The ’90s were a magical time. It had some seriously good talk shows. The period in fact defined the genre and set precedence for the next batch. We owe it to this era for providing some true gems of hosts such as Oprah, Ellen and more. Let’s a look at a few talk show hosts from the ’90s who in their way contributed to the culture of this iconic decade, while also catching up on what they are doing now.
Montel Williams
Montel Williams hosted The Montel Williams Show which was a path-breaking show in many ways. He was the first African-American man to host a daytime talk show. The Montel Williams Show was lauded for its inspirational content.
Currently, Montel hosts Military Makeover: Operation Career on Lifetime. He is also actively involved with his non-profit organization MS Foundation. Post his recent health challenges, he is heavily involved in advocating CBD products for medical purposes. Besides that, Williams has authored eight books on his life.
Sally Jessy Raphael
Sally Jessy Raphael hosted the talk show Sally. Her show was one of the first few talk shows in the history of television to have a female host. Sally didn’t shy away from discussing difficult topics. In fact, the red glasses that she wore for the show became quite the rage and part of her identity.
After her show wrapped up, Sally continued hosting a slew of other shows. She hosted a show named Sally Jessy Rides on NewNowNext.
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera hosted the daytime talk show Geraldo for eleven seasons. Geraldo was known to pit some of the most controversial names against each other. In one of the episodes, a few of the guests broke his nose during a live fight in the show.
As of now, Rivera is a war correspondent with FOX News. He has also participated in reality shows such as The Celebrity Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars. In 2020, he completed fifty years in the television industry.
Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake hosted the talk show Ricki Lake. Ricki’s show was primarily targeted at Generation X and focused on personal issues. Lake’s show is often referenced in many other popular shows such as Gilmore Girls.
Post her show, Ricki has appeared in many television shows and films. She has also appeared as a panelist and participant in shows such as The Masked Singer and The X Factor: Celebrity Edition.
Maury Povich
Maury Povich hosts the talk show Maury, originally titled The Maury Povich Show. The show, which is now in its 13th season, deals with socially relevant themes and topics.
The show was renewed till 2022 in 2020. Povich also runs the weekly newspaper Flathead Beacon. He has also had a cameo in the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother where he played a New Yorker. Povich is also a co-owner of Chatter, a Washington DC bar cum restaurant.
Oprah Winfrey
In the ’90s, Oprah Winfrey began hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show, which made her a household name across the globe. Known for the empathetic tone, The Oprah Winfrey Show became one of the cornerstones of popular culture, winning multiple awards and nominations.
In 2011, Oprah launched her network OWN. Oprah was currently in the news for conducting the tell-all interview of Megan Markle & Prince Harry. Oprah has also partnered with Prince Harry for a mental health docu-series, The Me You Can’t See, on Apple TV+.
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews hosted the talk show Hardball with Chris Matthews. Matthews was known for his signature screaming at his guests. The show was named after one of its books Hardball: How Politics Is Played, Told by One Who Knows the Game.
In 2020, Matthews announced his retirement from the show. On the occasion, he said that the younger generation out there is ready to take the reins. He had added, “We see them in politics, in media, in fighting for the causes. They are improving the workplace.”
Leeza Gibbons
Leeza Gibbons originally co-hosted daytime talk show John & Leeza from Hollywood. After John left the show, it was changed to Leeza. The show initially featured the happenings in showbiz but underwent a format change after it was branded as Leeza.
Post that, Leeza went on to co-host Entertainment Tonight. She also authored The New York Times bestseller Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss.
Phil Donahue
Phil Donahue is legendary in the sense he is credited for creating the genre of tabloid-style daytime talk shows. Donahue is the creator, producer and host of the talk show The Phil Donahue Show. The show had a successful run for twenty-six years.
