Where Are They Now? TV Talk Show Hosts

They woke us up in the morning. They talked us to sleep at night. They entertained us in the middle of the day when nothing else was on. We find out where some of the more memorable TV talk show hosts are today and remember those we’ve lost.

Ricki Lake

Then: Lake starred in a John Waters movie before getting her own talk show in 1993. It went on to run for 11 seasons and inspired a recurring “Saturday Night Live” character.
Now: She produced a documentary about childbirth and was part of a recent talk-show host reunion.

Montel Williams

Then: The former Marine and Navy officer’s daytime talk show ran for 17 years and aired its final episode on May 16, 2008. One of his most popular guests was a controversial psychic.

Now: He was diagnosed with this disease in 1999 and started a healthy lifestyle program and is an advocate for medical marijuana.

Phil Donahue

Then: His daytime show still holds this record and was parodied on “Saturday Night Live.” A former presidential candidate and a famous atheist were two of his most frequent guests.
Now: Donahue has been married to this actress for 30 years. He is an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq and produced a documentary about a paralyzed veteran.

Geraldo Rivera

Then: Instances such as an infamous brawl and a Satanism special led to this nickname during Rivera’s 11 seasons on the air
Now: He has been knocked over by hurricanes, wrote a book about immigration and hosts his own show on Fox News.

Sally Jessy Raphael

Then: Raphael – known for her big red glasses – was the first female syndicated daytime talk-show host. Her final episode aired in 2002.
Now: She spends time on her New York farm and appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s talk-show host reunion show.

Morton Downey Jr.

Then: His fans were known by this nickname, and his shows were known for their shocking content. Some accused him of lying about an incident in San Francisco.
Now: The longtime smoker became an anti-smoking advocate before dying of lung cancer in 2001.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Then: The diminutive therapist gave her candid sex advice on her own shows after becoming famous for her visits on another late-night talk show.
Now: She plays a recurring character on a PBS children’s show and was named on an influential list in 2009.

Craig Kilborn

Then: The former “SportsCenter“ anchor was the original host of a long-running Comedy Central show, then moved on to the CBS late-night lineup.
Now: He showed up in a small part in a Will Ferrell comedy and had a short-lived talk show earlier this year.

Art Linkletter

Then: His daytime variety show was known for a popular segment involving kids and inspired a TV series 30 years later.
Now: He received a lifetime achievement award in 2003 and died earlier this year at the age of 97.

Dinah Shore

Then: The Emmy Award-winning singer/actress hosted several talk shows from the 1950s to the early 1990s and was linked to several famous men.
Now: An annual lesbian-themed event is named after the longtime supporter of women’s golf. She died of ovarian cancer in 1994.


Gary Collins

Then: Collins was a television and film actor before going on to host “Hour Magazine” and “The Home Show.” He also hosted a famous beauty pageant.
Now: He is still married to a former Miss America and has been in the news for his run-ins with the police.

Joan Rivers

Then: The comedian hosted a late-night talk show opposite her longtime mentor before moving on to daytime in 1989.
Now: After several years on the red carpet, Rivers is the host of her own show again on the E! network.

Jane Pauley

Then: She co-anchored “Today” with a future NBC Nightly News anchor and a former sportscaster and went on to host a prime-time news program.
Now: She went public with her mental health issues and has been married to a famous political cartoonist since 1980.

Tom Snyder

Then: Snyder was known for his chain-smoking and interesting interviews on his first talk show. He welcomed guests with his signature catchphrase as the first host of a CBS late-night show.
Now: He helped host a special tribute to longtime friend David Letterman in 2000 and died of leukemia in 2007.

Dick Cavett

Then: He started out as a writer on this show and went on to host several talk shows over the next three decades.
Now: He has a new book about his talk-show experiences and writes a column for the New York Times.

Joan Lunden

Then: She was a co-host of “Good Morning America” – alongside its original host and a future nightly news anchor for nearly 20 years.
Now: She is a healthy lifestyle advocate, mom of two sets of twins and an inventor.

Arsenio Hall

Then: The stand-up comedian made TV history with his late-night show. A future president was one of his more memorable guests.
Now: He’s a regular on another late-night talk show and keeps fans updated on Twitter.

