Answer: Phil Donahue
Donahue's talk show began locally in Dayton, Ohio in 1967. Three years later "The Phil Donahue Show" went into national syndication and was a daytime fixture until 1996 making it the longest continuously running syndicated talk show in US history at the time. Donahue generally maintained a mild-mannered approach to celebrity interviews and current events while much of his competition switched to screeching controversy. Phil's aversion to the tabloid approach plus his voiced opposition to the first Gulf War cost him ratings and some important affiliates in 1995 and a year later Donahue's record setting run ended.
From Quiz: TV Talkers Stir Up The Controversy
Answer: The Roots
Headed by Questlove, The Roots are a grammy-award winning neo-soul/hip-hop group that formed in 1987. They met Jimmy Fallon in 2008 and were instantly attracted by his disarming personality and nerdy silliness.
Michael Bearden and the Ese Vato's were George Lopez's house band on the TBS late-night show "Lopez Tonight" (2009-2011).
As of September of 2015, Jon Batiste and his band Stay Human have been the house band for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
From Quiz: The Bands of Late Night
Answer: Toast of the Town
Since everyone referred to "Toast of the Town" as "The Ed Sullivan Show," CBS officially changed it to the latter in 1955. Ed Sullivan introduced many ground-breaking musicians on his show, including Elvis in 1956 and The Beatles in 1964.
From Quiz: Late Night Hijinks
Answer: Sally Jessy Raphael
From Quiz: Sit Down and Chat with Us
Answer: Joan Rivers
No stranger to the talk show format, Joan Rivers had made a number of guest appearances on "The Tonight Show" (with both Jack Paar and Johnny Carson as hosts) and had served as the permanent guest host of that show for three years before getting the show on Fox. After a good start, "The Late Show" foundered and both Rivers and her husband, show producer Edgar Rosenberg, were fired in May 1987. After her departure, the show had a number of guest hosts, including actress Suzanne Sommers and actor Richard Belzer, before Arsenio Hall did a 13-week stint as permanent host. Ross Shafer was the show's host when it went off the air in October 1988.
From Quiz: At the end of the day...
Answer: Johnny Carson
All listed hosted the show at one time or another, but it was Carson who became synonymous with late night television. Carson started as a radio comedian in Omaha, Nebraska in the early 1950s. He had his own variety show in the 1950s called "The Johnny Carson Show" which was not very successful. He then became a game show panelist, and ultimately in 1957 was given his own game show called "Who Do You Trust" which lasted for five years. In 1960 he was being considered for the role of Rob Petrie in a Carl Reiner TV pilot. The job was ultimately given to Dick Van Dyke, and Carson continued his game show until 1962. Carson was offered, and accepted "The Tonight Show" job after the former host quit the show. Carson taped the show in New York until 1972, when the show moved to California. Carson was given credit for launching the careers of dozens of comedians and new talents on his show. He retired from television in 1992, and retired from public life as well, rarely appearing on television, and almost never giving interviews. Carson passed away in 2005.
From Quiz: U.S. Late Night TV Hosts
Answer: Tyra Banks
Tyra is the vivacious host of the reality show "America's Next Top Model" and is where she took her first dip into the television industry. The first season premiered in May 2003.
From Quiz: Talk Show Pros
Answer: Thumbing his nose at them
From 1987 through 1989 Downey was never content to sit back and let his guests shout at one another but was always an active participant. He reveled in his nickname, "The Mouth", while his loyal audience referred to themselves as "Loudmouths". Al Sharpton, Jane Fonda, Roy Cohn and Don King all appeared as guests as did members of the KKK and the famous "Stripper For God". After only two memorable seasons, with sponsors not wishing to be associated with the screaming and name calling, the number of stations airing Downey's show dropped and it was cancelled.
From Quiz: TV Talkers Stir Up The Controversy
Answer: Doc Severinsen
Doc began his "Tonight Show" tenure during the Steve Allen days (1954-1957) as a trumpeter under band leader Skitch Henderson. Throughout his career, he released over thirty albums and even won a Grammy for Best Jazz instrumental Performance - Big Band. .
From Quiz: The Bands of Late Night
Answer: Steve Allen
Steve Allen's show codified the standard format for late night talk shows for years to come: opening monologue, comedy bits, celebrity interviews, and a musical or comic final act. Within a few years, Allen left the "Tonight Show" for ABC where he starred in "The Steve Allen Show."
