Retro Friday: Classic Cable Edition

Long before "The Real Housewives," "Top Chef," "Project Runway" or "Queer Eye" -- I mean, lonnnnng before those shows -- Bravo was an arts-centric channel, focusing on obscure foreign and independent film, as well as programming such as the Montreux Jazz Festival. Above, what Bravo looked like in 1989. It's unrecognizable.



Nickelodeon is set to unveil a new logo this fall -- its first update in 25 years, since 1984. Above, here's what Nickelodeon originally looked like, from a clip in 1983. Check out the ads for long-disappeared fare such as "You Can't Do That on Television," "The Tomorrow People," "Reggie Jackson's World of Sports," and Leonard Nimoy's "Standby Lights Camera Action."



Ahh, of course. Classic MTV from the 1980s. Here's a collection of moments featuring the original VJs.

Finally, Good News About Production Running Back to Hollywood

With all the talk of productions moving out of Los Angeles to other parts of the country and world -- and taking jobs and money with them -- it was heartening this week to write about two separate productions that are now moving in to Southern California.

In both cases, these are productions that were originally shot elsewhere, but will now call SoCal home.

As I wrote here, GSN has recently picked up an additional 65 episodes of the revived "Newlywed Game," from Michael Davies' Embassy Row banner. As part of the pickup, the show is moving its production base from New York to Glendale.

Meanwhile, as I reported here, FX has just ordered 13 episodes of the new Timothy Olyphant drama "Lawman." The original "Lawman" pilot was shot in Pittsburgh and Miami, but Southern California will double for Kentucky (where "Lawman" is set) in the series. Hey, it's a start.

Urban Camping in Los Angeles

Eager to camp, but not so eager to actually leave the city? Both the Los Angeles Zoo and Dodger Stadium have put together overnight camp-outs next month that sound kinda cool (although both are a bit pricy -- so my cheap ass will probably settle with camping in our backyard, in case we ever get the bug).

The L.A. zoo event, "Creature Camp-Out," takes place Aug. 8-9, and again on Aug. 22-23. Cost is $65 per person for zoo members; $85 per person for non-zoo members. Details from the zoo's website:

Your adventure begins with a special guided tour of the Zoo’s hundreds of animals leading you to base camp where your tent will be waiting for you. Enjoy a fun-filled night of interactive family adventures complete with a sweet treat and beastly bedtime stories at the end of the evening. In the morning wake up to the roar of the lion and the hoot of the chimps, enjoy a continental breakfast, a guided walk, and a special animal encounter.

Take all of these memories home with a souvenir Creature Camp Out t-shirt. This event is designed for children ages seven and up.

Creature Camp Out begins at 6:30PM and ends at 10AM the next day. Registration for this program begins one month prior to the program date. Please note that dinner is not included as a part of this program.

The Dodger event, Blue Heaven Sleepover, takes place Aug. 14-15, while the Dodgers are away. It's $200 per adult and $100 per kid. Details:

Bring your sleeping bag (tents are not allowed) to Dodger Stadium to watch the Dodgers play the D-backs at Chase Field on DodgerVision, eat dinner, play catch on the field, watch a movie on the DodgerVision screen, sleepover and have breakfast.

Price includes a Dodger goodie bag, dinner and buffet breakfast. Bring a sleeping mat in addition to sleeping bag, as the ground may be damp overnight.

Web Series Get Their Due At This Year's Independent TV Fest

The fourth Independent TV Festival gets under way Thursday with a big nod toward the growth of web-based series.

After competing in a separate category at the ITVFest over the past two years, this year projects created specifically for the web will face off in the same categories against projects still geared toward TV.

It's an acknowledgement of how quickly Internet series have hit the mainstream, even in the four years since ITVFest launched, said event executive director A.J. Tesler. After all, YouTube was in its infancy when ITVF began in 2006.

"We're treating web series equally to TV," Tesler said. "For us to make that switch in so short a period of time says how important the web stuff has become."

This year's ITVFest has also added a festival specifically devoted to mobile content, as well as a day devoted to international entries.

Held at the Laemmle Sunset 5 from July 31 to Aug. 6, the ITVFest has seen its submissions triple since its first outing, Tesler said.

This year, thesp Kevin Pollack, who's behind the web series "Kevin Pollack's Chat Show," will receive the event's "Independent Award." The ITVFest will screen 45 projects this year, and also include panels on a variety of topics.

Rate-A-Restaurant #215: Angelique Cafe

Restaurant: Angelique Cafe

Location: 840 S Spring St. (Downtown)

Type of restaurant: Casual French

We stipulated: We were downtown a few weeks ago for the Renegade Craft Fair, and needed to grab lunch. The problem: It was 3 p.m., so we wanted to get something in the immediate vicinity of the Fashion District, yet many places had already stopped serving lunch. Angelique was close by and still open.



They stipulated: There's plenty of seating upstairs, and a patio as well.



What we ordered: Chicken porcini sausage sandwich ($12.95); Chicken sandwich ($11.95)



High point: It's a great, cute location, and the sandwiches are extra large.