Johnny Carson

Then: He earned the nickname “The King of Late Night” as the host of this show for 30 years. He retired in 1992.
Now: Carson made few public appearances in his retirement and died of emphysema in 2005.

Dennis Miller

Then: The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member (and “Weekend Update” anchor) moved on to his own talk show on HBO.
Now: After a short-lived stint on “Monday Night Football,” he got his own radio show and is a frequent guest on “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Leeza Gibbons

Then: Her daytime show started out with two hosts, but she went on to snag several Emmy nominations as the solo host.
Now: She is the face of a makeup line, hosts a syndicated radio show and founded a life-coaching business and even competed on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Steve Allen

Then: He was the creator and first host of the “The Tonight Show” and went on to host several shows over the next few decades.
Now: He showed up a couple times on a prime-time animated show and was married to his longtime wife until his death in 2000.

Merv Griffin

Then: His guest-hosting spots on a late-night talk show led to “The Merv Griffin Show,” which aired for 25 years.
Now: Griffin created a famous quiz show, a hugely popular word puzzle show and a media empire. He died in 2007.

Rosie O’Donnell

Then: The stand-up comedian was known for her nickname and her crush on a famous actor when she hosted “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.”
Now: After a controversial stint on “The View,” she began hosting a radio show from her house and is reportedly getting another TV talk show next year.

Mysterious Celebrity Deaths

We're fascinated by the lives of celebrities, but when they pass on tragically, we can also be drawn to the way they died. In some cases, stars can become even more famous than ever for the mysterious circumstances under which they died. As a hat tip to this week's

premiere of the new History Channel series "Decoded," which has investigators looking into the untold histories of institutions such as the White House, the Statue of Liberty and more, we thought we'd take a look at stars whose untimely ends fascinate mystery buffs and conspiracy nuts alike.

Princess Diana

Princess Diana died tragically in a car accident with friend, multimillionaire Dodi Fayed, and a bodyguard on Aug, 31, 1997. While it is officially believed that aggressive paparazzi and an intoxicated driver were to blame for the fatal accident, multiple conspiracy theories began to pop up. The most widely disseminated theory is that the British Secret Service, the MI6, orchestrated the accident as a cover-up to the assassination of Diana.

Kurt Cobain

For any '90s child, Kurt Cobain's 1994 suicide was a defining moment, but for the conspiracy-minded, it was an all-around suspicious event. Some Nirvana fans claim that Cobain was in fact murdered, and they point to evidence such as the fact that Cobain had too much

heroin in his system to manipulate the shotgun that killed him and an alleged lack of gunpowder on his hands.

Marilyn Monroe

Officially, the cause of Monroe's 1962 death was ruled to be suicide by an overdose of pills. However, her alleged entanglements with John Kennedy prompted her fans to suspect that poor Norma Jean had been murdered. Regardless, Monroe is probably more famous today than

she was while she was alive.

Elvis Presley

Though only the nuttiest of conspiracy buffs claim that Elvis was bumped off, plenty of die-hard fans still believe that Presley didn't die at all. According to them, Presley longed to escape the spotlight and did just that, using his considerable means to fake his death and live out his

life privately -- just him, his records and a stack of peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches.

Natalie Wood

One of the strangest Hollywood deaths was that of Natalie Wood, who died at 43 years old on November 29, 1981. Along with her husband, Robert Wagner, and his costar, Christopher Walken, Wood sailed from Los Angeles to Catalina Island. Upon docking, however,

Wood fell out of the boat and drowned. It's not clear why Wood wasn't pulled back aboard or whether the cries for help heard by a witness actually came from Wood.

Bruce and Brandon Lee

After achieving fame in the U.S. on the original "Green Hornet" series, Bruce Lee seemed ready to become as big of a star worldwide as he had been in his native Hong Kong. However, in 1973 the seemingly invincible fighter lost consciousness after taking a painkiller and never

woke up -- his end being ascribed to "death by misadventure." Twenty years later, son Brandon Lee was poised to fulfill the family destiny of stardom when a prop malfunction caused him to be fatally shot on the set of "The Crow." Rumors of a curse on the Lee family have persisted ever since.