From Quiz: Late Night Hijinks
Answer: Clinical Psychologist
Host Phil McGraw offers advice and strategies for dealing with conflict and many other serious dilemmas. He often brings families or couples in for therapy sessions and has even given polygraph exams on the show. The program has been nominated for many Daytime Emmy awards.
From Quiz: Everybody Talks
Answer: Montel Williams
Montel was diagnosed with MS in 1999. His show, "The Montel Williams Show" ran from 1991 to 2008. His show was not as trashy as some of the others. I found his Wednesday shows with Sylvia Brown to be very entertaining. She was a psychic that would tell people about their lives. Montel's guests were often strong women who made something of their lives.
From Quiz: Sit Down and Chat with Us
Answer: Frank Reynolds
Although Ted Koppel became the face of "Nightline" during its long and illustrious history, it was longtime correspondent and "ABC World News Tonight" anchor Frank Reynolds who started with the program in November, 1979. Reynolds stayed on until March, 1980, when Koppel, ABC's State Department correspondent at the time, took over. Koppel remained on "Nightline" until his retirement from ABC News in 2005. Reynolds died in 1983, only months after delivering his last newscast.
From Quiz: At the end of the day...
Answer: Jay Leno
Leno picked up where Johnny Carson left off. He took the reins and has been out front of "The Tonight Show" since Carson's departure. He was scheduled to leave the show in May 2009, to become the host of his own show in prime time. Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1950, just about the time that Carson was breaking into radio as a comedian. Leno became a stand-up comedian and reportedly said when his was growing up, that someday he would take over Johnny Carson's job. During the 1980s Leno had some small parts in some mostly unsuccessful movies, the exception to which would be a part in "American Hot Wax" which was the story of pioneering rock and roll disc jockey Alan Freed. However, he has had success as a comedian, and continued to perform his stand up act, even as he hosted "The Tonight Show".
From Quiz: U.S. Late Night TV Hosts
Answer: Maury Povich
In case you didn't know, Maury Povich and Connie Chung have an adopted son together. It was one of the producers of his talk show that was the accuser of the sexual harassment allegations. The lawsuit was filed in April 2006.
From Quiz: Talk Show Pros
Answer: Charo
With a catchphrase like "Coochi, coochi", a joke-inspiring marriage to ninety-year-old bandleader, Xavier Cugart, and a wardrobe that consisted mostly of form-fitting, low-cut, one-piece jumpsuits, Charo was destined to become a parody of herself. But she really could play that classical guitar of hers, which she often did during her appearances on "The Tonight Show" as well as on variety shows like "Carol Burnett" and "Sonny And Cher."
From Quiz: 1970's Talk Show TV
Answer: Sally Jessy Raphael
"The Sally Jessy Raphael Show", later known as "Sally", began airing as a local St. Louis show but quickly went into national syndication in 1983, three years before Oprah Winfrey. Early in its run, "Sally" stayed with relatively tame topics but quickly moved into stomach churning stories such as "I'm Standing By My Criminal Man", "Teens Confront Cheating Parents" and the memorable "You Tormented And Teased Me, Look At Me Now".
"Sally" was one of the first talk shows to introduce paternity tests as a topic for discussion. Her highest ratings, though, came for a show about women with large breasts.
From Quiz: TV Talkers Stir Up The Controversy
Answer: Fred Armisen
Hastily thrown together by Fred Armisen mere weeks before their first test show, The 8G Band is named for the studio in which the show is filmed. What makes this band unique is its frequent use of guest musicians, often filling the place of Armisen, who is off working on his TV series, "Portlandia."
From Quiz: The Bands of Late Night
Answer: Jack Paar
Jack Paar hosted "The Tonight Show" for only five years but made some headlines during that time because of his battles with the censors and his temper: he was not above asking a drunken guest to leave.
From Quiz: Late Night Hijinks
Answer: The Jerry Springer Show
Jerry Springer, a former politician, actually surpassed the "Oprah Winfrey Show" in ratings at one point. At its peak of popularity an uncensored series of videos were released entitled "Too Hot For TV", influencing other shows to do the same. Amidst the success there were also many people who called for the show's removal. They accused Springer of glamorizing and promoting violence. Later on the show was forced to tone down on fighting.
From Quiz: Everybody Talks
Answer: Jenny Jones
Jenny had a popular talk show called "The Jenny Jones Show" (1991-2003). Her show was trashier than some of the other shows on at the time. One of the shows that caused problems for her was called "Same-Sex Secret Crushes" (1995). One of her guests became embarrassed by a same sex crush that he killed the gay man. The episode never aired but the damage was done.
