Article about why no decision on primere dates yet

greenspun.com : LUSENET : ER Discussions : One Thread

I got this off of ER Weekly at http://home.twcny.rr.com/edgerton/er

America Held Hostage: blame George Hey ER fans! Are you sick and tired of waiting for NBC to announce the season 7 premiere date? Don't blame NBC... blame George W. Bush, who won't make up his mind on when and where he wants to debate his presidential opponent, Al Gore. The networks are all waiting on an announcement debate dates between the two, including a vice-presidential candidates' debate which would possible air on Oct. 5th... or not. The premiere date of ER depends on what date is decided for the VP debate. Last spring almost 35 million viewers tuned in to the highest-rated episodes of ER. Write to Gwv. Bush via his website at www.bush2000.com and tell him to make up his mind already! 35 million Americans can't be wrong! (Especially in an election year!).

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), August 30, 2000

Answers

At the risk of being a wet blanket...I really think the presidential nominees need to think of other things than which constituents they want to piss off by pre-empting their favorite shows. *sigh* They have to debate SOMEtime, and when they do SOME people won't get to see whatever show it is they usually watch that night. Oh well, I guess that means they'll have to think about who'll be running the country for the next four years instead.

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), August 30, 2000.

It isn't just pissing off constituents, it's pissing off the networks too. They should have announced their premiere dates 2 weeks ago, but they can't because Bush won't agree to a debate date. I found this out a week ago on Yahoo! news and I was going to post, but Cammie beat me to it. The networks are "going crazy". And I believe that is a direct quote. If I find it again on the archives I'll post some tidbits.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), August 31, 2000.

Maybe I'm just cranky, but I don't care too much. What are the networks going to do, refuse to air the shows? *shrug* I know they have a business to run, just like anyone else, and this puts a cramp in the running of the business. But the shows ARE going to air and everyone WILL watch, and advertisers will get their air time, whenever it turns out to be. And if anyone says "I won't vote for Bush because he screwed with my viewing habits," I will scream. :)

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.

Like I'd have to go that far down the list for a reason. :)

The networks should just say this is the deal, we're announcing our final, set in stone schedule of premieres on X date (Sept. 7, whatever), and if you haven't agreed on a debate schedule by then, you can't have a slot in prime time. That would end any foot dragging if anything would. Bush wouldn't want to be labeled the candidate who held things up because he didn't want to debate in prime time, and neither candidate wants to pass up the chance to hold what is basically a joint press conference when it will be seen by the largest possible audience.

-- Chris (peppermill@anet.com), August 31, 2000.


Chris your idea sounds great, but I think that due to a law if a network gives (or sells) air-time to one candidate they must give the option to the other candidates (I know this applies to political advertising, but I'm not a 100% sure about debates) So for example if NBC airs a debate between Gore, Nader and Bucannon, they must give George W. the same amount of air-time in a similar time spot. Do have to say that I think that if it is George W. who is holding up the decision to when the debate will be don't you think that says a lot about him as a person. Cammie I would also like to know when the premier of my favorite shows will be, but I am more concerned that George W. is being so indecisive about a debate. It makes me wonder what he would be like about national and international affairs.

-- Emma (webbef@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.


Emma- I totally agree with you. If he can't decide a simple thing like when to debate then I too am wondering how he'll handle national and international affairs. I won't be surprised if that's brought up though knowing how the news media asks everything.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), August 31, 2000.

Honestly people! I ususally like this site because everyone seems *somewhat* mature, but really! I mean, can't we let our viewing habits be a little helter-skelter for something as important who will run this country for the next 4 years? Tell them not to show the debates? Excuse me? That is one of the few times that we get to see the canadates somewhat unscripted and right next to each other and having to react to each other. For some people it is the time they really decide who to vote for. Come on people. It happenns only once every 4 years and it will determine a great deal about our future for AT LEAST the next 4 years.

-- Rachel (rachelrr@ivillage.com), August 31, 2000.

Right on, Rachel. Of course, lots of folks on this board are probably not old enough to vote yet, so...

Again I'll say that the candidates undoubtedly have OTHER things to concern themselves with besides what's on TV. There may be a very real problem with Bush's scheduling, and that might be why it hasn't been announced yet. I seriously doubt he's in his room wringing his hands saying "I can't make up my mind! I can't make up my mind!"

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.


Just for the record, yes I typed the article but I'm not the person who originally wrote the article. The article came from ER Weekly. I forgot who owns the site. I agree that there are more serious issues to worry about with the candidates then when the debate will be but it just makes me wonder just a little how he would handle things if something major would happen. That's JMO though.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), August 31, 2000.

The commission has proposed three presidential and one vice presidential debates, with the first to take place in Boston on Oct. 3. There would follow: a vice presidential debate in Danville, Kentucky, on Oct. 5; a second presidential debate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Oct. 11, and a third presidential debate in St. Louis on Oct. 17.

This is the only decent tidbit with dates that I could find. And the word about town is that the reason Bush is waffling is because he's trying to get the debate formats the way he wants them. It has nothing to do with the date. Bush prefers a more relaxed format than a conventional debate. Gore is the more experienced debater. He's said, "anytime, anyplace" to the Bush factions, which has thrown the ball to Bush's court. And now Bush is using this to structure the debates the way he wants them. But he better hurry up, because the Gore factions are already making "cluck-cluck" noises.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), August 31, 2000.



There you go. I'm relieved to know that in a national or international emergency, Bush would not be shaking in his boots, going "What am I gonna do?! What am I gonna do?!"

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.

