Channel Flirting
Steve
Devadanam
What's the "Big Story?"
Local TV news has turned its collective eyes to something collegians know a little about - lack of sleep.
Channel 13 is doing a story on it, and Channel 2's resident fall guy Rob Johnson did a piece on it last week. A kinder, gentler news story than pepper spray in the face or killer bees. So what's with the change?
"Some of the newer stories I'm doing now don't have the edge that earlier ones did," Johnson said from the phone at his news desk, "but they're a lot more practical."
For last Thursday's story, he visited the Baylor College of Medicine to have his sleep deprivation monitored.
Then he spent the night avoiding slumber by playing hockey, doing laundry and talking to cops at House of Pies.
He even stopped at Shipley's for the proverbial sleep killer -- a glazed donut.
Still, the 30-year-old Johnson looked remarkably pristine on camera, considering he'd been awake for 29 hours.
He shrugged it off, however, reminding me that images of him unshaven and yawning at 2 a.m. added realism.
"People see us on TV looking perfect: We've got makeup on, clean shaven. Then there's Rob yawning.
"No one yawns on TV. I think it adds the human element."
Human interest acknowledged, it was a snappy, fluid piece. But I wonder what happened during the hours that Johnson didn't document:
7:30 p.m.: Goes to hairdresser, demands "Dominique hair."
10:07 p.m.: Interrupts Bill Balleza and Linda Lorrelle's newscast by changing the channels on all of those TV monitors behind them.
10:35 p.m.: Calls KPRC management, demands to be new host of The Eyes of Texas. Also, answers phone as "Matt Lauer."
11:20 p.m.: Calls management back, demands the slogan be changed to "News 2 Houston, Where Rob Johnson Comes First."
3:17 a.m.: In a final effort to stay awake, Johnson maces himself with pepper spray while handling killer bees in his apartment.
Tuesday is Stargazing Day
Country songstress Trisha Yearwood makes a cameo on the CBS yawner Jag (7 p.m.) while Lisa Kudrow and James Carville visit Mad About You (NBC, 7 p.m.).
CBS then does the country thing again when Clint Black stars in Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack (8 p.m.).
On ABC, NBA good guy Grant Hill makes an appearance on the ever-annoying Home Improvement, and Brit funnyman John Cleese lands on Third Rock from the Sun (NBC, 8:30p.m.).
And Finally ...
A "must see" Frasier as Niles comes close to admitting his thing for Daphne (Tuesday, NBC, 8 p.m.).
Also, Jerry starts dating his maid, and Elaine finally gets her old area code back on Seinfeld.
And congrats to The Simpsons for 200 episodes and finally bagging U2, and to South Park for the most inventive way to solve a paternity suit.