NBC: Let's Not All Be There --- Of Dropping the Ball ... AGAIN!
Well! I see that yours truly and Yahoo!'s Chris Chase are not the only ones who are pissed off at the Peacock this morning! From this morning's Winnipeg Free Press:
NBC opted to break up its coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games' Closing Ceremonies Sunday night to squeeze in a new reality show.
The finale to the Games at B.C. Place Stadium kicked off at 8:30 p.m., Eastern time, and wrapped up around 11 p.m. Eastern.
NBC, the U.S. host broadcaster for the Games, scheduled their coverage from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Eastern before switching to the debut of The Marriage Ref, a reality series excutive produced by Jerry Seinfeld.
Local news then followed, with a return to the coverage at 11:35 p.m. Eastern.
"Apparently the Closing Ceremonies are no longer being shown on NBC or its sister networks," the New York Times at around 10:43 p.m. Eastern. The Times' blog went on to describe the musical show unfolding LIVE on CTV. "Here's what you're missing: the ceremony has now morphed into an all-star rock concert, with the athletes, most of them wearing foam-moose antlers, invited to descend onto the stage and sway along to favorite hits from some of Canada's best-known pop and rock entertainers."
Attempts to reach NBC for comment were not immediately successful.
An Associated Press story reviewing the coverage called the decision "spectacularly wrongheaded."
"Those enjoying the festivities were told to come back in an hour --- at 11:30 p.m. on a night before work or school --- for the conclusion. Incredible that NBC would wrap a show it has high hopes for, not to mention one of its biggest stars, in such ill will," the AP article continued.
The decision also drew angry comment on Twitter.
Said Canadian Jamie Calder, "So they still think we're just a bunch of Mounties, & hockey players....?"
"NBC, interrupting the Olympic Closing Ceremonies for that show, was incredibly crass & self-serving," Genny Carter growled in his tweet. "All those feel-good montages .... wasted."
"Did anyone else watching the Closing Ceremonies on NBC think that it ended rather abruptly?" wondered RMCenta. "Did NBC just cut away from it?"
"They did," replied Shelley Rogers. "They got the gold medal for coverage cut off :) ."
"Damn NBC!" (Why) couldn't you just have streamed the ceremonies live?" ranted jellotreeparty. "I'm really bummed out that I won't get to see all the GOOD performances."
Well, thank Merlin for YouTube! Doubtless in the weeks to come, there will be tons and tons of footage from Sunday night's party posted there. As for you, thou vile dunderklumpens from NBC Universal, know that it is now YOUR turn to feel the Dragonmaster's foul displeasure! Again, you simply DO NOT go to commercial in the middle of an important production number! Really, dearests, does variety entertainment mean anything to anyone anymore, even in the age of American Idol? Obviously, the answer is no. I, for one, hope that The Marriage Ref gets canceled after one --- and I do mean ONE --- airing! Take heed, Leno --- for while others may blog harshly at you, I, on the other hand, choose to remain silent. Besides, there are other matters, namely the Oscars, that demand my immediate attention. C ya!
Master Blackwolf
NBC opted to break up its coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games' Closing Ceremonies Sunday night to squeeze in a new reality show.
The finale to the Games at B.C. Place Stadium kicked off at 8:30 p.m., Eastern time, and wrapped up around 11 p.m. Eastern.
NBC, the U.S. host broadcaster for the Games, scheduled their coverage from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Eastern before switching to the debut of The Marriage Ref, a reality series excutive produced by Jerry Seinfeld.
Local news then followed, with a return to the coverage at 11:35 p.m. Eastern.
"Apparently the Closing Ceremonies are no longer being shown on NBC or its sister networks," the New York Times at around 10:43 p.m. Eastern. The Times' blog went on to describe the musical show unfolding LIVE on CTV. "Here's what you're missing: the ceremony has now morphed into an all-star rock concert, with the athletes, most of them wearing foam-moose antlers, invited to descend onto the stage and sway along to favorite hits from some of Canada's best-known pop and rock entertainers."
Attempts to reach NBC for comment were not immediately successful.
An Associated Press story reviewing the coverage called the decision "spectacularly wrongheaded."
"Those enjoying the festivities were told to come back in an hour --- at 11:30 p.m. on a night before work or school --- for the conclusion. Incredible that NBC would wrap a show it has high hopes for, not to mention one of its biggest stars, in such ill will," the AP article continued.
The decision also drew angry comment on Twitter.
Said Canadian Jamie Calder, "So they still think we're just a bunch of Mounties, & hockey players....?"
"NBC, interrupting the Olympic Closing Ceremonies for that show, was incredibly crass & self-serving," Genny Carter growled in his tweet. "All those feel-good montages .... wasted."
"Did anyone else watching the Closing Ceremonies on NBC think that it ended rather abruptly?" wondered RMCenta. "Did NBC just cut away from it?"
"They did," replied Shelley Rogers. "They got the gold medal for coverage cut off :) ."
"Damn NBC!" (Why) couldn't you just have streamed the ceremonies live?" ranted jellotreeparty. "I'm really bummed out that I won't get to see all the GOOD performances."
Well, thank Merlin for YouTube! Doubtless in the weeks to come, there will be tons and tons of footage from Sunday night's party posted there. As for you, thou vile dunderklumpens from NBC Universal, know that it is now YOUR turn to feel the Dragonmaster's foul displeasure! Again, you simply DO NOT go to commercial in the middle of an important production number! Really, dearests, does variety entertainment mean anything to anyone anymore, even in the age of American Idol? Obviously, the answer is no. I, for one, hope that The Marriage Ref gets canceled after one --- and I do mean ONE --- airing! Take heed, Leno --- for while others may blog harshly at you, I, on the other hand, choose to remain silent. Besides, there are other matters, namely the Oscars, that demand my immediate attention. C ya!
Master Blackwolf