Showtime at the Apollo

Showtime at the Apollo (formerly It's Showtime at the Apollo and Apollo Live) (originally syndicated) is a music television show, first broadcast on September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008 with 1093 episodes,[1][2] and is produced by the Apollo Theater. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey hosting.[3] The show features live performances from both professional and up-and-coming artists, and also features the Amateur Night competition made popular at the famous Apollo Theater in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, where the show is recorded. The series was rebooted as Apollo Live and hosted by comedian Tony Rock.[4] In many cities such as New York (where it aired on WNBC), it often aired after Saturday Night Live on early Sunday mornings, and was often paired with the similarly-syndicated Soul Train.

Showtime at the Apollo
GenreReality
talent show
music competition
Presented by(See hosts)
Opening theme"It's Showtime at the Apollo"
Composer(s)Barry Fasman
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons22
No. of episodes1,094
Production
Executive producer(s)Percy Sutton (1987–2002)
Bob Banner (1987–1996)
Blake Bradford (2007–2008)/Jim Roush (2016–2018)/Chris Wagner (2016–2018)
Production location(s)New York City
Running time60 minutes
Production company(s)Apollo Theatre Productions (1987–2008; 2016–18)
Bob Banner Associates
(1987–1996)
Inner City Theater Group
(1987–2002)
The Heritage Networks
(2002–2004)
De Passe Entertainment
(2002–2008; 2016–18)
Telepictures Productions
(2004–2008)
The Roush Wagner Company
(2016–2018)
DistributorRaymond Horn Television
(1987–1989)
Western International Syndication (1989–2002)
The Heritage Networks
(2002–2003)
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
(2003–2008)
Release
Original networkSyndication (1987–2008)
Fox (2016–2017; 2018)
Picture format480i (SDTV)
(1987-2008)
1080i (HDTV)
(2016-2018)
Original releaseSeptember 12, 1987 (1987-09-12) –
May 24, 2008 (2008-05-24) (original series)
March 1, 2018 (2018-03-01) – May 24, 2018 (2018-05-24) (revival)
External links
Website

A live non-televised version of the show takes place every Wednesday (which is the original Apollo Amateur Night competition that has been running for over 70 years), with the taped version of the show for television being recorded in advance on other nights for later airing.

Hosts

Many famous R&B, soul, and hip hop performers have appeared on the show, which has had a number of hosts, including Whoopi Goldberg, Rick Aviles, Martin Lawrence, Sinbad, Mark Curry, Steve Harvey, Mo'Nique, Christopher "Kid" Reid, and Anthony Anderson. Kiki Shepard served as co-host from 1987 until 2002.

From 1989 to 1991, Sinbad served as the permanent host. After Sinbad left, the show reverted to a series of special guest hosts. In 1993, Steve Harvey began a seven-year stint as the permanent host. At the start of the 1998–99 season,[5] Harvey and Kiki Sheppard hosted a series of "Best of..." episodes until late October because production was delayed due to a labor dispute. After Harvey left in 2000, he was replaced by Rudy Rush. Rush was joined by new comedic dancer C.P. Lacey, who replaced Howard "Sandman" Sims, who had died. Harvey returned to host the Fox revival of Showtime at the Apollo, beginning on March 1, 2018.[6]

Change of production

The original show was created by veteran television producer Bob Banner in conjunction with Percy Sutton and was produced and directed by BBA senior producer Don Weiner. After a dispute with the Apollo Theater Foundation in 2002, the original producers minus Bob Banner, who was no longer with the show after 1996[7][8] left to start a rival show called Showtime in Harlem[9][10][11] later known simply as Showtime.[12] Showtime in Harlem was produced at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The show was later moved to California and renamed Live in Hollywood, lasting one season in 2003 with Shepard as host. It's Showtime at the Apollo was subsequently produced by de Passe Entertainment. It was for a time, hosted once again by Sinbad, who briefly returned to the show in 2006 while Mo'nique was on maternity leave. Whoopi Goldberg became the new host for the 2006–2007 season. At times, comedian and actor Anthony Anderson hosted during the 2006–2007 season.

BET revival

It was announced on September 30, 2011 that the BET cable network would produce a similar show titled Apollo Live[13] starting in 2012 with Tony Rock as the host.[14] The judges are the legendary Gladys Knight; famed beatboxer Doug E Fresh, and Michael Bivins of the 1980s group New Edition and early 1990s group Bell Biv DeVoe.[15]

Fox specials/revival

Showtime at the Apollo was revived by Fox Broadcasting Company in 2016-2017 with a pair of specials hosted by Steve Harvey. The first, a two-hour showcase, aired on December 5, 2016, while the second aired on February 1, 2017. A Christmas special called Showtime at the Apollo: Christmas aired on December 14, 2017 with co-host Adrienne Bailon.[16] It was later announced that Fox would start airing it as a weekly series in the 2017-18 television season, beginning March 1, 2018.[17]

Awards and nominations

Showtime at the Apollo has won a NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Variety Series/Special" in 1991. The show was nominated in 1996, 1998, and 1999 for the same category. In 2000, the show was nominated by the NAACP Image Awards for "Outstanding Youth or Children's Series/Special" for the "Apollo Kids Finals" special episode. However, that same year, former host Steve Harvey has won an Image Award for "Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special".[18]

