Entertainment Tonight: The go-to for entertainment news

From left are Leeza Gibbons; Robb Weller; Mary Hart; and John Tesh, four of the major hosts of "Entertainment Tonight" in the '80s.

Source: Facebook/The 80s Rule

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It was my go to for any entertainment news I could ask for. Whether it was TV shows, movies or music, every weekday after school at 5 p.m. on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial was “Entertainment Tonight”.

I was just flipping through channels today and I passed by “Entertainment Tonight”, still going strong after more than 40 years.

The show
So much of what I know about movies, TV and music came from what Mary Hart, John Tesh, Robb Weller and the others told me.

The show would preview upcoming movie releases, fall TV shows, miniseries, TV movies and more. They would interview not only the actors, but writers, directors and producers. They would go on set and prided themselves on giving viewers the first look.

“Entertainment Tonight” was also my source for the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and the Top 200 album chart. Often, Hart and Tesh would sign off by introducing the video of the number one song on Billboard that week and letting it play as the show signed off. As an example, I recall the look on Hart’s face when she said “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”. Her eyes got really big.

That is likely why I place so much importance on how songs and albums did on Billboard.

The show also did some interesting features. One I recall distinctly was on classic sitcoms, where they looked back at one a day for a week or more. Not only would they air clips of the show, but interview cast and creators to hear their memories. It included “Hogan’s Heroes”, “The Real McCoys”, “Gilligan’s Island” and others. I recall actually writing them down each day, compiling a list over the span of the series. Maybe that’s why I remember it so clearly.

The hosts
“Entertainment Tonight” started on September 14, 1981 and, according to Wikipedia, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running entertainment news program on television.

That would have been the start of Grade 7 for me, and I am not sure quite when I started tuning in. The first time I ever saw “Entertainment Tonight”, it was not the show that I would see for much of my time in junior high and high school.

At that time, the hosts were Dixie Whatley and Ron Hendren. Soon after, it would begin to resemble the show I watched so often from 1983 to 1988. Mary Hart would take over for Whatley, and a few years after, Robb Weller would take over for Hendren.

Leeza Gibbons also filled in, and John Tesh would take over for Weller.

These were the hosts in the main time I watched the show, which was up until 1988 or so.

By far, my favourite host was Mary Hart. She was attractive, funny, engaging, and did great one-on-one interviews.

Tesh had that deep, silky smooth voice that still echoes on the radio with his show “Intelligence for Your Life”.

The correspondents
“Entertainment Tonight” had some interesting correspondents who I will never forget.

At the top of the list is Leonard Maltin. For those who had access to cable TV, they may remember Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert as premiere movie critics on TV, but for me it was Leonard Maltin. I did not always agree with him, but he had interesting insights. For example, in reviewing “The Karate Kid”, 

Robin Leach did the more high class or cultural reports. I am pretty sure that’s where he coined the expression “Champagne wishes and caviar dreams.” If not on “Entertainment Tonight”, it was a springboard to his own show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”.

Jeanne Wolf was more of the news side of entertainment reporting, and was always very serious, if memory serves.

Nina Blackwood, of MTV fame, also did some in-depth reporting on the music industry in “The Rock Report” after she left MTV.

Fading out
Over time, I saw “Entertainment Tonight” less and less.

During teacher convention in Grade 11, so late February of 1986, I got a part-time job after school working at a greenhouse. That meant no more “Entertainment Tonight” after school during the greenhouse season. I picked up again in the Summer and Fall, but in the Spring I went back to the greenhouse and again, less and less “Entertainment Tonight”.

Interestingly, there was a small black and white TV always playing in the greenhouse, so I still got glimpses of the show, or listened when I was working nearby.

I pretty much stopped watching the show when I was busy with work and getting ready to go off to school in the Fall.

However, even when I went to university and I was living in res, I wanted to see “Entertainment Tonight”. By then it was on at midnight and I recall going into the lounge and, if anyone was there, asking them if I could check out “Entertainment Tonight”. When I went home after first year, I got a letter from one of my floormates. He concluded it with a David Letterman-like Top Ten list of sayings. One of the sayings was, “Hey, can we watch ‘Entertainment Tonight’?”

After that, life got busy and the show just stopped being must-see viewing all together.

Parting thoughts
It is hard to focus on specifics, because “Entertainment Tonight” provided so much information. Every day, I learned more about some TV show, movie, recording artists or song. References to “Entertainment Tonight” permeate this entire blog, because the show provided so much.

It really was my go-to for entertainment news.