I found this pilot that I made for ABC News Now — what at the time was billed to be a mobile phone concentrated news network, which was to be the future. With the layoffs at ABC News this past month, mentioned in this blog, I thought it interesting to revisit this moment in time — late 2004. John Kerry had just lost the election and George W. Bush had a lot of political capital. Of the THREE Anchors of a generation, only one had walked off into the sunset, another was in the process of being disgraced and yet another, didn’t know his fate.

Here are some interesting points when watching this:

1. Distribution. Youtube had not been invented, or made widely available yet — so I had very few legitimate options if I wanted to get this out on my own some other way.
2. Still trying. Like Woody Allen, I keep trying to make the same movie over and over again. REF: My email to Charles Gibson(I can reveal this today) after his Woody Allen Interview — I got no response: http://tomarken.com/criticism/2005/05/i-got-a-lot-out-of-your-woody-allen-intv

For instance, Sam Rieff-Pasarew finds a place in all my very first pilot projects — but I’ve learned a few things since:

3. 2004. Peter Jennings was still in the building when I showed this around. As was, Ted Koppel down at his perch in DC. I showed this to everyone I could find — unbased — but it had to be distributed by DVD(and that was modern — “DIGITAL”). They were an all tape house. I remember 40 year old producers futzing with the dvd tray to try on their DESKTOPS trying to get this to play, and the speakers were often not set up.
4. Its true. I hijacked a studio — edited late at night in stairwells and now with my 30 year old mind, I appreciate the cover and support I got for doing this renegade from my bosses there at the time, I could imagine it was uncomfortable for them to have me showing it around. Its sad that on the one hand I’m embarrassed wondering wtf I was thinking — I certainly look less dorkier right now — on the other, looking at the tape pieces, I’m pretty certain something like this WOULD have gotten picked up today somewhere. I couldn’t get it on a mobile phone network at 2AM on a Thursday in 2004.
5. Instant Message thing. With the Current, HACK THE DEBATE — I would say that it was realized there, EXCEPT — look at how LONG the AIMs were?  I’m not sure if that’s why twitter still struggles to find its place on OLD TEE VEE. 140 is too short for complicated thoughts and ideas.

And now — just the exploding TEE VEE part: