Packed with a star-studded cast, Jared Hess’ heist comedy “Masterminds” finally hits theaters at this weekend after months of push backs. Promising big laughs and high stakes, the film is based on the true story of the 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery, where David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) and seven other conspirators stole $17 million from a Loomis, Fargo & Co. vault in North Carolina in one of company’s armored trucks, in what was one of the largest heist in U.S history.
The film stars Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Jason Sudeikis as members, accomplices and pursuers of the bumbling crime ring. “Masterminds” exaggerates the already absurdly true premise, and while most critics praised the cast’s performances, some aren’t coming along for the goofy criminal joyride.
IndieWire’s own Kate Erbland called the film “woefully unfunny,” writing: “In trying to make a true story that...
The film stars Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Jason Sudeikis as members, accomplices and pursuers of the bumbling crime ring. “Masterminds” exaggerates the already absurdly true premise, and while most critics praised the cast’s performances, some aren’t coming along for the goofy criminal joyride.
IndieWire’s own Kate Erbland called the film “woefully unfunny,” writing: “In trying to make a true story that...
- 9/30/2016
- by Mark Burger
- Indiewire
Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Wiig are the dumbest bank robbers of all-time in the hilarious trailer for Mastermind.
The movie turns the events of the real-life Loomis Fargo Robbery into a comedy of errors as inept robbers somehow carry off a historic bank swindle.
More than $17.3 million was stolen from a North Carolina bank in 1997, when an armoured car driver and vault supervisor masterminded a daring heist.
Galifianakis plays the vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt in Mastermind, and Wiig, Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis are the schemers who help him plot the robbery.
Mastermind also features Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon, who are also currently filming Ghostbusters with Wiig.
Us cinemas will premiere Mastermind on August 19, while a UK release is set for August 28.
The movie turns the events of the real-life Loomis Fargo Robbery into a comedy of errors as inept robbers somehow carry off a historic bank swindle.
More than $17.3 million was stolen from a North Carolina bank in 1997, when an armoured car driver and vault supervisor masterminded a daring heist.
Galifianakis plays the vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt in Mastermind, and Wiig, Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis are the schemers who help him plot the robbery.
Mastermind also features Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon, who are also currently filming Ghostbusters with Wiig.
Us cinemas will premiere Mastermind on August 19, while a UK release is set for August 28.
- 6/24/2015
- Digital Spy
Loosely based on one of the largest cash robberies in the history of the Us, Masterminds is a heist comedy starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. On the evening of October 4th 1997 in North Carolina, Loomis Fargo & Company armored car driver and vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt stole $17.3 […]
Read The Teaser Trailer for Heist Comedy Masterminds on Filmonic.
Read The Teaser Trailer for Heist Comedy Masterminds on Filmonic.
- 3/31/2015
- by Alex
- Filmonic.com
Will Ferrell's scheduled appearance on Espn's SportsCenter as his Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues character Ron Burgundy has been cancelled.
Ferrell and his co-star David Koechner were slated to host tonight's (December 5) 6pm Et edition of SportsCenter in character, but their appearance has been postponed.
Exclusive: Anchorman 2: Ron Burgundy gets an offer he can't refuse in new clip
Espn's director of communications David Scott has explained that it will not be possible for Burgundy's appearance to take place because of the breaking news that football star Jameis Winston will not face sexual assault charges following a highly-publicised investigation.
Scott said in a statement: "Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in [Florida].
"As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy."
Gallery - Anchorman's 20 greatest quotes:Ferrell...
Ferrell and his co-star David Koechner were slated to host tonight's (December 5) 6pm Et edition of SportsCenter in character, but their appearance has been postponed.
Exclusive: Anchorman 2: Ron Burgundy gets an offer he can't refuse in new clip
Espn's director of communications David Scott has explained that it will not be possible for Burgundy's appearance to take place because of the breaking news that football star Jameis Winston will not face sexual assault charges following a highly-publicised investigation.
Scott said in a statement: "Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in [Florida].
"As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy."
Gallery - Anchorman's 20 greatest quotes:Ferrell...
