Book Description
TV's Greatest Talk Shows is the first comprehensive look at the top television talk shows from the past fifty years. From early pioneers Johnny Carson, Barbara Walters and Phil Donahue to modern success stories like Oprah Winfrey, Larry King and David Letterman, the book covers every style of the talk show format. Revisit the '90s "daytime trash TV" era, with Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer. Get the inside history on the battle between The Today Show and Good Morning America. Find out the common background of confrontational cable hosts like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Bill Maher. And discover the growing political influence of late night comedian/hosts, from Jay Leno to Jon Stewart. Behind-the-scenes stories include the author's personal appearances on Nightline, Good Morning America, and Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, and visits to shows like Ricki Lake, David Letterman, Geraldo Rivera and 60 Minutes. He also shares his personal experiences involving Sally Jessy Raphael, Tom Brokaw and Larry King. The book covers over 150 talk shows and includes a ranking of the 50 most popular hosts. Which five stars were selected as the greatest talk show hosts of all time? And who made the list of the biggest talk show failures in TV history?