Laughing in the Rain

Detroit Public TV lost a friend this week. His name was Scott Booth. I didn’t know him well, but he was a producer who created a lot of great work in our community and on Channel 56.

He was 44 and died from injuries in an accident that happened along Woodward Avenue. That’s the headline. I don’t know the back-story but I do know that when I worked with him he was fun, had a great laugh and a light approach to TV; which was key in shooting an episode of “Get Up Get Out” with me and Kelley at Red Oaks Waterpark – with a hundred kids – in a thunderstorm!

I haven’t seen him around lately, but I know many will miss him. He was one of us, and now he is gone. We were talking about Scott in the pledge studio last night and remembering some of the things that he worked on. Thinking about the randomness of things, it’s hard to know how to exactly put it into perspective, but that is always the work of those left behind.

Our live pledge programming last night went to 11 p.m. As I headed eagerly to the door, our volunteers from the Renaissance Festival hollered out to me to ask if I would take their picture on the pledge set. Of course I would. I snapped a couple shots with someone’s phone and then as one of the “wenches” was handing over her digital camera, she stopped.

“Oh, my battery is dead!”
She ran out of the room in her bodice and bonnet to retrieve a fresh one from her bag. As a minute or so passed I thought about getting out the door – I had just texted Wendy that I was going to be home in 30 minutes and now I was tracking behind. Finally, the “maiden” returned and we got a nice shot of Kelley and the Festival players in the studio.

When I finally got onto north 75, I could see a slow-down up ahead. Approaching Eight Mile Road I discovered the aftermath of multi-car accident. A couple cars off to the left; one in the center lane; two on the right shoulder and one upside down at the top of the embankment, resting against the overpass.

The police hadn’t arrived yet and a couple of people were still getting out of their cars; it was a bad scene. With his passing fresh in my mind, Scott was the first thing I thought of – him, and these random moments of panic and pain that sometimes seem unavoidable.

And then I thought about that minute. The minute I waited for someone to replace a battery that had stopped me from leaving a little sooner. The minute that I checked the time on my phone and chit-chatted with Kelley and the volunteers…now, I’m not saying I was going to be in that accident, but at that moment, I was sure glad I wasn’t.

So the randomness of things moves both ways; sometimes what seems like an obstacle is really an assist; things that might be hindering our progress are actually moving us forward, just at a little different pace. From the little I knew of Scott I think he got that. At least that’s how it seemed that day that he, Kelley I spent laughing in the rain – or maybe, thanks to Scott, we were laughing at it.

Fred Nahhat is Director of On-Air Fundraising and Co-host of “Get Up Get Out.”

Reclaiming History

I was watching “Book Notes” on CSPAN last night and they were airing an interview with Vincent Bugliosi about his book “Reclaiming History” on the Kennedy assassination. Aside from thinking that I needed to get a life, it reminded me of an old friend I hadn’t thought about in years.

His name was Al. He was in his 70s and he lived in an apartment complex where I was a van driver in college. His sisters Angela and Mary lived there too, a couple of buildings down. Aside from taking the bank deposit each day, it was my job to drive tenants along a fixed route in Birmingham and Troy – with stops at Perry Drugs; Farmer Jack and the theater – and for about a year, I drove Al and the other residents on their errands around town.

Long since retired, Al dressed each day as if he was still going to work at the IRS where he’d started after World War II: Suit. Shirt and tie, overcoat and a grey felt fedora. He appeared to be a buttoned-down type, but he was quick with a smile or quip or a cutting remark under his breath directed mostly at Angela who’d never let him get a word in edgewise – which was difficult enough for Al who had a terrible stutter.

He knew I was finishing school and he’d tell me stories about what it was like when he was starting out. He said he’d had been offered a job at a bank, but received his induction notice the very next day. “The man told me to come and see him when the war was over, and I did,” but by then, everything changed. Al served in the Navy during World War II and although he said he was proud of it, he told me frankly one day: “it ruined my life.”

He said he could speak just fine when he went in, but he became so shell-shocked by the constant bombing and shelling that he couldn’t talk, couldn’t sleep and certainly couldn’t take that job as a banker. And most regrettably, he said, it kept him from ever getting married.

One day, when I was helping him carry in his groceries, he pulled a copy of “Helter Skelter” off his bookshelf and said to me: “My nephew wrote this book.”

“Your nephew is Vincent Bugliosi?” I asked. And he said he was.

He opened the front cover and showed me the inscription: “To Uncle Al – Love Vincent.” For the next hour, Al spoke freely about how proud he was of Bugliosi; he talked about Charles Manson and Sharon Tate. He told me how Vincent had come to Detroit one time to appear on a TV show – and that he brought him to the studio and then took him to lunch.

But the thing I remember most about that conversation was that suddenly the old man’s stuttering had all but disappeared. No stammering, no fits and starts, no struggling to communicate – just the passion of an old Italian telling a story of his family with a twinkle in his eye.