- 12/5/2013
- Digital Spy
Millions of sports fans were looking forward to seeing Ron Burgundy guest host Espn’s “SportsCenter” with Champ Kind tonight, so it was a bit troubling to hear that the network cancelled the gig.
The “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” stars (played by Will Ferrell and David Koechner) were supposed to go live at 6Pm, however another news story has preempted them.
Espn honcho David Scott tweeted, "Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in Fla."
Scott was referring to the case of Jameis Winston, a quarterback from Florida State who may or may not face charges of sexual assault stemming from an incident last year.
Burgundy interviewed Peyton Manning recently, so perhaps Espn will air that footage instead.
The “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” stars (played by Will Ferrell and David Koechner) were supposed to go live at 6Pm, however another news story has preempted them.
Espn honcho David Scott tweeted, "Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in Fla."
Scott was referring to the case of Jameis Winston, a quarterback from Florida State who may or may not face charges of sexual assault stemming from an incident last year.
Burgundy interviewed Peyton Manning recently, so perhaps Espn will air that footage instead.
- 12/5/2013
- GossipCenter
We've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story: Ron Burgundy is no longer hosting Espn's SportsCenter tonight. Last night, Espn's director of communications David Scott tweeted, "Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in Fla." He is alluding to the case of star Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, who was accused of sexual assault about a year ago; today, it will be announced whether charges will be filed against him. According to Scott, there is currently no reschedule date. There's no word if they will run Ron's full pretaped interview with Peyton Manning, so until then, here's an excerpt.
- 12/5/2013
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Will Ferrell was due to appear on Espn's "SportsCenter" on Thursday (Dec. 5) in character as Ron Burgundy to continue his magical "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" press tour, but, sadly, that won't be happening anymore.
"Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in Fla.," Espn's director of communications David Scott announced on Twitter on Wednesday. "As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy."
Though Ferrell was scheduled to appear alongside co-star David Koechner (in character as Champ Kind) at 6 p.m. Et in a segment presented by Dodge Durango, the anticipation of a 2 p.m. Et news conference from held by the Florida State Attorney's office regarding the sexual assault allegations aimed at college quarterback Jameis Winston has pushed him off the schedule.
Somewhere, Ron Burgundy is in...
"Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in Fla.," Espn's director of communications David Scott announced on Twitter on Wednesday. "As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy."
Though Ferrell was scheduled to appear alongside co-star David Koechner (in character as Champ Kind) at 6 p.m. Et in a segment presented by Dodge Durango, the anticipation of a 2 p.m. Et news conference from held by the Florida State Attorney's office regarding the sexual assault allegations aimed at college quarterback Jameis Winston has pushed him off the schedule.
Somewhere, Ron Burgundy is in...
- 12/5/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Espn has canceled a scheduled guest co-host appearance by Will Ferrell in character as Ron Burgundy from “Anchorman 2.” Previously scheduled for Thursday’s “SportsCenter,” the appearance was pushed pending the disclosure of information surrounding possible charges against Jameis Winston. “Ron Burgundy’s scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney’s press conference in Fla.,” announced Espn’s Director of Communications, David Scott, on Twitter. “As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy on @SportsCenter,” he continued. Also read: ‘Anchorman 2′ Character...
- 12/5/2013
- by Jethro Nededog and Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy won't be appearing on Espn's SportsCenter on Thursday. "Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in Fla.," said Espn's director of communications David Scott in a statement on Twitter. "As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy." As Espn and other outlets had reported, the Florida State Attorney's office will hold a news conference Thursday at 2 p.m. Et on the sexual assault allegations leveled at college quarterback Jameis Winston.
read more...
read more...
- 12/5/2013
- by Erik Hayden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Famed novelist Elmore Leonard died Tuesday morning after complications from a stroke at his home in Bloomfield Village. He was 87.
His researcher Gregg Sutter made the announcement. The news was shared in a post on Leonard's Facebook page:
The post I dreaded to write, and you dreaded to read. Elmore passed away at 7:15 this morning from complications from his stroke. He was at home surrounded by his loving family. More to follow.
Commenters like David Scott expressed their sorrow: "A bright spot is that we still have his books; a dark spot is that there will be no more."
