America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos (often simply abbreviated to AFV) is an American Broadcasting Company show in which viewers are able to send in videotapes containing humorous, silly, or "just plain dumb" acts featuring themes such as children, pets, or mistakes. It is produced by Vin Di Bona and Steve Paskay. It was based on the Tokyo Broadcasting System show Fun with Ken and Kato Chan, which featured a segment in which viewers were invited to send in their home video clips. Every week, 3 videos are chosen by the producers and voted on by the studio audience. The winner wins US$10,000 and is in the running for the $100,000 prize at the end of the season.
The show has a long history, beginning in 1989 with actor/comedian Bob Saget as host. His trademark was to make humorous voices representing the video's subjects on the voiceover track (to this day, none of the following hosts have repeated this method, choosing instead to merely narrate the clips). He left show after eight seasons in 1997, but the show returned next season with new hosts, model Daisy Fuentes and stand-up comedian John Fugelsang, as well as a completely new look. In 2000, they both left the show after three seasons.
In 2001 it was added onto the line-up again as mid-season filler with Tom Bergeron, who continues to serve as the current host. In 2003, the show moved from a Friday slot at 8/7c to its current time on Sundays at 7/6c. It has been renewed for a 15th season (2005).
At the height of its popularity in the early 1990s its spawned a spin-off, America's Funniest People.
America's Funniest Home Videos is ABC's 4th longest running primetime series, behind only Monday Night Football, 20/20 and Primetime Live. The show has had multiple specials including a "Best of the Best" special where they gave a trip to Hawaii away and a "Disney Dream Vacation" special where the grand prize winner won a trip to all 11 Disney theme parks around the world. Both specials comprised of previous $100,000 winners.
AFV is also well known for it's humourous (sometimes not) wisecracking one-liners before showing a home video.