Regis Philbin, Legendary Television Host, Dies at 88 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

MA · 07-25-2020, 03:30 PM

https://people.com/tv/regis-philbin-dead/

"His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about," the Philbin family shares with PEOPLE in an exclusive statement

Regis Philbin has died. The beloved star was 88.

The longtime television host died on July 24, PEOPLE confirms. "We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday," his family shares with PEOPLE in an exclusive statement on Saturday.

"His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss," the Philbin family says.

In 1988, Philbin began his iconic career as the host of Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. After 15 years, Gifford left the ABC show but the pair remained close after her departure.

In 2001, the franchise became Live! with Regis and Kelly, co-starring Kelly Ripa before he left in 2011 after 23 years on-air. (He was replaced by former football player Michael Strahan, who later departed for Good Morning America and was replaced by Ryan Seacrest in 2017.)

Philbin also served as the original host of the widely popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002. In addition, the New York City native's hosting credits include Million Dollar Password, the first season of America’s Got Talent, as well as a reoccurring co-host seat on Rachael Ray.

Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 before attending the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a sociology degree in 1953.

After serving in the Navy, Philbin began his career in show business as a writer and made his way in front of the camera in 1961 with a local talk show in San Diego called The Regis Philbin Show. Then in 1967, he became widely known as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show.

After a string of local talk shows, including A.M. Los Angeles and Regis Philbin's Saturday Night in St. Louis, he moved to New York in 1983 to host The Morning Show, which was renamed three years later as Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.

Philbin's accolades include Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding talk show host for Live! in 2001 and 2011 as well as outstanding game show host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He also received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008.

Throughout his career, Philbin had various health issues. He underwent an angioplasty in 1993, followed by triple bypass surgery due to plaque in his arteries in March 2007. In December 2009, the television personality had his hip replaced.

Philbin, who was married twice, is survived by daughters J.J. Philbin and Joanna Philbin, whom he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin. He was also father to daughter Amy Philbin, whom he shared with his first wife Catherine Faylen. Philbin and Faylen had another child, son Daniel Philbin, who died in 2014.

AB · 07-25-2020, 08:24 PM

Rest in peace.

MA · 07-25-2020, 08:45 PM

Jimmy Kimmel on Twitter:

https://mobile.twitter.com/jimmykimm...06444249112576

Regis was a great broadcaster, a good friend and a tremendous amount of fun. He leaves behind a beautiful family and a TV legacy that will likely go unmatched. Regis, I hope our friend Rickles met you at the pearly gates with open arms and a slew of the insults you loved so much

And here is a picture of the two of them:

https://mobile.twitter.com/jimmykimm...52635267567616

Bonniegirl · 07-25-2020, 08:53 PM

Sad to hear of his passing !

I will always fondly remember him as the original host of the very cool show " Who wants to be a millionaire" ! May he RIP !

TVShowAddict · 07-25-2020, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonniegirl

Sad to hear of his passing !

I will always fondly remember him as the original host of the very cool show " Who wants to be a millionaire" ! May he RIP !

Yup, that is what he will always be known for in my opinion, Regis had a long blessed life! Rest in peace Regis!

OH Nuts! · 07-25-2020, 10:28 PM

May he R.I.P.

MrCleveland · 07-25-2020, 10:46 PM

He did well on Who Wants to be a Millionaire...

