NBC's 90th Anniversary Special - General Discussion

[Jaded]

Did anyone else watch this thing?

[Jaded]

The only daytime clips they showed were Will and Sonny getting married on Days and a 10yr old YouTube looking clip from Passions that featured Justin Hartley. The same shows were shown in multiple categories. There wasn't a Daytime segment at all.

They also left out other shows like Tom Snyder's The Tomorrow Show which was the first talk show to air after The Tonight Show. It was also a precursor to Late Night. They showed Bob Costas as part of their sports commentating team but didn't mention his Later show which was the precursor to Carson Daly's Last Call show. I was surprised they acknowledged Conan as a Tonight Show host even if it was in a brief clip.

Kelsey Grammer looked and acted like he had been tranquilized and pushed onstage to host the whole thing. It was obvious by the looks some of the people on current shows were sporting that they filmed their segments on the same days they were filing their respective TV shows. I DVR'd it so I could zip through commercials and Grammer.

Edited February 20, 2017 by Jaded

[Ohwell]

I watched some parts of it and Kelsey Grammer looked like someone was in the background pointing a gun at him.  

I enjoyed seeing clips of old shows (Dr. Kildare made me squee) but what made me kind of sad was that so many of these actors are gone now.   

[MadyGirl1987]

4 hours ago, Jaded said:

 I was surprised they acknowledged Conan as a Tonight Show host even if it was in a brief clip.

Same here. I was even more surprised they touched on Letterman's time on Late Night since that also ended roughly.

I enjoyed the clips of old shows and all the nostalgia of it. Most of the first shows I watched that were not on Nickelodeon(or on Nick at Night like I Love Lucy) were the "Must-See TV" shows such as Friends, Frasier and ER, so it brought back a lot of memories seeing those shows touched on.

[AuntiePam]

I watched the first hour or so and took it off the DVR.  I was bored by it -- clips and interviews, yawn -- but then again, what else could they do?  Plus, it's a bragfest, and bragfests don't work unless someone else is bragging on YOU, not you bragging on yourself.

A lot of my favorite shows were on NBC in the 80's -- the Thursday night lineup was really Must See TV at our house, and we watched Carson until the end.  But it's the shows, not the network that gains viewer loyalty.  ABC and CBS have also done groundbreaking TV.  And they've all done their share of crap, and series that went on too long.

They should have been ashamed to show a clip from Freaks and Geeks -- brilliant show, one season.

[cpcathy]

It was very empty for being three hours. I almost would have taken a documentary style show, with a long segment on Brandon Tartikoff and Grant Tinker, who really helped give NBC its quality status on the 80's. 

And is Kelsey not sleeping, with all those babies at home?

[Ohwell]

3 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I watched the first hour or so and took it off the DVR.  I was bored by it -- clips and interviews, yawn -- but then again, what else could they do?  Plus, it's a bragfest, and bragfests don't work unless someone else is bragging on YOU, not you bragging on yourself.

Exactly.

[legaleagle53]

Just wait until next decade, when all three networks have their centennials (all three will turn 100 in 2027).  FOX should also be observing its 30th Anniversary this year (it was founded in 1986).

[Bazinga]

I know that most would not be interested, but if one third time-wise of a 90th anniversary is the radio years, then a brief mention of a few radio shows with audio clips would be warranted, IMO.  If not going to mention the network's radio history, then just do the anniversary of the TV network.  David Sarnoff (mentioned in passing) needed to be covered if you focus on others like Brandon Tartikoff.  Just because more recent, doesn't mean a subject is more important. David Sarnoff was NBC.

Would have preferred a chronological rundown.  Start in the 50s and work up to current offerings, not jumping back and forth and starting with the 90s.  Too much focus on the 90s and current shows, ignoring so much of the past.  JLo's show is not worth mentioning at all.  Is Justin Hartley that big a star that his being on Passions was worth special note?

Was expecting The Cosby Show to be ignored.  Didn't get the treatment it deserved but was mentioned.  Same for Letterman and Conan.  Carson deserved more of a focus based on his tenure and importance to the network.

Kind of boring.  Guess I would want more of a history documentary on NBC, not celebs talking about things they weren't even alive for and taking credit for news and sporting events

Edited February 21, 2017 by Bazinga

[Artsda]

I enjoyed the clips. It made me miss The West Wing especially and lot of the other shows I used to love watching. Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Friends.

I liked the backstory of the last scene of Sam in Cheers, straightening the photo and where it really meant.  

[WendyCR72]

2 hours ago, Artsda said:

I liked the backstory of the last scene of Sam in Cheers, straightening the photo and where it really meant.

Yeah, I had heard or read about that many years ago, that photo being in Nick Colasanto's dressing room. It was a nice subtle tribute to Nick/Coach.

[BW Manilowe]

13 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Just wait until next decade, when all three networks have their centennials (all three will turn 100 in 2027).  FOX should also be observing its 30th Anniversary this year (it was founded in 1986).

If Fox was founded in 1986, its 30th anniversary was last year. This is 2017.

[cpcathy]

15 hours ago, Artsda said:

I enjoyed the clips. It made me miss The West Wing especially and lot of the other shows I used to love watching. Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Friends.

I liked the backstory of the last scene of Sam in Cheers, straightening the photo and where it really meant.  

Also, Sam walks into the darkness of the back room in the last scene. In the pilot, he emerges from the back room in the very first scene of the series.

[Scott]

23 hours ago, Bazinga said:

Is Justin Hartley that big a star that his being on Passions was worth special note?

I thought the same thing...then I remembered his current show is on NBC.

 

On February 20, 2017 at 3:29 AM, Jaded said:

It was obvious by the looks some of the people on current shows were sporting that they filmed their segments on the same days they were filing their respective TV shows.

I think the tech people had also worked full days before putting this together.  A number of the interviewees, in front of their backgrounds, had some of the worst green-screen I have ever seen.  You could see stuff shimmering around their hands and between their fingers.