Low point: The menu was very limited, especially for lunch. Also, despite its French leanings, the offerings were on the basic side.

Overall impression: I'm afraid it seems that Angelique's best days may be behind it. The walls are still covered with good reviews and accolades earned at the start of the decade -- when the menu was quite more extensive. It's sometimes the little things that first demonstrate a slide: Angelique hasn't paid to keep up its website; when we went, they'd run out of straws; etc. I wouldn't completely write Angelique off yet, especially since it has such a great location.

Chance we'll go back: As a result, we'll probably search for another joint the next time we're hungry downtown.

For a complete list of our more than 200 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant website.

In the Proud Tradition of "Sticks Nix Hick Pix," Here's Today's Variety Headline

I've already gotten quite a few emails today on this one... got your attention, right? In light of Ben Silverman's departure from NBC, we decided to go with the quite provocative "PEACOCK-BLOCKED." Suitable for framing.

Wednesday Poll: Where Do You Stand on Comic-Con?

I still have never made it to the San Diego Comic-Con. This year, with so much TV presence, I might have gone or even moderated a panel. But since we're on Baby Blogger 2.0 Watch, that didn't make a lot of sense.

In a way, I was relived. But I also felt like I was missing out on quite a bit. So what's the deal, did I dodge a bullet... or miss the event of the year? Vote below.

KROQ's Kevin & Bean Forge Unholy Alliance With KIIS' Ryan Seacrest

It's tough going these days in radio, where a challenging marketplace has led to depressed ad rates -- and in several cases, bankruptcy. (It's the same scenario being played out in radio and local TV.)

Radio is also gripping with the impact of Arbitron's recently adopted Personal People Meters, which is changing the way radio stations react to listeners. (PPMs are already being blamed for virtually everything -- such as Entravision's decision to can the Indie 103.1 format on radio.)

Not even L.A.'s top-rated morning shows are immune, as evidenced by a surprise Thursday on-air conversation between KIIS' Ryan Seacrest and KROQ's Kevin and Bean.

The topic: Recent mandates at both Clear Channel (owner of the KIIS) and CBS Radio (KROQ's parent) include clamping down on too much chit-chat during the radio shows.

"I shouldnt do this on the air, by my guys called me in," Seacrest told K&B of his Clear Channel bosses. "They said, look, the ratings are great, we're doing OK. They look fine, there was a No. 1 next to some of them. Then they said to me, 'You know, we really believe we can hang on to this position if we keep playing the music and if you actually play some more music and do a little bit less of what you're doing."

Seacrest said that didn't sit well with him. And despite K&B's past jokes at Seacrest's expense, both sides bonded over the issue.

"We have had that meeting a thousand times more than you," Kevin told Ryan. "Are we making some sort of blood bond here? If you get fired we'll take you on, and if we get fired you'll take us on?"

Bean noted that this has been a source of contention for some time.

"We've had this conversaition a million times beause the bosses think the people who listen to our respective shows don't care about us," he said. "They're only suffering through us to get to the songs they've heard a million times. That's the mentality of radio stations these days."

Bean also asked Seacrest why he was making such a stink, when he's already "making $15 million a year on just one of your jobs. Why don't you shove it and stop doing radio?"

Said Ryan: "I do love it, but I'd rather do it for someone that likes me."

By the way, the irony of this strange bedfellow arrangement: CBS-owned KROQ has been impacted by Clear Channel's KYSR 98.7, while Clear Channel's KIIS is feeling the heat from CBS' new KAMP 97.1. Both KYSR and KAMP focus mostly on music in the morning (KAMP doesn't even have a morning host), which has proven to be a winner with the PPMs. In other words, it's Seacrest's sister station that's hurting Kevin & Bean's station, and vice versa.

License Plate of the Day: Art Edition

Another one courtesy Friend of Franklin Avenue Ellen Bloom: Looks like someone's proud of their art dealing career.

Shots of Old Time Billboards on Display at Gary Leonard's Take My Picture

Local photographer Gary Leonard has been chronicling the people of Los Angeles for decades. Now, the photog has opened up a gallery in downtown Los Angeles to show off some of that work, and showcase others.

Take My Picture Gallery -- the name is based on the title of his long-running alt weekly photo feature, "Take My Picture" -- is currently showcasing the exhibition "The Billboard Show: Selling to SoCal Lifestyle."

The photos consist of billboards in Los Angeles, mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, and are remarkable for what is and isn't included in these ads. It's a must-see for anyone fascinated by mid-century Los Angeles, mid-century advertising... and well, the mid-century in general. You can almost image the Mad Men-style folks who came up with these larger-than-life advertising messages.

We stopped by Take My Picture on a Saturday afternoon, and were the only people there. The friendly folks there (including Gary himself) took the time to show us around and screen a slide show of even more prints from his collection.

Now, a few shots:















A "Valley News" section in the Los Angeles Times? Wow, this really is ancient history!

