TVSquad

About two years ago, I set out to list the hottest women on TV who are over 40, over 50, and over 60. There were a lot candidates to choose from, even in the over 60 category, making it a particularly tough set of list to compose.

But now that our friends at AOL have decided to compile a list of TV's 50 sexiest women of all time (starting today with Nos. 50-41), I'm going to take on an even greater challenge: making one master list of seventeen beauties over 40. It's not as easy as you think; the TV landscape has changed a bit, and a few new strong contenders have recently entered their 40s, and a few of the previous list members have left the TV landscape. To make this list, a woman has to have been a regular or significant guest on a TV series or news program in 2007. So, after the jump, a list -- in no particular order -- of fifteen beauties who combine looks, maturity and grace to make one compellingly sexy package.

Thumbnails are with the list, but you can click on the gallery below to get a much better view of these lovely women. Then add your own choices in the comments.

After lots of controversy, one of America's notorious babies not named Suri has been born. Elizabeth Vargas, who stepped down as anchor of ABC's World News Tonight because of the pregnancy and other family issues, gave birth to a boy yesterday. She and husband Marc Cohn named the baby Samuel Wyatt, and it appears both mother and son are doing well.

Vargas, who still appeared on 20/20 after she stepped down, insisted that she wasn't pushed out of WNT because of ratings slippage, but that she realized that she couldn't travel all over the place when she had two small children to take care of. So, just because she had her baby doesn't mean we'll see her increase her workload again. Even if she did try to lobby for her anchor job back, Charles Gibson would pour sugar in her gas tank on her first day back at work.

[via Mediabistro]

ABC has a short story with video on its website (scroll down to the Entertainment section) of former World News Tonight anchor Bob Woodruff's surprise visit to the newsroom on Tuesday. In the video, Woodruff is all smiles and looks pretty good, if not a little beat up. The explosion in Iraq that injured him and a photographer in January did damage his face, head and body.

As you can see in the picture, Woodruff now has a little hair on what was once a shaved head, where doctors performed several surgeries to save his life. (His wife is the blonde woman in the background) Woodruff told his colleagues that he was unconscious for 36 days after the explosion. He spent three months in the hospital and is now receiving out-patient rehabilitation at a New York clinic. Charlie Gibson has been named anchor of World News Tonight and Woodruff's future with ABC News is still uncertain.

That's the news from Joe Hagen at New York magazine, in this long (but worth reading) piece. Before ABC tapped Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas to be co-anchors on World News Tonight, they approached Charles Gibson, asking him to "keep the seat warm" until the 2008 election and then they would find a permanent anchor. But Gibson said he didn't want to just fill the seat (and he also didn't want to continue doing Good Morning, America), and that if he didn't get the anchor position for good - and without Vargas - then he was going to walk.

Vargas is said to have been surprised by her ouster from the show.

[via Romenesko]

When Elizabeth Vargas stepped down from her job anchoring World News Tonight, many felt that she was forced to do it by ABC higher-ups because of an unfortunate confluence of poor ratings, Bob Woodruff's injury and her unexpected pregnancy. The pregnancy angle riled up lots of people, including feminist groups such as NOW. In fact, these groups publicly criticized the network, even bringing in its treatment of the Geena Davis-led Commander-in-Chief into their tirades (talk about going a step too far...).

But Vargas insists that the decision to give up the WNT anchor chair was hers. In fact, as she tells Gail Shister of the Philadelphia Inquirer, "I played a crucial and active role in this decision. It's the best thing for me and my family and my career right now... . I have no complaints." She still wants to anchor a five-day-per-week show in some capacity -- maybe even in the mornings -- but she won't even attempt to do so until both her kids are a little older.

[via Mediabistro]

ABC News announced today that Charlie Gibson will be taking over as sole anchor of World News Tonight on May 29. He will be juggling the assignment with his duties as anchor on Good Morning America until the end of June, after which he will work only on the evening newscast. This news comes in the wake of Elizabeth Vargas' impending maternity leave; she will return in the fall to her duties on 20/20, and will do occasional news specials, but she will not return to WNT. The ABC announcement also mentioned that this move gives Bob Woodruff time to recover from the injuries he suffered in Iraq earlier this year; whether he'll make it back at all is still up in the air, though.

[via Mediabistro]

To the right is the first picture America has seen of Bob Woodruff, co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight since he was severely injured in Iraq back in January. To accompany the picture, ABC released a message he sent to the news division president, David Westin, which was then relayed to his co-workers.

"Though I know there is still a long road ahead, it's nice to be feeling more like myself again laughing with family, reading bedtime stories and reminding my kids to do their homework," Woodruff wrote.

No indication was given as to when he'd return to WNT, who will be losing their other co-anchor, Elizabeth Vargas, when she goes on maternity leave later this year.

