Month: November 2007

Categories
Ten Network Videos: Broadcast News

Charmaine Dragun: 1978-2007

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I realise this news is now a week old, but I was only just reminded that I actually had footage to accompany it. Basically, if you haven’t heard, Charmaine Dragun, a 29 year old journalist and news anchor for Network Ten tragically committed suicide last week. Read more about her life, career and battle with depression here.

A public memorial will be held on Monday, and in lieu of flowers the family is asking that donations be made to Beyond Blue.

Categories
American TV Videos: TV

SNL and the cultural institutions of comedy.


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Not surprisingly, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip reignited an interest in Saturday Night Live for me. Sure Studio 60 over romanticised the importance of late night comedy, and its place as a cultural institution, but I still wouldn’t change an episode.

Comedy and satire are important (as I went on about here), and although SNL isn’t perfect, its still pretty good. Locally however, while The Chaser may not have the long history that SNL does, it has been having the actual, tangible impact on Australian culture that Studio 60 claimed its show-within-a-show was having.

This week SNL was hosted by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who pokes fun at himself in this ‘digital short’, the second video is from an earlier ‘digital short’ this season where Andy Samberg serenades Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.