breakfast time

So, seeing as how I have absolutely nothing to do with my free time, I have started the slow process of putting my video tapes on to DVD's. It's slow for several reasons. 1) It takes over 10 hours to do one 2 hour DVD. I have to import the 2 hours of video into my computer. Edit it as necessary, then it's 8 hours of so to burn the DVD. 2) I have tons of video tapes. Those tapes are 6 and 8 hours a piece so it takes 3 or 4 DVD's to do one tape.

What do I have on tape you may ask. Well, I used to be in tv news, so I have all of my tapes (16 8-hour tapes) of the shows I was on. I have lots of random things I have taped over the years, documentaries, tv shows that aren't there anymore etc.

What has been somewhat interesting is finding and watching some shows that I have not seen for a long time.

Recently I've been making the DVD's for the tapes I have from the fX television network. In the mid-90's, fX was far different from what you may see on tv today. They used to have someting like 6 or 7 hours of live programming a day from their 6,500 square foot apartment in Manhattan. The apartment was an amazing tv studio that was lavishly furnished and included a working bathrom, bedroom, working kitchen, living room, family room and even a ballroom.

the flagship program on the network was "breakfast time". The show was hosted by Tom bergeron (now on Hollywood squares). Laurie Hibberd (now on the CBS Early Show), Jim the Announcer (who's face was never see because he was always behind a newspaper) and Bob the Puppet (a smart allec puppet that added great character to the show). The show did news, celeb interviews, segments with their "road Warriors" visiting interesting things all across the country etc., but was just totally irreverant with everything they did. It's been good to look back at breakfast time and the other fx shows I happen to have on tape.

Here's the two big thoughts I've had since seeing these shows:
1) It's funny how we have these "phases" in our lives. There was this huge "family" of people on breakfast time from the hosts to all the regualr experts they had on, to the staff the viewers got to know etc. that were a huge part of my consciousness at the time the show was on. There's alos lots of people and events from that time that I started to think about when I watched the show again. People and events that I have not though of for years. It got me to thinking about others phases in my life that have come and are now totally gone. When I did television in Clarion, PA, there was a whole group of people that I worked with everyday - long hours everyday!!! We all had shared experiences. Those experiences or that time could never be replicated again. It's all aprt of these phases or "mini-lives" we all lead. I don't know what the point I'm trying to make is, but it's just interesting to look at those phases in our lives.

2) Bigger isn't always better. In life we tend to always thing bigger is better. Well, in brekfast time's case that was not true. Breakfast time became unbelievably popular in just 20 short months on fx cable. Because of that popularity, the show was going to move to the big FOX network. When the show made the jump, they cut it to an hour and changed so many of the things that made breakfast time unique. As the show went on on FOX, the network continued to tweak and change the show, until they killed it. Notihng was the same and none of the original host or staff seemed to be there. I don't think it even made it for 6 months. My point? Well, I guess none of us have forsight and can tell the future, but when we see an opportunity for something that might be bigger and better, it's not always the case. I have no idea how to see if it is bigger and better in the long run, but I have learned it's not always the case.


Did this all make sense? Perhaps. Just some odd thoughts that have been rolling aorund in my head.