Nischelle Turner and Kevin Frazier have interviewed countless celebrities on Entertainment Tonight, the longest-running entertainment news program on television. (ET made its debut in 1981). The two made history in 2021 when Turner joined Frazier as cohost of the show, making them the first two Black cohosts in the program’s history.
On Monday, February 17, they will cohost CBS Presents ON TV: A Black History Month Special that interviews African American stars from the past and present, who have influenced society and culture with their hit TV shows. Emmy contributor Dinah Eng talked with them about the show and what the special means to them.
Television Academy: How did the two of you initially get involved with the ON TV special?
Nischelle Turner: ET executive producer Erin Johnson came to us and said they’d like to do a Black History Month special featuring CBS shows and how they impacted history. We were excited about doing something so personal to us.
Kevin Frazier: We wanted to find a unique way to celebrate all those who came before us. It’s important to thank the people who sacrificed so we could be here.
Turner: We sat down in collaboration with the writers and talked about people who contributed to the legacy that Black shows have had. In addition to the historical shows, CBS now has shows like Poppa’s House and The Neighborhood, so we took the opportunity to dive deep and give these people their flowers, too.
Any favorite interviews on the special?
Turner: Wayne Brady is one of my favorite people. He’s also one of the most talented people in Hollywood who doesn’t get all the credit he deserves. I got to have a great in-depth conversation with him about his incredible journey. I relate to him because we were both Black nerds. We were raised similarly in areas where we didn’t fit in. I grew up loving country and comic books. Wayne loved comic books, and always felt like the underdog who didn’t fit in.
Do you have a favorite example of how a hit show with Black stars influenced society?
Frazier: Think about what the Wayans did. In 1992, people changed the channel from the Super Bowl halftime show to watch In Living Color. The next year, Michael Jackson did the halftime show. The Wayans changed football. They went from In Living Color to the movies, and now they’re back on TV with Poppa’s House. It was an honor to sit down and go through those moments with them.
You two have made history as well, becoming the first Black co-hosts of ET. Tell us about your journeys.
Turner: I started in local news, then got a call from Fox and started covering sports. When I became a CNN correspondent, Jeff Zucker moved me to New York and I stared doing entertainment news. ET called and I started on the show when Kevin was the host.
Frazier: My dad was a basketball coach and I always thought I would be one, too. But I studied journalism and loved it. So I went to work as a cameraman after college and fell in love with the process of storytelling. I also worked at Fox Sports, like Nischelle, and came to ET 20 years ago. I was named host of ET in September 2014. When I came, Mary Hart was the host.
How significant is the ON TV special for you?
Turner: The special is personal to me. This year, I’m celebrating 26 years in the business. I’m a farm girl from Missouri, and knew what I wanted to do at age 12. Back then, I thought I’d be writing because I didn’t see anyone like me on TV on local news. I didn’t know about Ed Bradley or Carole Simpson on national TV back then. I’m proud and honored to be a Black woman on ET. Representation is a bigger mission for me. I’m the first Black woman to co-host on the show — and don’t want to be the last. I stand on the shoulders of others who inspired me.
Frazier: The reason it’s significant to me is because of my grandfather, who worked under Jim Crow laws and segregation in Charleston, S.C. He kept his job, instead of going to college, because it paid well and he wanted to pay for his daughters to go to college. Now, when I get to do these amazing things, I carry him with me.
What do you hope audiences will get from watching this special?
Frazier: Joy. Understanding. And a shared love for what we do. There’s a divisive edge being drawn down the middle of our country now. The American experience is a melting pot, and we need to understand how it made us who we are today. We have to get out of tearing someone down because they’re different. I want to learn about our differences. This journey is short. Enjoy the journey and the people you meet along the way. I need to listen and understand other people more because that will help me understand myself better.
