Jersey's Talking was a New Jersey prime-time television talk show that ran from 1996-2002. It was seen in more than two million cable households throughout the state on News 12 New Jersey

News 12 New Jersey

News 12 New Jersey is a 24-hour cable news television channel reaching more than 1.8 million television homes within the New York City metropolitan area. The channel operates as an independent unit of News 12 Networks, the first, largest and most watched regional news network in United States...

. Hosted by Lee Leonard

Lee Leonard

Lee Leonard is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of cable television networks ESPN and CNN.-Early life:...

, the live, one-hour, interview program featured celebrities, authors, actors, musicians, and newsmakers of interest to New Jersey residents. The show featured three guests per show, each interviewed for approximately 15 minutes. The show frequently featured live music

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

 performances, viewer call-ins, trivia contests, and prize giveaway segments.

Airing live from 8-9 pm, Monday through Friday, the program held a repeat broadcast later in the evening, in addition to the following day, from 1-2 pm. It also aired Saturdays and Sundays.

The show was originally titled What Jersey's Talking About and aired live from 1-2 pm, Mondays through Fridays, with additional rebroadcasts.

Host

The host, Lee Leonard, was a familiar face and voice to people living in the ri-state area for hosting a variety of news and talk programs on television and radio. Leonard worked previously for CBS Sports’ The NFL Today

The NFL Today

The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...

, NBC Sports

NBC Sports

NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...

, ABC Talk Radio, WNBC-AM

WFAN

WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...

, WABC-AM

WABC (AM)

WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...

, WNEW-TV’s Midday Live and Sports Extra, and CNBC. Leonard was also the former co-host of Showbiz Today on CNN, and was a New York correspondent for Entertainment Tonight

Entertainment Tonight

Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...

. Leonard had more than 20 years of interview experience with thousands of celebrities, including Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...

 and Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

Producers

Christopher Welch co-wrote, co-booked, and produced the program from 1996 - 2000.

While at News 12 New Jersey, Welch also co-produced Fred Friendly

Fred W. Friendly

Fred W. Friendly was a president of CBS News and the creator, along with Edward R. Murrow, of the documentary television program See It Now...

 Seminars, hosted by Jack Ford

Jack Ford (news anchor)

Jack Ford is an American television news personality specializing in legal commentary who has spent over two decades in front of the TV camera as host and presenter of numerous information and entertainment programs.-Early life:...

, which aired on News 12 New Jersey and PBS. Welch also produced the News 12 New Jersey town meeting

Town meeting

A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....

s "Is It Safe to Learn?", hosted by David Toma, and "New Jersey: Uncovered," hosted by Jim McQueeny.

Welch left Jersey's Talking in 2000. He previously worked as an assistant editor at New Jersey Monthly

New Jersey Monthly

New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...

magazine.

David DeVita was a long-time co-writer and co-booker for the program.

Theme

The opening music and "bump" music featured two instrumental pieces by Tom Timko and the Horndogs.

Guests

Guests included U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley

William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....

, Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark Conheeney , known professionally as Mary Higgins Clark, is an American author of suspense novels...

, Uncle Floyd

Floyd Vivino

Floyd Vivino aka "Uncle Floyd" is a television, film, and stage performer primarily known for his comedy/variety TV show The Uncle Floyd Show .-The Uncle Floyd Show:...

, Gov. Florio, John Shelby Spong, Gail Sheehy

Gail Sheehy

Gail Sheehy is an American writer and lecturer, most notable for her books on life and the life cycle. She is also a contributor to Vanity Fair magazine....

, Theodore Edgar McCarrick, Ed Koch

Ed Koch

Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...

, Steve Allen

Steve Allen

Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...

, Peter Maas

Peter Maas

Peter Maas was an American journalist and author. He was born in New York City and attended Duke University. Maas had Dutch and Irish heritage....

, Charles Cummings, John Cunningham

John Cunningham

-Military:* John Cunningham , Group Captain, RAF Night fighter Ace* John Cunningham , East Yorkshire Regiment* John Cunningham , Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment...

, Clement Price, Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon

Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...

, Sen. Robert Torricelli

Robert Torricelli

Robert Guy Torricelli , nicknamed "the Torch," is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. Torricelli, a Democrat, served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate...

, and David Toma

Musical guests included Barry Mann

Barry Mann

Barry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...

, Richie Havens

Richie Havens

Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...

, Maureen McGovern

Maureen McGovern

Maureen Therese McGovern is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her premier renditions of the Oscar winning songs "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno in 1974.-Early life:McGovern was...

, Stanley Jordan

Stanley Jordan

Stanley Jordan is an American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and pianist, best known for his development of the tapping technique for the guitar....

, Melba Moore

Melba Moore

Beatrice Melba Smith , known by her stage name, Melba Moore is an American disco, R&B singer and actress. She is the daughter of saxophonist Teddy Hill and R&B singer Bonnie Davis.-Early life:...

, Al Di Meola

Al Di Meola

Al Di Meola is an acclaimed American jazz fusion and Latin guitarist, composer, and record producer of Italian origin. With a musical career that has spanned more than three decades, he has become respected as one of the most influential guitarists in jazz to date...

, Clint Holmes

Clint Holmes

Clint Holmes , is a singer-songwriter and Las Vegas entertainer. He was born in Bournemouth, Hampshire , England, the son of an African-American jazz musician and a white English opera singer...

, Vanessa Rubin, Jerry Vale

Jerry Vale

Jerry Vale is an American singer.-Career:In high school, in order to make some money, he took a job shining shoes in a barbershop in New York City. He sang while he shined shoes, and his boss liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy...

, Julie Wilson, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli

John Pizzarelli

John Paul Pizzarelli, Jr. is an American jazz guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader. He has had a lengthy career as a recording artist, performing for a variety of labels that include Telarc Records, RCA Records and Chesky Records, among others...

, Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...

, Jimmy Roselli, Rockapella, Jon Lucien, Margaret Whiting

Margaret Whiting

Margaret Whiting was a singer of American popular music and country music who first made her reputation during the 1940s and 1950s.-Youth:...

, Jane Monheit

Jane Monheit

Jane Monheit is a jazz and adult contemporary vocalist for Concord Records. She has collaborated with artists such as Michael Bublé, Ivan Lins, Terence Blanchard and Tom Harrell, and has received Grammy nominations for two of her recordings.-Early life:Jane Monheit was raised in Oakdale, New York...

, Stacey Kent

Stacey Kent

Stacey Kent is a Grammy nominated American jazz singer.- Background :Kent attended Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. Her paternal grandfather was Russian. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and moved to England after her graduation...

, Cyro Baptista

Cyro Baptista

Cyro Baptista is a Brazilian musician, teacher, and recording artist specializing in percussion in the genres of jazz and world music....

, and David Broza

David Broza

David Broza is a multi-platinum Israeli singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:The son of an Israeli–British businessman and a folk singer, Broza was born in Haifa, Israel. He was raised and educated in England and Spain, where he was schooled at Runnymede College, in Madrid...