Showbiz trivia: Bill Cosby

Few comedians have had the staying power and versatility of Bill Cosby. From the 1960's to today, he has been relevant for 50 years. Here is just an overview of a few of the TV series he has done.

1965-1968 I Spy (Cosby co-starred with Robert Culp in this show about 2 undercover agents)

1969-1971 The Bill Cosby Show (Cosby played Chet Kincaid, music was by the legendary Quincy Jones)

1971-1973 The Electric Company (Retro show for kids that also starred Morgan Freeman)

1972-1985 Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (Cartoon show that was based around Cosby's days growing up in Philadelphia)

1984-1992 The Cosby Show (Cosby played Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, and this was the lead-off show on Thursday nights for NBC's era of Must See TV)

1992 You Bet Your Life (This was a re-make of the classic show that originally starred Groucho Marx)

1994-1995 The Cosby Mysteries (Cosby played Guy Hanks, a New York criminologist)

1996-2000 Cosby (Cosby played Hilton Lucas and this series reunited Cosby with his TV wife from The Cosby Show, Phylicia Rashad)

Cosby is a stand-up comedian, actor, author and even a music composer who has written music for many TV shows.

Information from imdb.com.

Showbiz trivia: Regis Philbin

In 2012, 80 year old Regis Philbin was added to the Guinness Book of World Records. He has logged more hours on television than any other person in history. He was co-host of Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, later Live with Regis and Kelly, for 28.5 years. That adds up to 995,600 minutes. In total, he has been in front of the television camera for over 17,000 hours. Born in New York City, Regis is a US Navy veteran and a graduate of Notre Dame. Early in his career he hosted a talk show in San Diego. He gained national attention as the sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show, which aired late nights on ABC in the 1960s. This show originated from Desilu Studios in Hollywood. Desilu is the company owned by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, hence the name. Philbin is an actor, singer, author, producer and host. He has hosted game shows like Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Password and America's Got Talent. As an actor he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Mad About You, 30 Rock, Family Guy, Spin City and many more.

Source: imdb.com and http://www.examiner.com/article/regis-philbin-is-the-guinness-book-of-world-records-2012-edition

Showbiz trivia: Chuck Barris and Milton DeLugg

Chuck Barris was the host and producer of The Gong Show (1976-1980). This was an odd talent show where three celebrities would judge the contestants. If they liked the act, they would hit a large gong, signifying the end of the performance. If they did not get gonged before their act was over, the celebrity panel would rate the performers on a scale if 1 to 10. Barris was also the executive producer for The Dating Game (premiered in 1965), The Newlywed Game (premiered in 1966), and The $1.98 Beauty Show (1978-1980). The 2002 film, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was about his life. The movie was based on a book by Barris that claimed that he was not only a TV maven, but also a hitman for the CIA. The bandleader for The Gong Show was Milton DeLugg. He also wrote the theme songs for many of Barris' shows. One obscure piece of trivia is that DeLugg was bandleader on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show from 1966-1967, after the tenure of Skitch Henderson and before Doc Severinsen.

Showbiz trivia: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

From 1946-1956, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ruled show business. Their live shows were a hit in New York and sometimes they performed as many as 6 shows per day. In his book, "Dean and Me: A Love Story" Jerry described them as the playboy and the putz. Dean was the suave Italian singer and ladies man who played it straight. Jerry was the manic, crazy nerd running around the stage like a madman. By 1948, the Copacabana club in New York City was paying them $7500 per week each to perform there. After parting ways in 1956, Jerry went on to direct and star in many films. He became known as a brilliant film director who taught students how to direct at USC. Two of his film students ended up quite successful: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Jerry starred in the 1982 film The King of Comedy with Robert DeNiro. Martin Scorsese was the director and Lewis played Jerry Langford, a Johnny Carson-like late night host. Dean Martin went on to have a successful singing career as a member of the Rat Pack, along with Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

New Website, "Late Night TV"

I made a website that looks at the history of late night TV in America. It profiles 20 late night TV hosts. Some had shows that were short-lived, like Magic Johnson, Chevy Chase and Pat Sajak. Others have been around for years, like Johnny Carson and David Letterman. 5 pages are dedicated to the man who will forever be the king of late night, Johnny Carson. The site has about 120 pictures, you tube videos and information about the different shows. Click here to access the site.