Leonard was born Oct. 11, 1925 in New Orleans, though he moved to Detroit as a child. He spent most of his time as a resident of nearby Bloomfield Twp. He famously captured his hometown in a often-cited quotation:
“There are cities that get by on their good looks," he wrote. "Detroit...
His researcher Gregg Sutter made the announcement. The news was shared in a post on Leonard's Facebook page:
The post I dreaded to write, and you dreaded to read. Elmore passed away at 7:15 this morning from complications from his stroke. He was at home surrounded by his loving family. More to follow.
Commenters like David Scott expressed their sorrow: "A bright spot is that we still have his books; a dark spot is that there will be no more."
Leonard was born Oct. 11, 1925 in New Orleans, though he moved to Detroit as a child. He spent most of his time as a resident of nearby Bloomfield Twp. He famously captured his hometown in a often-cited quotation:
“There are cities that get by on their good looks," he wrote. "Detroit...
- 8/20/2013
- by Kate Abbey-Lambertz
- Huffington Post
The Young and the Restless tallied 23 nominations as honors were announced this morning for the 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Restless’ impressive take helped CBS lead all networks with 50 overall nominations. PBS and ABC followed, with 44 and 38 nods, respectively.
General Hospital, which earned 19 nominations, joined Restless in the race for Outstanding Drama Series, and Sesame Street received 17 nods, including three for Kevin Clash, the voice of Elmo who faces allegations of sexual misconduct.
Good Morning America and Today will bring their ratings rivalry to the Emmys, where they’ll be joined by CBS Sunday Morning in the Outstanding Morning Program category.
General Hospital, which earned 19 nominations, joined Restless in the race for Outstanding Drama Series, and Sesame Street received 17 nods, including three for Kevin Clash, the voice of Elmo who faces allegations of sexual misconduct.
Good Morning America and Today will bring their ratings rivalry to the Emmys, where they’ll be joined by CBS Sunday Morning in the Outstanding Morning Program category.
- 5/1/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside TV
In Charlotte, Nc, a Loomis Fargo vault supervisor grabbed $17 million and stuck it in a company van, which was the third largest cash robbery in Us history at this time.
Well, you know, Relativity Media is now in negotiations to acquire Loomis Fargo, a bank heist comedy based on the book, ‘Heist!: The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft,’ by Jeff Diamant and Jim Carrey is said to be eying the Ghannt role.
The incident that was the subject of the book went like this: in 1997 David Scott Ghannt, the driver of a Loomis Fargo & Company armored car drove off with the money and left it with two coworkers; he then bailed for Mexico, where he intended to hide for a few months. His co-conspirators were to wire him the money, but they plotted to have the guy murdered! Meanwhile these two were blowing through millions of dollars in extravagant fashion...
Well, you know, Relativity Media is now in negotiations to acquire Loomis Fargo, a bank heist comedy based on the book, ‘Heist!: The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft,’ by Jeff Diamant and Jim Carrey is said to be eying the Ghannt role.
The incident that was the subject of the book went like this: in 1997 David Scott Ghannt, the driver of a Loomis Fargo & Company armored car drove off with the money and left it with two coworkers; he then bailed for Mexico, where he intended to hide for a few months. His co-conspirators were to wire him the money, but they plotted to have the guy murdered! Meanwhile these two were blowing through millions of dollars in extravagant fashion...
- 10/16/2012
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
Jim Carrey has reportedly entered negotiations for Loomis Fargo. Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess's movie is based on the true story of one of the biggest bank heists in history. A source close to the project has claimed that Carrey is in line for the film, reports TheWrap, although a spokesman for Carrey's talent agency Wme has denied that he is attached. The film centres around David Scott Ghannt, a driver of a Loomis (more)...
- 10/16/2012
- by By Hugh Armitage
- Digital Spy
Jim Carrey is now in talks to star in Loomis Fargo, a true heist tale that is set to be directed by Jared Hess, one of the co-directors of Napoleon Dynamite. Described as one of the biggest heists in American history, the story follows four men in the south who managed to get $17 million out of an armed Loomis Fargo truck. It is suggested by The Wrap, which broke the casting news, that the main players in the movie will be "the former company employee, David Scott Ghantt, who struck up a relationship with a fellow employee, Kelly Campbell who then introduced Ghantt to an old school friend, Steve Chambers, who helped pull off the robbery." The article doesn't say which character Carrey would play should he decide to sign on. In addition to having its first star come aboard, the movie is also in the midst of securing its...
