Long before cable, satellite dishes, prepackaged syndication, infomercials, and reality shows, there was a brand of entertainment that has today nearly vanished from the airwaves: local TV. From Bozo and Oopsy the clowns to the cheesy antics of Sir Graves Ghastly to Soupy Sales, Detroit TV was a smorgasbord of exuberant, quirky personalities and one-of-a-kind television shows. These vintage programs belong to a dying breed of homemade talent overshadowed by our racier but woefully monochromatic and bland diet of sports figures, musicians, and Hollywood celebrities. Based on actual interviews with the people who made Detroit TV, Gordon Castelnero's ""TV Land - Detroit"" reawakens the emotional attachment and nostalgia our community has for these shows, bringing the characters and the programs back to life. From the glamorous Rita Bell to the campy and kooky Sir Graves Ghastly, the zany Soupy Sales to the opinionated and often confrontational Lou Gordon and the gruff-voiced and somnolent George Pierrot, Castelnero describes a quintessentially American yet nearly extinct folk celebrity that's been replaced by slick productions, big budgets, ironic and edgy program values, and gargantuan egos.
- ISBN13 9780472031245
- Publish Date 30 April 2006
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint The University of Michigan Press
- Format Paperback
- Pages 400
- Language English