We're supposedly cosmopolitan and sophisticated. We have tons of great restaurants and high-end culture. Too bad that can't translate to local TV.
Not counting news and sports, does it strike you odd that the Bay Area doesn't have a locally-produced TV show? And yes, I'm putting aside "7Live", (yuck) and the few sports shows on Comcast and NBC Bay Area.
The last decent show here was "People are Talking", (with Ann Frazier and Ross Macgowan,) and that's stretching it. "Evening Magazine" was just OK and I can't watch "Eye on the Bay".
I'm talking about a daily/nightly program etched out of the "Charlie Rose" format; interview-heavy with an assortment of issues and topics. I know KQED has tried this numerous times and failed miserably, then again Josh Kornbluth is hardly worth the effort and the ratings confirmed it.
And yes, to even create the idea and concept of a moderately entertaining program requires money, lots of it.
So much for sophistication and creativity in the 415 TV market.
You really would have thought the bay area would have been the place to give the world the Oprah's or Donohue's or even a Chelsea Handler who would own San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteBut all our local channels want to make Pleasanton's and Danville's demographics happy. Thus,it has always been and always will be. The creative,original,artistic, talents of the bay area are smothered by please the soccer mom driving BMW SUV (not the Dodge moms) demographic loving, thinking general managers.
It's why Rich the longest running local shows have one thing in common-they talk about wine,Napa valley,to where I'm ready to puke.
The last decent locally produced shows besides People Are Talking and Good Morning San Francisco was Oh My Word that KGO did back in the 70s. Mayor Art was good too!
ReplyDeleteThe best locally produced show was Bobcat Goldthwait's (IIRC) Friday late-nite show on KGO in the early or mid-80's. It only lasted a couple of years, but it was hilarious, must-see-TV. At least it was for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat local shows? What about "Malou Review?" LOL !
ReplyDeleteSeriously, my vision of Hell is a lot of fire, rivers of lava, boiling oceans, and episodes of "Malou Review" being played on a continuous loop for all eternity on a Cowboys Stadium-sized video screen....
We're in an age where money is tight so that usually means people play it safe and don't always try new shows. Eye on the Bay isn't too bad but doesn't it cut early for infomercials? I'd love to see something like a Bay Area Backroads or Evening Magazine on PBS so they would be less beholden to commercial rates and ratings.
ReplyDeleteI could knock Malou too. Her show isn't my thing either. But I think she's putting that show together more or less independently, right? So while I don't care to watch and I'm sure she's getting some trade outs for air time, I give her credit for trying to make a go of it.
The best People are Talking episode-ever- was when they had a male hypnotist on the show. Back in the day when Ann wore short skirts,sexy clothes sometimes..well,he at first hypnotized Ann and had her take her shoes off(Rex Ryan would have loved that part) but then,as I recall some audience member said something,and the Hypnotist told Ann to take her clothes off. Then,she started too! she got as far as undoing her belt when Ross quickly wrapped her up in his arms-and she was still looking dazed- and laughing said "We will be right back".
ReplyDeleteThat guy,who had been on a few times before, was never invited back.
It was Ross who laughed and said "We will be right back"...Ann,was out of it. And that hypnotist was almost a semi regular...I never saw him again. Just when I looked forward.. .
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