Headline Prime: “Showbiz Tonight” Sneak Peek

A sneak preview of “Showbiz Tonight” aired on CNN Sunday evening. If I hadn’t seen the CNN logo, I could have sworn I was watching Entertainment Tonight. (BTW, did they push the “LIVE!!!” element enough?) Other reactions:

> “Showbiz Tonight, which will air every weeknight at 7pm, is a marked departure from other CNN programming,” Digital Spy says. “Anchors A.J. Hammer and Karyn Bryant host the show from a glitzy set at the channel’s New York broadcast facility, and snazzy production effects lend the hour-long show a fast-paced feel.”

> It’s “sharp and full of energy,” an e-mailer says. “It has an ‘E.T.’ (Entertainment Tonight) feel to it. I think it has a chance.”

> What’s Happening At CNN: “My first thought was how much this looked like a Fox News program, but hey I like the colors and the liveliness of the program.”

> “Showbiz Tonight ain’t no Entertainment Tonight, but it’s not bad. Set could be better, graphics could use a retouch…but I think I am spoiled whenever I watch ET,” an e-mailer says.

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