- 10/16/2012
- cinemablend.com
He’s been dishing out rough justice as The Colonel in a cameo part for the Kick-Ass sequel, but soon Jim Carrey may be shimmying to the other side of the law. Carrey’s in negotiations to star in Loomis Fargo, the tale of one of the biggest heists in Us history.The true-life story was chronicled in Jeff Diamant’s 2002 book Heist!: The $17 million Loomis Fargo Theft. It's the tale of former bank employee David Scott Ghantt who, in 1997, struck up a relationship with fellow drone Kelly Campbell. Together with Campbell’s old school friend Steve Chambers, they robbed one of the bank's armoured trucks, getting away with $17 million.Ghantt fled across the Mexican border with $50,000 (you couldn’t take more without authorization) and lived there, setting up an account to receive more money. But he only got to enjoy his ill-gotten gains for a year, as he...
- 10/16/2012
- EmpireOnline
Jim Carrey is said to be eyeing a leading role in Loomis Fargo , Variety reports. The film, based on the true story of one of the largest bank heists in history, will be directed by Jared Hess ( Napoleon Dynamite , Nacho Libre ). In 1997 David Scott Ghannt, the driver of a Loomis Fargo & Company armored car, formed a criminal team in Charlotte, North Carolina to steal $17.3 million. Although the robbery was initially successful, Ghannt and his co-conspirators were later tracked down and arrested. The script, originally by Emily Spivey, has since been rewritten by Jody Hill and Danny McBride and, most recently, by Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer. Carrey, who would play the Ghannt role, will next appear opposite Steve Carell and Olivia Wilde in The Incredible Burt...
- 10/15/2012
- Comingsoon.net
Lots to take in this week on National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild. Pull up a seat and check out the documentaries and series that make Ngc one of our favorite TV destinations for good watching: Ngc + Nat Geo Wild Weekly Highlights for June 13 - 20, 2011 Locked Up Abroad: Forbidden Love - New - Wednesday at 10P et/ptBritish man David Scott falls in love with a Filipino woman who is separated from her husband, but they are arrested for adultery and find themselves facing up to 14 years in prison. Earth Under Water - New - Thu at 10P et/pt Earth Under Water looks at the predicted effects of sea level rise on...
- 6/14/2011
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Updated through 6/10.
Colin Beckett: "Whether by design or circumstance, this June has become Thai Cinema Month in New York, with an array of the city's art houses and museums boasting otherwise hard-to-see gems from the Thai film renaissance that began in the late 1990s. But the biggest cause for celebration is the belated arrival of two films by Uruphong Raksasad — Agrarian Utopia (2009), running at Anthology Film Archives June 10 - 15, and Stories from the North (2006), which plays Museum of the Moving Image on June 5 [this afternoon at 3] — whose formal ingenuity and geopolitical urgency make the familiar generalizations about national cinemas seem quaint, if not willfully narrow."
Updates, 6/10: For Michael Joshua Rowin, writing for Artforum, "here is an undeniably stunning work of visual art, a premiere example of the equal footing hi-def digital video now holds with celluloid filmmaking. Acting as his own cinematographer, Uruphong finds intimate wonder in lush, verdant hills; in twilights...
Colin Beckett: "Whether by design or circumstance, this June has become Thai Cinema Month in New York, with an array of the city's art houses and museums boasting otherwise hard-to-see gems from the Thai film renaissance that began in the late 1990s. But the biggest cause for celebration is the belated arrival of two films by Uruphong Raksasad — Agrarian Utopia (2009), running at Anthology Film Archives June 10 - 15, and Stories from the North (2006), which plays Museum of the Moving Image on June 5 [this afternoon at 3] — whose formal ingenuity and geopolitical urgency make the familiar generalizations about national cinemas seem quaint, if not willfully narrow."
