I've really liked Tom Bergeron even before Dancing with the Stars. I think my first exposure to him was on Hollywood Squares and he was good there, but I like him on America's Funniest Home Videos as well. He's got to be crazy busy, but he seems like a great guy so I'm glad he has all this success.

Just a small blurb from the Boston Globe, seems Tom has made his prediction about the final four: Personal prediction or foreshadowing of what's to come? Let me just say that I hope he's wrong about the Heather part.

Now that Tom has his own thread here, I have to ask how many here came to love him way (12yrs?) back on fx's Breakfast time? That show was so fun, until they moved it to Fox as After Breakfast and sucked the life out of it. And it featured another TWoP-beloved host, Phil K! I've been glad Tom hit it big after that.

Love Tom! He's quick-witted and amusing, qualities most hosts lack. Plus he seems like one of the world's nicest guys.

I did! I was just talking about this with my mom... "Remember when he used to be on FX (when it was a totally different channel--the programming seemed to revolve around the shows The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Nanny and the Professor)?" And wasn't his cohost Annabelle something--she does or did the Dinner and a Movie interstitials on TBS or TNT?

He's always struck me as affable and funny in a corny-and-I'm-okay-with-that-because-I-make-it-work kind of way. He does a great job hosting and is very fast on his feet--sometimes edging close to what I'm sure the Disney Line must be and I enjoy it quite a bit.

I can't stand him. He's just so over-the-top dramatic about things. I still remember the commercial of his from the first season, where he drones, "incredible dancing, that you have to see...(pregnant pause) to believe". Cheese.

I don't find him witty at all. I find him a bit forced.

Plus tonight, when talking about Clyde going to China. Did he really say something like "I apologize for the pun... he's got a yen for dancing." Uh.... the yen is the currency of Japan. Maybe he meant yin or zen.

I hate him, too, blackwing. I find his humor smarmy and kind of creepy, and he seems to think way too much of himself. Bring on someone a little more self-deprecating -- ANYBODY, I don't care.

I really, really can't stand him.

I debated starting a drinking game for everytime he pauses before he says "live", but then I realized I like my liver.

**Raises hand** Me! I used to get up early to watch that before school. And I was not a morning person.



His cohost was Laurie Hibbard, who is now married to Gelman of Regis and Kelly.

I love Tom because he's everything that Ryan Seacrest is trying to be. He's quick, completely snarky, and aware of the spectacle he's involved in. I mean, he just picks up the littlest things and says them so quickly that I have to stop and be like, "wait. Did he really just say that?!" I love it. I LOVE it.

Plus, after that damn Star Wars tango when he said "to all those who feel left out" and then cocked his eyebrow and gave the Live long and prosper sign, I just about died. I hate Star Wars and love Star Trek, so I appreciate the acknowledgment.

Also, his total contempt for his co-host is palpable. It's awesome.

I adore Tom! He's from my home state of Massachusetts and I grew up watching him on TV. I think he's funny and good natured, doesn't take himself too seriously. I don't think they could have found anyone better for this silly show. That's not to say I think everything that comes out of his mouth is brilliant, but overall I think he's great. I like him better on DWTS than on AFV. Probably because it's live and not pre-scripted.

(snip)

Word. You can definitely see it when he gives her that side eye and thinking, "Just shut up! Seriously. Stop. Talking."

I loved his throwaway line about how his DWTS exercise video would just be him going up and down the stairs. Hee!

He's got a stupid job, having to be enthusiastic about all these shows that have predictable structures. But he does make the most of it.

I like Tom because he seems in on the joke. He knows the show is cheesy and he can be snarky and funny without totally disrespecting the show at the same time. It's kind of a fine line he walks, but he manages to do it.

Plus, live television isn't easy--as we've seen thanks to his co-hosts over the years, so I give him credit for being able to think on his feet relatively quickly.

He's so bombastic that the most banal sentence coming from him usually wind up amusing. I mean the man can turn the single word "Liiiiiiiiiive" into a magnificently cheesy expression. He's kind of all that you love AND hate about this show rolled into one thing. He's over the top, and yet strangely fascinating.

In my head, when I see him, I also always have a flashback to when Triumph The Insult Comic Dog guest starred on The Hollywood Squares and referred to him as "Berrrr-jher-ohnnnn!"

Chair! I'm cramping!

I loved:

From Swishbuckling to Swashbuckling ....


used to describe Joey Fatone

HA! For those of you who may be New Englanders - - anyone remember waaaaay back when Tom Bergeron hosted a public access talent show called "Community Auditions" ("Star of the day, who will it be....?") in the Boston area? It was an audience-voter call in show way before the days of American Idol (late 70s, early 80s, I think!) Everytime my friend and I see Tom Bergeron on TV, we can't stop singing that theme song...

