So, It's The Olympics For Me...
One thing you need to know about me is this: when it comes to sports, I'm not much of a fan. I don't get excited about the Super Bowl until the fourth quarter, and I don't start watching the World Series 'til Game 5 (preferably the eighth inning.)
But for the Olympics, you've pretty much got me glued to the screen from the opening ceremonies 'til the closing ceremonies, no matter how cloying or jingoistic the coverage....though because the coverage often gets cloying and jingoistic, I look for as many bright spots as I can, and unless I miss my guess, I've just found one.
Y'see, last time the Winter Olympics rolled around, the brightest spot on the schedule outside of actual medal contention soon became USA Network's "Olympic Ice" show, whose host, Mary Carillo, acted as much a ringleader as a broadcaster. The ice events always did tend to be the most gossipy (even before Tonya Harding) and this show reveled in the hoopla, while going so far as to devote airtime to singing the praises of the lonely Zamboni driver. Add in a few rounds of "Push Dick's Button" and a terrific document of a failed attempt to interview the Chinese team (who never showed up, thus making the segment play like "Waiting For Godot") and you've got appointment viewing pretty much wrapped up.
And now, hopefully as a reward for catalyzing some pretty fun broadcasting two years ago, Ms. Carillo (who once referred to the wintertime Luge event as "a bar bet gone bad") will be the anchor for NBC's late night coverage of the Beijing Games. That puts her in the Conan O'Brien slot (12:30 or 1:00am Eastern, depending on how long primetime coverage goes) and she may have to do the serious business of linking to live game coverage, but I'd hope to see some of the fairly magnificent snark she provided at Torino's Winter Games.
That gives that broadcast a vaunted spot on the DVR for me. I'd recommend you do the same.
But for the Olympics, you've pretty much got me glued to the screen from the opening ceremonies 'til the closing ceremonies, no matter how cloying or jingoistic the coverage....though because the coverage often gets cloying and jingoistic, I look for as many bright spots as I can, and unless I miss my guess, I've just found one.
Y'see, last time the Winter Olympics rolled around, the brightest spot on the schedule outside of actual medal contention soon became USA Network's "Olympic Ice" show, whose host, Mary Carillo, acted as much a ringleader as a broadcaster. The ice events always did tend to be the most gossipy (even before Tonya Harding) and this show reveled in the hoopla, while going so far as to devote airtime to singing the praises of the lonely Zamboni driver. Add in a few rounds of "Push Dick's Button" and a terrific document of a failed attempt to interview the Chinese team (who never showed up, thus making the segment play like "Waiting For Godot") and you've got appointment viewing pretty much wrapped up.
And now, hopefully as a reward for catalyzing some pretty fun broadcasting two years ago, Ms. Carillo (who once referred to the wintertime Luge event as "a bar bet gone bad") will be the anchor for NBC's late night coverage of the Beijing Games. That puts her in the Conan O'Brien slot (12:30 or 1:00am Eastern, depending on how long primetime coverage goes) and she may have to do the serious business of linking to live game coverage, but I'd hope to see some of the fairly magnificent snark she provided at Torino's Winter Games.
That gives that broadcast a vaunted spot on the DVR for me. I'd recommend you do the same.
Labels: nonmusic
posted 8/08/2008 02:20:00 PM
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