Updates, 6/10: For Michael Joshua Rowin, writing for Artforum, "here is an undeniably stunning work of visual art, a premiere example of the equal footing hi-def digital video now holds with celluloid filmmaking. Acting as his own cinematographer, Uruphong finds intimate wonder in lush, verdant hills; in twilights...
- 6/10/2011
- MUBI
Chicago – The casts of two current theater spectaculars in Chicago lent their talents to benefit Marriage Equality in the United States. The “Be-In for Marriage Equality” took place on March 14, 2011, and featured performers from the road show Broadway version of “Hair” and the current cast of “Million Dollar Quartet.”
The event, which was produced by Alissa Norby of HollywoodChicago.com through her Jabberwock Productions, took place at Sidetracks nightclub in Chicago and accentuated the vocal talents in both companies. With original songs and cover versions, it was a talented parade of a true musical experience. The show benefited “Broadway Impact,” an advocacy group lobbying for marriage equality and other issues.
Highlights included a version of Paul Simon’s “America” and an original song from Gabe Bowling, who plays Carl Perkins in Million Dollar Quartet. Both casts finished together with the show stopper from Hair called “The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In.
The event, which was produced by Alissa Norby of HollywoodChicago.com through her Jabberwock Productions, took place at Sidetracks nightclub in Chicago and accentuated the vocal talents in both companies. With original songs and cover versions, it was a talented parade of a true musical experience. The show benefited “Broadway Impact,” an advocacy group lobbying for marriage equality and other issues.
Highlights included a version of Paul Simon’s “America” and an original song from Gabe Bowling, who plays Carl Perkins in Million Dollar Quartet. Both casts finished together with the show stopper from Hair called “The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In.
- 3/19/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The votes have been compiled and counted, and the readers have spoken: It’s time to announce the winners in our poll of the best horror films and filmmakers of 2008, as well as how the runners-up placed. Elaborating on our report in Fangoria #285 (on sale now), here’s a complete rundown of how the nominees ranked, in descending order, with write-ins also acknowledged (and don’t worry, fans, we’ll get to Martyrs and Deadgirl next year!):
Best Wide-release Film
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (pictured)
Cloverfield
The Strangers
The Ruins
Quarantine
Write-ins: Funny Games; Doomsday; Mirrors
Best Limited-release/Direct-to-video Film
Let The Right One In
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Rogue
Stuck
The Living And The Dead
Write-ins: Inside; Machine Girl; Mother Of Tears
Best Actor
Ron Perlman, Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Kare Hedebrant, Let The Right One In
Marc Senter, The Lost
Trevor Matthews, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Leo Bill,...
Best Wide-release Film
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (pictured)
Cloverfield
The Strangers
The Ruins
Quarantine
Write-ins: Funny Games; Doomsday; Mirrors
Best Limited-release/Direct-to-video Film
Let The Right One In
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Rogue
Stuck
The Living And The Dead
Write-ins: Inside; Machine Girl; Mother Of Tears
Best Actor
Ron Perlman, Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Kare Hedebrant, Let The Right One In
Marc Senter, The Lost
Trevor Matthews, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Leo Bill,...
- 6/25/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
After a few years’ absence, the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards are back in their original format, giving you the chance to vote for the best genre films, filmmakers and actors from the past year. There was such a bumper crop of good stuff released in 2008 that narrowing down the nominees to five in certain categories was truly tough; a couple of movies (most notably Splinter) will wait till next year when they’ve gotten more DVD exposure.
E-mail your votes (be sure to vote in all categories; personal e-mails only, no mass ballots) to postalzone@starloggroup.com. For the Fango Hall of Fame, be sure not to vote for Dario Argento, Rick Baker, Clive Barker, Mario Bava, Rob Bottin, Doug Bradley, Tim Burton, Bruce Campbell, James Cameron, John Carpenter, Jeffrey Combs, Don Coscarelli, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, Peter Cushing, Joe Dante, Guillermo del Toro, Brad Dourif, Robert Englund,...