Broadcasting on television stations
  • Anchorage, AK - KYES-TV Channel 5 (Independent, later UPN, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Atlanta, GA - WSB-TV Channel 2 (ABC)
  • Baltimore, MD - WBFF Channel 45 (Independent, later WB, now CW)
  • Birmingham - WBMG-TV (now WIAT) Channel 42 (CBS), then WABM Channel 68 (UPN) (now MyNetworkTV), later WVTM-TV Channel 13 (NBC)
  • Boston, MA - WSBK-TV Channel 38 (Independent, later UPN, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Buffalo, NY – WNYB Channel 49 (Independent, then WB and CW, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Charlotte, NC - WJZY Channel 46 (Independent, later UPN and CW, now Fox)
  • Chicago - WMAQ-TV Channel 5 (NBC)
  • Cincinnati, OH - WSTR-TV Channel 64 (Independent, later WB and CW, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Cleveland, OH - WKYC Channel 3 (initially), WUAB Channel 43 (Independent, later UPN, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Dallas - KTXA Channel 21
  • Denver, CO - KWGN Channel 2 (Independent, later WB, now CW)
  • Detroit, MI - WKBD Channel 50 (MyNetwork TV)
  • Honolulu, HI - KFVE Channel 5 (Independent, later UPN and CW, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Houston - KTXH-TV Channel 20 (UPN), (now MyNetworkTV)
  • Indianapolis, IN - WXIN Channel 59 (FOX)
  • Kansas City, KS/MO - KSMO-TV Channel 62 (Independent, later WB, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Las Vegas, NV - KRLR (now KHSV, then KVWB & KVMY) Channel 21 (Independent, was later UPN, WB and MyNetwork TV)
  • Los Angeles - KNBC-TV Channel 4 (NBC)
  • Memphis, TN - WPTY Channel 24 (Independent, later FOX, now ABC)
  • Miami, FL - WBFS-TV Channel 33 (MyNetwork TV)
  • Milwaukee, WI - WTMJ-TV Channel 4 (NBC)
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - WFTC Channel 29 (Independent, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Nashville, TN – WZTV Channel 17 (Fox)
  • New Orleans, LA - WNOL-TV Channel 38 (Independent, later WB, now CW)
  • New York City - WNBC-TV Channel 4 (NBC)
  • Orlando, FL - WOFL Channel 35 (FOX)
  • Oklahoma City, OK - KAUT-TV Channel 43 (Independent, was later UPN and MyNetwork TV)
  • Philadelphia, PA - WPHL-TV Channel 17 (Independent, then WB affiliate, now MyNetwork TV)
  • Phoenix, AZ - KPHO Channel 5 (Independent, now CBS)
  • Pittsburgh, PA - WPGH Channel 53 (FOX)
  • Portland, OR - KPTV Channel 12 (FOX)
  • Sacramento, CA - KTXL Channel 40 (FOX)
  • St. Louis, MO - KPLR-TV Channel 11 (Independent, later WB, now CW)
  • Salt Lake City, UT - KJZZ-TV Channel 14 (Independent, was later UPN and MyNetwork TV)
  • San Antonio, TX - KABB Channel 29 (Independent, now FOX)
  • San Diego, CA - KTTY (now KSWB) Channel 69 (Independent, then WB, now FOX)
  • San Francisco - KNTV Channel 11 (NBC)
  • Seattle, WA - KCPQ Channel 13 (FOX)
  • Tampa, FL - WTMV Channel 32
  • Washington D.C. - WBDC (now WDCW) Channel 50 (The WB), (now The CW)

References
  1. Premiered: September 12, 1987
  2. It's Showtime at the Apollo began its successful 15-year run in 1987, but the show's beginnings reach all the way back to 1913.
  3. Pedersen, Erik. "Deadline Hollywood". ‘Showtime At The Apollo’: Fox Orders Weekly Series For Next Season; Steve Harvey Hosts. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  4. "Apollo Live". BET.com. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  5. Season 12 Archived January 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Macke, Johnni. "Steve Harvey Announces The Return Of A Classic Series On FOX". People's Choice. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  7. Percy Sutton .... executive producer (unknown episodes, 1987–2002)
  8. Bob Banner Associates
  9. "Showtime in Harlem" (2002)
  10. When "Showtime at the Apollo" was revamped in 2002, Rudy Rush and Kiki Shepard were ousted and given their own show, "Showtime in Harlem."
  11. "Official site of Showtime in Harlem". Archived from the original on September 26, 2003. Retrieved September 25, 2007.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  12. SHOWTIME Starring: Rudy Rush and Kiki Shepard
  13. http://www.centrictv.com/shows/apollo-live
  14. "Apollo Live | Shows". BET. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  15. http://www.centrictv.com/shows/apollo-live/cast-members Apollo Live Cast
  16. https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/steve-harvey-to-host-showtime-at-the-apollo-revival-on-fox-1201886943/ Steve Harvey to Host ‘Showtime at the Apollo’ Revival on Fox
  17. "All-New Weekly Series "Showtime at the Apollo," Hosted by Steve Harvey, to Premiere Following Spring Return of "Gotham" Thursday, March 1, on FOX". The Futon Critic. January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  18. "Showtime at the Apollo" (1987) – Awards – IMDb (accessed October 16, 2011)
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