Hollywood Flashback: ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ Was Social Media’s Forefather

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As a child of the ’80s and ’90s, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgic delight when I think about America’s Funniest Home Videos (AFV). It was more than just a TV show; it was a cultural phenomenon that transcended generations.

Way back when user-created video clips ruled supreme on social platforms, they were the cause of laughter and cash prizes on “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” a show that first appeared 35 years ago.

Vin Di Bona, inspired by Japanese comedy shows that featured home videos, transformed one of these into the 1980s game show “Animal Crack-Ups,” hosted by Alan Thicke. Later in 1989, Di Bona came across a Japanese variety show titled “Fun With Ken and Kato Chan,” which starred two hosts joking about viewer-submitted videos. Using clips from this show, Di Bona created an eight-minute pitch video and collaborated with Todd Thicke (Alan’s younger brother, who worked on “Animal Crack-Ups”) for the pilot. Todd tested the video among friends, and actress Jane Seymour was a fan but also voiced concerns about anyone potentially getting hurt while performing.

Thicke, who served as an executive producer until 2015, praised the note, saying “It was truly excellent,”. He referred to it as ‘Recovery’ and explained that their intention was always to convey that no one was genuinely harmed during the process.

Prior to its broadcast, the show placed ads in magazines asking for clip submissions. On November 26, 1989, ABC premiered “AFV” as a special primetime episode, and then started a full season in January of the following year, with Bob Saget, who was already well-known from his role in “Full House,” hosting. Saget left the show in 1997, but it continued to thrive under Tom Bergeron as the main host for 15 seasons.

35th season debuted a month ago, with Alfonso Ribeiro resuming his hosting role for the tenth consecutive year. He affectionately refers to AFV as an early pioneer of video-sharing platforms like YouTube and TikTok. “AFV is the grandparent of all social media platforms,” Ribeiro notes, “and it paved the way for a whole generation accustomed to watching content on TV this way.” His ambition is to be here again when we’re celebrating the 45th season.

“The tale was published in the October 9th edition of The Hollywood Reporter periodical. If you’d like to receive future issues, consider subscribing by clicking here.

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2024-10-13 20:24