	September 14, 1981 (1981-09-14) – present
Related
The Insider

Entertainment Tonight (or simply ET) is an American first-run syndicated entertainment television newsmagazine that is distributed by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States.

Format

The format of the program is composed of stories of interest from throughout the entertainment industry, exclusive set visits, first looks at upcoming film and television projects, and one-on-one interviews with actors, musicians and other entertainment personalities and newsmakers.

Logo used until 2014; all on-air logos used since 1994 are based on the original 1981 logo, but have solely used the abbreviated "ET" name.

A one-hour weekend edition, ET Weekend (known as Entertainment This Week until September 1991), originally offered a recap of the week's entertainment news, with most or all episodes later transitioning to center (either primarily or exclusively) around some sort of special theme; though the weekend edition now utilizes either format depending on the episode, most commonly, the format of those broadcasts consists of replays of stories that were shown during the previous week's editions.

ET Radio Minute, a daily radio feature, is syndicated by Westwood One.

As of 2018, the program's weekday broadcasts are anchored by Nancy O'Dell and Kevin Frazier, while the weekend editions are anchored by Keltie Knight and Nischelle Turner.

History

In its early years from its 1981 inception, Entertainment Tonight – following a local newscast-style format – consisted primarily of coverage of the latest movies, music and television releases and projects.

They signed an exclusive agreement to cover the wedding of convicted child molester Mary Kay Letourneau, who married the student she had an affair with, Vili Fualaau; and attorney Howard K. Stern, who represented Daniel Birkhead in the paternity case of the late Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn. ET has also aired exclusive stories related to Anna Nicole Smith, including coverage of her funeral, and her surviving daughter.

In 1996, actor George Clooney decided to boycott Entertainment Tonight to protest the presence of intrusive paparazzi after Hard Copy did an exposé about his love life, violating an agreement that he had with Paramount, which produced and syndicated both shows. In a letter he sent to Paramount, Clooney stated that he would encourage his friends to do the same.

On September 8, 2008, Entertainment Tonight began broadcasting in high definition; concurrently, the program moved its production and studio operations from its longtime home at Stage 28 on the Paramount Pictures studio lot to Stage 4 at CBS Studio Center, one of the final steps involving the incorporation of Paramount's former syndication arm, Paramount Domestic Television, into CBS' distribution arms and the adoption of the then-new CBS Television Distribution name, which all took place following the breakup of CBS and the original Viacom into separate companies in December 2005.

In October 2013, after 19 years with Entertainment Tonight, Linda Bell Blue decided to step down as executive producer of the show, to become the inaugural president of Entertainment Tonight Studios, which was formed in November in conjunction with CBS Global Distribution to expand the ET brand to cable, broadcast and digital platforms through various series and specials.

After pressure via a social media campaign by actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell, ET announced in February 2014 that it would no longer accept footage or pictures of the children of celebrities from paparazzi photographers.

This show is the longest-running syndicated show, surpassing Soul Train, which had a 37-year run.

On-air staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors

• Nancy O'Dell – Co-anchor (2011 – present)
• Kevin Frazier – Weekday/Weekend Co-anchor (2014 – present; previously served as weekend co-anchor/correspondent from 2004 – 2011)

Correspondents

• Brooke Anderson – contributor (2013–present)
• Keltie Knight – correspondent/weekend co-anchor/substitute weekday anchor (2017–present)
• Cameron Mathison – contributor/weekend co-anchor (2015–present)
• Carly Steel – correspondent (2016–present)
• Nischelle Turner – correspondent/weekend co-anchor/substitute weekday anchor (2014–present)
• Joe Zee – fashion (industry/red carpet) correspondent (2013–present)

Former on-air staff

• Thea Andrews – fill-in weekend host/correspondent (2006–2009); now at CMT
• Army Archerd – correspondent (1981); (deceased)
• Alan Arthur - weekend co-anchor (1983-1984)
• Rona Barrett – correspondent (1983–1986)
• Nina Blackwood – correspondent (1988–?)
• Chris Booker – correspondent (2002–2003); now at KAMP-FM in Los Angeles
• Eric Burns – correspondent (?–?)
• Lisa Canning – correspondent (1995–1998)
• Jann Carl – fill-in weekend host/correspondent (1995–2008)
• Marcia Clark – correspondent (?–?)
• Steven Cojocaru – fashion correspondent (2003–2011)
• Bobby Colomby – correspondent (?–?)
• Leanza Cornett – correspondent (1994–1995)
• Rocsi Diaz – correspondent/weekend co-anchor (2013–2015)
• Steve Edwards - weekend co-host (1982-1983)
• Leeza Gibbons – fill-in host/correspondent (1984–1995)
• Garrett Glaser - correspondent (1989-1993)
• Bob Goen – co-host/correspondent (1993–2004); now at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati
• Tom Hallick – host/correspondent (1981)
• Bill Harris - correspondent (1984-1985)
• Samantha Harris – correspondent (2010–2012, 2015–2016)/weekend co-anchor/substitute weekday anchor (2015–2016)
• Mary Hart – co-host/correspondent (1982–2011)
• Ron Hendren – original co-host (1981–1984)
• Huell Howser – correspondent (1982–1983); (deceased)
• Darren Kavinoky – correspondent (?–?)
• Robin Leach – correspondent (1981–1984); (deceased)
• Chrishaunda Lee – correspondent (?–?)
• Leonard Maltin – film historian/reviewer (1982–2010)
• Rob Marciano – weekday/weekend co-anchor (2013–2014); now at ABC News
• Maria Menounos – correspondent (2001–2005); now at E! News
• Vanessa Minnillo – correspondent (2005–2007)
• Julie Moran – correspondent (1995–2001)
• Carlos Ponce – correspondent (2004–2005)
• Tony Potts – correspondent (1998; later at Access Hollywood)
• Michael Scott – fill-in host/correspondent (1993–1994)
• Selina Scott – correspondent (?–?)
• Mark Steines – co-host/correspondent (1995–2012); later at Hallmark Channel
• Andre Leon Talley – fashion correspondent (2012–2013)
• John Tesh – co-host/correspondent (1986–1996)
• Marjorie Wallace – host/correspondent (1981)
• Robb Weller – co-host/correspondent (1984–1986)
• Dixie Whatley – co-host/correspondent (1981–1982)
• Roshumba Williams – correspondent (2002)
• Jeanne Wolf - correspondent (1986-1990)

Competition

As of 2007, despite competition from The Insider and even the more general-focus newsmagazine Inside Edition, both which are also produced by CBS Television Distribution, Entertainment Tonight remained among the ten highest-rated syndicated programs according to Nielsen weekly ratings. During the 2007–08 season, the program's daytime ratings fluctuated between fourth and fifth place due to competition from fellow CBS-syndicated program Judge Judy.

External links

• Official website
• Entertainment Tonight at IMDb