I put together ER Weekly. The story is a joke. That's J-O-K-E, joke. It IS the real reason why the networks haven't finalized their schedules, but fer cryin out loud, I simply had an extra space to fill on the site, that's all. No one is suggesting that TV is more important than the presidential election.

YEESH! (is it me? does the sense of humor just not come through on that site? I'll have to work harder at it.)

-- Ellen (eedgert1@twcny.rr.com), August 31, 2000.


Heh heh heh...No, Ellen, I think most adults see the humor in this item. Good job. :)

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.

Funny Ellen, very funny. Ha! Ha! Ha! Well this article is on other ER Discussion Boards like at Yahoo and alt.tv.er and the WB Message Board. You fooled alot of people. Good one! Am I gullible or what?

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), August 31, 2000.

In fact I'm so gullible I'm wondering if I just fell for something over at the WB "ER" Message Boards. I'm not saying what it was eitheir.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), August 31, 2000.


Heh heh heh....

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.

You find this very funny don't you Cecelia? One day you're gonna be gulliable and I will be laughing at you big time.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), August 31, 2000.

Uh, hey guys, I'm not laughing here. I vote, and it bothers me that one of our main presidential contenders is acting like a prima donna because he doesn't have the c****** to debate his opponent.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), September 01, 2000.

Sadly, the presidential debates aren't even true debates anymore. I'd love to see Gore and the Shrub have a REAL conversation about REAL issues ... I'd even watch it, but alas, how much of politics is honest anyway? OK, off my soapbox, but if there was actually a national emergency, the president has a bunch of advisors and probably wouldn't make the sole decision (or in Shrubby's case, he could just ask Daddy, what did YOU do? heh heh ... my attempt at political humor ... :-)

-- Cindy (tailchasers51@hotmail.com), September 01, 2000.

Thanks Cindy, that actually made me giggle. I guess the true strength of this country is in it's people, and if you all are any indication, maybe we'll all be ok. :-)

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), September 01, 2000.

Hehe Cindy that WAS funny. But really, debates aren't what they used to, and I wonder if Bush would even know HOW to debate. He sticks to a very tight script and (I live near Philly so he was recently in this area) I've heard him talk, and when he doesn't have daddy and the speech writers he gets lost. Half the time he doesn't know where he stands on an issue! And um, hey I was gettin a little offended by all of the barbs going on here. I mean, sheesh we've all got a common intrest, so why do we fight so much?

-- Lauren (radhamtte@hotmail.com), September 01, 2000.

All that I have to say about this entire thread is that the fans of ALGORE say just the type of things that I qould think they would say. Funny how things like that happen, isn't it? He sure does have the mature, rational vote, doesn't he? Name calling and innuendo? I would think that ER would be on after your bedtimes! Grow up and read the facts and quit acting like a bunch of spoon-fed media brats. You embarrass yourselves.

-- joan (joanofarc24@hotmail.com), September 01, 2000.

AHEM!!! I don't know the reason why ER's premiere has not been announced yet, but I do know that George W. has yet to even say "Yes" to an actual debate, let alone finalize dates and formats. Yes, I am an Al Gore Fan, and proud of it! But I'm also an ER Fan, and that's why we're all here...remember the old adage -- politics and religion are the two things you don't want to speak about until you REALLY know your audience :)

-- Dru Lafferty (dklny00@aol.com), September 01, 2000.

Heh heh heh.....

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), September 01, 2000.

If anyone is intersted in the new issue of TV Guide it'll have retuning favorites for returning tv shows. Normally they'd have the premiere dates but this year they probably won't thanks to you know who. But they'll still talk about what to expect this season though. And just a quick question for Cecelia- why do keep saying "heh, heh, heh" all the time? I'm not trying to be mean it's just that you laugh at everything now. You did this in apast post too.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), September 01, 2000.

Thanks, Joan, for enlightening me. Here I've been going through life thinking of myself as a mature, intelligent person, even though I'm planning on voting for Gore. I guess being a national merit scholar and attending an Ivy League school don't really point to intelligence, and being a single mom who works for a living and makes sure her daughter gets to every doctor's appointment and eats three square meals a day doesn't really smack of maturity the way I thought it did. Now I know the only way I'll ever really be able to look myself in the mirror is to vote for Bush. Thanks for reminding me why I'm not a Republican.

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), September 05, 2000.

You tell her Joy! Joan I think you owe some people an apology. Not only on this thread but also in the "ER" preview in new issue of TV Guide thread that was made Sept. 4th. Yes you're allowed to have opinions but insulting people's intelligence is really low IMO.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), September 05, 2000.

Okay everyone. This has gone too far. I posted some comments about this same thing on another one of Cammie's threads. I am a republican. I have been very active in politics for years, and I always try to keep up with what is going on at all levels of government. But, I do not think that this Web site is the place to have political discussions. The reason why? Look at what people are saying to/about one another. Stop it! I think the people who post to this site are caring, intelligent people. But, when you get into something as personal as politics, it can cause problems. People have been very good about not getting into moral/religious arguments on this site (such as the debate about Luka and his decisions on "May Day", so why can't we leave the politics out of the discussions about the season premiere? I think that if these arguments continue, we are going to end up with a lot of hurt feelings. I come here to escape reality and to talk about my favorite show. So, let's call it a truce, okay? Republicans, democrats, independents, reform party members, libertarians,etc.--unite, and stick to discussing ER :). (I'm sorry this is so long, I just want people to lighten up before it gets uglier.)

-- Katrina (cattrek2000@hotmail.com), September 05, 2000.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