Lyons, the well-known co-host of the PBS series Sneak Previews, 1982-96, has interviewed nearly every major movie and Broadway star over the past four decades. Born and raised in New York, he is the son of Leonard Lyons, whose Broadway column, "The Lyons Den" was a New York tradition for 40 years.

Lyons contributed film reviews to NBC4, 1992-93, on Today in New York and was the film and theater critic for ABC World News Now 1994-96. From 1989-1994, Lyons was entertainment editor for CNBC. He also has been the film critic for WPIX TV/New York, 1970-91, WFSB-TV/Hartford, WMAR-TV/Baltimore; CBS Radio, 1975-93, and a contributing editor for Inside Edition and A&E Review. Lyons’ radio report, The Lyons Den, aired on CBS, Mutual Radio, and CBC Radio Canada and is currently syndicated on more than 100 stations.

His books to date are: Jeffrey Lyons' 101 Great Movies for Kids, published by Simon and Schuster, and with his brother, Out of Leftfield: Over 1,134 Newly Discovered Amazing Baseball Records, Connections, Coincidences and More, a second baseball trivia book, Curveballs and Screwballs, both published by Times Books/Random House and Short Hops and Foul Tips, published in 2005. He and his brother have lectured on baseball at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. and at Fenway Park in Boston.

He has been the film critic for Video Review and Rock magazines, and served on the Metropolitan Desk of The New York Times. Lyons has acted in The French Connection and portrayed himself in Death Trap and the TV series Wise Guy and Arli$$.

Among his varied interests, Lyons studied acting with Lee Strasberg, attended the Julliard School of Music, trained with the New York Giants, studied bullfighting in Spain, and has been a guest play-by-play announcer for the Boston Red Sox Radio Network, both in English and Spanish. In May 2000, he received an honorary degree from Hofstra University and another from St. Mary’s college in 2002.

Lyons is married and resides with his wife and children in New York.