Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was an American television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995.[1] The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes, socialites and business moguls.

For other uses, see Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (disambiguation).
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Also known asLifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte
GenreReality
Created byAlfred M. "Al" Masini
Presented byRobin Leach
Shari Belafonte (1994–1995)
Theme music composerBill Conti
Composer(s)John Valentino
Christopher Neal Nelson
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
Production
Producer(s)Robin Leach
Running timeoriginally 60 mins. (approx.)
later 30 mins. (approx.)
Production company(s)Television Program Enterprises, Rysher TPE
DistributorCBS Television Distribution
Release
Original networkSyndication
Original releaseMarch 31, 1984 –
September 2, 1995

It was hosted by Robin Leach for the majority of its run.[1] When Leach was joined by Shari Belafonte in 1994, the show was renamed Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte. Leach ended each episode with a wish for his viewers that became his signature catchphrase, "champagne wishes and caviar dreams."

The theme song, titled "Come with Me Now" and performed by Bill Conti, is from a 1979 film called Five Days from Home.

Synopsis

Lifestyles was one of the first shows to feature the lives of the wealthy. Later shows such as VH1's The Fabulous Life Of... continued this trend. The show was largely intended to be an insight into the opulent residences and the glamorous lifestyles of those it profiled. However, many of the geographic areas it covered were ideal destinations for vacations, and in his on-camera appearances, Leach indirectly made references to resorts and tourist attractions. David Greenspan (aka David Perry), who was the voice-over narrator for most of the segments during the bulk of the show's run and could be heard whenever Leach did not appear on camera, made more direct references to such resorts and such tourist attractions during his tenure as the show's voice-over narrator.

Lifestyles was created by Alfred M. "Al" Masini, who had also created Solid Gold, Entertainment Tonight, and Star Search; all of these were part of his Operation Prime Time project, which he later renamed Television Program Enterprises and later merged with Rysher Entertainment to form Rysher TPE, though Solid Gold or Entertainment Tonight were never syndicated by TPE or Rysher but all 4 are now owned by CBS Television Distribution.

Spinoff

Lifestyles had two companion spinoff series, Runaway with the Rich and Famous, also hosted by Leach. The series also aired in first-run syndication, from 1986 to 1994. There was also Fame, Fortune and Romance broadcast on ABC from 1986 to 1987.

Reboot

In 2013, the Style network was originally going to reboot Lifestyles of The Rich and Famous but did not move forward when the network was later rebranded as the Esquire Network. In 2014, a source said that a new version of Lifestyles would be remade for NBC[2] hosted by Nick Cannon unlike the original, this version was going to be mostly focused Cannon's point of view as well as feature profiles of the mega-rich. This version would also feature tech billionaires who are quickly becoming the new face of wealth it was also said that philanthropic efforts would also be covered. According to Cannon, he said that "Robin Leach passed the torch to me, now I'm producing and hosting the new Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"; he also said "You know what? I think rich and famous people take themselves too seriously, I'm gonna be just like I am on this show America's Got Talent. I'll be like, What the hell? Gold toilet seats? Let's pop bottles". The idea was scrapped later on.

Merchandise

A board game called Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: The Game[3] was released by Pressman in 1987.

A video slot machine was made by IGT[4] in 2002.

References
  1. Collins, Glenn (December 2, 1990). "TELEVISION; Now, a Look at the Life Style of Robin Leach". The New York Times.
  2. Goldberg, Lesley (12 November 2014). "NBC Revives 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' with Nick Cannon" – via The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: The Game
  4. "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous video slots by IGT". Archived from the original on 2003-06-17. Retrieved 2003-06-17.
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