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On TV's Handling of the Terrorist Attack: "They never learn," says Marc Allan. "As if planes crashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon weren't newsworthy -- and frightening -- enough, television piled on to the story by rushing out information that turned out to be bogus." Emmys
canceled due to tragedy "If terrorists were looking for an ideal time for television exposure, this was it," says Tim Kiska. "At that time of the morning, each of the country's major television networks broadcast live. The network news machines are at full throttle, feeding such news broadcasts as ABC's Good Morning America, NBC's Today and CBS's This Morning." "Television made us all eyewitnesses to mass murder today, and it's the TV pictures we will remember of a horrible morning on a terrible day, iconic images of events we saw live on this morning that would have been burned into our consciousness forever, even if they hadn't been replayed again and again," says Phil Rosenthal. "On a day that you might expect breathless coverage, most of the broadcast and cable networks delivered surprisingly cautious wall-to- wall coverage, with a few exceptions," says Ken Parish Perkins. "There was coverage on about 30 channels, though with some redundancy from channel to channel," says Rich Heldenfels. "You could find ABC news coverage on ESPN and ESPN2, for example; CNN's main coverage on supplemental channels like CNNFN, and Fox News reporting on Fox Sports Net. VH1, normally a music channel, had coverage from a New York City station owned by CBS, part of the same corporation as VH1." He also reports: "Home-shopping channels QVC, HSN and Shop at Home suspended all broadcasts because of the 'tragic situation' (HSN), 'today's tragic events' (Shop at Home) and the 'national tragedy' (QVC). HGTV and the Food Network followed suit." TV DID ITSELF PROUD: "It was as if television had captured the nation as it was struck by a thunderbolt that shook it from its lethargy, forcing it from a cocoon of innocence," says Howard Rosenberg. "It was a war movie, a seemingly far-fetched war movie, unfolding on our television screens," says Howard Kurtz. "This was 'reality' TV that buckled the knees and left news anchors and reporters grasping for appropriate words," says Ed Bark.
How Hollywood affects what we see: "The attack on the World Trade Center that we're watching without a star or a storyline is too horribly impersonal," says John Allemang. "The big-budget movies show everything. Here we can only guess, and it's far worse than the more convincing special effects of 'Independence Day.'" Remembering "Frasier's" Angell: "His fingerprints are all over some of the funniest moments in 'Cheers,' 'Wings' and 'Frasier,'" say his co-producers. Pax drama "Doc" captured footage of second plane attack Networks wipe out their schedules for the week Shows with bomb, terrorist plots rescheduled "Law & Order" five-hour miniseries echoes terrorist attacks Networks share news video in rare cooperation "In terms of television's impact, this was this generation's equivalent of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy or the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger," says Scott D. Pierce, adding: "When Americans remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, it's the television images they'll recall. The immediacy of those images made them impossible to forget. Images that, oddly enough, looked more like movie special effects than actual events." "It took a moment to comprehend that something of such genuine enormity was being transmitted on a medium that so often makes so much of so little," says Scott Feschuk. "It was actually happening, and viewers sat powerless and traumatized as they saw it happen," says Tom Shales. "For those of certain generations, it was the most harrowing day of television since the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963." "Tuesday's horror showed television news operations at their best, both in the technical ability to offer stunning live images and in the courage of reporters who offered emotional words to go with the pictures," says Tim Cuprisin. "Unfortunately, some news outlets found it necessary to display annoying on-screen thematic logos ('America Under Attack,' 'Terrorism Attacks')," says the Detroit Free Press. "It hardly seemed like a wise time to immediately package numbing human tragedy."
NBC pushes back fall premiere dates Sometimes you need to stop watching: "Visual images (go directly) to the most primitive parts of our psyche . . . pushing all the fear buttons," Stuart Fischoff, a media psychologist, tells Eric Deggans. "And the more you watch, the more you want to watch . . . like a siren song. You don't realize you're getting more nervous, so you watch in order to calm yourself, and the cycle continues." "ABC's shirt-sleeved Peter Jennings has been somewhat a mixture of Rather and Brokaw," says Dusty Saunders. "Part psychologist, father figure and historian, Jennings has extended his anchor duties by constantly questioning reports of his correspondents -- not in critical terms, but in an effort to extract more facts or insight."
"Who
would have thought that the sight of TV commercials could be reassuring?" "Band of Brothers" ads cut because of war images "Six Feet Under" plans on changing images of body bags "Murder in Small Town X" winner missing in WTC rubble "Politically Incorrect" to leave seat unfilled for regular Barbara Olson "Big Brother"
contestants know little about what's going on
Dan
Rather breaks down on somber Letterman show In
attack's aftermath, is "Survivor" needed? Critic: CBS is "sadistic" for not showing WTC footage to "Big Brother" houseguests Critic: For news junkies, Ted Koppel beats the Big 3 "America's Most Wanted" on the terrorists' trail Soap operas reexamined before returning to air "60 Minutes" praised for adding "fresh perspective" to tragedy
Letterman's
Monday return called one of TV's most "extraordinary" hours Fed Ex pulls "Politically Incorrect" ads after Bill Maher calls U.S. cowardly How long until we can laugh again? Four networks' joint Friday telethon will feature major celebs ABC stops replaying footage of plane striking Twin Towers When
is the right time to focus on TV entertainment?
Critic:
Compared to Letterman, Leno's "Tonight Show" return was "pathetic" "Friends" reshoots airline episode because of WTC tragedy Sears also pulls
ads from "PI" Judge rejects "Sopranos" defamation lawsuit, saying: ''The aria may be offensive to Verdi but 'The Sopranos' have a right to sing" Family, law-enforcement shows may gain more viewers as a result of WTC attacks Why QVC, HSN went back on air less than a day after attack "Big Brother 2" ends tonight with chef vs. doctor CBS may never air "The Agency" pilot because of plot, bin Laden references Nielsen won't officially count last week's ratings because of news coverage Longtime "Tonight Show" producer Fred de Cordova dies; wrote Carson book "Johnny Came Lately"
His
eyes filled with tears, Jon Stewart brings "The Daily Show" back How the joint
telethon was put together Emmy is waiting to see what tone to take Conan is beginning to sound like Letterman from a decade ago
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