[Photo: ABC News/Ida Mae Astute via AP]

According to the New York Post, ABC World News Tonight anchor Elizabeth Vargas is having a boy. The network news anchor is due in late summer.

The little boy will be her second son. She and husband, singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, have another son, Zachary, who is three.

ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff was released from a military hospital today, six weeks after being seriously injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He suffered injuries to his neck, head, face, and chest and will requires many more months of rehabilitation, first in a private facility and then at his home. When he was released, doctors say he was laughing and joking with family and staff. Doug Vogt, the ABC cameraman also injured in the explosion, was released from the hospital in February.

ABC News has said that Woodruff is welcome to return to the anchor chair when he is ready. In the meantime, Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson have been subbing for him. ABC will dedicate Monday's entire episode of World News Tonight to the third anniversary of the Iraq war.

And in a related story, ABC World News Tonight will now be anchored by talking robots. Well not really, but ABC has to be worried about the future repercussions that will arise when Vargas has to take maternity leave. Still reeling from the absence of Bob Woodruff (who's condition has been improving), ABC has been pulling out all the stops to keep the evening news program on it's feet. Charles Gibson and Dianne Sawyer have helped out since Woodruff was injured in Iraq.

Vargas is married to songwriter Mark Cohn and this will be the couple's second child together. Cohn has children from a previous marriage. ABC News Prez David Westin was excited for the couple in the midst of what has been some rough times for the entire ABC News family. Vargas has been co-anchoring World News Tonight since January 3, but the baby is not due until the summer.

Doug Vogt, the ABC camerman who was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, is in an outpatient facility this morning. He was moved to Bethesda Medical Center to continue his recovery.

ABC World News Tonight anchor Bob Woodruff, who was injured in the same attack on Jan. 29, remains sedated. His injuries, to his upper torso, head, face, and brain, are much more serious than Vogt's. Doctors say that Woodruff is showing signs of improvement, but his road to recovery is going to be much longer and harder than Vogt's. In the meantime, ABC News chose to move Woodruff's co-anchor, Elizabeth Vargas, off the anchor desk and replace her, at least temporarily, with Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer.

We've already told you the news that Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson will take turns filling in for the injured Bob Woodruff. But I wonder: why don't they just let regular anchor Elizabeth Vargas do the job herself? Sure, ABC does a lot with their nightly news (two live shows - one East Coast, one West), but since they picked Vargas and Woodruff to replace Peter Jennings, why not have her as the only anchor until Woodruff recovers or they pick another permanent co-anchor?

I can understand getting someone in there quickly, since they want to keep the show a two anchor newscast, but why veterans like Sawyer and Gibson? What does this say about their choice of Vargas? Why not get other anchors and correspondents in there?

Remember when Sawyer and Gibson were only going to be "temporary" hosts of Good Morning America? Look how that turned out.

ABC announced today that Good Morning America's anchor duo of Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer will fill in for Bob Woodruff on World News Tonight. As everyone knows, Woodruff suffered severe injuries in an IED explosion in Iraq. Because his injuries will keep him out of action indefinitely, ABC News president David Westin decided to preserve the dual-anchor format that Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas started on January 3. To that end, Gibson and Sawyer will take turns co-anchoring WNT with Vargas until Woodrufff is well enough to return.

I would imagine that both Gibson and Sawyer won't venture out into the field much, so look for Vargas to be taking the "intrepid reporter" role so that Westin's vision of having at least one anchor in the field can continue.

The irony, of course, is that Gibson was passed over for Vargas and Woodruff when the permanent pairing was announced in December.

World News Tonight anchorman Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt arrived in the United States last night and are being treated at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. ABC says it considered moving the men to a private hospital but decided against it since the military doctors have experience treating victims of bombings. The picture at the right is of soldiers loading Woodruff on transport that would take him to a C-17 military plane in Germany. You can see from all the medical instruments, his injuries are very serious. Woodruff's family reports that he was hit in the face and brain with shrapnel when the Iraqi military vehicle he and Vogt were riding in hit a roadside bomb just outside Baghdad, Iraq over the weekend. Vogt, on the other hand, is reportedly in much better condition. He was laughing and making jokes while at the hospital in Germany, whereas Woodruff could barely open his eyes.

Co-anchor of World News Tonight Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were injured when the vehicle they were riding in hit a roadside bomb early Sunday morning. The two apparently were standing up in a hatch, filming a story in the vehicle as it drove along.

The two are listed in stable but critical condition, after being flown to the "green zone" where military doctors operated on them. ABC is providing continuous updates on their conditions here.

Concidentally, today's Washington Post features an article about Woodruff and his co-anchor, Elizabeth Vargas. In the article, Woodruff says his goal is "to be the best damn foreign correspondent I could be."