Ooooohhh noooooooo!!!!! "Star of the day, who will it be? Your vote may hold the key!..."

Well, now I feel old, I remember Community Auditions but I watched it before Tom was on it, yikes!

Tom bugged me on the first season of DWTs but now I'm loving him. He's got that thinking on his feet thing and a comfort level on the air that few have (I think Regis has it). He's a riot!

"It's up to you.
So tell me true...
Who'll be Star of the day!"

(oldtime Boston TV watcher from waaaay back...Big Brother "the grass is always greener" Bob Emery!)

ITA Tom B is one of the "fastest on his feet thinking" with a great quip or a bad pun. He really adds some fun to the show. Samantha? ...not so much.

Am I the only person here who can't stand Tom Bergeron? I can't believe all the Tom-love here. I mean, if people like him, great, but is there anyone else who can't stand him?

Well I occasionally find the bombatism annoying, but its usually amusing at the same time.

He's been something of an acquired taste for me. The first couple of seasons, he seemed to be trying way too hard to be funny (and don't get me started on some of the atrocious puns!), but now he's more relaxed and fun to watch, and, when I compare him to some of the other DWTS hosts that I've had to endure (Darryl Somers on the Aussie version and Bruce Forsythe on the British Strictly Come Dancing in particular), Tom looks pretty good--only the Netherlands' Ron Brandsteder and Italy's Milly Carlucci really surpass him in terms of hosting ability, in my opinion.

And then, of course, what really won me over was his compassionate interview with Sara Evans. To me, that alone makes him one of the classiest hosts in the entire franchise.

Carmella - to be honest, I wouldn't be so in to Tom Bergeron if I hadn't grown up watching him on TV as a kid on the local Boston channels (he was a fixture talk show host up here for years before "making it big" out in Hollywood.) I mean, I don't think he is horrible or anything (as opposed to his co-host, who I think is downright terrible), but if I didn't "know him" from watching him for years, I definitely wouldn't have any "Tom-love"...

I love Tom. He seems like he's having fun on the show, and he gets the cheesetasticness of it all. I get the impression that he'd be a lot of fun to have a few drinks with. And I didn't grow up with him, so he's won me over on his own. I admit, he was an acquired taste, since I didn't like him much at all in the first season. But it seems like he really gets that this show is just fun, and he has fun with it.

Happy Birthday Tom!!

Sunday, May 6 - Host Tom Bergeron ("Dancing with the Stars") is 52

It would only take one episode of watching Bruce to get anyone to worship at the altar of TB. Bruce was almost enough to make me stop watching the show completely, he is that godawful.

Tom seems to have a couple of the 'highlight' moments of the show for me every week. He's always so quick and some of the jokes are groaners, but I've laughed out loud at some of Tom's comments. (I've laughed out loud at Samantha, too, but not in a good way.) I think he is the perfect host for this show. I particularly like that he calls out the judges when they start to get carried away with themselves.

Edited because I keep screwing up the quote thing. Grr.

Why is it that Tom seems to dislike Samantha so much? It makes me dislike him because I just feel sorry for her and think he's being a jackass.

If I were an intelligent, articulate professional (like Tom), I would have a difficult time sharing duties (as in CO-hosting) with a moron (guess who?) or masking my contempt.

I don't feel sorry for her at all. I would be quite happy if she were to be fired. She adds nothing to the show. She might have been OK if this were a little dance show, but it turned into !!!DWtS!!! and she simply isn't good enough. YMMV.

Because he is doing his job and most of hers also. She's worthless. And he treats her much better than just about any other person would.

And he looked great tonight. I never would have guessed that he's 52 now (See, Leeza? That's how you rock the 50s--you don't go broadcasting how confident and sexy you still feel, you simply look and act it.)

I'm only 46, but if Tom and Bruno (who's also 52, IIRC) are any indication of what life is like after 50, then I say: BRING. IT. ON.

Looks like Samantha's gibberish is contagious. At least Tom didn't try to pass it off as if nothing had happened.

When watching the finale Tom pretty much confirmed what I've been thinking for the last couple weeks, that he was SO rooting for Apolo and Julianne. It was his comment after their final paso that totally confirmed it for me. Him saying whatever happens that he was going to miss seeing them dance together. Don't remember him saying that to the other couples. It was pretty noticable even before that. The way he was kind of protective of them when Len would give them harsh comments or when Tom called Len out on Apolo and Julianne's "raunchy" dance but letting Joey get away with it. Funny how Tom didn't even think Apolo and Julianne would be in the top 3 or was it 4? but then you start noticing little things when he was around Apolo and Julianne than the other couples that he was pulling for them.

