Michael Starr

Michael Starr

TV

Deborah Norville turns 20 on ‘Inside Edition’

“Inside Edition” celebrates Deborah Norville’s 20th anniversary as its anchor Thursday (1:30 p.m./Ch. 5) with “a sort of trip down memory lane” says Norville, adding, “We’ll include some of the stupid hair styles I thought looked good that day.”

Norville began her “IE” run (succeeding Bill O’Reilly) on March 5, 1995 — four years after her screaming-headlines exit from “Today” after a stormy six months (she was replaced by Katie Couric).

“I went from being the anchor of ‘The Today Show’ to the host of a radio show,” Norville says. “A lot of people snickered: ‘Look how far she’s fallen,’ but I was grateful to be back where I started — in radio.”

Speaking of NBC and controversies, I asked Norville about suspended “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams: “I feel really terribly for Brian … but he knows it’s self-inflicted,” she says.

“It’s all his creation … and I fear it means he won’t be back on the evening news. There’s too much doubt. There will be question marks floating over his head — and I don’t think any network can afford that.”

Norville rebounded from her “Today” debacle, and “IE” remains a steady ratings-grabber, averaging 4.7 million viewers last November — second only to “Entertainment Tonight” in the genre.

“What we do is every bit as relevant and solid as what you see on the network morning shows and the latter-half of the evening news,” Norville says. “We stand by our stories and our credibility is pretty solid. We do good work that people tune in for.”

Sharyn AlfonsiCBS News

Last, but not least …

Sharyn Alfonsi (“60 Minutes Sports”) makes her debut this Sunday on the “60 Minutes” mothership (7 p.m./Ch. 2) with an investigation into allegations that thousands of homeowners — many on Long Island — were denied their flood insurance claims after Hurricane Sandy based on fraudulent engineers’ reports … “The MOMS” (Melissa Gerstein, Denise Albert) move to a prime-time slot (8 p.m.) on SiriusXM Stars (Ch. 109) starting Monday … Fieldstone Middle School (Thiells, in Rockland County) holds its annual “Dancing with the Teachers” benefit for Stand Up To Cancer Friday and Saturday (7 p.m.) with celeb judges Pete Dominick and actress Yvonna Kopacz-Wright … “Live with Kelly and Michael’s” post-Oscars show on Monday snared a whopping 4.6 rating — its top-rated show of the season (no surprise) … Kerry Barrett joins “Today in New York” in early March as a correspondent … “Mob Wives” stars Renee Graziano, Karen Gravano and “Big” Ang Raiola will be at Barnes & Noble Tribeca March 5 to discuss the current season (on VH1) and sign their respective books.