When Byron Allen was just 14, he started doing stand-up comedy. Four years later, in 1979, he became the youngest comedian to appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” It was a launching pad for an entertainment career that included a stint on “Real People,” a lead role in “Case Closed,” a TV movie he co-wrote and a syndicated late-night show bearing his name.
But all along, Allen had his eyes on a much bigger prize. “Growing up in Detroit, I was fascinated by Berry Gordy and Henry Ford,” says Allen. “I read about them and about John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. They were my heroes. I studied them and knew I wanted to build something big and iconic. That was always my desire.”
That something proved to be Allen Media Group, which encompasses Entertainment Studios (founded 30 years ago as Cf Entertainment) and its expanding portfolio — the company owns 10 cable networks,...
But all along, Allen had his eyes on a much bigger prize. “Growing up in Detroit, I was fascinated by Berry Gordy and Henry Ford,” says Allen. “I read about them and about John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. They were my heroes. I studied them and knew I wanted to build something big and iconic. That was always my desire.”
That something proved to be Allen Media Group, which encompasses Entertainment Studios (founded 30 years ago as Cf Entertainment) and its expanding portfolio — the company owns 10 cable networks,...
- 12/17/2023
- by Stuart Miller
- Variety Film + TV
Regis Philbin, the ubiquitous TV host best known for his long run on the syndicated morning talk show “Live” and ABC’s primetime hit game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” died of natural causes on Friday night. He was 88.
“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss,” the Philbin family said in a statement.
Philbin began his career when TV was barely in its teenage years. He wound up serving as a turn-of-the-century bridge for viewers to TV’s new world of enduring unscripted franchies on network primetime TV, as well as the trend of programs based on international formats.
“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss,” the Philbin family said in a statement.
Philbin began his career when TV was barely in its teenage years. He wound up serving as a turn-of-the-century bridge for viewers to TV’s new world of enduring unscripted franchies on network primetime TV, as well as the trend of programs based on international formats.
- 7/25/2020
- by Laura Haefner
- Variety Film + TV
Decades before leading his own multi-million media empire Entertainment Studios, Byron Allen was a teenage kid with a dream, standing in the parking lot of The Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd., watching his stand-up mentors go up on stage.
As Jim Carrey tweeted today, “If she loved you, you did well. If she didn’t, you did something else,” and Allen was one of the guys who did quite well by Shore. Not only was The Comedy Store the place where Jimmie Walker first recognized the young stand-up and enlisted him on his comedy writing team, but it’s also where Allen was first spotted by NBC talent scouts for his Tonight Show debut at 18 years-old and his long-running hosting stint alongside Fred Willard, Sarah Purcell, and Skip Stephenson on the network’s Emmy-winning reality comedy series Real People.
Allen met Comedy Store matriarch Mitzi Shore when he was 14 years old during the ’70s.
As Jim Carrey tweeted today, “If she loved you, you did well. If she didn’t, you did something else,” and Allen was one of the guys who did quite well by Shore. Not only was The Comedy Store the place where Jimmie Walker first recognized the young stand-up and enlisted him on his comedy writing team, but it’s also where Allen was first spotted by NBC talent scouts for his Tonight Show debut at 18 years-old and his long-running hosting stint alongside Fred Willard, Sarah Purcell, and Skip Stephenson on the network’s Emmy-winning reality comedy series Real People.
Allen met Comedy Store matriarch Mitzi Shore when he was 14 years old during the ’70s.
- 4/12/2018
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sunday Pm update: At a time when streaming is encroaching on certain cinema genres and sending them to mobile screens, Entertainment Studios is looking to keep moviegoing alive on the big screen.
This weekend the $4M TIFF acquisition that Entertainment Studios’ chief Byron Allen made for Scott Cooper’s western Hostiles paid off with a $10M-$11M wide opening, easily besting tracking’s low single-digit projections.
Even more impressive, Hostiles beat the weekend results of all the big studio Oscar-nominated titles, many of which also went wide, i.e. The Shape of Water and Phantom Thread.
“It’s nice when your competitors call you and say ‘Wow, we were wrong, you were right,'” beamed Allen who literally made his minimum guarantee on Hostiles back this weekend in its film rental.
“Although we are an independent, we are throwing punches like a major studio,” said Allen about his commitment to...
This weekend the $4M TIFF acquisition that Entertainment Studios’ chief Byron Allen made for Scott Cooper’s western Hostiles paid off with a $10M-$11M wide opening, easily besting tracking’s low single-digit projections.
Even more impressive, Hostiles beat the weekend results of all the big studio Oscar-nominated titles, many of which also went wide, i.e. The Shape of Water and Phantom Thread.
“It’s nice when your competitors call you and say ‘Wow, we were wrong, you were right,'” beamed Allen who literally made his minimum guarantee on Hostiles back this weekend in its film rental.
“Although we are an independent, we are throwing punches like a major studio,” said Allen about his commitment to...
- 1/29/2018
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.