John Belushi

Founding "Saturday Night Live" cast member John Belushi was found dead in Bungalow No. 3 of the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood on March 5, 1982. Though the official cause of death was discovered to be a lethal combination of cocaine and heroin, the bizarre

incidents of the night begged the question of who was to blame. Both Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams had visited Belushi that night, as had groupie Cathy Smith. Smith later admitted to giving Belushi the fatal speedball shot and spent 15 months in prison on manslaughter charges.

Anna Nicole Smith

Less than a year after Smith's son Daniel died of a lethal combination of medications in his system, Smith died from what investigators determined to be the same cause. A lengthy investigation followed (both into Smith's death and the paternity of her baby daughter,

Dannielynn), and ultimately her lawyer and domestic partner, Howard K. Stern, was convicted of conspiracy -- allegedly enabling Smith's drug dependency as a means of controlling her fortune -- but no one has ever been charged with causing her death.

 

Jayne Mansfield

No one disputes that the voluptuous movie star was killed by a 1967 car accident, along with her boyfriend, Sam Brody (pictured). But a rather gory urban legend has persisted about her death: that she was decapitated. She wasn't, according to the police report, though a

well-circulated photo of the accident scene seemed to indicate otherwise. (A wig depicted near the car apparently misled some viewers.) Even more weirdly, a separate urban legend claims that the accident happened as a result of a curse placed on her by the Church of Satan.

Incidentally, Mansfield's children -- including a young Mariska Hargitay -- were in the back seat at the time at the time of the accident. The children were not seriously harmed

Phil Hartman

The manner of how the "SNL" star died is fairly cut-and-dry: He was fatally shot by his wife, Brynn. What lingers about the tragedy are the accusations of blame. In 1999, Brynn Hartman's brother filed suit against the makers of Zoloft and the doctor who gave Brynn samples

of the drug, on grounds that it helped bring about the murder-suicide. And actor Jon Lovitz has accused Hartman's "NewsRadio" costar Andy Dick of being responsible for having reintroduced Brynn to cocaine. Lovitz and Dick have feuded ever since.

Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen

When Spungen, girlfriend of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, was found stabbed to death in October 1978, Vicious confessed to killing her even though he had no memory of the night. Some claimed that Spungen could have been murdered by a third party as a result of a drug

deal gone bad while Vicious was unconscious. The rocker was arrested but was released on bail. In February 1979, before a trial could determine who killed Spungen, Vicious fatally overdosed, preserving the mystery forever

Jon-Erik Hexum

The hunky '80s star and boyfriend of singer E.G. Daily seemed poise to make a major breakthrough with the NBC series "Cover Up," but accidentally took his own life on set. During a lull in filming, Hexum allegedly began playing with a prop gun that had been loaded with

blanks. He jokingly put the barrel to his head and then fired. Hexum apparently didn't realize that prop bullets package gun powder in hard substances, and the injuries he sustained from the blanks ultimately left him brain-dead. CBS kept the show on the air for the remainder of the season.

9 Companies on the Ropes in 2011

Whether because of dated products, broken business models or off-target strategies, a lot of notable companies are struggling as they enter the new year. Consider the plights of Sears, Barnes and Noble, Kodak and these 6 others.

Vonage under fire

While 2011 may be the year the market gets back in gear, a lot of sizable companies look almost certain to struggle next year and over the long term -- because of bad bets, misguided merchandising or outdated products.
Take Vonage (VG). You might remember the quirky TV ads from this Internet phone company about how "people do stupid things” but shouldn't pay too much for phone service. They blitzed the airwaves a few years back, then dropped out of sight. Vonage itself may do the same before too long.
The company was a leader in cheap "voice over Internet protocol" phone service in the early days of that technology. But now, competitors like Google (GOOG), Skype and magicJack offer cheaper -- even free -- Internet phone service. This means that Vonage rates, typically $29 a month, may now be the ones that are too high.
Sales and subscribers declined in the last quarter as a result, a trend that might make it tough for Vonage to survive, believes Scott Stevens of Strata Capital Management, a hedge fund that was up 14.2% this year as of the end of October, compared with 7.9% for the S&P 500 Index ($INX).
Vonage responds that phone and cable companies charge much more for international phone service, so it can take customers from them. And it says it offers features that make its service competitive against lower-priced ones, and help explain the positive business trend of declining customer defections. These include voicemail, free 411, three-way calling, free number portability, 24/7 customer service and unlimited calling to 60 countries. The company also notes that cost-cutting and better efficiencies have dramatically improved cash flow.
Insiders, including CEO Jeffrey Citron, are big sellers, though, getting rid of 2.2 million shares so far this year.

