Oops! On my local ABC station, a news anchor JUST dropped...

[Filliam H. Muffman]

PeterB wrote:
...It went on for maybe 2-3 minutes and then faded out without explanation or anything. It was painful to watch.

That gives me the distinct impression that someone in the director's booth might have done it as a hit job.

[RAMd®d]

Gilbert Gottfried, one of the unfunniest 'comedians' ever.

EVER.

He should have been never been hired, just for cause.

My favorite off-color blooper, not profanity, was the Dating Game hosted by Bob Eubanks.

The question the women had to answer, matching their husband for a win, was 'Where was the strangest place you ever made 'whoopee'?'

She answered, somewhat timidly - 'In my a**?'

The word was muted, but if one could read mouth, her answer was obvious.

For years Eubanks denied it ever happened, then later admitted to it.

There was video on YouTube, maybe still is.

I saw it when the show aired, and no about of F-bs could have eclipsed that moment.

Oh, and the husband said something completely different, and very vanilla.

I laughed a lot for days and days and days...

And then some.

[NewtonMP2100]

....dropped it like it's hot......???

[GGD]

A few decades ago when Brian Williams was still on his way up the ladder at NBC, he was doing a weekend newscast I was watching and I don't know if it was supposed to be a commercial break or what, but he was on camera and didn't think he was on the air, and he was acting almost like he was looking into a mirror and "adjusting his face", wiggling his nose, puffing his cheeks, etc, trying to get his "TV face" perfect.

[PeterB]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
[quote=PeterB]
...It went on for maybe 2-3 minutes and then faded out without explanation or anything. It was painful to watch.

That gives me the distinct impression that someone in the director's booth might have done it as a hit job.
Possible. As I mentioned, the anchor was discussing how bad a job he'd just done giving the news (right before the "accidental" airing before the commercials)... frankly I'd have to agree with him -- he really didn't come across with the gravitas needed to be an anchor, delivery was poor, etc. But while he was saying how badly he'd f-d up, a woman's voice off camera could be heard trying to console/comfort him a bit. So yes, it might have been a producer/director basically putting the guy in his place.

Edit: cursing on air doesn't necessarily have good consequences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd8SJlvfrlA

[NewtonMP2100]

GGD wrote:
A few decades ago when Brian Williams was still on his way up the ladder at NBC, he was doing a weekend newscast I was watching and I don't know if it was supposed to be a commercial break or what, but he was on camera and didn't think he was on the air, and he was acting almost like he was looking into a mirror and "adjusting his face", wiggling his nose, puffing his cheeks, etc, trying to get his "TV face" perfect.

....that gives some insight into his ultimate downfall........

[AllGold]

PeterB wrote:
Edit: cursing on air doesn't necessarily have good consequences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd8SJlvfrlA

That's the one I was thinking of. He didn't last long.

A long time ago--a really long time ago--while I was visiting Los Angeles, I was watching one of the local stations (of course I don't remember which) and when it was time for their 8:00 or 9:00 news promo where they tell you what will be on the 11:00 news... they went to the news desk in the studio and sitting there was Connie Chung (yes, that Connie Chung before she went national) with absolutely no idea she was on air. She was looking down most of the time organizing and reading through her scripts. I think she probably spent some time fixing her hair or makeup or whatever, too, but I don't recall for sure. But I clearly remember her saying "Hi, Henry" to someone off camera without really looking up. Finally, the last few seconds of the promo she looked up, must have seen the red light and only had time to say "Oh!" before the promo slot was over and the station went on to the next thing.

It was pretty funny seeing that kind of thing in a market as big as Los Angeles.

[Dennis S]

In 1970 or 1971, Joe Garagiola was doing an ad for Smucker's jelly during the Today Show. The tag line was "with a name like Smucker's, it has to be good." He messed it up somehow and the show went to black. You could hear him in the background saying, "Christ, I'm sorry. G D it." My college room mate and I heard it while we were getting ready for class. Back then, things like that didn't happen. The next day, he read an apology on the show.