[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Jul 14 2004, 02:59 PM\'][quote name=\'mystery7\' date=\'Jul 14 2004, 03:09 PM\'] Bob Circosta's biggest claim to fame was apparently selling a billion dollars worth of stuff during his time as a host on HSN. Long way from the 112 can openers Bud Paxson asked him to sell after a newscast. [/quote]
Ah, OK.
I thought I remembered him being tied into HSN in some capacity, but wasn't sure. After all, this was 17 summers ago..
Summer 1987 - the summer that home shopping games invaded TV (don't forget "Bargain Hunters".....OK, on second thought, *forget* "Bargain Hunters").[/quote]
It was home shopping *everything* that year--after HSN went public and caused a sensation on Wall Street, everyone and his brother wanted in on it--and for the most part, lost their shirts.
We can't forget Lorimar/Telepicutres' "VTV/Value Television," or what Alex Trebek considered his last best hope for doing a talk show. When they upped the pitching and cut down the interviewing after the first 13 weeks, he and co-host Meredith MacRae both bailed out, to be replaced by--Richard Simmons. Which shows you how cold the home shopping craze had become by then.