The Loveline Story
Loveline was a syndicated radio call-in program in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. It followed the call-in question-and-answer model with the primary goal of helping youth and young adults with relationship, sexuality, and drug addiction problems.
The Early Years (1983-1993)
Loveline began in 1983 as a Sunday night dating and relationships segment on Los Angeles radio station KROQ, hosted by DJ Jim “Poorman” Trenton and DJ Egil “Swedish” Aalvik. About a year later, Trenton added a segment called “Ask a Surgeon”, hosted by his friend Drew Pinsky, who was not yet a doctor but a fourth-year medical student at the University of Southern California.
The two segments soon merged into their own show, co-hosted by Trenton and Pinsky. In February 1992, the show went from airing solely on Sunday nights to five nights a week (Sunday through Thursday). The live broadcast of the show could be heard on the west coast from 10pm to 12am PST, and on a day-delay at various times throughout the rest of the country.
The Rachtman Years (1993-1995)
Trenton’s relationship with the station became strained, and in August 1993 he was replaced by former MTV VJ Riki Rachtman. Dr. Drew and Rachtman were joined by Adam Carolla in October 1995, as the show was first being syndicated nationally. The trio hosted together for several months, but Carolla and Rachtman often competed for airtime, leading Rachtman to resign in January 1996. Carolla took over as co-host with Dr. Drew.
The Carolla Years (1995-2005)
As a practicing internist and addiction medicine specialist, Dr. Drew’s answers gave medical credibility, while Carolla’s humor and insight increased the program’s entertainment value. Carolla repeatedly stated his role was acting as “a sheep in wolf’s clothing”: he lured listeners with dirty jokes and wisecracks in hopes they’d learn to improve their lives and remedy serious problems.
The popularity and reach of the show increased dramatically during the “Pinsky/Carolla” years. The two had a natural chemistry, refined the format of the show, and capitalized on their growing popularity with speaking tours, a television show, a book, and cameo appearances on television and in movies.
A TV version of Loveline ran on MTV from 1996–2000. It followed the same general format as the radio program but featured a live audience and a female co-host. The female co-host role was filled over the course of the series by MTV VJ Idalis, actresses Kris McGaha, Catherine McCord, Diane Farr, and comedian Laura Kightlinger. Loveline TV was filmed at Hollywood Center Studios.
Carolla and Dr. Drew hosted the show together until Carolla’s departure on November 3, 2005. He left the show to prepare for hosting a new morning radio show and explore other media opportunities.
The Post-Carolla Years (2005-2016)
After Carolla’s departure, he was replaced on a temporary basis by numerous celebrity guests, some of whom announced their desire to take the job permanently. During his first appearance on Carolla’s new morning show, Pinsky revealed that the shortlist of candidates included Carson Daly, Joel McHale, Danny Bonaduce, Steve-O, and Daniel Tosh. On July 23, 2006, KROQ disc jockey Stryker was hired as Pinsky’s co-host.
On April 22, 2009, Stryker announced that he would be leaving the show due to financial cutbacks at Westwood One, and it would be his last appearance that night.
After Stryker’s departure, a number of celebrities co-hosted opposite Drew. On March 11, 2010, it was announced that Mike “Psycho Mike” Catherwood from The Kevin and Bean Show would be the new co-host with Dr. Drew.
After a long stint as a guest host, Simone Bienne was formally brought on as a co-host in December 2011. This followed Westwood One’s merger with Dial Global. She was introduced to the show by Dr. Drew through Lifechangers and became the first female co-host of the radio show. As of November 2012, she was no longer a host. On December 7, 2012, Carolla rejoined the show for a US tour.
On March 16, 2016, Catherwood announced that he would be leaving the show to focus more on raising his daughter. His final episode was March 31, 2016. On April 21, 2016, Dr. Drew announced Loveline would wrap up on April 28, 2016. Carolla joined him as co-host for the final show.
On September 8, 2016, the show was rebooted by CBS as a weekly podcast, with Amber Rose and Dr. Chris Donaghue serving as hosts. In a departure from the Loveline format, neither of the podcast hosts are medical professionals, the show does not take live calls, and the content is uncensored.