LOCAL TV AND ME

Me and the family television set, Philadelphia, in the early 1950's.

     This week my sister sent me word from Philly that Sally Starr, one of our childhood local TV personalities had passed away.  The news sent me on a journey to re-discover the personalities who had entertained me as a child on local television and led me to reflect on my own experiences with local TV.

Sally Starr

     I recalled that my Mom and Dad had taken me as a child to WCAU TV's new, state of the art production center, (the first building in America constructed specifically for broadcasting. Channel 10 is still headquartered there) to appear on the Willie the Worm show - my first time in a local TV studio.

WCAU AM-FM-TV BROADCAST & PRODUCTION CENTER - CITY LINE AVENUE - 1958

WCAU-TV, Channel 10's Willie the Worm.       My research revealed that -- William Wright, the voice and creator of Willie the Worm, reported on the WCAU 40th anniversary special "The First 40 Years", which aired on WCAU-TV in 1988: "I walked in to a Pep Boys just searching blindly for something and I found some air intake hose which would be big enough to put my arm through. And I cut it apart and you know it looked like a worm. And that's how it really became Willie the Worm."            I remember the bright lights, sitting on the bleachers with the other children, the controlled chaos before the cameras rolled.  I was enchanted. Philly's Ch. 17's Wee Willie Weber and his "Peanut Gallery"      In the '70's when I started my career In Hartford I worked at the studios of Connecticut Public Television to tape Hartford Stage's production of Edward Albee's All Over which aired nationally on Theatre in America.  The first time one of the author's works was filmed for television.  Also at Connecticut Public Television I appeared in two episodes of Mundo Real, Connecticut Public Television’s situation comedy/drama about a Puerto Rican family living in an urban barrio on the mainland, which became the first Spanish-English bilingual television series produced for American television.  Years later, when I returned to my professional acting career in Los Angeles after raising my sons, again I would sit in the studio audience for a TV show, shown nationally on ABC, to be sure, and I was a paid participant but I was still enchanted with the process.  This time it was -- a taping of "Life with Bonnie", a TV show about a TV show, and I was playing an audience member.       Then I discovered community access at my local cable TV studio and I became a TV producer/actor/director for 9 episodes, produced over three years, of "Readers Theater Television".   Regina directing the cast of "Readers Theater Television",  2008,  at  TimeWarner 25 studio in Westlake Village, CA      Which brings me around to now and my work with CityTV of Santa Monica.  In December 2012 I shot a PSA for The Center for Civic Mediation at the new studio of CityTV of Santa Moncia.  It has been 60 years from my first local TV experience to now but I am still as enchanted and thrilled.  Tonight I attend a receiption and screening of the 2012 PSA's produced by CityTV of Santa Monica. Willie the Worm, Mom and Dad, I hope you are proud of me. a screen capture from the Public Service Announcement for The Center for Civic Mediation, a project I worked on, produced by CityTV of Santa Monica and Women In Film

OH, WHAT TO WEAR TO A SCREENING?

I've been invited to attend a reception for and screening of the public service announcement I appeared in which was produced by CityTV of Santa Monica and Women in Film for the Center for Civic Mediation.

What shall I wear?

About CityTV 16 of Santa Monica

CityTV is the government community cable channel for the City of Santa Monica. It is funded, programmed and operated by the City of Santa Monica. The channel is available to every cable television subscriber within the City of Santa Monica and reaches approximately 24,000 households. 

CityTV is known across the country for its quality programming and its innovative uses of its channel. The channel has been recognized with nine Emmy awards and been awarded a SCAN NATOA STAR Award as the best channel in the state for six of the last eight years.

Women In Film Los Angeles, founded in 1973, provides for members an extensive network of contacts, educational programs, scholarships, film finishing funds and grants, access to employment opportunities, mentorships and numerous practical services in support of this mission.

The Center for Civic Mediation provides mediation services throughout the community and on school campuses. We teach youth and adults skills to resolve conflict in a constructive, practical and non-violent manner.

Project to finish out 2012.

Here is the full video of the Public Service Announcemet I did produced by Santa Monica CityTV and Women In Film. I'm the old lady who gets wet.