Sears can't right the ship

Sears Holdings (SHLD) continues to stumble. Sales at stores open more than a year declined 8% in the third quarter. Shoppers continued to favor competitors like Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), Target (TGT) and Kohl's (KSS) over Sears and Kmart, which merged in 2005. "They can't seem to get their merchandising act together," says James Angel, professor of finance at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.
Sears, which was also on a list of "companies that may not see 2020" I made a year ago, almost implicitly conceded its stores have problems by recently deciding to sell Craftsman tools and DieHard batteries through other retail channels.
A potentially bullish side to this story is that Edward Lampert, who's got a reputation as a savvy investor, still owns about 60% of Sears through his hedge fund ESL Investments. On the other hand, he's had years to turn this retailer around since saving it in 2004, to no avail. If current trends continue, not even a DieHard will be able to jumpstart this retailer.

RealNetworks' real challenge

RealNetworks (RNWK) sells online games, music and video downloads, ringtones and media software like RealPlayer. It also owns a 47% stake in Rhapsody, a subscription-based online radio. Its big challenge is that all of these things are offered, often for free, by a lineup of tough competitors. They include giants like Apple and Facebook, but also Pandora and iheartradio -- free online radio services that compete directly with RealNetworks' Rhapsody pay service.
So, as you might expect, revenue declined in the third quarter -- by 10.7% to $86.4 million, after accounting adjustments. The company has a done a good job of cutting costs, and it does have a bundle of cash, $329 million. But the cash is dwindling, and further revenue declines are in store.
RealNetworks recently bought a social-games company, and it hopes to make money by offering cloud computing to help consumers manage their media over the Internet. "Under new leadership," says a spokesperson, RealNetworks is "working to simplify and restructure the company around core strengths that align with key trends of the emerging digital media landscape." The company says it is well-positioned because it can build on a large customer base of 38 million subscribers to media software services, and 40 million people who enjoy its online games. Insiders, though, are selling stock.

Barnes & Noble's online struggle

Back in 2003, I predicted Blockbuster would fall to an inexorable shift to new ways of delivering movies to the home. That played out when Blockbuster declared bankruptcy in September, and now it looks as though digital delivery of books, music and movies may hand Barnes & Noble (BKS) a similar fate.
Of course, there will still be bookstores a decade from now, and some may bear the Barnes & Noble logo. But the company is going to look a lot different. The business simply has too much overhead linked to brick and mortar stores, plus too much debt, to survive the ongoing consumer migration to online without a dramatic restructuring, Stevens says.
Barnes & Noble hopes to ride the e-reader wave with its own offering, the Nook. Its popularity boosted barnesandnoble.com sales by 59% in the third quarter, and the company says it now has 20% of the e-book market. But it projects a mere $400 million from online sales this year, compared with $31 billion for online competitor Amazon, which leads the e-reader space with the Kindle. This big differential suggests that Barnes & Noble may simply be too late to the game to be a major player.

Close the book on Borders?

Borders (BGP) faces all the same negative trends as Barnes & Noble. But it has a weaker brand and less-compelling e-reader offerings, so those trends are inflicting even greater pain on Borders. Sales at company stores open more than a year declined by 6.8% in the second quarter, compared with a 0.9% drop at Barnes & Noble.
This just puts Borders further along the path toward doom. While Barnes & Noble shares sell for $14, Borders' stock has fallen to just $1 and seems likely to vanish soon. The stage is set for a bankruptcy filing. "Their debt makes it impossible to survive without restructuring," says Stevens of Strata Capital Management.

McClatchy's newsworthy woes

The shift to online news has turned traditional newspapers into an "endangered species," says Georgetown University finance professor Angel. While high-quality papers like The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee may have better prospects than most, they're not immune.
So sales at McClatchy (MNI) -- which controls these two papers, among others -- fell once again in the third quarter, this time by 5.7%. Advertising revenue declined 6.4%, and circulation revenue was off 3.8%. The company did manage to get 1.6% growth in digital ad revenue. But that came through its minority stakes in Cars.com and CareerBuilder -- not the online versions of its flagship newspapers.
McClatchy has been cutting jobs to reduce costs. So it's been able to keep up with payments on its $1.7 billion in loans, a huge amount of debt for a tiny company with a market cap of just $270 million. But with revenue in steady decline, how long can this continue? At some point, cost-cutting will reduce the quality of its papers, if it hasn't already. If things get worse, McClatchy papers might survive in a buyout. But the final page will be turned in this company's history.

