Idol Moves To A City Near Hollywood

Ten season watchers you are going to have to give me a little slack. This is my first time through the American Idol rodeo

We went to dinner tonight with our friends Bob and Karen. When I told Karen I was now an American Idol watcher she offered a fist bump. It’s cult-like… sort of like finding out you were both at Woodstock.

Ten season watchers you are going to have to give me a little slack. This is my first time through the American Idol rodeo. I’m just getting my bearings.

Through the auditions everyone was told they were going to Hollywood. Not quite. Somehow on American Idol Hollywood equals Pasadena.

Note to people named Nigel and Simon: It does not!

Pasadena has the Jet Propulsion Lab and real rocket scientists. Hollywood has guys dressed in Darth Vader outfits working for tips taking pictures with tourists at Grauman’s Chinese.

Last night Stef said Hollywood Blvd. was closed for a music video shoot. No such event on Pasadena’s main drag, Colorado Blvd. They were brushing their teeth at that moment in Pasadena.

Back to Idol.

I was surprised to find I haven’t yet picked any favorites. Luckily there are already people I dislike!

Annoying. There were annoying people–mainly crazy ex-girlfriend types though one guy who thought he was Frank Sinatra probably had an escort out. The judges mostly saw it my way.

Tonight’s culling of the herd was less satisfying than the auditions. I’m not even sure why it’s part of the series. It seems superfluous. I am curious to see the ratings in the morning.

Unless the producers do something dreadfully wrong they’ve got me hooked. I’m hoping tonight’s show is not indicative of what’s to come.

For Me This Is American Idol Season One

I am an emotional lightweight. So far I have cried every time I’ve heard, “You’re going to Hollywood.”

For 26 years I’ve worked second shift. Lunch time was around 8:00 PM. I’m not used to being home at night nor having unfettered access to prime time TV. What I’m getting at is I’m hooked on American Idol!

It may be Season 10 to you. It’s reasonably close to Season 1 for me.

I’ve seen bits and pieces of Idol. I knew enough to dislike Simon Cowell and be glad I never married Paula Abdul (her greatest disappointment I’m sure). That was about it.

This season I have watched every frame of video. What a great show!

Let’s establish one thing first. I am an emotional lightweight. So far I have cried every time I’ve heard, “You’re going to Hollywood.”

The show is masterfully structured, written and edited. For sure there is a faux reality element. The majority of contestants are nowhere near as well documented on camera as the tearful or comical stories we see with the auditions. I’ve taken to asking Helaine for a pre-singing “talented or not” judgement on some contestants based on their back stories.

The producers will not tug at your heart strings with a tear jerker set up then deliver a contestant who doesn’t follow through vocally. There are surely people who are compelling without talent but that would be unsatisfying to the viewer.

The choice of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez alongside Randy Jackson seems perfect.

After decades of sitting with anchors some of whom liked me and others who did not I consider myself a decent judge of sincere camaraderie. Don’t burst my bubble, the judges seem to like each other.

First surprise–I never expected the warm and approachable J-Lo I see on set.

Last night while chatting with a friend who’s a Hollywood insider I mentioned, “She gets it.” Not every air talent understands how you benefit by making those around you look warmer and nicer. She does. Could she actually be Jenny from the block in real life?

I didn’t know what to expect from Steven Tyler. He was the wild card. He’s very genuine, very funny and a bit of a ‘lech.’ I’ll wait and see if his lecherous side becomes endearing or creepy over time. Right now he’s the dominant personality, but without Simon’s bite.

Another surprise to me was Ryan Seacrest. Remember, I’d never seen an audition show before.

Seacrest also gets it. If you watch carefully he’s throwing batting practice pitching to contestants and families. He doesn’t get the laugh. He doesn’t get “ah” moment. He’s the set-up man. That’s harder than it looks.

Maybe it’s better for me as a new viewer than those who’ve been there since the beginning. My Hollywood friend also noted:

the bit you are seeing is fresh….is getting very old

That’s a judgement I can’t make.

The season runs until May. I’d like to think I’ll be back working before then.

As the credits rolled I told Helaine Idol will be on this season’s must DVR list.

Commercials On The Computer

The fact the commercials feature a countdown clock is tacit acknowledgment this isn’t the optimum way.

While we were away Helaine recorded Modern Family. As it turned out one episode aired while there was breaking news. The ‘dumb’ DVR recorded at the appointed time and shut down before the show was over. Ugh!

“I can find it on the Internet,” Helaine said. And she did.

