As Hollywood heavyweights across film and TV mourn the loss of comedy and TV great Joan Rivers, various cable networks are planning special programming over the weekend to honor her memory.
Rivers died at the age of 81 on Thursday, after being rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on Aug. 28, when she had stopped breathing while undergoing throat surgery. She was later placed in a medically-induced coma and had been on life support.
Also read: Joan Rivers, Legendary Comedienne and ‘Fashion Police’ Host, Dead at 81
A private funeral service for Rivers will be held Sunday at Temple Emanu-El in New York, with HLN among the networks who will be broadcasting the services live.
Friday:
7 p.m., E!: “E! News”
Giuliana Rancic is speaking exclusively with E! about the life and the loss of her great friend and trailblazing comedienne, Joan Rivers. Rancic will discuss Joan’s groundbreaking career, her extremely tight bond with daughter Melissa, and her incredibly strong family values. Giuliana also talks about the memorable moments she had with Joan – both on the set of E!’s “Fashion Police” and in her personal life – and shares how Melissa and the family are dealing with the loss.
9 p.m., E!: “Joan Rivers: Celebrating An Icon”
Hosted by E! News’ Jason Kennedy and Catt Sadler, who will be joined throughout the hour by George Kotsiopoulos, Ken Baker and other members of the E! on-air family who knew Joan well, the one-hour special will include highlights from Joan’s unmatched career, a look back at her early days, and at the tremendous outpouring of love and support from”Joan’s Rangers,” her legion of fans. From her breakout performance on “The Tonight Show” and her own late night show, to her Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show and E!’s own “Fashion Police,” Joan Rivers’ star shined brightly in everything she did.
See photos: Joan Rivers Remembered: A Life and Career in Pictures
9 p.m., NBC: “Celebrating Joan Rivers”
In a special edition of NBC’s “Dateline,” “Celebrating Joan Rivers” will look back at the extraordinary life and legacy of Joan Rivers, airing at 9 p.m./8c. Friends and fellow comics will pay tribute to the legendary comedienne and television host, including Kathy Griffin, Dick Cavett, Donald Trump, Don Rickles, Gilbert Gottfried and Lily Tomlin. Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will co-anchor tonight’s one-hour special broadcast. “Celebrating Joan Rivers” will also feature memorable moments and interviews throughout Rivers’ groundbreaking career, as well as additional reporting on the day she entered Mount Sinai Hospital.
10 p.m., ABC: “20/20: Joan Rivers: Living for the Laughs”
ABC’s news magazine, “20/20” will look back at Rivers’ life and legacy with a special hour entitled “Joan Rivers: Living for the Laughs.” Expect to see clips of the legendary personality in action as well as thoughts and memories shared by those who knew her and those whom she had touched through the years. (Logo TV will re-air the special on Monday night at 8pm and Friday, Sept 12 at 11pm.)
Also read: Joan Rivers’ Last ‘Fashion Police’ Appearance: From ‘Transvaginal Mesh’ to ‘Jackie Chan’s Penis’
10 p.m., CNN: “CNN Spotlight: Joan Rivers”
Host Nischelle Turner will present an hour-long special on the late comedienne.
Sunday:
Rivers’ funeral will be closed to the press, but networks including CNN, HLN and Fox News will cover parts of it live. FOX News’ Bryan Llenas will be covering the service live outside the Temple Emanu-El.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., WE: “Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?” marathon
The network will play its favorite episodes of the reality series featuring Rivers and her daughter, Melissa. Highlights include Joan scheming to get marijuana, enjoying a Las Vegas bachelorette party, getting arrested over a book, and deciding to make a sex tape so she can build a Kardashian-sized empire.
6 to 11:30 p.m., TVLand: Programming block dedicated to Rivers
The block will begin with Rivers’ memorable guest appearance on the TV Land sitcom “Hot in Cleveland,” where she played Anka, the sister to Betty White‘s Elka (an encore of the episode will air at 11 p.m.). Immediately following from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. will be her original TV Land series “How’d You Get So Rich?” which saw the notoriously uncensored comedienne interviewing inventors and innovators — in the hilarious way that only she could — to discover how they became wealthy. Watch some funny highlights from the series. In the final episode, Joan shares her own rags to riches story and gives a tour of her stunning Connecticut estate. Rounding out the salute to Joan Rivers will be an airing of ABC’s “20/20 Joan Rivers: Living for the Laughs” tribute special at 10 p.m., exploring the story of one of the most iconic comedic voices of our time. Expect to see clips of the legendary personality in action in addition to thoughts and memories shared by those who knew and loved her.
Also read: Joan Rivers’ ‘Fashion Police’ Co-Hosts Mourn Star’s Death
9 p.m., Fox News Channel: “Geraldo Rivera Reports: Joan Rivers”
Hosted by FNC’s Geraldo Rivera, the program will feature interviews with various guests about their relationship with the comedian and the legacy she left behind. Additionally, the special will highlight Rivers’ television career by showing viewers several clips of her life in the spotlight.
11:30 p.m., Bravo: “Watch What Happens Live”
Bravo Media’s “Watch What Happens Live,” hosted by Andy Cohen, honors the life and career of renowned comedian Joan Rivers with a special broadcast of her most recent episode on the late-night series Sunday, September 7 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT. With numerous appearances on “Watch What Happens Live,” Rivers last appeared with Maksim Chmerkovskiy on July 29, 2014 to promote her newest book “Diary of a Mad Diva” and E! series “Fashion Police.”
Also read: Joan Rivers Cause of Death Still Unknown; Funeral Date Set