From Quiz: Sit Down and Chat with Us
Answer: Linda Ellerbee and Lloyd Dobyns
All of the reporters listed here worked at NBC News at some point during their careers. But it was Linda Ellerbee and Lloyd Dobyns, who had worked together on another NBC News program, "Weekend", manning the anchor desks when "NBC News Overnight" debuted. Dobyns left the show in January, 1983, and fellow reporter Bill Schechner came on board for the rest of the show's run. The signature signoff, "And so it goes...", was part of the title of Linda Ellerbee's 1986 autobiography.
From Quiz: At the end of the day...
Answer: Jack Paar
Paar was another host that came to television via radio. Paar grew up in the Midwest (Ohio and Michigan) and became a radio announcer after leaving school. He tried motion pictures, but had little success, except for a starring role opposite Marilyn Monroe in the 1951 film "The Love Nest". He did well as a radio game show host. He hosted "The 64,000 Question", and then moved to television, with appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show", and two game shows, "Up To Parr", and "Bank On The Stars". Eventually he caught the attention of NBC who offered him the job on "The Tonight Show". The format of interviewing guests who were promoting their latest film, song, or book, was what caught the attention of the public, and made the show so successful. Over his five year run, Paar battled censors and politicians, offended celebrities, and after his five year run, the grind became too much for him, and he quit the show in 1962. Although Parr made occasional guest appearances on other talk shows, and even returned to television briefly in 1973, his run on "The Tonight Show" was the highlight of his career. He passed away in 2004.
From Quiz: U.S. Late Night TV Hosts
Answer: Geraldo Rivera
Early in his second season Rivera and his producers decided it would be a good idea to have white supremacists, skinheads, African-American activists, and Jewish activists on stage at the same time for a discussion. Predictably, the debate got out of hand and a flying chair caught Geraldo in the face, breaking his nose. This episode, along with the first season classic "Men In Lace Panties And The Women Who Love Them", solidified Rivera's hold as one of the kings of Trash TV.
As ratings declined after several years the show changed its signature "Geraldo" name to "The Geraldo Rivera Show" and took on a tamer, more measured approach but the ratings never recovered. After a ten year run the show was cancelled.
From Quiz: TV Talkers Stir Up The Controversy
Answer: The Max Weinberg 7
Up until this point, Max Weinberg had been famous for being the drummer in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. On "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," he evolved into a comic foil for O'Brien, and the pair became known for their steely-faced stare downs. After the drama with O'Brien getting and subsequently losing "The Tonight Show," Max Weinberg left in 2010. When O'Brien began "Conan" on TBS, guitarist Jimmy Vivino became the leader of the newly-named Jimmy Vivino and The Basic Cable Band.
From Quiz: The Bands of Late Night
Answer: Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson became synonymous with NBC's "The Tonight Show." For thirty years, millions of Americans watched Johnny each weeknight deliver a monologue discussing the news of the day. It averaged over 12 million viewers each night, with a peak of 45 million views on a special episode featuring the wedding of entertainers Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki.
From Quiz: Late Night Hijinks
Answer: Phil Donahue
"The Phil Donahue Show" ran from 1970 to 1996. In 1984, Phil was the first man to show breakdancing on television. He paved the way for later talk show hosts, like Oprah and Sally. His father-in-law was the late, great Danny Thomas.
From Quiz: Sit Down and Chat with Us
Answer: Jonny Quest
Featuring the voices of James Urbaniak and Patrick Warburton, "The Venture Bros." made its debut on Adult Swim in February, 2003. The basic storyline of the show, involving the brothers Hank and Dean Venture, their super-scientist dad Dr. Thaddeus Venture, and bodyguard Brock Samson, parallels that of "Jonny Quest", a cartoon that revolved around the title character's globetrotting adventures with his super-scientist dad Dr. Benton Quest, his best friend Hadji, and his bodyguard Race Bannon. The Ventures did battle with a number of recurring villains during their run, including The Monarch and Phantom Limb.
From Quiz: At the end of the day...
Answer: Steve Allen
Allen, born in New York City in 1921, got his start in radio, and was a radio personality in the Los Angeles area in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He also became the guest host of "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" which was similar to what "American Idol" is today. He gained national exposure as a comedian, and was hired by NBC. He is credited with creating the idea for "The Tonight Show". Ironically, one of Allen's recurring guests was Johnny Carson, who would himself host the show in the future. Allen is credited with helping the careers of a myriad of performers of the era, such as the husband and wife singing team of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Sammy Davis Jr., comedians Pat Harrington, Don Knotts, Louis Nye, and Bill Dana, just to name a few. He also wrote over 10,000 songs, his biggest two being "Lets Go To Church Next Sunday" which was recorded by both Perry Como and Margaret Whiting, and "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big". Allen also authored over 50 books. Allen passed away in 2000.
