That’s Showbiz for You!

So, we were all excited…

We had gotten a call from ABC World News with Charles Gibson.  They were doing a week-long series on caring for aging parents and they wanted to interview me as part of the segment on the emotional stresses that caregiving causes families. 

Being the “old pros” that we are (we were on ABC Nightly News with Peter Jennings in 1999 & part of the PBS special entitled, “And Thou Shalt Honor”) we took this in our stride and waited until after the taping to tell everyone that we know about the show.  We were told by the reporters that “our” segment would be aired on the Wednesday after the taping. 

I have to tell you that even doing the taping was an adventure.  It was different from our other experiences.  They came to our suite and set up a micro-studio in my office.  They moved furniture, rearranged books to give the best color background, set up intense lights (that they called daylight, even though the overhead lights were all dark), checked the sound levels, focused the camera and arranged a conference call with two reporters.  I even had to speak to someone who was not actually in the camera view, so that it would look like a live interview.  It’s not easy talking to a blank face with voices coming from a black box off to the side!

They were with us for about two hours.  The very next day, we rallied all of our resources to tell the world to watch the show.  We were on email and telephone, we issued press releases, we sent head shots to local media.  One friend even told about 30 of my college friends, some of whom I haven’t seen in decades.  Family near and far were informed, referral sources were alerted.  Believe me folks, viewership was up for the night of June 27! 

Then at the last minute, another call came...

The segment was cut from the show because there had been a blackout in NY and it took time away from the special segment.  We were off the air!

I am still answering emails about what happened.  I guess that is the nature of show business!  I just hope that the next time they need an “old pro” in the aging field that ABC will remember the good job we did and call on us again. 

That’s all folks!!!!!