Showbiz Tonight’s Brooke Anderson to “The Insider”…
The New York Post’s Michael Starr writes that Showbiz Tonight co-host Brooke Anderson will be taking over as co-host of “The Insider”…
Showbiz Tonight” co- host Brooke Anderson will replace Lara Spencer on “The Insider.”
Anderson, 32, will join Kevin Frazier on the syndicated show.
Anderson, who’s based in LA, will host HLN’s coverage of the Royal Wedding and is expected to join “The Insider” next month.
“I’m a huge fan of Brooke Anderson both professionally and personally . . . She’s everything you’d want in a co-anchor . . .” said “Insider” and “ET” executive producer Linda Bell Blue.
Although it won’t be written up this way by the Media Writers, who really aren’t attuned to what’s been going on with “The Insider”, I consider this a self-inflicted demotion for Anderson. The reason is “The Insider” has been fraught with problems since launch and has developed a reputation as a show that can’t make up its mind what its supposed to be. Originally it was more of an ET clone and a vehicle for Pat O’Brien. But then O’Brien self-destructed. Since then the show has gone through a slough of co-hosts and formats, including at one point an opinionated “View” style with a panel that argued over stories. Lara Spencer had been the only consistent thing about that show since it launched but now Spencer’s gone. So Anderson is inheriting a show in disarray. For Anderson, it may be a step up in profile from HLN’s “Showbiz Tonight” but “Showbiz” has been the more consistent and stable show.
April 13, 2011 at 8:01 am
Your assessment is a bit bizarre. I don’t know how this COULDN’T be considered a promotion for Brooke. She gets to work on a show with a (much!) wider audience reach, many more opportunities to travel and take on different stories (as opposed to just sitting in the studio most of the time), and she gets to solidify her name in the entertainment magazine biz. Win win IMO
April 13, 2011 at 8:39 am
The Insider is a joke. The show has had no consistency. With format swings that this show has had, it’s obvious the producers don’t have a clue what to do with it. On paper it looks like a promotion. But there’s no gameplan for The Insider and that’s a big deal. It’s a gamble for Anderson. If the show craters and gets cancelled, admittedly an unlikely scenario where crumb chaser shows like Extra and Inside Edition are still on the air despite being jokes themselves, Anderson becomes just a footnote.
April 13, 2011 at 8:57 am
I’m surprised you consider The Insider to be a “joke”, when Showbiz Tonight got 34k in the demo last night – and rarely breaks 100k in its first-run demo. The only thing “Showbiz” is consistent in is generating absurdly low ratings.
And IF the show got canceled, there’s always the possibility that she could be folded into the ET crew – which would still be an upgrade from her current position.
April 13, 2011 at 11:00 am
One shoudl be careful when using the ratings for Showbiz tonight. Their repeat airing gets more viewers than the first airing.
242/99 (repeat) 198/78 (first airing) both HLN (1st Q 2011)
Granted, all the syndicated news magazines have had their problems recently. I still can’t believe ET kept Mary Hart on as long as they did. And her replacement, Nancy O Dell is already 45. Its almost time for her replacement in the HD age.
I think its a smart move on her part. She doesn’t have much of a future at CNN/HLN. The best she could hope for is to stay in the job she’s in. How much could they be paying her for that show?
In her new job, she will probably get at least 2 to 3 times what she was making for hosting “Showbiz Tonight”.
If the show fails, its doubtful she will get much of the blame. But if it shows an increase in ratings, then she will most likely get credit for that.
Who knows what her future could hold if she is successful in the new venture. Perhaps even a job at CBS.
I don’t think she’s very good at all. She shows way too much “faux” outrage and other things. She’s like a mini version of Nancy Grace when whining about Chris Brown, skinny models, Lawrence Taylor etc. And then her “faux” sincerity.
April 13, 2011 at 1:43 pm
I’m surprised you consider The Insider to be a “joke”, when Showbiz Tonight got 34k in the demo last night – and rarely breaks 100k in its first-run demo. The only thing “Showbiz” is consistent in is generating absurdly low ratings. .
Showbiz, at least since Anderson joined, has been remarkably consistent in what it does and how it does it. It may not get the ratings but there are two kinds of jokes here…ratings “jokes” and show branding “jokes”. The Insider is an example of the latter.
And IF the show got canceled, there’s always the possibility that she could be folded into the ET crew – which would still be an upgrade from her current position.
ET is another joke. Not as bad as The Insider but that show is a pale imitation of its former self. Though ET is a lot more stable than The Insider…especially since Mary Hart is doing her best disappearing act in her final year there. The transition to Nancy O’Dell is going a lot better than I thought it would because Hart has been off so much. Still not a guarantee that ET will live on long term without Hart but I like ET’s future a lot better than The Insider.
May 11, 2012 at 4:54 am
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