MetaFilter posts tagged with tv and NBC

Just the facts Ma'am

tylerfulltilt — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:40:07 -0800

This is the city, Los Angeles California. I work Here. I carry a badge. My name's Friday. Jack Webb envisioned Dragnet as a showcase for the realities of police work. The original Radio Series debuted on NBC radio in 1949. The show's insistence on realism and naturalistic dialogue were a departure from the melodrama found on radio at the time. Using plots pulled directly from the case files of the LAPD, the show covered topics considered harsh and taboo by the standards of the day. Its depiction of sex crimes, crimes against children, and drug use were edgy for the time. Although it was slow to gain listeners, Dragnet found it's audience. Jump ahead a couple of years to 1952 and the first television series begins. This version of the show is probably not familiar to most people. Filmed in black and white, The TV version brought the radio show's grittiness and realism to the burgeoning format of Television. Both the radio show and the black and white television version ran successfully and consecutively until the late 1950's Webb mounted a revival of the television series in 1967. This version of the show is most familiar to modern viewers, as this was the version picked up for syndication by Nick at Nite. It ran from 1967 to 1970. Although it seems hokey by today's standards, Dragnet's legacy in the history of entertainment is secured. It was voted into Time Magazine's list of the 100 greatest tv shows of all time. Its use of actual case files as the basis for plots makes it the forerunner to Law and Order. The show's insistence on using technical jargon and details of investigation make it a forerunner of shows like CSI. The show's main four note theme is instantly recognizable. And it even spawned a catchphrase that can still be heard today. Webb was attempting to mount third revival of the show when he passed away in 1982. His funeral was attended by officals from the LAPD, the badge he used on the show, 714, was retired from service, and an LAPD police academy auditorium was named in his honor. Auditorium was named in his honor.

Let's see that clip.

swift — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:47:22 -0800

Tim Russert dead at 58.

Drink up, baby!

DiscourseMarker — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:27:13 -0800

NBC is once again dipping its toe into the waters of liquor advertising. Although liquor ads have been running on cable since 1996 their presence on broadcast TV remains controversial, due to the presumed influence of alcohol ads on underage drinking . However, at least one expert disagrees. Previous discussion.

Without Breasts There Is No Paradise

Yakuman — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:01:31 -0800

Without Breasts There Is No Paradise NBC wunderkind Ben Silverman's first new series is a Spanish-language soap opera called Sin Tetas No Hay Paraiso. It's about Catalina, a teenage prostitute seeking breast implants to win the heart of a cocaine smuggler, whom she hopes will free her from a live of poverty. Can a sweet young thing from a small town find happiness in a fast-paced world of easy money and drug trafficking?

how much would michael scott cost in legal fees?

tylerfulltilt — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:42:12 -0800

Steve Carell may be hilarious in the office, but how much would his jackass behavior cost in real-life? clips (youtube)

The most expensive television disaster ever?

tylerfulltilt — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 07:30:40 -0800

Supertrain. A show about a supertrain that costs an assload of money and has no real direction or over arching story? why the hell not? link clips(youtube)

Michael, I'm On iTunes

eustacescrubb — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 05:38:53 -0800

iTunes Gets NBC Shows. And not just this season's: like a page out of Infinite Jest, iTunes and NBC are serving up classic NBC programs, including Knight Rider and Hitchcock Presents. (note: sorry - first link goes to iTunes Music Store -- no press releases available yet to link to.)

King of Late Night passes.

Vidiot — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 11:11:52 -0800

Goodnight, Johnny. The King of Late Night is dead at 79.

We chased lady luck, 'til we finally struck Bonanza.

Ogre Lawless — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 11:53:07 -0800

In 1967 the television program Bonanza enjoyed a three-year run as the most-watched television show in the United States. Bonanza had not started well; its first two seasons returning disapointing ratings but kept alive by the bequest of (then) NBC-parent RCA. RCA had a vested interest in keeping the color series alive in order to push sales of their color technology.

That same year Bill and Joyce Anderson created The Ponderosa Ranch tourist attraction near Incline Village, Nevada on the site allegedly shown by the burning map in the opening credits. The property annually attracts nearly 350,000 tourists to Lake Tahoe's north shore to enjoy the surroundings of a period recreation including mock gunfights, cowboy rope tricks and an honest 1860's-style saloon. (more inside)

McBain — Fri, 08 Mar 2002 00:14:07 -0800

Am I the only one who notices that Scrubs is the best new show on television? Great writing and a great cast make me wonder who is Watching Ellie and putting the Seinfeld Curse at 3 for 3 with 2 RBI's and a double. If you haven't seen Scrubs, check it out. If you have, tell other people to watch it. Don't let quality television go off the air because of a bad time slot! (Tue. at 9:30 Est on NBC)

owillis — Wed, 23 Jan 2002 09:34:49 -0800

Hold on, Mr. President - you forgot your makeup! NBC is showing this special tonight about the "real" West Wing, but of course the President's handlers have manipulated the day so it looks good on tv. But it's not just Bush - theatrics in the same vein of "Look, he's being presidential" have been going on a long time in Washington. Is it good, bad, or just the nature of the beast? Who's your favorite "The Real World: Pennsylvania Ave." cast member?

donkeyschlong — Tue, 30 Oct 2001 20:29:54 -0800

It was bound to happen. "The NBC TV network is looking to revive the old fantasy TV series FANTASY ISLAND -- as a reality series."