The Internet stream features commercials. I understand that. You’ve got to pay for the show somehow. There are actually fewer commercials on the Internet version than the air version. They’re just more invasive!

I’m not sure why, but there’s a difference between interrupting a broadcast where the TV is halfway across the room and interrupting the more personal webcast where the commercials are in your lap and where you feel trapped by them! Whatever it is 30, 60 or 70 seconds on the laptop was a lot worse than 2:30 on the TV.

The commercials are flanked by a countdown clock. Isn’t that tacit acknowledgment they know we’re upset?

On top of that any time I tried to move the timeline (we were after all trying to pick up a show we started watching on the DVR) it triggered more commercials!

I enjoyed the show. I hated the experience.

Fred Foy’s Memorable Voice Is Gone

A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty “Hi Yo Silver!” The Lone Ranger

I apologize for all my obit type entries recently, but one more. Fred Foy has died. Trust me you know Fred Foy’s voice. He said this:

A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty “Hi Yo Silver!” The Lone Ranger.

Has there ever been an announcer with a deeper, more powerful voice?

Fred was one of the last staff announcers at ABC. Back then there were men… always men… sitting in tiny announce booths round-the-clock. All the station and network announcements were done live. Not today.

As a kid I remember Fred Foy doing local news on WABC radio and immediately realizing it was a voice I’d heard many times before. He was also the announcer on Dick Cavett’s nighttime talk show on ABC TV.

Still it was that Lone Ranger intro that people remember. AP reports his daughter, “Nancy Foy says that to the end of his life, her father never tired of repeating the intro to anyone who would ask.”

I’m glad to hear that. So many people try to run away when they’re primarily remembered for a single thing.

Come back with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.

Steve Landesberg Has Died

I saw him in one of the most disappointing live shows I’d ever witnessed! He was just awful. I was still a fan.

Steve Landesberg died this weekend. He was a comedian and comedic actor. I saw him in one of the most disappointing live shows I’d ever witnessed! He was just awful. I was still a fan.

Steve Landesberg first came into view for me as a stand-up performing on TV. He did dialects.

His signature bit was about a southern sheriff whom he did in a deep southern drawl. The sheriff was talking about hippies and war protesters and one particular guy who was singing a folk song, “Stomping on the Flag.” Finally at the end the sheriff says,

“Stomping on the flag? Stomping on the flag? It had a catchy beat.”

In the mid-70s Landesberg appeared on a forgotten piece of the CBS killer Saturday lineup (Bob Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore) “Paul Sands in Friends and Lovers.” It was a comedy built around players in a symphony orchestra. Landesberg played an Austrian violinist, Fred Meyerbach.

I loved that show, but was obviously in a small minority. It was gone quickly. There isn’t even a YouTube clip available!

Steve Landesberg’s accent was so good that when Barney Miller was being cast Landesberg was originally turned down without an audition. The producer couldn’t imagine a New York City detective with an Austrian accent!

“He was acting,” his agent finally pleaded. He got the gig playing Detective Dietrich.

It’s been a long time since I saw Steve Landesberg perform. I know he made “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” which I didn’t see (but which many people liked) and a few obscure TV series including one on Starz. Earlier he’d done commercials, always in a deadpan.

Back in the day I just assumed he’d be a bigger star.

Steve Landesberg was 65.

Who Are The Recurring Actors On TV Commercials?

We all watch commercials. Recently there have been a bunch with recurring characters. I was interested in seeing who played whom. And here they are.

We all watch commercials. You can’t avoid them (you can’t DVR users… you just can’t). Recently there have been a bunch with recurring characters. I was interested in seeing who played whom. And here they are…

Flo: Stephanie Courtney

She is a comedienne and member of the Groundlings, an LA based improv group. Wikipedia says, “It takes an hour for Flo’s hair to be prepared, and another hour for her makeup to be applied.” Removing beauty doesn’t come easy!


The World’s Greatest Spokesperson in the World (Nationwide): Bob Wiltfong

I have already written how this series of commercials is like chalk on a blackboard to me. Bob Wiltfong is a comedian and alum of The Daily Show, though I don’t remember him. His IMDB entry lists few credits like playing Executive #1 on a 30 Rock episode. I’m guessing his income really spiked in 2010.

Have I mentioned how annoying I find this character? Good.


Verizon Test Guy: Paul Marcarelli

These commercials aren’t currently running, but since he’s from North Haven it only seemed fair to mention him. In April the NY Times reported him selling his 2-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village for $1.255 million. Things can’t be too bad.

