Loveline
The Television & Movie Wiki: for TV, celebrities, and movies.
Contents |
Overview
Loveline is a syndicated radio program in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Currently it is heard from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. PST (1 a.m. to 3 a.m. EST) Sunday-Thursday (Monday-Friday in the CST and EST). Syndication is usually on rock, alternative, and adult talk radio stations.
Loveline has been hosted by Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky (called "Dr. Drew" on the air) since 1995, with Dr. Drew's tenure beginning many years earlier. Carolla left the show on November 3, 2005 to host a new morning radio show in 2006. The show follows the basic call-in question-and-answer model with the goal of helping primarily youth and young adults with relationship, sexuality, and drug addiction problems. Being a practicing internist and addictionologist with training in psychology, Dr. Drew's answers have medical credibility, but the addition of Adam Carolla's humor and insight resulted in a program with entertainment value as well. Carolla repeatedly stated his role on the show as something of a trojan horse: He lured listeners with dirty jokes and wisecracks in hopes they'd learn something that could improve their lives. Also, on many nights there are guests in the studio.
Loveline began in 1983 as a Sunday-night segment on Los Angeles radio station KROQ, hosted by DJ Jim "Poorman" Trenton and DJ The Swedish Egil. About a year later, Trenton added a segment called "Ask a Surgeon", hosted by his friend "Dr." Drew Pinsky, then a fourth-year medical student at the University of Southern California. The two segments soon merged into their own show, co-hosted by Trenton and Pinsky. Over the years, Trenton's relationship with the station grew rocky, and in August 1993 he was replaced by former MTV VJ Riki Rachtman; around this time, the show switched from weekly to five nights a week. Dr. Drew and Rachtman were joined by Adam Carolla in October 1995, just as the show was first being syndicated nationally. The trio hosted together for several months, but Carolla and Rachtman often competed for airtime, leading Rachtman to resign suddenly in April 1996. Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew have hosted the show since, until Adam's departure.
Loveline on-screen and in print
A TV version of Loveline ran on MTV from 1996 to 2000; it followed the same general format as the radio program but featured a live audience and a female co-host. The female co-host role was filled over the course of the series by MTV VJ Idalis, actresses Chris McGaha, Catherine McCord and Diane Farr and comedian Laura Kightlinger.
The Dr. Drew and Adam Book: A Survival Guide To Life and Love, an advice book written in a tone similar to the radio show, was released in 1998.
Controversy
The radio show has been the subject of occasional controversy. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council once ruled that the program breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics, but was not racist and did not violate human rights. No penalty was imposed.
In 2003, the show was pulled from Hawaiian affiliate KPOI after listeners complained about derogatory comments Carolla made regarding Hawaiians, which he intended to be humorous. [1]
The search for a new cohost
Adam Carolla's final broadcast as a Loveline host was Thursday, November 3, 2005. He will host a new show that replaces The Howard Stern Show in many American markets (west coast) after Stern moves his show to satellite radio. There are a series of guest co-hosts that appear to be auditioning for Carolla's former job. The hosts and dates they are set to host are listed below:
- November 7, 2005: D.L. Hughley
- November 8-9 2005: Danny Bonaduce
- November 10, 2005: Xzibit
- November 13-17, 2005: Rob Schneider
- November 22, 2005: Tom Arnold (actor)
Ben Stein was also a guest co-host on the show, although it is unknown whether he is auditioning for the show.
