[1] Rivers' first television appearance was as a high school student on a 1970 syndicated classic-film trivia game show.
[2] He did this as a contributor on Milwaukee's edition of PM Magazine, a syndicated show that had national hosts, such as Matt Lauer, Mary Hart and Leeza Gibbons.
During that time, he was tapped to audition as a possible replacement as movie critic when Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert left Chicago PBS for Disney syndication.
[citation needed] After that show was canceled in 1985, Rivers was offered a job as an entertainment reporter for WPIX-TV in New York City.
Executives there utilized his comedic and interviewing skills, which led to his own show on the network the following year called Watch Bobby Rivers.
Director Steven Soderbergh used footage of Rivers' VH1 interview with Spalding Gray in his documentary about the late monologist and actor.
He told writer and co-producer Joan Walsh that he remembered watching the show as a child with his family in Los Angeles.