Bobby Rivers facts for kids

Bobby Rivers (born around 1953 – died December 26, 2023) was a famous American TV and radio personality, and also an actor. He was well-known for hosting the Top 5 show on the Food Network. He also had his own prime-time celebrity talk show on VH1 called Watch Bobby Rivers.

Early Life and First Steps in TV

Bobby Rivers grew up in South Central Los Angeles in the 1960s. He later went to Marquette University in Wisconsin. His very first time on TV was in 1970. He was still a high school student then. He appeared on a classic film trivia game show called "The Movie Game." Bobby was the first African-American contestant on the show. He was also the youngest person to win!

After working in radio in Milwaukee, Bobby made his professional TV debut in 1979. This was on Milwaukee's ABC channel, WISN-TV. He became the city's first African-American film critic on TV. He shared his movie reviews on a show called "PM Magazine." Later, in 1984, he became a co-host and producer for a live weekday show on WISN.

Becoming a TV Star

After his Milwaukee show ended in 1985, Bobby Rivers got a job in New York City. He became an entertainment reporter for WPIX-TV. Then, in 1987, he joined VH1, a popular music TV channel, as a VJ. VH1 liked his funny personality and interview skills. This led to his very own show in 1988, Watch Bobby Rivers.

On his VH1 show, Bobby interviewed many famous people. These included Paul McCartney, Meryl Streep, Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, and Liza Minnelli. He was known for being a great interviewer. He also hosted segments with Rosie O'Donnell until 1990.

More TV Adventures

Bobby Rivers also hosted a couple of game shows that didn't last very long. In 1992, he became a reporter for local TV shows in New York. He worked on "Weekend Today in New York" for WNBC TV. He also joined "Good Day New York" on WNYW-TV.

Besides hosting, Bobby also acted. He appeared on the TV show The Sopranos. In 2000, he was the Entertainment Editor for "Lifetime Live." This was a weekday magazine show. After that, he hosted the "Top 5" show on the Food Network starting in 2002. The show stopped making new episodes in 2004, but it aired repeats until 2008.

Later Career and Legacy

Whoopi Goldberg, a famous actress, invited Bobby Rivers to work with her. He became the weekly film critic and entertainment reporter for her national radio show. This show, "Wake Up with Whoopi," ran from 2006 to 2008.

Director Steven Soderbergh even used clips of Bobby's VH1 interview with actor Spalding Gray. This was for Soderbergh's 2010 documentary called "And Everything Is Going Fine." Bobby also showed his funny side by acting as "Professor Robert Haige" in "In The Know." This was a funny news segment for The Onion News Network.

From 2011, Bobby Rivers wrote a blog about TV and movies. It was called "Bobby Rivers TV."

His Passing

Bobby Rivers passed away in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 26, 2023. He was 70 years old.