After I finished college, I’d visit Al from time to time and we’d talk. But nothing ever matched the joy he’d shown that day bringing in his groceries and talking about the man he said was his nephew and made him so proud – the one who was now on TV talking about “Reclaiming History.” If only Al could have re-claimed his own.

Fred Nahhat is DPTV Director of On-Air Fundraising and Co-host of “Get Up Get Out.”

Can You Hear the Thunder?

Last night we premiered a new show on DPTV called “Celtic Thunder.” It features five young male singers – between the ages of 14 and 39 – performing live on stage at the Helix Theatre in Dublin. It’s a sequel of sorts to the Celtic Woman shows that have been so popular here in the past. Public Television – especially on the pledge plane – can be a remarkable process. It’s dynamism, really in the sense that you get what you give.

What we call a “pledge” program often comes from different producers. Some times DPTV is responsible the show; some are from PBS, others from independent producers including other stations. This one was produced by Sharon Brown and Phil Coulter. Sharon produced the Celtic Woman programs and Phil’s had an interesting career as a singer, performer and producer. He’s even worked in the studio with Elvis himself.

So here they are, these Celtic men – remarkable singers – but yet unheralded to the point that they have other “lives.” One is a father and mainstay on the Scottish folk’s scene; there’s an accountant, a classical singer; a surfer and an Irish teenager who’s still in braces and has something cookin’ with his first girlfriend. And to producers like Coulter and Brown the idea of bringing a production to life is a less about a resume and more about creating an atmosphere where something explosive can happen.

Powerful male vocalists singing traditional Celtic, American contemporary and original songs, might be enough of a production to broadcast on our air, and then ask you for your support. But that’s not enough for us. The programs are only the beginning of a circuitry of additional opportunities and content we provide with our broadcast experiences. First, if you missed it, look for a repeat of “Celtic Thunder” St. Patrick’s Day at 10 p.m.

Additionally, the program producers invited us to interview these Celtic guys – Keith, George, Ryan, Paul, Damien as well as the producers themselves, as a way for our local audience to meet the cast of this new production up close.

While we had only enough time to broadcast a few of these conversations last night, we’ve put all the interviews up at our website for you to view by Video on Demand.

And because we believe what is best about public TV is localism, we’re providing a concert opportunity for you as well. Our friends at the Fox Theatre will be hosting Celtic Thunder October 14 at 7:30 p.m. and you can get tickets as a thank-you gift by supporting Public TV. We’re also offering a meet & greet opportunity with the performers, exclusive to supporters of DPTV available right now.

Sometimes a show is just a show. And sometimes it’s powerful enough to give you a new passion to pursue just by watching it. And then there are times when you put enough of yourself into the experience -- when enough positive elements are in place – that the natural force of giving and giving back ignite the ions until suddenly you’ll see a flash. And hear the Thunder.

Fred Nahhat is DPTV Director of On-Air and Online Fundraising

Snow Day

Snow Day! Almost nothing gives kids more unadulterated joy than those two words. Okay, maybe Christmas, Easter, summer vacation. But there’s build-up to those. A snow day is usually a surprise; like a shiny package delivered at sunrise. Yesterday was not just a day off from school. To a kid, like my son Jesse, it was one of those moments where the entire universe opens up and you can drift into the snow covered mystic.

Of course snow days aren’t always so great for adults - especially in March. Ugh. Enough already. Switching schedules, finding coverage for the kids, and of course, driving and shoveling, can make you feel like you’re having a midnight snack in the “Big Chill.” No one said it was going to be easy.

In so many ways we have adult-erated our joy. We’ve tempered it. And you can’t help most of it; you have to suppress the fuzzy feelings to survive, right? Got that. But if you slow things down enough to read the sign posts are you at least on the path to it? Only you can say what gives you joy and if we’ve learned anything from the prophets of positive thinking, we know that we’re responsible for our own bliss.

But really, who has time to find your Chi, when you’re just trying to find your keys?

So, let me ask: Can television help you with that? Help you find your kwan? A lot of TV is about instant joy; sports and drama and comedy and the ironically named “reality” shows. But don’t those things really just help you reach artificial heights? Leaving you to crash after the closing credits? It’s like a visual energy drink; feels great on the way up, but it can’t sustain you.

That’s where Public Television is different. We’re offering shows everyday that do provide sustenance, both intellectual and emotional. We produce content that can be at once lined with linear narrative and abstract thought. Our work investigates conditions or issues that can result in a meaningful difference in the lives of people who are either the subjects of our programming or who just simply watch it. We produce programs that have the capacity to move people either incrementally toward an idea or to a whole new level of consciousness.

If you’ve yet to experience that, there are a couple of programs on this month that can help you with the passion thing. Deepak Chopra’s new program “The Happiness Prescription” discusses modern research on what makes people happy and unveils 10 Keys to help you live more joyfully. Then there’s Jack Canfield - “The Chicken Soup for the Soul” guy - who provides viewers with a clear, personalized action plan for improving lifestyle, opportunities and relationships in his program, “The Secret Law of Attraction.” Can one TV show help you find inner peace? Probably not. But you can find opportunities for inspiration by watching Detroit Public TV every week. All you have to do is leave yourself open to the possibility that ideas you’ve yet to explore may lead you to exactly what you’ve been looking for. And then maybe every day can be a snow day - even if you’re not a kid anymore.

