''Hard Copy'' is an American

tabloid television Tabloid television, also known as teletabloid, is a form of tabloid journalism. Tabloid television news broadcasting usually incorporate flashy graphics and sensationalized stories. Often, there is a heavy emphasis on crime and celebrity news. G ...

show that ran in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

from 1989 to 1999. ''Hard Copy'' was aggressive in its use of questionable material on television, including gratuitous violence. The original hosts of ''Hard Copy'' were Alan Frio and Terry Murphy. Frio left the series after the 1990–91 season and was succeeded by

Barry Nolan Barry Nolan (born June 17, 1947) is an American former presenter on Comcast Cable's CN8 channel, once hosting the shows '' Nitebeat,'' ''Backstage'', and ''Backstage with Barry Nolan''. He is a panelist on ''Says You!'', a weekend radio word quiz ...

in the fall of 1991. Nolan and Murphy would stay until after the 1997–98 season, when they both departed. In the show's final season, Kyle Kraska took over as the sole host. ''Hard Copy'' was produced and distributed by

Paramount Domestic Television Paramount Domestic Television (PDT) was the television distribution arm of American television production company Paramount Television, once the TV arm of Paramount Pictures. It was formed in 1982 originally as Paramount Domestic Television and V ...

and, for much of its time on air, was often aired with its sister show, the Hollywood news program '' Entertainment Tonight'' as part of an hour-long programming block sold to local stations.

Overview

''Hard Copy'' was a tabloid show that aired footage and news about celebrities and everyday people. Also featured were interviews with various newsmakers.

1992 Elton John lawsuit

In 1992, Elton John threatened to take ''Hard Copy'' to court, alleging a reporter tried to blackmail him into giving an interview by falsely claiming he had

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

and had moved to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

to be near an AIDS treatment center. John alleged

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...

, defamation,

right to privacy The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 150 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. On 10 December 194 ...

and

endangerment Endangerment is a type of crime involving conduct that is wrongful and reckless or wanton, and likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm to another person. There are several kinds of endangerment, each of which is a criminal act that can ...

. The day after the lawsuit was filed, the show ran a segment about John but, rather than accuse him of having HIV, praised him for the work he was doing for those affected by the disease. John's attorney at law told ''

National Enquirer The ''National Enquirer'' is an American tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1926, the newspaper has undergone a number of changes over the years. The ''National Enquirer'' openly acknowledges that it pays sources for tips, a common practice in tabl ...

'' he "assume(d) the show was changed as a result of our suit".

1994 ''Simpsons'' episode

On November 27, 1994,

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

aired an episode of ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' entitled "

Homer Badman "Homer Badman" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 27, 1994. In the episode, Homer is falsely accused of se ...

". When Homer takes babysitter Ashley Grant home from babysitting their kids, he is assumed to commit sexual harassment though in reality he is trying to eat a rare piece of Gummy candy. The entire incident devolves into a media frenzy complete with a standoff. To make matters worse,

Dennis Franz Dennis Franz Schlachta (; born October 28, 1944), known professionally as Dennis Franz, is an American retired actor best known for his role as NYPD Detective Andy Sipowicz in the ABC television series ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–2005), a role that e ...

voiced himself playing Homer in a TV movie. As a result, Homer takes part in a ''Hard Copy''-like show called ''Rock Bottom''. However, the show distorts Homer's case and it takes

public-access television Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...

and aid from Groundskeeper Willie, who was filming in the area at the time of the incident, to clear Homer's name. The episode ended with ''Rock Bottom'' giving a series of corrections.

1996 celebrity boycott

In 1996, actor George Clooney began a public boycott of both ''Hard Copy'' and Paramount's celebrity news show '' Entertainment Tonight'' after ''Hard Copy'' violated a six-month agreement not to air segments about Clooney by airing footage of Clooney and then-girlfriend Celine Balitran on the set of the film '' Batman & Robin''. Other celebrities supporting the boycott including

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

, Madonna, and Steven Spielberg. Paramount eventually agreed to modify the way that both shows gathered information for their stories. They also agreed not to air "unauthorized footage" of celebrities or "footage that is known to have been obtained illegally."

Hosts

* Alan Frio: Host (1989–1991) * Terry Murphy: Host (1989–1998) *

: Host (1991–1998) * Kyle Kraska: Host (1998–1999) * Remy Blumenfeld: London Correspondent (1991–1996) * Jerry Penacoli: Reporter (1996–1999) * Pat Lalama: Reporter (1996–1999) * Edward Miller: Reporter (1996–1999) * Doug Bruckner: Reporter * Rafael Abramovitz: Correspondent *

Diane Dimond Diane Dimond (born November 15, 1952) is an American investigative journalist, author, syndicated columnist, and TV commentator. She is best known for breaking the story of child molestation allegations against singer Michael Jackson and her co ...

: Reporter * Sylvia Villagran: Reporter * Roger Lodge: Reporter

International versions

An Australian version of the series hosted by Gordon Elliott aired in the early 1990s. A New Zealand version of the series hosted by Natalie Brunt (now Natalie Chetkovich) and, later, Pip Groves aired in the mid 1990s.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0096605, name=Hard Copy 1989 American television series debuts 1980s American television news shows 1999 American television series endings 1990s American television news shows English-language television shows Entertainment news shows in the United States First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television series by CBS Studios