World Trade Center-related stories
Posted Apr 29th 2009 1:50AM by Jonathan Toomey
Filed under: OpEd, Rescue Me, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

(S05E04) "Not something you really wanna be lookin' at." - Lou
Just like Dr. Psychodramaturge telling Sheila that half of Damien's desire to be a firefighter is based on her objection, you knew that when Lou told Tommy not to look at the 9/11 footage he would anyway. Forbidden = fun. Of course, having Genevieve whisper lord knows what into Tommy's ear didn't hurt either. Whatever she muttered was probably fun too.
Continue reading Rescue Me: Jimmy
Posted Jul 8th 2008 7:23PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Documentary, Reality-Free

The cable network History -- formerly known as the
History Channel (it'll always be the History Channel to me) -- has
a couple of projects in the works, one of which will likely fuel both sides of the political debate as election time nears.
"102 Minutes That Changed the World" is a piece on 9/11, culling footage from pros and amateurs, including two terrified New York University seniors in a high-rise dorm just blocks from the
World Trade Center. They started shooting the smoking North Tower after it was hit by the first plane, then captured the second plane hitting the South Tower.
The 102-minute piece will premiere without commercials at 9 p.m. on Sept. 11. Done in "real time" format, it'll feature footage from more than 100 sources, pieced together in chronological order, without narration, to provide what History is calling a "seamless historical record of that day."
Continue reading History stacks deck with 9/11, WWII stories
Posted Sep 2nd 2006 3:10PM by Anna Johns
Filed under: CBS, News, Industry

The CBS network intends to re-air the 9/11 documentary made by French filmmakers Gedeon and Jules Naudet but, because it contains profanity, some affiliates are opting out. About 12 affiliates have chosen not to air the documentary and instead will air alternate programming and twelve others will air the documentary later at night when fewer children are watching. At least two dozen more affiliates are undecided about whether to air the two-hour program.
It's sad just how scared the FCC has everyone. I saw this documentary the first time it aired and I honestly don't remember any profanity. None. I'm sure it was there but... gee whiz... that has got to be the least disturbing part of the film.
The documentary airs, uncut, on most CBS affiliates on September 10th.
Posted Apr 29th 2006 10:50AM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Cable, OpEd, Animation, Wonder Showzen
(S02E05) Last night's episode of Wonder Showzen was
incredibly surreal, even for Wonder Showzen. The show began with a science fair in which Sthugar reveals a
propeller beanie powered by sadness, and Wordsworth creates a television which shows his dreams. Unfortunately,
Wordsworth's deepest fears manifest themselves into an actual monster who escapes the TV and wreaks havoc on the town.
Chauncey demands Wordsworth face his fear, but Wordsworth is too afraid. Therefore, Chauncey and Him use Him's shrink
ray (which doesn't actually shrink an object but instead makes everything else bigger, giving the illusion of
shrinkage) and journey into Wordsworth's brain in order to bypass his free will and make him fight the giant monster.
The segments inside Wordsworth's brain included some great meta moments, especially when they find themselves inside
his short term memory center and they become sensory echoes themselves, multiplying and repeating into
infinity.
Continue reading Wonder Showzen: Science
Posted Jan 3rd 2006 3:48PM by Anna Johns
Filed under: ABC, NBC, CBS, News, Video, Web

It's
been four and a half years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I don't know about you, but I still get a
little emotional when I think too hard about how that morning unfolded. But, if you're interested in looking back at it
from a journalistic point of view,
here is a good
place to do it.
The non-profit television library called The Television Archive has amassed Canadian and
American media coverage of that morning over a 15-minute time period from when the first plane hit, through the second
plane hitting the towers, and to the first reports of a third plane hitting the Pentagon. You can see how the news
outlets responded, who got it right, who got it first, and who, initially, got it totally wrong. For example, Charlie
Gibson of
Good Morning America, remained totally calm as he reported what he was seeing. While Bryant Gumbel,
who was at
The Early Show on CBS at the time, saw phantom planes after the first two crashed into the towers,
and he got all panicky on air. The entire video montage is about 30 minutes, but you may have to wait a few days to
watch it, because now the website is timing out, probably from so much traffic.
[Via
Digg]