After its completion, Donahue went on to do many projects. He was last seen as a guest in Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. He will be soon seen in a documentary titled Bella! as himself.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Elizabeth Hasselbeck was one of the hosts of ABC’s The View. She accepted the show after her agent convinced her to. In The View, Hasselbeck more or less adopted a conservative position.
Hasselbeck later went on to do Survivor: The Australian Outback and co-hosted Fox & Friends for two years. She has also three published books under her name. In 2016, she retired from television and hasn’t been seen much since then.
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall hosted the late night show The Arsenio Hall Show for six seasons. The show was primarily aimed to cater to a younger demographic. It became a hit in no time winning two Emmys and three NAACP Image Awards.
The show was canceled in 2014. In 2012, Hall won the first edition of Celebrity Apprentice. Post that, he has appeared in numerous films and television series. He was last seen in Amazon Prime’s comic caper Coming 2 America as Semmi.
Rosie O’ Donnell
From 1996 to 2002, Rosie O’ Donnell hosted her own daytime talk show – The Rosie O’ Donnell Show. The show earned her the moniker ‘Queen of Nice’ besides getting her numerous Daytime Emmys.
After her show ended, Donnell moderated ABC’s The View for a year. She has since then penned two memoirs and continues to be a television personality. Donnell has also her own foundation For All and owns a stake in R Family Vacations, a queer family vacation company.
Bill O’ Reilly
Bill O’Reilly hosted The O’Reilly Factor (a clever spin on The Oh Really Factor) on Fox News. The pre-recorded show touched upon the political issues and current news until it was struck out by the network in 2017.
Bill has also been part of the television movie Killing [Blank]. He hosts a podcast No Spin News, which he has evolved into a series of videos. In 2020, he co-authored Killing Crazy Horses: The Merciless Indian Wars in America with Martin Dugard.
Whoopi Goldberg
Actress and comedienne Whoopi Goldberg hosted a talk show The Whoopi Goldberg Show in the ’90s. The show had a huge 200-episode run and featured guests such as Elizabeth Taylor, Al Gore and Burt Reynolds. It was shot sans a studio audience.
Cut to now, Whoopi is one of the twenty-two permanent hosts of ABC’s The View (now in its 24th season.) She was also last seen in the television series The Stand and Staged. Whoopi’s upcoming projects include Harlem (a TV series), Fairy Tale Forest (a TV movie) and Sister Act 3.
Jay Leno
Before he replaced Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno was already an established name in stand-up comedy. He kept the show ongoing for 4610 episodes. Leno stepped down as Tonight’s show host in 2014. In the same year, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Post his active dissociation from The Tonight Show, Leno is a regular guest on many late-night shows. His calendar is chock-a-block with global stand-up comedy tours. You will soon see him hosting the game show You Bet Your Life.
Queen Latifah
American singer Queen Latifah hosted her talk show The Queen Latifah Show from 1999 to 2002. Her show was described as ‘Dear Abby for the hip-hop generation’ and featured a host of celebs and common faces.
After its cancellation, Queen Latifah concentrated on her singing career. She also executive produced multiple shows in-between. She recently executive produced the television series The Equalizer. Queen Latifah’s upcoming projects include Tiger Rising and End of The Road.
James Lipton
James Lipton was the host of Inside The Actors Studio on Bravo, a talk show that began as a televised craft seminar for the students of the Actors Studio Drama School. Lipton hosted the show for more than a decade before stepping down in 2018.
In 2019, he appeared as Warden Stefan in a few of the episodes of Arrested Development. He passed away in 2020 at the age of ninety-three.
Joan Rivers
Called as ‘Queen of Mean’, Joan Rivers hosted her show The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, in the ’90s. Rivers was known for her razor-sharp tongue and holding a no-holds-barred conversation. She also became the first woman to get her late-night show.
Post that, Joan Rivers was seen on the number of other shows such as Celebrity Apprentice, Celebrity Family Feud, Fashion Police! She has been hailed as an inspiration by numerous comedians such as David Letterman and Whoopi Goldberg.
