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American Version of TBS's Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan Broadcasts its 500th Episode, Reaching Exceptional Milestone in US Television History
2012.11.14
America's Funniest Home Videos (AFV), the American version of TBS variety program Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan, broadcast its 500th episode on November 11, 2012, reaching a milestone that is exceptional in the over 70-year history of US television. AFV debuted in 1989. In 2006, AFV became the longest-running entertainment program in the history of ABC, one of the four major networks in the US. In autumn 2012, AFV entered its 23rd year on the air. On US terrestrial networks, which compete fiercely for ratings, it is rare enough for a program to survive for one decade, let alone two. In the history of US television, only three other prime time programs have reached the 500 episode milestone: Gunsmoke, Lassie, and The Simpsons. Producer Vin Di Bona envisioned AFV as a program that all the members of the family could watch together, from young children to seniors. "I pitched it to ABC, and four minutes in they said, 'We're buying this show,'" he recalls. In addition to four Emmy Awards, Di Bona has won a George Foster Peabody Award, one of the most coveted honors in the US broadcasting industry. In 2007, he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, AFV became a permanent part of the entertainment collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The broadcast of its 500th episode is yet another accomplishment that validates the special status of AFV in the history of US television. Recognized by an extremely high percentage of Americans, thus far AFV has received over 1.25 million videos from fans and rewarded those submitting winning videos with over 12.5 million dollars in prize money. AFV currently has over 1.48 million Facebook fans and counting. Exported to nearly 100 countries so far, AFV invites global audiences to submit their own home videos for nationwide viewing. Considered in the US as a forerunner to YouTube, AFV has become a huge favorite worldwide, known by many names in many countries: "You've Been Framed" in the UK, "Australia's Funniest Home Videos," etc. AFV was created when TBS, in partnership with the US-based Bellon Entertainment, sold the funny home videos spot on Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan to ABC as a program format. In addition, a selection of videos shown on AFV are also presented on the TBS entertainment program Sanma's Gimmick TV, which airs every Sunday at 19:00.
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