Fred Nahhat
DPTV Director of On-Air and Online Fundraising

The OMG Generation

We went to the Jonas Brothers concert last Saturday night at the Fox and it was crazy! The sound of the ‘tween girls screaming for the 3 JoBros was so loud you couldn’t even hear the band singing! OMG!

Jesse and I had fun; so did his Mom and his hockey bud Andrew. But this was clearly an event dominated by frenzied teen and pre-teen girls.

Looking around though it occurred to me that (other than the camera phones), it could have been any group of girls at any time; from Elvis to the Beatles; from the Osmonds to the Bee Gees: Deafening enthusiasm, signs and squeals and singing and dancing along.

It reminded me that we’ve all gone through that stage, right? Ladies, who did you scream for as a middle or high schooler? David Cassidy? Bobby Sherman? How about Andy Gibb or New Kids on the Block? Bet it was someone.

There are a couple of programs coming up on DPTV in March that might remind you of the time when you acted as wildly as these screaming ‘tweens:

The Osmonds 50th Anniversary Concert, airing Tuesday, March 4 at 9 p.m., brings back memories of purple socks and “Puppy Love.” Join us for an evening featuring the music of the “Me” Decade including “Lazy River,” “We’re Having a Party,” and “One Bad Apple.”

Then, there’s Paul McCartney’s new special – “The Space Within Us,” airing Wednesday, March 12 at 10 p.m. Sure it’s Paul in his 60s, not from the 60s, but you’ll still hear “Magical Mystery Tour,” “Good Day Sunshine” and “Helter Skelter!” Oh, and we’ll be giving away a framed Beatles poster from photographer Spike Bell and Field Art Studio that features The Fab Four and their screaming fans at Olympia in 1964.

“OMG. It’s Paul!”

Fred Nahhat

DPTV Director of On-Air and Online Fundraising

fred@dptv.org

Moon Shadows

Did you see the lunar eclipse last night? It’s great when nature brings you that kind of limited engagement. I wouldn’t have even known about it except that it was featured on Yahoo yesterday. Seeing that article every time I went online during the day helped me remember to look to the sky beginning at around 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Last night I had my son Jesse and my nephews Hunter and Clay on the backyard rink and occasionally I’d stop the hockey game and insist that everybody look upward. It was pretty cool -- especially when it was fully in shadow, glowing red. From the ice I called my wife Wendy on my cell phone and insisted she come out and view it with us and I even called Kelley Hamilton, who’s a bit of a moon child, to remind her to step outside and take a look. Busier than most with her four-month-old, she said she appreciated the reminder. And I appreciated the reminder too. The one I got from

The one I also got from and . Now the internet is at once, a blessing and a curse. I love the instant communication. The downside of it is there’s just so much information it’s overwhelming. The web is not a place for those who are easily distracted, and I am one. But in this case, it was a tickler for us to do something outside the virtual world.

And I guess that’s the best possible use for the technology; to maximize our time with the planet and with each other. To use these tools to accomplish our tasks and still have enough time and energy to do the things that we really require; time spent together in a common experience. And as we stood there staring up at the moon in full eclipse I realized the real limited engagement was the one I was having with Jesse, Hunter and Clay on the ice in my backyard. If that sounds a little overly sentimental, you’ll forgive me; I need all the help I can get. I play hockey with a cell phone in my pocket.

Fred Nahhat

DPTV Director of On-Air & Online Fundraising
fred@dptv.org

February's Slow Ride

Who had their commute doubled – or tripled – this week because of the snow? What a drag to have it start falling just before rush hour and then have to slog through it for an hour or two just to get home. Talked to a lot of people here at the station who got so frustrated with that commute it was a common experience. It was the kind of thing that makes you want to spend some quality time watching TV, right? Sure. But there’s not a lot of original content on network and cable these days. And it seems unusually vast right now as we’re in the middle of a sweeps month and ratings are being recorded (and ad rates set) for commercial broadcasters. The writers strike – even as it’s about to be settled – has mostly been about the creative types getting a piece of the new media pie, net-casts and downloads and that seems fair to me. But I sure hope it doesn’t lead to a big “correction” in ad revenue, because that’s the last thing we need around here. Of course, Public TV has writers too, but these fears of fewer viewers leading to falling ad rates on commercial television really demonstrates just how that system is set up: to deliver viewers to advertisers – unlike our service which is designed to deliver content to viewers. And we’re having a pretty good week in the content department; a new “Masterpiece”; “Antiques Roadshow” and “Nova” and of course the premiere of “African American Lives 2.” Hopefully this week’s programs are providing a common experience of a more positive nature. (Oh, and a new “Nature,” too….)

Posted by Fred Nahhat, DPTV Director of On-Air & Online Fundraising, Detroit Public TV

fred@dptv.org