E-mail your votes (be sure to vote in all categories; personal e-mails only, no mass ballots) to postalzone@starloggroup.com. For the Fango Hall of Fame, be sure not to vote for Dario Argento, Rick Baker, Clive Barker, Mario Bava, Rob Bottin, Doug Bradley, Tim Burton, Bruce Campbell, James Cameron, John Carpenter, Jeffrey Combs, Don Coscarelli, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, Peter Cushing, Joe Dante, Guillermo del Toro, Brad Dourif, Robert Englund,...
- 3/14/2009
- Fangoria
Anchor Bay Entertainment, the now legendary DVD label responsible for releasing many a classic horror title on DVD, racked up 11 Saturn Award and Fangoria Chainsaw Award nominations. The 2009 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards awarded last year’s cult favorite Jack Brooks Monster Slayer with six nominations, tieing with Hellboy II for the most nods. Jbms was nominated for Best Limited-Release Direct-to-dvd Film, Best Actor (Trevor Matthews), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Englund), Best Screenplay (John Ainslie, Jon Knautz), Best Score (Ryan Shore) and Best Makeup/Creature FX (David Scott). “Dollhouse’s” Eliza Dushku was nominated in the Best Actress category for her critically-acclaimed turn as a police detective on the edge of madness in Rob Schmidt’s The Alphabet Killer, and Marc Senter received a Best Actor nod for his performance as a suburban psychopath in Chris Sivertson’s The Lost. The 2009 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards nomination ballot can be found in the current issue of Fangoria Magazine,...
- 3/13/2009
- ESplatter.com
New York -- "Nightline" in its current form is the brainchild of James Goldston, an accomplished TV producer in his native Britain who was brought across the Atlantic for the task of renewing the brand.
"Nightline," since its early days, had been known for a solid brand of TV journalism that encompassed world leaders and Miss Piggy, stories about AIDs and the travails of Tammy Faye Baker, whose interview gave the show one of its biggest ratings.
It was a daunting task.
"After you lose Ted, it's hard to maintain a program," acknowledged ABC News president David Westin.
It was Goldston who insisted that the show be live, to bring back an energy that "Nightline" had been missing and to capitalize on breaking news. Goldston also conceived of a multi-story, nightly magazine show unlike anything that had been seen. It was as far from the original "Nightline" as could be in structure, and different from what most magazine shows do now.
"They've gone the other way. They're not live and they're single topic and single themed," said Goldston. "It leaves a big wide area for us to operate in. There really isn't anyone on television that does what we do."
Instead of replacing Koppel with one anchor, Goldston picked three: Cynthia McFadden and Martin Bashir in New York, and Terry Moran in Washington. There's one anchor every night, while the other two are on the road working on stories.
"Nightline" still embraces a wide range of topics, from looking at the crisis in Rwanda and bringing viewers behind the scenes with John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to interviews with Cher, Madonna and Robert Redford.
"The beauty of 'Nightline' is the variety of what we get to do," McFadden said.
And if there's a decided emphasis on doing things as creatively and as expensively as possible — McFadden recently went to Rwanda with only a cameraman — there's also the determination to do what it takes to get the story right.
Correspondent Dan Harris' story, which aired earlier this month, shows the lengths to which the new crew is dedicated. Harris and his producer, David Scott, spent six months working on a story showing how tragically easy it was to buy a child in Haiti.
"How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours" was a stunning piece of journalism. And, said Bashir, it?s another example of how the new "Nightline" is respecting the former show?s traditions.
"Nobody can suggest that this show is dumbed down and not serious journalism," Bashir said. "These are the types of stories that 'Nightline' has always done."
Goldston said that he's tried to keep hold of the "Nightline" fundamental spirit.
"There's an ambition on the show, a journalistic ambition and a creative ambition," Goldston said. "The show is a good watch every day. It's very rarely uninteresting to watch. It's always telling you something you didn't know before, always doing stories that other people aren't doing, and it?s always telling these stories in a way that other people aren't."
For his part, Koppel acknowledges that he doesn?t watch the program regularly as he's not up at 11:35 p.m. much anymore. But he's liked much of what he's seen, and thinks the new regime has done what it had to do to improve ratings.