Hawkee · 07-26-2020, 02:48 AM

Regis Philbin was my first ever game show host crush and when I saw Who Wants To Be A Millionaire I just loved his witty personality and smart sense and awesome accent and would watch it nearly every day just to see him. Of course I was just thirteen and just starting my celebrity crushes and my mom could never understand why Regis was my crush but I just liked him. Of course I had Who Wants To Be A Millionaire computer games Nintendo games and I even bought a Nintendo Gameboy Advance just so I could play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on my Gameboy Advance as well and my whole room was decked out with Regis Philbin posters galore on my walls. Even though other celebrities became my crushes Regis still remained number one. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was actually Regis's third game show that he hosted for ABC "his first game show was Anything Goes" in the 70's but it's no secret that in Latin the word "regis" means king and the name really fit Regis perfectly because he truly was the king of anything on TV and really worked his magic on everything sort of like a magic wizard. I also find it shocking that Regis also had a singing talent and I have all three of his albums which are really cool but the crowning jewel of his music albums has to be if you can find it his 1968 debut album It's Time For Regis is worthy of listening to. Today I think that there will be new stars in the game show world that Regis Philbin could easily be a inspirational role model for because he teaches you to never give up on your dreams when you are trying to become a game show host on TV. Regis will be missed by us Millionaire fans all over the world but through reruns with Meredith Veira Cedric The Entertainer Terry Crews and of course Chris Harrison and Jimmy Kimmel Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is still a fun show that will live on in the Regis Philbin legacy for fans to see
Bestie

MA · 07-26-2020, 06:45 AM

The Celebrity Jeopardy episode with Regis Philbin will be airing tomorrow.

SledgeBarone · 07-26-2020, 03:46 PM

RIP, Reege. Thanks for bringing back the prime time game show genre back to this country.

DadTheKing · 07-26-2020, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBestia

Regis Philbin was my first ever game show host crush and when I saw Who Wants To Be A Millionaire I just loved his witty personality and smart sense and awesome accent and would watch it nearly every day just to see him. Of course I was just thirteen and just starting my celebrity crushes and my mom could never understand why Regis was my crush but I just liked him. Of course I had Who Wants To Be A Millionaire computer games Nintendo games and I even bought a Nintendo Gameboy Advance just so I could play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on my Gameboy Advance as well and my whole room was decked out with Regis Philbin posters galore on my walls. Even though other celebrities became my crushes Regis still remained number one. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was actually Regis's third game show that he hosted for ABC "his first game show was Anything Goes" in the 70's but it's no secret that in Latin the word "regis" means king and the name really fit Regis perfectly because he truly was the king of anything on TV and really worked his magic on everything sort of like a magic wizard. I also find it shocking that Regis also had a singing talent and I have all three of his albums which are really cool but the crowning jewel of his music albums has to be if you can find it his 1968 debut album It's Time For Regis is worthy of listening to. Today I think that there will be new stars in the game show world that Regis Philbin could easily be a inspirational role model for because he teaches you to never give up on your dreams when you are trying to become a game show host on TV. Regis will be missed by us Millionaire fans all over the world but through reruns with Meredith Veira Cedric The Entertainer Terry Crews and of course Chris Harrison and Jimmy Kimmel Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is still a fun show that will live on in the Regis Philbin legacy for fans to see
Bestie

Hi, Bestie! WOW! What a great write up you did for Regis! You really loved him, didn't you. I will miss him too. He was always entertaining. Thank you for the excellent tribute!
DTK

howilu · 07-26-2020, 05:03 PM

Regis Philbin redeemed himself from hosting one of the worst game shows of all time The Neighbors to one of the best Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Along the way, he excelled hosting a talk show with Kathie Lee Gifford and later Kelly Ripa.

He also hosted Million Dollar Password on CBS, which wasn't as good as the four previous incarnations of the classic word game but he was great hosting Millionaire. And that's my final answer. May he rest in peace.

MA · 07-27-2020, 09:35 AM

From Jeopardy's website:

Selecting the first Celebrity Jeopardy! episode to air from the Vault was an easy choice for the producers: the very first Celebrity Jeopardy! episode ever. It featured Carol Burnett, Donna Mills, and Regis Philbin in an entertaining and spirited competition set to air on Monday. That choice has been made even more poignant with the passing of Regis Philbin this weekend.

The episode was chosen weeks ago as a way of signaling our gratitude to Regis for his friendship to the show for so many years. We proudly present it now in memoriam and with love.

icecream · 07-27-2020, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howilu

He also hosted Million Dollar Password on CBS, which wasn't as good as the four previous incarnations of the classic word game.

I disagree. Million Dollar Password was a great show that deserved a longer run.

