The show was created on the similar lines as a Japanese television series called Fun with Kato Chan and Ken Chan. The Japanese version featured a segment where funny videos from the audiences were included at the end of the show. ABC pays royalties for the original concept for the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Presently, the show is the longest running entertainment program on ABC.
Initially, America’s Funniest Home Videos would invite the audiences to send in their entries by mail in the form of VHS or DVDs. However, after 2008, the videos could be directly uploaded on the network’s website. The only criterion is that the content should be funny. The videos sometimes include people or animals at other times in awkward and hilarious situations that are sure to tickle your funny bone. These videos are sometimes edited to fit into the theme of the show.
Then there are the prizes that keep the videos coming in and has been there since the inception of the show in the 1990. Among the videos showcased on the show in every episode, three are chosen as winners. These are chosen by vote of both the studio audiences as well as the show producers. The top video wins a cash prize of $10,000 followed by the $3,000 prize for the second place and the third ranker wins $2,000. Other than this, a video which secures first prize automatically becomes eligible to win a cash prize of a whopping $100,000 among the winners from a season. The format was slightly different early on in the series when only the first place was eligible for a cash prize of $5,000 and the other two won camcorders without any voting. Also, the grand prize used to be accompanied by a Disney vacation.
The series has also seen a number of talented and humorous hosts that made the show memorable and kept the audiences coming back. Bob Saget was the very first host for the series and appeared on it for eight years. During his time, many live skits were performed on the show and the segment ‘Backward Classics’ was also introduced. Being a stand-up comedian, Saget added a comic flair to even the introduction of the videos. However, the unchanging pattern of the show did not satiate the creative sensibilities for Bob Saget. By the last two seasons Saget had grown tired and only stayed on the show to honor his contract.
After his exit in 1998, the baton was passed over to John Fugelsang and Daisy Fuentes. At this time, the show also donned a new look and logo. However, the ratings of the show dipped and both the hosts eventually left it only after two seasons. Later on, ABC discontinued it as a weekly fix and the some special episodes were aired till 2000.
In 2000, ABC renewed the show under the host Tom Bergeron, and made it a weekly regular. ‘Tom’s Home Movies’ was a new addition to the decade long show. It presented a video in which his face is digitally placed over the person in the video and was a huge hit. Tom retired in May, 2015, after hosting it for fifteen long years. ABC has announced that the next edition of the legendary show will be taken forward by Alfonso Ribeiro. If you love great entertainment, just click here to find a great entertainment service provider.