Has Kodak's moment passed?

Long the proud king of film sales, Eastman Kodak (EK) worked hard in recent years to keep up as consumers shifted to digital photography. It's rolled out great digital cameras, digital photo printers and mall kiosks where people can print digital photos.
But it’s now facing hard times on these new battlefields against tough opponents like Apple, whose smart phones take good pictures, as well as Sony (SNE), Canon (CAJ), and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), which sell popular digital cameras and color photo printers.
These challenges explain why Kodak sales have declined for the past two quarters. If the negative trends continue, the company could face a Kodak moment at some point in the next decade -- its final one.
Kodak responds that is has significantly improved profitability and cash flow this year, and now has $1.4 million in cash, the same as its debt. "We have a leading position in just about every market we serve, and we are quickly gaining share in markets we've recently entered," says spokesman David Lanzillo. "By any reasonable assessment Kodak is a financially sound company and a viable global competitor."

Sleepless at Transcept

The plight of insomniacs has improved in recent years as popular sedatives went off patent to be sold in generic versions at cheaper prices. These included zolpidem, sold as Ambien, and diazepam, sold as Valium.
These drugs are typically used at bedtime. But Biotech company Transcept Pharmaceuticals (TSPT) has staked a lot of its future on a patent for a new use for zolpidem -- when insomniacs wake up in the middle of the night.
One hurdle is that the Food and Drug Administration must accept Transcept's assertion that taking zolpidem much closer to sunrise won't cause problems with activities like driving. But even if this happens, does it make sense that insomniacs and insurance companies will pay extra for a patented version of a compound they can buy in generic form?
"I don't think so," says biotech analyst Raghuram Selvaraju of Noble Financial Group. If he's right, Transcept Pharmaceuticals is in for hard times, since this re-patented zolpidem is its leading drug candidate.

Elan's drugs under fire

Elan (ELN) is a Dublin, Ireland, pharmaceutical company dependent on two controversial drugs for survival. One is Tysabri, an effective drug already on the market to treat multiple sclerosis. But Tysabri has a history of risky side effects it can't seem to shake.
Elan's other main drug is a compound called bapineuzumab, being developed with help from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) to treat Alzheimer's disease. This drug showed no overall benefits in cognition among Alzheimer's patients in recent studies, and it produced some side effects.
Given that the company has a lot of debt, continued problems with these two drugs could make it difficult to fund research on other drugs in the pipeline, says Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen. In this scenario, the company could sell off pieces, including successful drugs like Ampyra used to treat multiple sclerosis, and then shutter its doors and disappear, says biotech analyst Selvaraju of Noble Financial Group.
Elan responds that it has adequate financial strength, with more than $400 million in cash and projected positive cash flow for 2011 backing its $1.3 billion in debt. The company also has "one of industry’s best recognized, respected and most productive" research teams, says an Elan spokesman. "Our cash position, pipeline and capital structure give us every confidence that we will deliver for investors and patients for many years to come.”

Cocktails Names after Famous Celebrities

From the two-timing Tiger to the pop princess on parole, find out the muses behind these drinks.

Tired of ordering or making the same old drink when you go out with your friends? Since, you can’t live like a celebrity, toast with a taste of the stars. Here are a few drinks perfect for your next holiday cocktail party. See if you can guess who the following drinks were named after. Cheers.

Half and Half

Grenadine Lemonade

Orange Vodka and Mountain Dew

Carrie 'I love NY' Cocktail

Here's Looking At You Kid Champagne Cocktail

The Pop Princess on Parole Cocktail

Bellini

The Murricane

The Bipolar Cocktail

Cointreau Teese

Roy Rogers Cocktail

Obamatini

Harvey Wallbanger

Alice in Wonderland

Beam me up Scotty Cocktail

Margarita

Ramos Fizz

The Mamie Taylor Cocktail

LeBlon James Cocktail

The Two-Timing Tiger