TMC · 07-30-2020, 11:50 PM

Who Wants to be a Millionaire boss: Regis Philbin knew the game show would be a huge success that would "save" ABC

Michael Davies, who developed the American version of Millionaire, tells The Hollywood Reporter: "A lot of people know Regis Philbin asked to be the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. What they don't know is that he was always the first choice. Regis and I had already talked about him hosting a reboot of The $64,000 Question I'd been developing, but it was clear from the early run-throughs that the show couldn't work. No one would ever take any risks! So when I saw a tape of Millionaire in the U.K., it solved all of my problems. I was in one those old ABC Entertainment Center offices — the one on Avenue of the Stars that's since been consumed by the CAA Death Star — when Regis called. Not many people saw Millionaire the way we did, certainly not ABC. But Regis knew it was the modern making of one of those great game shows of the 1950s. Over that call, he sold me on something I'd already been evangelizing. If he was my first choice before that conversation, he was my only choice by the end of it. Regis had way more faith in the show than I did. He said from day one, 'We are going to save the network.'" Executives thought he was joking. He wasn't. Regis knew from his vast experience how special what we had was. But what he didn't realize is how much of what we had came from him — especially when people deliberated over their answers. Regis' lack of patience added to the tension of Millionaire."

07-25-2020, 03:30 PM	#1
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,142	Regis Philbin, Legendary Television Host, Dies at 88 https://people.com/tv/regis-philbin-dead/ "His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about," the Philbin family shares with PEOPLE in an exclusive statement Regis Philbin has died. The beloved star was 88. The longtime television host died on July 24, PEOPLE confirms. "We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday," his family shares with PEOPLE in an exclusive statement on Saturday. "His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss," the Philbin family says. In 1988, Philbin began his iconic career as the host of Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. After 15 years, Gifford left the ABC show but the pair remained close after her departure. In 2001, the franchise became Live! with Regis and Kelly, co-starring Kelly Ripa before he left in 2011 after 23 years on-air. (He was replaced by former football player Michael Strahan, who later departed for Good Morning America and was replaced by Ryan Seacrest in 2017.) Philbin also served as the original host of the widely popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002. In addition, the New York City native's hosting credits include Million Dollar Password, the first season of America’s Got Talent, as well as a reoccurring co-host seat on Rachael Ray. Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 before attending the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a sociology degree in 1953. After serving in the Navy, Philbin began his career in show business as a writer and made his way in front of the camera in 1961 with a local talk show in San Diego called The Regis Philbin Show. Then in 1967, he became widely known as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show. After a string of local talk shows, including A.M. Los Angeles and Regis Philbin's Saturday Night in St. Louis, he moved to New York in 1983 to host The Morning Show, which was renamed three years later as Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. Philbin's accolades include Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding talk show host for Live! in 2001 and 2011 as well as outstanding game show host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He also received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008. Throughout his career, Philbin had various health issues. He underwent an angioplasty in 1993, followed by triple bypass surgery due to plaque in his arteries in March 2007. In December 2009, the television personality had his hip replaced. Philbin, who was married twice, is survived by daughters J.J. Philbin and Joanna Philbin, whom he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin. He was also father to daughter Amy Philbin, whom he shared with his first wife Catherine Faylen. Philbin and Faylen had another child, son Daniel Philbin, who died in 2014.
	__________________ ~-Mikaela-~

07-25-2020, 10:46 PM	#7
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,222	He did well on Who Wants to be a Millionaire...
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

07-26-2020, 02:48 AM	#8
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,741	Regis Philbin was my first ever game show host crush and when I saw Who Wants To Be A Millionaire I just loved his witty personality and smart sense and awesome accent and would watch it nearly every day just to see him. Of course I was just thirteen and just starting my celebrity crushes and my mom could never understand why Regis was my crush but I just liked him. Of course I had Who Wants To Be A Millionaire computer games Nintendo games and I even bought a Nintendo Gameboy Advance just so I could play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on my Gameboy Advance as well and my whole room was decked out with Regis Philbin posters galore on my walls. Even though other celebrities became my crushes Regis still remained number one. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was actually Regis's third game show that he hosted for ABC "his first game show was Anything Goes" in the 70's but it's no secret that in Latin the word "regis" means king and the name really fit Regis perfectly because he truly was the king of anything on TV and really worked his magic on everything sort of like a magic wizard. I also find it shocking that Regis also had a singing talent and I have all three of his albums which are really cool but the crowning jewel of his music albums has to be if you can find it his 1968 debut album It's Time For Regis is worthy of listening to. Today I think that there will be new stars in the game show world that Regis Philbin could easily be a inspirational role model for because he teaches you to never give up on your dreams when you are trying to become a game show host on TV. Regis will be missed by us Millionaire fans all over the world but through reruns with Meredith Veira Cedric The Entertainer Terry Crews and of course Chris Harrison and Jimmy Kimmel Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is still a fun show that will live on in the Regis Philbin legacy for fans to see Bestie
	__________________ Hawkee and Aguilar, Hoping to be a great team