ITA, PoiPounder. As I was re-watching all the episodes, I did notice he was quite partial to Apolo and Julianne. Towards the end you could see it more and more, with high fives and hugs for Apolo and Julianne after their dances (after A/J's freestyle, you can see that, even though it's partially off camera. Also, on Julianne's website, there's a picture she posted from behind the scenes of her and Tom. It's super cute). I've never seen him interact with the other contestants that way. Makes me love Tom even more!

BTW, when did Tom say he didn't think Apolo and Julianne would be in the top 3? I must have missed that interview.

It was a interview he did awhile back. I could of sworn I read it from this board.

First off, I can't believe Bruno is 52 - he looks only in his 40's, seriously. Tom looks good too. As a female who just turned 49, I will say -- and this seems to be the consensus among my many female friends and a distinct difference in aging between men and women -- is that it's a hell of a lot easier aging in America as a man than as a woman. Men get older and sexier; women just get older. If men sag a bit here and there, it's not a big deal. If women start sagging, well, more is made of it. The kinds of clothes women can wear to feel sexy change as one ages (longer sleeves, longer skirt lengths, more cover-up of saggy skin, etc. since crepy skin isn't exactly attractive) whereas clothes styles for aging men don't really change. Yes, men are getting plastic surgery in higher numbers, but the facts are (IMO) that it's harder to feel attractive and sexy in America as a woman past 45 or older...so I understood completely where Leeza was coming from. And damn if she didn't look fantastic, especially for having 3 kids, so she had every right, IMO, to brag about being 'fearless and 50.' That said, I know there are women hitting 50 and beyond who don't broadcast it, so it is case-by-case, but I do know where Leeza is coming from (she might also be feeling a bit needy given that she has just gone through Divorce #3 - that's a lot of marriages, IMO, and likely left her feeling like she needed some validation perhaps).

Even Laila said it was 'hard' to be a 'bigger' woman on a show like DWTS where everyone is so thin...and anyone over a size 8 in America knows that this is true. I'm sure she's faced that a lot in many other places too, just as every women over a size 8 has (or many have).

As for my (and many other women's ) emotional confidence, yes, it increases massively in your 40's and beyond and that is delicious - I am more "me", much more free with my thoughts and my abilities and that is wonderful...but there is a price in terms of the physical body and while that sounds very vain (and I always thought older women complaining about their aging body were just that), you might be surprised (if you're a woman) to discover yourself feeling that 'loss' too. I know I do and I never, ever thought I would - I thought I was 'beyond' that kind of vanity...I just hate that it seems to be a trade-off whereas men don't have as big a trade-off, IMO.

Tom Bergeron was one of the participants on this year's Jerry Lewis MDA telethon. He interacted with Muppets and also had to watch a very awkward performance by Lamchop and Shari Lewis' daughter.

Lambchop! I love Lambchop! I had a Lambchop inner tube, and that little lamb helped me learn to swim. I had a Lambchop lunch box too. I didn't need any help learning to eat, I had already figured that out. :)

Off to the site that shall not be named to see if I can find video of Tom and my favorite little lamb!

FYI-Tom's going to be on Jimmy Kimmel Tuesday 9/25

This is the first seson of DWTS that I've watched, and I must say that I love Tom more and more each week. He's so cheeky! I was sad to discover that his thread was way down on page five.

He is very clever. The show would lose a lot without Tom.

Word. There are two reasons why I watched the first show: Joey McIntyre (what? NKOTB forever!) and Tom as I thought he was a RIOT on Hollywood Squares. And his snark never fails to dissapoint me.

I'm a native New Hampshireite and I remember Tom back in his early radio days on WHEB in Portsmouth - he was as funny then as he is now - he makes the show, IMO.

I think he really liked Sabrina.

The upside to that extremely unfunny Jimmy Kimmel sketch was we got to see Tom Bergeron is hiding a damn nice body under his suit.

For once, you and I agree on something, MarkC99. Tom's got one killer body for a 52-year-old man. And he has really grown on me as a host, too. I simply can't see anyone else hosting our show; as far as I'm concerned, even Drew, as good as he turned out to be filling in for Samantha, is going to have some awfully big shoes to fill on Dance Wars.

Tom has a great personality and seems like a fun guy. He doesn't deserve Samantha.

I'm a sucker for nice arms, and boy, did I love seeing Tom in short sleeves. Who knew?

I love me some Tom and I'm old enough to remember him from his early television days in Boston. IMO, DWTS just wouldn't be the same without him as the host.