From Quiz: U.S. Late Night TV Hosts
Answer: "Good Morning America"
Her real name is Lila Diane Sawyer and she was born on December 22, 1945. Her show, "Good Morning America," is filmed in Times Square Studios in New York City.
From Quiz: Talk Show Pros
Answer: Jenny Jones
The teens who were out of control were usually girls whose loss of control involved sexual activity. "The Jenny Jones Show" may hold the title for the best named episode in Trash TV history. "You May Shake It For Money, But Leave Those Sexy Clothes At The Club, Honey!" was a makeover show for women whose occupations involved working in nightclubs or strip clubs.
From Quiz: TV Talkers Stir Up The Controversy
Answer: The World's Most Dangerous Band
In 1982, Paul Shaffer assembled The World's Most Dangerous Band. With Will Lee on the bass, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Steve Jordon on the drums and Paul himself at the keyboards, late-night history was born. When they moved to CBS, the band expanded, adding horns and eventually a vocalist.
From Quiz: The Bands of Late Night
Answer: Jay Leno
Johnny had three major contenders for his highly-desired spot. A frontrunner, frequent guest-host Joan Rivers, had recently joined the new Fox network for her own late night show, and was thus persona non-grata with Johnny. That left David Letterman, longtime host of the show that followed "The Tonight Show," and other regular guest-host Jay Leno. In a decision that seemed abrupt, NBC went with Jay Leno and Letterman immediately joined CBS to launch the "Late Show with David Letterman."
From Quiz: Late Night Hijinks
Answer: Tyra Banks
"The Tyra Banks Show" focused on pressing issues women face, including abusive relationships and teenage pregnancy, to name a few. It won a Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Talk Show (Informative) in 2008 and 2009, edging out "The Dr.Phil Show" and "The Doctors".
From Quiz: Everybody Talks
Answer: Ricki Lake
Ricki played Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 movie "Hairspray". She was definitely a scene stealer. Her show "The Ricki Lake Show" (1993-2004) was an energetic talk show where she frequently had her audience ask her questions.
From Quiz: Sit Down and Chat with Us
Answer: Joey Bishop
Bishop started as a stand up comedian, born in the Bronx, New York in 1918. He started as part of a stand up comedy act with his brother and appeared many times on the Jack Paar and Steve Allen versions of "The Tonight Show". He was a frequent guest host, and starred in a successful situation comedy called "The Joey Bishop Show" from 1961 through 1965 where he portrayed, of all things, a talk-show host. He got his own talk show in 1967 and that lasted until 1969 as a competitor to Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show". The format was very similar and of course he had a co-host, as did Carson. Carson's was Ed McMahon. Bishop chose a relative newcomer to television at the time, a guy named Regis Philbin. Bishop was the last surviving member of the so-called "Rat Pack" which included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr, as well as Bishop, who passed away in 2007.
From Quiz: U.S. Late Night TV Hosts
Answer: Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil first got his start by regularly appearing as Oprah's guest star on her talk show. He has a Masters degree in experimental psychology and a Doctorate in clinical psychology.
From Quiz: Talk Show Pros
Answer: Ricki Lake
In 1993, Lake took her acting background to the talk wars. Her show targeted a younger, more urban audience. Female guests often discussed their bad relationships. Lake advised them to "Dump that zero and get yourself a hero." "Ricki Lake" dealt frequently with LGBT issues such as straight people attracted to gay people (and vice-versa). The show's most controversial episode featured guest Reverend Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church who proclaimed that anyone with the HIV virus deserved to die. After 11 seasons Lake's show left the air in 2004.
From Quiz: TV Talkers Stir Up The Controversy
Answer: The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers
Mark Hudson, of the 1970s pop group The Hudson Brothers, left late-night behind and went on to have a prolific career as a record producer and songwriter. He's worked with Cher, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne and Ringo Starr. He's also the uncle of Goldie Hawn's two kids, Kate and Oliver Hudson.
From Quiz: The Bands of Late Night
Answer: Arsenio Hall
"The Arsenio Hall Show" drew in a younger audience than did either Leno or Letterman's late night shows. When then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton's appeared on Arsenio's show where he played the saxophone and answered a question about his underwear, pollsters claimed it helped his campaign significantly by appealing to younger voters.
From Quiz: Late Night Hijinks
