While I entered into the blogging world with a lot of energy, enthusiasm and love regarding the topic of old-time NY Metro Area television, the reality is that I simply no longer have the time to update it on a regular basis. Add to that the fact that the energy of it all has also been sapped, I must announce that I will not be posting any new updates until at least the Fall.
This is mostly due to landing a new job shortly after I started the blog. Work simply takes up a lot of my time and energy leaving precious little of it available for updates. Further, I am a HUGE baseball fan and spend a lot of my free time watching games. My Daughter is also a baseball fanatic so we attend a lot of minor league games as well. Again, all of these activities leads to very little time and energy for the blog. I guess I could muddle through on the weekends but honestly, those two days off are very important and I'd rather spend them with family as opposed to sitting in front of a PC.
Is this the end of the blog? NO WAY!!
Once the fall comes I'll be in much better shape to post updates. I'll be firmly in the groove of the work week and more used to it and come the fall, baseball season will be over as well. Thus, I'll have more time and energy with which to devote myself enthusiastically to this blog. So, as I ask for your patience and understanding, please feel free to continue to read the interesting updates and comments already posted and also feel free to add more comments and start more discussions.
Figure around late September or early October for my triumphant return to regular blog posting. Until then, thanks again for your patience and understanding and thanks so much for reading and posting. Have a great rest of the summer and I'll see you in the fall!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Outside The NY Metro Area? Please Remember......
......your input and your memories are always welcome here! Even though this blog pays tribute to vintage television, movie showcases, etc. from the NY Metro Area, we also love to read information, thoughts and memories from folks who grew up outside the NY Metro Area and remember what it was like when TV was really something special. Are you from Chicago? Boston? LA? Anywhere else? Don't be shy! Chime in and join the celebration that is vintage TV we all remember and love!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
An Actual PSA Or Was I Imagining It?
Does anyone remember a very, very scary Public Service Announcement that used to run, usually late at night, on the plight of and the dangers of being a hemophiliac? The PSA was so frightening that when I was a kid, I'd get up and stand in front of the TV during commercials in case it came on I could quickly change the channel. I just didn't want to see it.
Anyway, what I remember is that it had a scary voiceover that began by saying "This is the house of the hemophiliac". We'd get these distorted, twisted hand-held camera shots of the house with zooming close-ups of things like scissors and a cat scratching at the camera because those things could make the hemophiliac bleed and possibly kill him. All the while as we are getting these crazy images, you'd hear some demonic child-like laughter in the background. I hated that PSA when I was a kid but would love to see it again to see what my reaction would be. Strangely, not many folks my age remember it though I have noticed a couple other folks posting on various message boards and such asking about it.
Does anyone around my age from the NY Metro Area remember it? I'm sure it wasn't exclusive to the NY Metro Area but have no way of knowing for sure. Maybe someone Knows of a site that has clips of old or vintage PSA's? I've tried YouTube and have had no luck. Any help would be appreciated because I'm beginning to think that maybe I imagined it. Thank you in advance.
Anyway, what I remember is that it had a scary voiceover that began by saying "This is the house of the hemophiliac". We'd get these distorted, twisted hand-held camera shots of the house with zooming close-ups of things like scissors and a cat scratching at the camera because those things could make the hemophiliac bleed and possibly kill him. All the while as we are getting these crazy images, you'd hear some demonic child-like laughter in the background. I hated that PSA when I was a kid but would love to see it again to see what my reaction would be. Strangely, not many folks my age remember it though I have noticed a couple other folks posting on various message boards and such asking about it.
Does anyone around my age from the NY Metro Area remember it? I'm sure it wasn't exclusive to the NY Metro Area but have no way of knowing for sure. Maybe someone Knows of a site that has clips of old or vintage PSA's? I've tried YouTube and have had no luck. Any help would be appreciated because I'm beginning to think that maybe I imagined it. Thank you in advance.
The Arrival Of All Night Programming?
This is something I always wondered about because I don't have the answer so, hopefully someone can fill in the blanks.
When exactly did some of the NY Metro Area stations decide to go to all-night programming and was this a decision by some of the stations at the same time? What, if anything, was it in response to and was it a case of "follow the leader"?
The only thing I really have to go by is my collection of old TV Guides but there are too many blanks to come up with a definitive answer. I know that throughout probably the majority of the 1970's, NY area stations signed off the air at certain times. Some earlier then others. I know that WCBS-TV was the one station that stayed on the air the latest, sometimes signing off for a ridiculous 10 minutes before signing on again. Now, I fast forward to my TV Guides from 1981, I don't have any Guides from 1979 or 1980, and lo and behold some of the NY area stations are going 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now, what I find most interesting is that the "some" involved two NY local independents. WOR-TV Channel 9 and WPIX-TV Channel 11. The reason I find it interesting is because it's two local indies leading the way as opposed to the local network affiliates. Now, by the time WOR and WPIX began going 24-7, the other stations were staying on later than before but still signing off for anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours each day. This is most interesting to me because I assume before long, everyone else followed suit. I guess this was also the beginning of 9 ALL NIGHT but I don't know for sure. Anyway, looking at the programming for 9 and 11, they certainly had enough to carry them 24-7. WOR threw movies by the bundle at it's viewer while WPIX ran some classic shows such as THE FBI, THE ROOKIES, TWILIGHT ZONE, etc..
My guess has always been that this was in response to some fledgling 24-7 cable nets as more and more folks became wired but I don't know for sure. It's a topic that fascinates me but I'd sure like to have some concrete answers so please feel free to chime in.
When exactly did some of the NY Metro Area stations decide to go to all-night programming and was this a decision by some of the stations at the same time? What, if anything, was it in response to and was it a case of "follow the leader"?
The only thing I really have to go by is my collection of old TV Guides but there are too many blanks to come up with a definitive answer. I know that throughout probably the majority of the 1970's, NY area stations signed off the air at certain times. Some earlier then others. I know that WCBS-TV was the one station that stayed on the air the latest, sometimes signing off for a ridiculous 10 minutes before signing on again. Now, I fast forward to my TV Guides from 1981, I don't have any Guides from 1979 or 1980, and lo and behold some of the NY area stations are going 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now, what I find most interesting is that the "some" involved two NY local independents. WOR-TV Channel 9 and WPIX-TV Channel 11. The reason I find it interesting is because it's two local indies leading the way as opposed to the local network affiliates. Now, by the time WOR and WPIX began going 24-7, the other stations were staying on later than before but still signing off for anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours each day. This is most interesting to me because I assume before long, everyone else followed suit. I guess this was also the beginning of 9 ALL NIGHT but I don't know for sure. Anyway, looking at the programming for 9 and 11, they certainly had enough to carry them 24-7. WOR threw movies by the bundle at it's viewer while WPIX ran some classic shows such as THE FBI, THE ROOKIES, TWILIGHT ZONE, etc..
My guess has always been that this was in response to some fledgling 24-7 cable nets as more and more folks became wired but I don't know for sure. It's a topic that fascinates me but I'd sure like to have some concrete answers so please feel free to chime in.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Some Blog Downtime
Apologies for not posting any new blog entries for nearly a week. I started a new job this week so in addition to taking up some of my time, it absolutely exhausted me! Anyway, the three day 4th of July Holiday weekend is upon us so I hope to add a couple of new entries before Monday. Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading. Happy 4th of July!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