"There are some very good things that they do and other things that I find are a little too glitzy, but that's a question of taste," Koppel said. "If they've been able to hold onto a reasonable audience doing that, why not? I always used to say when I was doing the show, there's no subject that we cannot do, there is no subject that we should not do. I think it's a question how you do it sometimes."
Boston University professor Robert Zelnick, a former ABC News correspondent whose worked appeared on the show in the past, said "Nightline" 2.0 has worked well. He said that its second life has vindicated Roone Arledge?s "Nightline" innovation.
"There is a potential news audience at 11:30 p.m. at night, people who are so anxious to get public affairs programs that they don't watch Jay Leno or in those days Johnny Carson," Zelnick said. "If you put on something that's reasonably attractive, you're not going to necessarily win the time slot but you're going to do Ok.?...
"Nightline," since its early days, had been known for a solid brand of TV journalism that encompassed world leaders and Miss Piggy, stories about AIDs and the travails of Tammy Faye Baker, whose interview gave the show one of its biggest ratings.
It was a daunting task.
"After you lose Ted, it's hard to maintain a program," acknowledged ABC News president David Westin.
It was Goldston who insisted that the show be live, to bring back an energy that "Nightline" had been missing and to capitalize on breaking news. Goldston also conceived of a multi-story, nightly magazine show unlike anything that had been seen. It was as far from the original "Nightline" as could be in structure, and different from what most magazine shows do now.
"They've gone the other way. They're not live and they're single topic and single themed," said Goldston. "It leaves a big wide area for us to operate in. There really isn't anyone on television that does what we do."
Instead of replacing Koppel with one anchor, Goldston picked three: Cynthia McFadden and Martin Bashir in New York, and Terry Moran in Washington. There's one anchor every night, while the other two are on the road working on stories.
"Nightline" still embraces a wide range of topics, from looking at the crisis in Rwanda and bringing viewers behind the scenes with John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to interviews with Cher, Madonna and Robert Redford.
"The beauty of 'Nightline' is the variety of what we get to do," McFadden said.
And if there's a decided emphasis on doing things as creatively and as expensively as possible — McFadden recently went to Rwanda with only a cameraman — there's also the determination to do what it takes to get the story right.
Correspondent Dan Harris' story, which aired earlier this month, shows the lengths to which the new crew is dedicated. Harris and his producer, David Scott, spent six months working on a story showing how tragically easy it was to buy a child in Haiti.
"How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours" was a stunning piece of journalism. And, said Bashir, it?s another example of how the new "Nightline" is respecting the former show?s traditions.
"Nobody can suggest that this show is dumbed down and not serious journalism," Bashir said. "These are the types of stories that 'Nightline' has always done."
Goldston said that he's tried to keep hold of the "Nightline" fundamental spirit.
"There's an ambition on the show, a journalistic ambition and a creative ambition," Goldston said. "The show is a good watch every day. It's very rarely uninteresting to watch. It's always telling you something you didn't know before, always doing stories that other people aren't doing, and it?s always telling these stories in a way that other people aren't."
For his part, Koppel acknowledges that he doesn?t watch the program regularly as he's not up at 11:35 p.m. much anymore. But he's liked much of what he's seen, and thinks the new regime has done what it had to do to improve ratings.
"There are some very good things that they do and other things that I find are a little too glitzy, but that's a question of taste," Koppel said. "If they've been able to hold onto a reasonable audience doing that, why not? I always used to say when I was doing the show, there's no subject that we cannot do, there is no subject that we should not do. I think it's a question how you do it sometimes."
Boston University professor Robert Zelnick, a former ABC News correspondent whose worked appeared on the show in the past, said "Nightline" 2.0 has worked well. He said that its second life has vindicated Roone Arledge?s "Nightline" innovation.
"There is a potential news audience at 11:30 p.m. at night, people who are so anxious to get public affairs programs that they don't watch Jay Leno or in those days Johnny Carson," Zelnick said. "If you put on something that's reasonably attractive, you're not going to necessarily win the time slot but you're going to do Ok.?...
- 7/19/2008
- by By Paul J. Gough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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