The original Person to Person ran for eight seasons on CBS, from 1953 until 1961. The series was hosted by news legend Edward R. Murrow for six seasons and Charles Collingwood for the final two. While Murrow is best remembered for his hard-hitting reporting, Person to Person was an early pioneer of celebrity interviews on television.
During the show’s run, some of the celebrites interviewed include Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Elizabeth Taylor, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr., Groucho and Harpo Marx, and John Steinbeck.
The new Person to Person will debut on February 8th with Lara Logan and Charlie Rose as hosts.
Here’s the press release from CBS:
CBS NEWS BRINGS BACK “PERSON TO PERSON”
CHARLIE ROSE AND LARA LOGAN WILL HOST INTERVIEW PROGRAM MODELED AFTER GROUND-BREAKING EDWARD R. MURROW SERIES
SUSAN ZIRINSKY AND JUDY TYGARD NAMED EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
FIRST “PERSON TO PERSON” DEBUTS ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8, 2012 AT 8:00 PM ET/PT ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
CBS News will revive its iconic franchise, PERSON TO PERSON, it was announced today by CBS News Chairman and 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager and David Rhodes, President, CBS News. The broadcast, based on the ground-breaking interview series created by news legend Edward R. Murrow, will begin Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 (8:00 PM ET/PT). CBS THIS MORNING co-host Charlie Rose and CBS News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and 60 Minutes Correspondent Lara Logan have been named co-hosts of the series. In addition to her duties as Executive Producer of 48 Hours Mystery and Special Projects, Susan Zirinsky will serve as Executive Producer, as will Judy Tygard, Senior Producer of 48 HOURS and Special Projects.
“We have dreamed about bringing a modern version of this great program, PERSON TO PERSON, back to CBS for years – and now it is happening,” said Fager. “It is an exciting new development for us, particularly because it will be led by two of our most accomplished producers and two of our best interviewers.”
“PERSON TO PERSON is about original reporting on extraordinary people,” said Rhodes. “Charlie and Lara are the perfect team to carry forward this storied franchise.”
“Charlie Rose and Lara Logan are two of the most respected television journalists of our time,” said Zirinsky. “Charming and personable conversationalists in their own right, they are ideally suited to uncover the personal side of the people who are shaping our lives today.”
“Building on the legacy of CBS News, we will present a broadcast that is both entertaining and insightful,” said Tygard. “It will provide a refreshing glimpse into the lives of the legends of today.”
PERSON TO PERSON will retain many of the elements that made the original so captivating. Co-hosts Rose and Logan will bring viewers into the private homes of public people – musical artists, actors, directors, political leaders and newsmakers. The freedom and spontaneity of the format will allow guests to introduce friends and family members and show off items of personal or professional significance. Guests will effectively lead the discussion as the cameras capture unexpectedly vivid and touching revelations. Conversation will be the primary focus, distinguishing the series from more traditional interview programs and news magazines. Guests for the premiere broadcast and the schedule for other broadcasts will be announced at a later date.
CBS News made television history in 1953, when Murrow began taking viewers into the homes of people whose names continue to resonate today: John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Harry Truman, Fidel Castro and John Steinbeck. Viewers saw Robert Kennedy soothing his young children, who had stayed awake long past their bedtimes especially for the broadcast; they also saw Marlon Brando playing bongos with a friend and Sammy Davis, Jr. polishing dance moves. In 2012, PERSON TO PERSON will make history for a new generation of viewers.
What do you think? Are you interested in checking out the new Person to Person? Have you ever seen clips from the original TV series?
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