He’d better not have an iPhone!


GEICO boss: Brian Carney

Brian Carney is Art Carney’s son! I really don’t think I need to add anything beyond that… not that I could. He has a sparse IMDB entry and no Wikipedia listing. I’ve read a few news stories that say he does mostly voice work. For sure he has a distinctive voice.


GEICO Gecko: Jake Wood

Jake Wood is a British actor who has worked steadily including nearly 500 episodes of the EastEnders. He’s unrecognizable here… except by voice. I guess he’s more recognizable than Brian Carney.

45 Years Ago Today When The Power Went Out!

By the time the back was off the set the lights had dimmed and then – poof – they were gone.

Oops! After publishing this entry Ed Stannard of the New Haven Register noticed it was a day off. Damn you smart print guys!

All the facts are correct except the blackout was Tuesday November 9, 1965, not the 10th. My apologies for the error and gratitude to Ed.

I have changed the entry to correct the error.

I remember exactly where I was 45 years ago yesterday. I was 15 years old in 1965 and in the living room of our tiny apartment in Queens watching TV. It was a Tuesday, but for some reason my father was home.

All of a sudden for no apparent reason the TV picture began to shrink. I called my father over. Voltage regulator we guessed.

We then did what any 1960s father and son would have done–we pulled off the back of the set to check the tubes&#185.

By the time we’d exposed the TV’s innards the lights had dimmed and then – poof – they were gone.

An improperly set circuit breaker at a power station near Niagara Falls took down much of the Northeast! We didn’t know it at the time but nearly all of New York City, New York State and New England had gone dark!

This part of the world was thrust into chaos, yet order was maintained. In fact the biggest takeaway from the blackout was how nice everyone was! There was little crime and lots of helping hands. However, in that pre-cell, pre-Internet era there was plenty of confusion.

Here’s an aircheck from WABC-AM’s Dan Ingram as the power slowly drifted away. He had no idea then his voice would be the most vivid memory of the onset of the Great Northeast Power Blackout!

Addendum: After posting this I got a nice message on Facebook from Ilene Treitler Chalupski who was just Ilene Treitler when she was my next door neighbor in 1965 (She apartment 5D. We apartment 5E).

My father came home and YELLED at us because when he walked in and we were playing with the Horizontal and Vertical controls (Outer Limits stuff!) and he told us NEVER to touch those knobs. Then when he couldn’t make the tv picture stop rolling, he knocked on your parents’ door Geoff, i clearly remember it, and when your mother opened the door, your father had the television away from the wall and was trying to make the picture stop rolling, and within a few seconds the place went black!

&#185 – There were tube testers nearly everywhere including the local drugstore.

My Advice On What Not To Say On TV… After Saying It

Hey–this is a week and a half out! I’m not that good. No one is.

If you’re planning on mounting a career as an on-air TV meteorologist I have some advice. When you see an interesting tidbit in the very distant future keep it to yourself!

It’s common to buzz through the longer range computer models as they calculate what might happen in the future.

As a ‘met’ I know how these things work. Small errors early on expand exponentially over time. Depending on the complexity of the pattern there might only be a few days of useful information.

This afternoon I was looking at the 12Z GFS model when a huge low caught my eye. Temperatures at 850mb (about 5,000 feet) were cold meaning the precipitation from this system would probably be snow in the Midwest.

As I continued to run through the hours the storm moved east. Snow for us too.

Hey–this is a week and a half out! I’m not that good. No one is.

It was the first time this season I’d seen a chance for snow in Connecticut, so I mentioned it. I did everything I could to play it down, but almost immediately my Facebook page began to fill with comments. The same thing happened on Twitter.

It was as if I’d said the ship was sinking. Every man for himself! Buy all the milk and bread you can get your hands on!

If I saw this forecast setup again I’d probably mention it again. I just wish there was a way to keep it in perspective.

A Day Of Sports

For the Phils pitcher Roy Oswalt scored from second on a play where he ran past the third base coach’s very visible stop sign then slid into home wearing a warmup jacket and gloves! The only thing missing was a red cup full of beer!

As you might imagine the Foxes spent the day watching the Eagles then the Phillies. We weren’t disappointed. Both teams won.

Interestingly neither game was carried to Cablevision customers in some of the Philadelphia suburbs. I hope Cablevision paid their customer service operators hazardous duty pay today. Let the cursing begin!

