“I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can” is a different sort of show business bio

Jim Hill

15 years ago

Most TV viewers probably know Tom Bergeron from his work on “Dancing with the Stars.” Where — most notably — he kept his cool last year when Maria Osmond suddenly collapsed at his feet on live television.

Or maybe they recognize Bergeron as the self-deprecating host of ABC‘s longest-running prime-time entertainment program, “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

But for those of us who live up here in New England, Tom is a local boy who made good. Bergeron actually started his broadcasting career at the tender age of 17, deejaying at WHAV (i.e. the local radio station in Tom’s hometown of Haverhill, MA). From there, Tom became something of a journeyman performer. Toying with becoming either an actor or a mime, while — at the same time — racking up plenty of mic time at somewhat larger radio stations in this region like WHEB, “The Star Station Orbiting Northern New England.”

Mind you, all of this hard work eventually paid off when Bergeron made it to the big leagues … Well, the big leagues for around here, anyway: WBZ. Tom quickly made himself invaluable to this Boston-based broadcaster by taking on every job that BZ execs threw his way. Be it hosting a Saturday morning TV show like “Super Kids,” filling in for the radio station’s regular booth announcer or even hosting WBZ’s nightly Megabucks drawing.

Which you’d think — after Bergeron proved himself to be a real go-getter (Hosting WBZ-Radio’s morning show from 5 to 10 a.m. each weekday, then rushing over to the TV side of the operation to prep for “People Are Talking,” a live half hour-long talk show that aired on BZ at 12:30 p.m.) — was what put Tom on the fast track to success.

But that’s where you’d be wrong. As Bergeron explains in his new book, “I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can!: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood” (HarperOne, April 2009), he spent the next 10 years broadcasting in Beantown. And Tom would still probably be working in Boston if a downsizing at WBZ hadn’t then forced him to consider other options & opportunities. Which — in this case — involved moving to the Big Apple and becoming one of the hosts of FX’s late, lamented “Breakfast Time.”

It was this live morning show that first introduced people outside of New England to Tom Bergeron. And “Breakfast Time” proved to be the perfect vehicle for this very funny then-forty year-old who could think quick on his feet, who had no trouble when it came to chatting up celebrities (Tom actually interviewed his very first star at the age of 16 when he cold-called Larry Fine of Three Stooges fame at the Motion Picture Country Home). And it was this gig that eventually led to Bergeron becoming the host of “Hollywood Squares.” Where he then befriended performers like the late John Ritter …

… Who — as it turns out — was just as big a show business history geek at Tom was. As Bergeron recalls in “I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can!”

“(Then) there was the time that I dragged my friend John Ritter to see an old crate that had the logo from ‘The Jack Benny Show’ on its side. We stood there gawking like we’d found the Holy Grail. John and I both loved Benny. He had taped his classic show on the same stage as ‘Squares.’ This old box full of cables was the last remaining evidence.”

That’s what may surprise a lot of people about Bergeron’s book. For while Tom is a guy who has clearly gotten to do some very cool things over the course of his 30+ year career (EX: Appearing as an alien on “Star Trek: Enterprise”) …

… It’s obvious that all this success hasn’t gone to Bergeron’s head. If anything, Tom seems to think that luck more than anything led to his becoming the host of two top-rated ABC series.

“How many different puzzle pieces had to align to get me to the ballroom? If I hadn’t decided to toss out the show outline when Whoopi (Goldberg) visited ‘Fox After Breakfast’ in 1996, we wouldn’t have established the rapport that made my ‘Hollywood Squares’ audition a slam-dunk in 1998. If I hadn’t hosted the New England Emmy Awards in 2000 when Vin Di Bona was being honored, I wouldn’t have been offered ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos.’ If I hadn’t hosted AFV I wouldn’t have established a relationship with (ABC).”

Which brings us to the Zen portion of “Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood.” In between all of these great show business-related stories, Tom offers up some important life lessons. How — if you don’t have your priorities in the proper order — this imbalance will then have a negative impact not only on your career & home life, but also on your physical & mental well-being.

This — in the end — is what separates “I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can!” from most of the other show business bios out there. You see, Tom isn’t really a guy who enjoys talking up his accomplishments. If anything, Bergeron gets an almost perverse glee out of recounting those moments the universe suddenly put his ego in check. Case in point: When Tom was first approached to go on “The View”:

“One of ‘The View’ ‘s producers, Sue Solomon, had approached Pat Lee, one of ‘Hollywood Squares’ executive producers, and said she wanted to book me on the show … Weeks went by and I heard nothing more. Finally, I called Pat to ask what had happened.

‘It’s kind of funny, actually,’ Pat began. ‘When Sue pitched you as a guest, they were all excited at first.’

‘What do you mean ‘ at first’ ?’

‘They thought she was pitching Tom Berenger.’ “

There are lots of laughs like this to be found in “I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can! Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood.” Which is why — even if you’d didn’t grow up in New England and then looked on with pride when Tom’s career took up nationally — I still recommend that you go out and pick up a copy of Bergeron’s highly entertaining bio.

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