In Focus

Meredith Vieira will host her 500th episode of Buena Vista's Who Wants To Be a Millionaire on Friday, Feb. 25. Vieira, 51, is a former journalist and the longest-running female game-show host in 40 years. She broke a record set by Arlene Francis, who hosted Blind Date from 1949 to 1952. Vieira has asked more than 10,000 questions on Millionaire and given away $26 million. So far, only two contestants have claimed the grand prize.

Twentieth Television's The Suze Orman Show has cleared the top five U.S. markets. The daily talker about money and relationships is poised to become the third show Twentieth is launching this year. That's a record for the company, which is also working on Judge Alex for a fall debut and A Current Affair, scheduled to premiere in late March or early April.

NBC Universal's Access Hollywood has tapped Tim Vincent, 32, a former host of the show's UK edition, to serve as its New York correspondent. Executive producer Rob Silverstein says Vincent's immigrant status will be an asset in his new job: “His British roots allow him to bring a fresh storytelling ability to the show.”

Buena Vista Television's The Tony Danza Show, the only one of five new syndicated talk shows renewed for year two, did well the first week of the February sweeps in New York. The show averaged a 3.8 rating/14 share, winning its 10 a.m. time slot on WABC, up 19% in rating and four share points over the year-ago time period.