Both games had interesting moments. Kevin Kolb the Eagles quarterback aired it out and played like the passer he’s supposed to be, but disappointingly never has been. For the Phils pitcher Roy Oswalt scored from second on a play where he ran past the third base coach’s very visible stop sign then slid into home wearing a warmup jacket and gloves! The only thing missing was a red cup full of beer!

On a day like today it is difficult not to take advantage of technology. The Eagles game wasn’t on TV here so I borrowed a friend’s DirecTV to-go package. Computer quality is good, but not yet as good as a broadcast channel.

We watched the Phils live on Fox through the DVR allowing us to pause the action. Actually that’s where technology came back to bite me!

As Ryan Madson pitched to the Giants in the ninth I opened Facebook. For me there were two outs to go but on Facebook a friend had revealed the game was over. Oops.

I tried to tell Helaine I didn’t know, but it’s not the kind of thing anyone hides well. Certainly not me.

A Part Of The Cablevision/Fox Story I Almost Forgot

Cablevision has long since sold its Boston system. It’s safe to say inflation has trouble keeping up with cable!

Last night when I was writing my entry about Fox versus Cablevision I wanted to include an interesting piece of history… but I forgot. Better late than never! I’m including it because it’s about one of the parties, but it really isn’t part of this current dispute.

Cablevision was the original cable TV franchise holder in Boston. Boston was the last major American cities to receive cable service. The franchise was presumed to be very lucrative. The bidders were aggressive.

Back in 1981 Cablevision promised 52 channels for $2 a month. Seriously. They offered another 20 channels for $5.95 more plus eight added pay channels.

Cablevision has long since sold its Boston system. It’s safe to say inflation has trouble keeping up with cable!

Here’s what the New York Times reported Mayor Kevin White saying the day the franchise was granted nearly thirty years ago:

”It seemed possible that Cablevision might be offering more than they could deliver, but the more I studied the company, the more I came to appreciate their intellectual integrity.”

You don’t hear a lot about company’s having their “intellectual integrity” appreciated anymore.

For his part I wonder if Cablevision chief Charles Dolan would say this today:

The Mayor made it clear that he didn’t want just another luxury service for people who could afford it, but rather something that was inexpensive enough to reach everyone and could make a difference in their daily lives.

Murdoch Versus Dolan: The Two Least Sympathetic Figures In Media Are Fighting

It’s a pissing match. In a pissing match everyone gets wet.

Cablevision and Fox are fighting. It’s tough to take sides. This is like the old commercial where you had to choose between a headache and upset stomach!

Seriously, it’s Rupert Murdoch versus Chuck Dolan. These are the two least sympathetic characters in media!

As of this moment WWOR and WNYW have been removed from Cablevision systems serving millions of viewers. It’s a pissing match. In a pissing match everyone gets wet.

The New York Times reports:

News Corp. quickly issued a release headlined, “Cablevision Drops Fox.” At the same time, Cablevision began posting a message on the screen that accused News Corp. of “pulling Fox 5 and My 9 off air” and declared it was News Corp.’s decision, “not ours.”

I work in TV so I’m not quite an unbiased observer, but I can give you an idea what’s going on.

For the longest time TV stations were thrilled to be on cable. Cable brought our pictures into people’s homes more clearly. It was a marriage of convenience on both sides. Cable served the overwhelming majority of our viewers and we in turn provided the most watched stations.

As cable began to sell local advertising and the cable networks began to pour money into new programming the marriage became a little more strained. We were still cable’s big dog, but the cable systems themselves were becoming our competitors!

Then local TV revenue began to shrink and TV station owners looked at cable and wondered why TV stations weren’t getting the cash they were paying money to CNN, USA, TBS, The Weather Channel, and all the others. TV station owners began to demand money from cable systems to carry our signals. Our marriage of convenience was turning ugly!

Over the past few years there have been a few showdowns like the one between Fox and Cablevision. Stations have been pulled from cable systems taking away popular shows and even more popular sporting events. In New York City this weekend Fox will be carrying the baseball playoffs and the NFL. How unhappy do you suppose Cablevision subscribers will be to lose the Yankees&#185 and football Giants?

At some point one of the parties will cry “Uncle” and a truce will be declared. It could happen tomorrow. It could happen months from now!

In the meantime both Cablevision and Fox are calling each other names and trying to look like the good guy. Like I said earlier, it’s Dolan versus Murdoch. This fight has no good guys!

Here’s the video Cablevision has been running on the channels formerly occupied by WWOR and WNYW.

