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Celebrity Stand-...Keep clicking to find out which substitute anchors, hosts and judges succeeded, who crashed and burned and which star called it quits after just one year.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
(Photos: AP Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Best: Kelly RipaWhen Kathie Lee Gifford departed “LIVE! Regis and Kathie Lee” in 2000 to focus on her singing career, Regis Philbin began auditioning candidates to fill the difficult spot. Diminutive fireball Kelly Ripa was the frontrunner from day one of her audition, when a psychic revealed on the air that Ripa was pregnant with her second child. She was announced as Gifford’s official replacement on February 5, and within months had upped the show’s viewership dramatically, particularly among younger viewers.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
(Photo: Charles Sykes, AP Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Worst: Ellen DeG...Initially, Ellen seemed like a fantastic choice to fill Paula Abdul’s chair on “American Idol.” Funny, sharp, outspoken – she could be the perfect foil to cantankerous Simon. However, it quickly became apparent that, for all of her talents, Ellen was not cut out to be a judge. She was visibly uncomfortable criticizing contestants she liked, and seemed to have little chemistry with her fellow judges. Ultimately, her fleeting one-liners weren’t enough to keep her afloat. She bowed out after just one year, claiming the job at “Idol” “didn't feel like the right fit for me." Hello, understatement! - Xfinity Entertainment Staff
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Best: Jon Stewar...While it’s hard to imagine now, there was a time when Jon Stewart was not the host of “The Daily Show.” The gig originally belonged to Craig Kilborn, who approached it as more of a host-centric show with character-driven humor. Kilborn left the show in 1998 for a job as host of “The Late Late Show.” Stewart grabbed the reins in 1999 and immediately shifted focus to a poignant, news-driven comedy that, for better or worse, would turn “The Daily Show” into the primary news source for millions of viewers.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Worst: Dennis Mi...In 2000, ABC decided to sack color commentator and former quarterback Boomer Esiason and inject its “Monday Night Football” program with the snarky, hyperliterate ramblings of “SNL” alum and sports-news virgin Dennis Miller, in what would ultimately go down as one of the biggest broadcasting busts in history. As many critics predicted, Miller’s stream-of-consciousness commentary and arcane references flew over the heads of many of the show’s viewers (sample quote: “I haven’t seen anyone rely on the ground game this much since the battle of Verdun.”). Two years later, Miller and co-commentator Dan Fouts were punted in favor of John Madden, and the rest is “MNF” history.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Best: Johnny Car...Considering Carson’s iconic status, it’s easy to forget he wasn’t the original host of “The Tonight Show.” He was handed the keys by Jack Paar, who was preceded by Steve Allen. Carson would rule late-night television from 1962-1992, when he passed the wand to Jay Leno after 4,531 shows.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
(Photo: Douglas C. Pizac, AP Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Worst: Daisy Fue...Sandwiched between two highly successful eras of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” hosted by Bob Saget and Tom Bergeron was a dismal two-year stretch in 1998 and 1999 hosted by this comedian and model who clearly wanted to be doing anything with their lives other than introducing clips of people falling at weddings. After suffering through plummeting ratings and constantly changing time slots, the two walked out.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
(Photos: Imeh Akpanudosen, Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Best: Drew CareyIn the world of game shows, there are few figures more iconic than Bob Barker, who hosted “The Price Is Right” for 35 years prior to handing the skinny mic to Drew Carey. Carey embraced the role with enthusiasm, charming audiences even as ratings began to sag (as they would for anyone following Barker’s departure). The looser, more jovial version of the show begins its 41st season on September.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Worst: Louie And...After taking over the reins of “Family Feud” from Ray Combs – who walked off the set in 1994 and killed himself two years later – Louie Anderson proceeded to display all of the suave charm of a dish towell. He was canned in 2002 following a scandal in which he was extorted for hundred of thousands of dollars by a man he solicited for sex. He left the show with one indignant prediction: The show wouldn’t last more than one more season. Survey says? Wrong!- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Best: Steven Tyl...It took a bit of getting used to. First, we had to get over the loss of Simon Cowell. Then we had to acclimate ourselves to some howling, yowling rock star of yesteryear telling us which contestants sank or swam. It didn’t take long, however, for Aerosmith's Steven Tyler to win the hearts of America and prove once again that the producers of “Idol” know exactly what they’re doing. Weird, charming and utterly likeable, the still-rocking rock star became the show’s greatest asset, as well as the source of its most memorable quotes. (Highlights include: "Slap that baby on the a** and call me Christmas," "Well, hellfire, save matches, **** a duck and see what hatches,” and "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.”) All of which makes it an even bigger shame that his days with the show are over, as he announced earlier this week.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Worst: Colin Qui...After the polarizing Norm MacDonald was abruptly fired from “Saturday Night Live” in 1998, the job of Weekend Update anchor went to the blunt, gruff-voiced Quinn, who seemed to possess neither the wry wit nor the comic timing that made his predecessors successful. For as fun as he was on “Remote Control,” Quinn was extraordinarily, exquisitely bad as a fake news anchor. The “Who, me?” shrugs he gave after his biggest joke bombs didn’t help the situation any. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.- Xfinity Entertainment Staff
(Photo: Theo Wargo, Getty Images)
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.