It does not matter. All are more or less the same story in general: three boys in the early days of the CCT, sitting around a bar, drinking and the exchange of ideas and strategies for the next train the network at a time still was not a household name and basic cable. Someone yells "Shark Week!" or someone asks, "Would not it be a good idea if his ...." and the rest is television history.
How has
Guess what is reported is true, so far as it goes. But that's not the whole story. I know because I was there first "Shark Week" has increased - the meeting of non-executive reflection in office before the "meeting" of the leader at the head.
I know because it was my idea.
As usual, the reality is much more interesting - and ironic - the legend. And believe me, it was not a stroke of genius. It was 1988, I was a 20-something idealist Gung ho, who recently joined the programming department on the Discovery Channel, which was founded in the days of low rent Landover, Maryland, according to the DC line, in an ugly large building black office building in the near the "Darth Vader" penultimate station on the Orange Line of the subway, a network technology type skyscraper before (now at ESPN) Bob Liguori justly famous.
I was hired by and work for my former university TA Radio, Television and Film department now defunct Maryland, Steve Cheskin, and my old RTVF beloved teacher, the late Mike du Monceau. Discovered in the early days was the deep ocean with former Terrapin, so I knew that a lot of people out there - Mark Kozaki, Danny Rex recka Salerno, etc Any intelligent, well, Steve and Mike.
He had spent the last two years of high school English in the Deep South, for reasons not worth here, but Steve and I had kept in touch. I was almost grateful that he during my last years of college, hire me to subscriptions for sale Storer have cable TV door-to-door in suburban Maryland DC: I ended up enough money to pay for school and subsequent support almost a year traveling in Europe and Africa.
So Steve had to begin a favor, and turned, as he reached for my second year of teaching in Hinesville, Georgia., If I put a bullet in the head to see if I was with him in discovery . It was not a difficult decision. Graduation came and went.
But the Discovery Channel in 1988 was a little hard to understand one foot in American homes. He investors such as the BBC, but I do not think he had broken the 50% penetration, and the notes had reached a plateau. At that time there was not a specific channel or regular; Discovery documentary showed a tonne of emissions based - some sarcastic jokes in the office called "The F # cking Animals Channel" - actually populist programs like "American Chopper" and "Naked & Alone" and were now on. In my opinion the discovery of a National Geographic TV would be (real NatGeo channel will not launch in the United States for almost 15 years), be a noble task, and I was able to reach the ground floor.
Fantasy and reality
So if Steve crunched department planning a brainstorming session at the office, literally, one of my first days of the discovery, I was in for a rude awakening. The people were desperate, but there was a sense of urgency in the air. The transport network will increase over the cable operators - remember before the massive consolidation of media companies, back in the early days, there were many other cable systems and fewer channels (" 57 channels and nothin 'On " was the action of Springsteen as the end of 1992) - Notes and the increases were essential to the fisheries in a manner to favorites more systems would most area TV reruns. provided a great opportunity for the discovery of a crack in the homes of viewers who had access.
I was young, naive and dismayed. I thought I took a television channel that wanted to change the world for the better, but I was in a room full of people who did one thing and only one thing in mind: notes.
Spitballed ideas discussed Gadgets, waterfalls made progress, but the budget was limited. Discovery must inventory the network programming take already bought, of course, can not afford to create something new.
Finally, to justify that I realized disgusted that I is surrounded by the Philistines, sarcastic, something like:. "Look, we know that most animals more notes, and if they kill you, is the best Why So not only shark air shows throughout the summer? "
Again: It's not a stroke of genius. In fact, also be understood as a serious idea. I was only a joke dark sarcastic comments, which I thought was the search for the common denominator lowest price. You know: television.
But the room was silent for a moment. "It's actually not a bad idea, actually," said someone, or something similar. There was a discussion about it, I was amazed that people actually take seriously, then all went on. He had faith, but it was not a "Eureka!" Times. Later that night, as the founder of the discovery and CEO John Hendricks belongs. Then suddenly there was a struggle for shark programming.
If I remember correctly, the first Shark Week has not even fill enough original programming to a whole week, and some of the shows were times in prime time. It was to take a battle for a limited marketing strategy, because everything had to turn to a matter of weeks. I had zero credit, Steve and Mike Cheskin du Monceau and another man named Clark Bunting, who were at the meeting in the open air with John Hendricks, have the honor, but it was not simply the glory first. Only if the ratings again, almost double the usual number of discovery, made people really excited about Shark Week.
Loyal Soldier
I stay mostly kept his mouth shut, because I was young and loyal and I felt that I had my work Steve - twice! - So I bought the whole company bull t we all on the same team are looking everybody'll for all, blah blah blah. But if Shark Week II prepared in 1989, I went to find and count John Hendricks, who was actually my idea, which I had with her in the meeting before the meeting (I omitted the part that just sarcastic out of my way was), and asked if he knew. I knew he did not do it, but I thought it was the best way to put them. He looked surprised and said no, but that was the end.
Ultimately, Steve and I had a fight that had nothing to do with the Discovery Shark Week and I leave after a few years. In the quarter century later, I watched in amazement as funny Shark Week has become a part of the conversation and the spirit of the American era, to tell the truth to the family, friends and colleagues, but never actually found in paper. I really had no resentment against anyone, it was not so, I would make money from it, and I did not like the potential party or piss Worse s lead 'when I applied. I reach out to another person a few years ago in the meeting via e-mail brainstorming was the guarantor for my story, but because many of the old crew of Discovery featured Also, I will not put in the place.
So why now?
Basically, I asked the right person at the right time. Laurie Petersen, AOL Jobs editor, is a lifelong friend, and she asked me if I write something about Shark Week.
But still probably would have apologized if it were not for the Comic-Con., A few weeks It was a panel dedicated writer Bill Finger , co-creator of Batman. Finger was a quiet man who modestly not like conflict and shaved the box with artist Bob Kane and DC Comics. He went to his death are unknown, and it has to recognize a movement in recent years to the major contribution to the Dark Knight.
In a recent New York Times story that have examined the status of the fingers and other creators of comics, a piece of the action to their heroes turned into billion-dollar franchise, see the guardians of the Marvel Comics co-creator Keith did not get Galaxy Giffen said the Times, advises his granddaughter ", a creator not be. know the operator. become rich., you never will." Well, Shark Week, which was even less than that. What to do with me?
These are the two main events. But in the end, more than anything, I just wanted to everyone to tell the truth, because there is much more interesting than the legend. "Shark Week" is not a good creative idea is a cynical joke of a young man who was his first real taste idealistic, what happens when good intentions are made the cold, hard facts Financial. And it is not the fish story.
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