That's a Wrap

On Thursday night, I had the honor of attending the final taping of ABC6's The Truman Taylor Show. As many of you know, The Truman Taylor Show is Southeastern New England's preeminent news and public-affairs discussion show. Please note, though, that Truman has not necessarily been a stereotypical news discussion show. Oh, sure, there was a steady stream of politicians, and headlines of the day were regularly front-and-center. But Truman was never afraid to mix it up a little; let's face it - every now and then, we, the viewers, need a break from the news-of-the-day and the politicians-of-the-week. And on occasion and in its own way, Truman would provide such a diversion. Sometimes these breaks would take the form of a discussion about and demonstration of the latest electronic gadgets and gizmos; other times, the show would feature offbeat personalities or unusual characters, such as extremely-colorful author Matthew Lesko (who is probably best known from his television commercials, in which he donned a "question mark"-laden suit to pitch books about getting free money from the government - ahhh, now you know who I'm talking about, don't you?).

Now, what some of you may not know is that Mr. Truman Taylor, the quintessential television professional, has been hosting this show for 40 years. That's right: 40 years. In fact, he's been with the station from its sign-on in January 1963. In a medium in which longevity is often measured in months, a 40-plus year-run at the same television station is, to say the least, an incredible accomplishment.

Another fact that some of you may not know is that I am a former producer (or, as I prefer to call myself, "producer emeritus") of The Truman Taylor Show. It was my honor and privilege to be associated with Truman and ABC6 (WLNE), and I truly enjoyed my days at the helm of this heritage series. The best things, however, that came out of my association with the show and the station were the enduring friendships that remain with me to this day: Truman, co-host Bob, Lori, Polly, Judy, etc. They're a great bunch of people, and I'm lucky that they're even willing to tolerate my company.

For most of its 40-year run, The Truman Taylor Show was telecast Sunday mornings at either 12:00 noon or 11:30am (for many years leading-out of ABC's This Week). Sadly, thanks to the short-sightedness of a bottom-line, community-obligation-be-damned station manager, Truman last year was moved from the coveted 11:30am slot to the much-less desirable 7:30am slot. And while that time is just a tad too early for yours-truly to be tuning in, thanks to the magic of TiVo, I (and other DVRers) have been able to continue to view the show without the horror of having to rise at some ungodly Sunday hour.

Anyway -- the final taping on Thursday went off without a hitch (well, that is if we don't include that one teleprompter error - had you forgotten everything that I taught you, Mrs. Needham?). It was great to be on the old set again and to see the old gang again, and the cake served immediately following the taping was delicious (good choice, Mrs. Needham - and it almost made up for that prompter error!).

And Truman - if you're reading this: thanks for the beer after the show. But don't forget - I STILL owe you for the "George in the parking lot" incident. Revenge is a dish best served cold, you know...