07-25-2020, 08:24 PM	#2
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,426	Rest in peace.

07-25-2020, 08:45 PM	#3
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,142	Jimmy Kimmel on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jimmykimm...06444249112576 Regis was a great broadcaster, a good friend and a tremendous amount of fun. He leaves behind a beautiful family and a TV legacy that will likely go unmatched. Regis, I hope our friend Rickles met you at the pearly gates with open arms and a slew of the insults you loved so much And here is a picture of the two of them: https://mobile.twitter.com/jimmykimm...52635267567616

07-25-2020, 08:53 PM	#4
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,430	Sad to hear of his passing ! I will always fondly remember him as the original host of the very cool show " Who wants to be a millionaire" ! May he RIP !

07-25-2020, 10:28 PM	#6
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	May he R.I.P.

07-26-2020, 06:45 AM	#9
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,142	The Celebrity Jeopardy episode with Regis Philbin will be airing tomorrow.

07-26-2020, 03:46 PM	#10
SledgeBarone Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 01, 2020 Posts: 1,930	RIP, Reege. Thanks for bringing back the prime time game show genre back to this country.

07-26-2020, 05:03 PM	#12
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,958	Regis Philbin redeemed himself from hosting one of the worst game shows of all time The Neighbors to one of the best Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Along the way, he excelled hosting a talk show with Kathie Lee Gifford and later Kelly Ripa. He also hosted Million Dollar Password on CBS, which wasn't as good as the four previous incarnations of the classic word game but he was great hosting Millionaire. And that's my final answer. May he rest in peace.

07-27-2020, 09:35 AM	#13
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,142	From Jeopardy's website: Selecting the first Celebrity Jeopardy! episode to air from the Vault was an easy choice for the producers: the very first Celebrity Jeopardy! episode ever. It featured Carol Burnett, Donna Mills, and Regis Philbin in an entertaining and spirited competition set to air on Monday. That choice has been made even more poignant with the passing of Regis Philbin this weekend. The episode was chosen weeks ago as a way of signaling our gratitude to Regis for his friendship to the show for so many years. We proudly present it now in memoriam and with love.

07-30-2020, 11:50 PM	#15
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,686	Who Wants to be a Millionaire boss: Regis Philbin knew the game show would be a huge success that would "save" ABC Michael Davies, who developed the American version of Millionaire, tells The Hollywood Reporter: "A lot of people know Regis Philbin asked to be the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. What they don't know is that he was always the first choice. Regis and I had already talked about him hosting a reboot of The $64,000 Question I'd been developing, but it was clear from the early run-throughs that the show couldn't work. No one would ever take any risks! So when I saw a tape of Millionaire in the U.K., it solved all of my problems. I was in one those old ABC Entertainment Center offices — the one on Avenue of the Stars that's since been consumed by the CAA Death Star — when Regis called. Not many people saw Millionaire the way we did, certainly not ABC. But Regis knew it was the modern making of one of those great game shows of the 1950s. Over that call, he sold me on something I'd already been evangelizing. If he was my first choice before that conversation, he was my only choice by the end of it. Regis had way more faith in the show than I did. He said from day one, 'We are going to save the network.'" Executives thought he was joking. He wasn't. Regis knew from his vast experience how special what we had was. But what he didn't realize is how much of what we had came from him — especially when people deliberated over their answers. Regis' lack of patience added to the tension of Millionaire."