Regis Philbin (shown here) will have one more primetime moment.
ABC is inserting a special remembering Philbin, who died Friday at 88. That will be 8 p.m. Tuesday (July 28), leading into a previously scheduled coronavirus special (“American Catastrophe: How Did We Get Here?”) at 9.
Philbin was not one for such heavy-duty subjects. His morning talk shows – co-hosted by Sarah Purcell, Cyndy Garvey, Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly Ripa – ran for 35 years, ranging from celebrities to the elusive details of daily life.
Add in other things – from being Joey Bishop’s sidekick to hosting of the hit “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” – and he topped 17,000 hours of TV time. Guinness said he was the most-watched person in TV history.
The special will include Ripa, Gifford, Mary Hart and friends from Philbin’s Bronx childhood. It will include clips from his last TV interview (with Jimmy Kimmel in March) and will show him visiting his old high school and screening some of his favorite clips.
In separate news Monday, Apple TV+ is launching “The Oprah Conversation,” Oprah Winfrey will have remotely filmed talks at 7 p.m. ET Thursdays.
The opener, July 30, will feature Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How to Be a Racist.” The next two weeks will feature Emmanuel Acho, author of “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” Apple also carries “Oprah’s Book Club” and a special, “Oprah Talks COVID-19.”