This past weekend (March 14-17, 2009) I had the pleasure to take a tour of Warner Bros., Universal, and Paramount Studios in the Los Angeles, California, area.
Warner's was great. I was able to see the exterior set of "ER", which finished filming it's last episode that day, the 16th. I also was able to walk onto the office set of "The Mentalist". The town square set (Dukes of Hazard, Gillmore Girls, The Music Man) was being dressed for the pilot "Eastwick", which is based on the movie "The Witches of Eastwick".
On the 17th I first went to Universal. The tour was not nearly as good as Warner's. It did not go into a soundstage and the guide is forced to lie about the backlot. They also go through these stupid stories about sets being shot on, then we go inside and it turns out it is a ride (Earthquake or the Mummy tunnel). We did get to go onto Colonial Drive (Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives). It is not something I would probably do again until the Court House Square and New York Street's are rebuilt (they burned on June 1, 2008).
Paramount was next and the best of the three. I got to go onto stage 25. This is where "The Lucy Show", "Bosom Buddies", "Cheers", and "Frasier" were filmed. At the moment "True Jackson" is done there. I know one of the designers who worked on "Cheers". And I am a huge Lucy fan. I then went onto the set of "Monk". I was able to go into his apartment and the police station. Sadly, the show is coming to an end. And I learned that "Everybody Hates Chris" has been canceled.
If you get to LA make sure to take the Paramount Tour. It is the best of the three.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Buster And Me - San Francisco Based Kids Show
"Buster and Me" was one of my favorite series as a child growing up in the 1980s. It aired on KRON Channel 4, which was the NBC affiliate at that point.
From www.busterandme.com:
"For twenty years Buster and Me racked up awards and delighted television audiences with an inter-species sitcom designed to entertain, delight and educate children by bringing them into the world of two chimps and their human mother. Robin, played by writer/puppeteer Robin Goodrow, does her best as a struggling single mom to bring up young Buster, played by writer/puppeteer Chris Pray, and his little sister Vanilla, also performed by Goodrow. Buster's best friend Russell, a young orangutan, is played by John Gilkerson. Christina Metcalfe served as the shows producer.
Bridging serious themes and hilarious comedy, Buster and Me has addressed many important issues, from divorce and telling the truth to world peace. Along the way it has collected, in addition to two Parents Choice Awards and four local Emmy's, the prestigious Iris Award, given by The National Association of Television Program Executives for "The Best Local Children's Show in America".
What is rare about this series is that it survives almost in it's entirety. KRON was going to destroy all of the tapes because they no longer had the room to store them. One of their executives saved "Buster and Me". Only a few episodes have been lost because of "accidentally" erasure of their master tapes.
Sadly I must note that John Gilkerson passed away many years ago and along with him went Russell.
Here is a preview of the episode "Witchcraft". You can buy a DVD with the entire episode, and 2 more, plus T-Shirts at:
www.busterandme.com
From www.busterandme.com:
"For twenty years Buster and Me racked up awards and delighted television audiences with an inter-species sitcom designed to entertain, delight and educate children by bringing them into the world of two chimps and their human mother. Robin, played by writer/puppeteer Robin Goodrow, does her best as a struggling single mom to bring up young Buster, played by writer/puppeteer Chris Pray, and his little sister Vanilla, also performed by Goodrow. Buster's best friend Russell, a young orangutan, is played by John Gilkerson. Christina Metcalfe served as the shows producer.
Bridging serious themes and hilarious comedy, Buster and Me has addressed many important issues, from divorce and telling the truth to world peace. Along the way it has collected, in addition to two Parents Choice Awards and four local Emmy's, the prestigious Iris Award, given by The National Association of Television Program Executives for "The Best Local Children's Show in America".
What is rare about this series is that it survives almost in it's entirety. KRON was going to destroy all of the tapes because they no longer had the room to store them. One of their executives saved "Buster and Me". Only a few episodes have been lost because of "accidentally" erasure of their master tapes.
Sadly I must note that John Gilkerson passed away many years ago and along with him went Russell.
Here is a preview of the episode "Witchcraft". You can buy a DVD with the entire episode, and 2 more, plus T-Shirts at:
www.busterandme.com
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