&#185 – I’ve got an error to correct. The Saturday Yankees game is actually on TBS and not affected. The Phillies game Saturday night is on Fox and will be missing from Cablevision’s New York area systems. In addition the Fox station in Philadelphia is part of this dispute, so Cablevision subscribers near Philadelphia won’t get to see tonight’s game nor the Eagles game tomorrow.

How I’ll Watch Two Games At Once Tonight

This is the techno equivalent of rubbing your stomach while patting your head and hopping on one leg.

Comcast has upgraded our DVR. Actually that may not be the proper characterization. They’ve changed and prettied it. Upgrade? The jury’s still out.

In order to enable the new stuff Comcast eliminated a few minor never used features like the picture-in-picture I want to use today! The Eagles and Phillies are both playing at 8:00 PM.

It’s the 21st Century. I can ad lib a solution… maybe.

Our Vizio TV has picture-in-picture built in, but one picture will have to be the cable tuner in HD and the other the set’s built-in tuner. It too might be HD. I’m really not sure at this point. This is the techno equivalent of rubbing your stomach while patting your head and hopping on one leg.

In case you’re wondering what I’ll be doing during halftime of the Giants/Texans game you now know.

—–

Conclusion: Wow, it works! The setup to split the screen was reasonably straightforward… if you’re nerdy. Seriously, this is not for the faint of heart.

On top of that there is the ability to actually make the split 50/50 and swap audio from side to side.

As it turns out the picture-in-picture Comcast removed was inferior to what I already had.

How Much Gold Would A Gold Coin Chuck If A Gold Coin Could Chuck Gold?

That 14 milligram claim brought out the math geek in me. I ran the numbers. 14 milligrams equals 0.000493835467 ounces.

It’s 3:27 AM. The TV’s on. As with most things in this world TV is different at 3:27 AM. There are fewer programs and more commercials. Even where there are programs the commercials within are different.

My TV’s on pause at the moment because I’ve just watched an ad for a $50 Gold Buffalo Tribute Proof and I’m fascinated.

It’s easy to get the impression this is a $50 coin though the ad makes no such promise. It’s easy to think it’s a gold coin. Again, that’s not a promise made.

The commercial is beautiful in its simplicity and magical writing. It begins by showing and describing a legitimate US government issued $50 gold coin whose value has skyrocketed.

The $50 Gold Buffalo Coin is the purest gold coin ever made by the U.S. government. It’s the first U.S. coin ever struck using .9999 Pure 24 KT Gold. Its design is based on the famous Buffalo nickel minted from 1913 to 1938. Wildly popular with investors and collectors, the U.S. government had to stop production because of a shortage of specially made gold blanks.

Of course that’s not what’s being sold for $9.95 plus shipping and handling. The coin advertised is clad in not made of gold. Specifically it’s clad in 14 milligrams of pure gold!

That 14 milligram claim brought out the math geek in me. I ran the numbers.

14 milligrams equals 0.000493835467 ounces.

As I type the price of gold is $1347.21 per ounce. That makes the value of the gold cladding around 67&#162!

See what you miss being asleep.

Behind-The-Scenes Control Room Video

The control room is where the real action takes place during a newscast or any show for that matter. It’s certainly the place you’re most likely to hear cursing or need Maalox!

When friends visit the TV station they usually say they want to be in the studio. I know better. I always let them watch a little from the control room.

The control room is where the real action takes place during a newscast or any show for that matter. It’s certainly the place you’re most likely to hear cursing or need Maalox!

With our new control room in an functioning I shot a little video of our 10 O’Clock newscast. Fred Valenti is at the controls of the Ignite system.

I’m More Highly Defined

Almost nothing that worked in an analog standard definition world works in a digital high definition world.

Yesterday was the day we switched to high definition at work. We’d already been passing network programming that way. Now nearly everything that originates inside our building is in high def too.

It wasn’t a painless transition. No one expected it would be. All things considered it went pretty well.

Because we were still on-the-air with our old control room some equipment couldn’t be tested fully until we made the final switch and things went to the transmitter. 99% of yesterdays problems should be solved today.

What most people, myself included, are stunned by is we needed to change virtually every piece of equipment! Almost nothing that worked in an analog standard definition world works in a digital high definition world. Runs of coaxial cable were pulled out and replaced by digital “Cat5” cable.

Our equipment room with its own air conditioning system and rack upon rack upon rack of gear is now loaded with PCs. The majority of our new equipment is powered by reasonably standard PCs configured for special use.

As a techno guy it’s all pretty exciting to see. Much of what I knew about how TV works is now wrong! Systems I understood thoroughly have been replaced. The learning begins again.

Do you really want to see me that clearly?