The olden days of reality TV

[Uethym]

I ran into someone from my high school the other day, and it reminded me of a funny (and LONG) story y'all might enjoy.

It's fall 1994, my senior year of high school. Reality TV as we know it doesn't really exist yet -- "Survivor" is a few years away -- but "Cops" is getting popular on a FOX network that's still not an equal partner with the Big 3. Looking to capitalize on the format, they come up with a second show concentrating on...yup, senior year at high school, and call it "Yearbook".

They pick my high school, Glenbard West in Glen Ellyn, IL, almost certainly because of how it looks. It's a freakin' castle -- it actually *looks* like one -- sitting on the only hill for 50 miles. If you've ever seen the movie "Lucas" (throw it to Lucas!!), that's the one. Absolutely stunning.

Anyway, they ask the principal for a list of 20 or so students that they can follow throughout the year, and my name ends up there. I'm sure it's partly to fill the "smart kid/geek" casting slot, and partly because my principal wanted at least a few upstanding citizens in the mix to make sure the school didn't look bad. So a couple of weeks before Homecoming, I get invited to a production meeting. They ask me to bring a friend, and I bring my buddy Amar.

They ask me how I intend to spend Homecoming. I tell them that first I have to be in the parade (I'm German Club Rose King -- must've been the only boy in the club). Since I'll already be there, I'll probably go to the game. Then it's homework all day (I worked my ass off in high school), and that night Amar and I are headed to a friend's house for our nickel-dime-quarter poker game (yup, even back then).

The producer comes back with this amazing speech.

"OK, here's what we are looking for. We want to show, you know, how the other half lives, the kids who don't do the dance and all the other normal Homecoming things. And you're perfect for that. We'd like to start by taping you getting ready for the parade. We'll need a bookcase, or a computer in the background to set your character -- if you don't have something appropriate at home, we can redo it at the school later in the day. After the parade, we'll be concentrating on the more interesting activities, but we'll pick up on you again at the poker game, you know, to contrast with the dance. But we can't show a money game on TV, so you guys will have to get some chips or something to substitute while we're there. Sound good?"

Now I'm steadily getting more and more hacked off at this whitewash of my life. The producer is oblivious and smiling broadly. She finally notices Amar, however, who hasn't spoken a word since we arrived, and is sitting with his arms crossed and a sullen look on his face. "How about you? Where do you see yourself in all of this?", the producer asks him.

All of a sudden Amar lurches across the table, wags his finger at her, and says loudly, "I'm not saying a &#@*ING THING until you put Alien Nation back on the air!"

He sat back down. There was a full minute of dead silence. Then the meeting ended, and I never spoke to the producers again. Which was OK.

Denouement: "Yearbook" had the unfortunately combination of (a) sucking, and (b) getting hit by tragedy, as one of the "stars" was killed in some kind of gang situation, unheard of in that community. The show ran six episodes, then disappeared. I've never met anyone who has seen it.

[man]

cool.

[imported_CaseClosed326]

Interesting story. And your former highschool is crazy as hell.

[Harv72b]

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I'm not saying a &#@*ING THING until you put Alien Nation back on the air

[/ QUOTE ]

Classic.

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I've never met anyone who has seen it.

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I think I watched one episode. I remember the show, anyway.