Mary Hart

[The Voice of Reason]

Her name was mentioned in the Michael Jackson thred.
I'm surprised to read that Mary Hart is still on the air hosting a show that's geared towards a younger audience.
She's in her mid 50s now isn't she?
I mean she was a good looking woman 20 years ago, with a great set of legs, but those days are long gone.
How does she manage to keep her job?

 

[whit979]

Are you sure Entertainment Tonight is geared toward younger people? I'd personally say that E! news programming is more appealing to young people, with Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic (had to look up that spelling ). I don't really see younger people turning to ET, a show that in many markets is scheduled sometime during the evening news block. I could be wrong, though.

 

[WMC2006]

ET debuted in 1981 (same year as MTV) and Mary Hart has been anchoring ET since year #2. I haven't watched ET in years (and years and years) but anytime I see Mary on tv, she always STILL looks damned good.

And THAT reason (along with the fact that celebrities probably know and trust her and she's got great contacts in the business after all these years) keeps her front and center on ET.

She has outlasted quite a few male and female ET correspondents/anchors, some of whom (Julie Moran) left because they got tired of waiting for Mary to retire so they could assume the main anchor chair. Hard to believe but John Tesh (who left way back in 1996) has been her longest lasting co-anchor.

Here's ET anchor history:

Lead hosts

Ron Hendren, Marjorie Wallace and Tom Hallick 1981
Ron Hendren and Dixie Whatley from 1981 to 1982
Mary Hart and Ron Hendren from 1982 to 1984
Mary Hart and Robb Weller from 1984 to 1986
Mary Hart and John Tesh from 1986 to 1996
Mary Hart and Bob Goen from 1996 to 2004
Mary Hart and Mark Steines from 2004 to present


Previous co-hosts and correspondents

Army Archerd (1981 pilot only)
Nina Blackwood
Chris Booker
Mindy Burbano
Eric Burns
Lisa Canning
Jann Carl
Bobby Colomby
Steven "Cojo" Cojocaru (fashion correspondent)
Leanza Cornett (Mrs. Mark Steines)
Leeza Gibbons
Bob Goen
Gerry Grant (special correspondent during the O.J. Simpson trial)
Tom Hallick
Alan Hemberger (weekend ET with Dixie Whatley, now anchor at KIAH)
Ron Hendren
Huell Howser
Don LaFontaine (voice over)
Robin Leach
Chrishaunda Lee
Katherine Mann (married former U.S. Congressman and "Love Boat" actor Fred Grandy)
Leonard Maltin (film critic)
Maria Menounos (who left ET in 2005 to join Access Hollywood)
Vanessa Minnillo
Julie Moran
Al Owens (reporter and fill-in anchor from 1984-1987)
Carlos Ponce
Tony Potts (now with Access Hollywood)
Michelle Russell
Selina Scott (correspondent for London)
John Tesh
Marjorie Wallace
Robb Weller
Dixie Whatley
Jeanne Wolf
Chris Wragge (now at WCBS-TV in New York)

 

[KyDXIn]

Are you sure Entertainment Tonight is geared toward younger people? I'd personally say that E! news programming is more appealing to young people, with Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic (had to look up that spelling ). I don't really see younger people turning to ET, a show that in many markets is scheduled sometime during the evening news block. I could be wrong, though.

I would venture to say that Mary Hart will stay with ET for as long as she wishes. I think her leaving the show after all these years would be a big minus for ET and a big plus for any competition who would hire her. I would think she has as many contacts in the industry as Barbara Walters.

 

[TheRob]

There's no substitute for experience and contacts, even in the world of celebrity news.

Mary, by the way, will turn 58 this year. I wouldn't be surprised if she reduced her schedule in a few years.