Retro Friday: Mom, Sometimes My Country Music Radio Station Doesn't Feel Fresh

From 1982, a commercial for L.A. country radio station KZLA. How sitting on a bunch of rocks by the ocean was supposed to bolster this guy's pitch for country music, I don't quite get.

Of course, as you know, station owner Emmis dumped country off KZLA a few years ago in favor of rhythmic AC format KMVN, with Rick Dees in the morning. When that flopped, they leased the station to Mexico's Grupo Radio Centro, which now programs Spanish-language KXOS at 93.9. But that format has so far been a flop as well.

Rate-A-Restaurant #214: Kogi BBQ

Restaurant: Kogi BBQ

Location: Mobile Truck; 5900 Wilshire Blvd. for this review (Miracle Mile)

Type of restaurant: Korean tacos and burritos

We stipulated: I've stood in line for Kogi BBQ several times... but have always bailed when it quickly became apparent that I'd be there for at least 90 minutes. That just doesn't work at dinner time, when I've got a wife and kid at home waiting for me. So despite all the hype, I had never had a Kogi taco... until I heard that one of the three Kogi trucks would be outside the Variety Building on Thursday. With that in mind, I called up my colleague, Ben, and we stood in line in the hot sun. The line was *just* long enough that we once again considered dropping out... but eventually we passed that point of no return, and committed.



They stipulated: Kogi offers a daily special -- but not at lunch time. There's the lengthy waiting-in-line thing. Then there's that need to order a lot, in order to justify the amount of time you waited in line.





What I ordered: Korean short rib taco ($2), Korean chicken taco ($2), Korean spicy pork burrito ($5)





High point: The burrito comes with a tasty potato mixture inside; I ordered without cheese and didn't miss it one bit. The kimchee mixture and other spices are much more elaborate than the knock-off Korean taco trucks we've eaten at.

Low point: What can I say, that line -- especially in the hot sun -- is pretty annoying. Especially when you realize that you fell in line during the peak, and that the line was never as long as when you joined it. In other words, it would have been better to get there an hour later. Meanwhile, when Ben and I finally made it to the very front, wouldn't you know it -- they ran out of tortillas. After a six minute wait, they began taking orders again.




Overall impression: You know how sometimes movies come out, and they're so hyped -- and your friends built it up so much -- that it can never live up to expectations? There's always that weird let down -- yeah, it was good, but not the best thing ever.

That's the experience of the Kogi truck. Given all the hype, the Twitter explosion and the lines, you're expecting nothing short of the best experience ever to hit your mouth. And that's not what it is. What it is is tasty, original, excellent burritos and tacos, with the perfect amount of spices and kim chee to get you through the day without ruining the day of everyone around you.




Chance we'll go back: Yes -- but I wouldn't wait in that hour-long line again. That's a one-time deal. It's like Pink's in a way -- you only really want to do that line once; but if it's short enough and you're driving by, it's your duty as an Angeleno to line up and grab something. Ditto here.



For a complete list of our more than 200 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant website.

Scenes from a Blogger Prom

Yes, there was a Blogger Prom on Wednesday night, and yes, Franklin Avenue was there to take it all in.

Well, one half of Franklin Avenue. Maria had hoped to come, and we were ready to milk the whole "pregnant high school prom goer" gag. But ultimately, it was determined that once that gag wore thin, she'd be mighty uncomfortable at the event.

So I headed by myself over to the roof of the Andaz hotel on the Sunset Strip, where I ran into a host of fellow Angeleno bloggers -- some I'd met before, others whom I've followed for years but had never met in person -- all in various wacky prom-ish attire.

I went rather simple, in a sleazy gold shirt and goofy glasses. Some went pretty elaborate; most were in 80s-theme attire. Despite the "prom" theme, dancing was at a mimimum, as it was mostly a chance for bloggers to get together -- and partake in complimentary food and drink secured by the event's planning committee.

Kudos to them for getting this thing all together. It was kinda -- and proudly -- geeky (actually, my colleague Pat, of Eating LA fame, said her daughter thought it was the "geekiest" thing she'd ever heard of), yet a lot of fun, particularly when it came to getting to know fellow bloggers.

A few shots from the event:








Metblogs L.A.'s Julia and David, along with Be The Boy's Will


Pauly Shore announces raffle winners, while When Tara Met Blog's Tara and Caroline on Crack's Caroline (in the wig) look on.


Slack Daily's Nina and Be The Boy's Will.


Green LA Girl's Siel and LAist's Lindsay


Joz Joz Joz's Joz


Thrillist's Jeff and Claudia


Eating LA's Pat, me, LA Story's Laura


Fishbowl LA's Pandora and Tina

KCBS and KCAL Rebrand to "NewsCentral"

The station that once offered up "The Big News," and later "Action News," is now about to unveil "NewsCentral."

KCBS (Channel 2), along with sister indie KCAL (Channel 9), plans to start branding its newscasts under the "NewsCentral" umbrella.

Starting this fall, "CBS2 NewsCentral" and "KCAL 9 NewsCentral" will become the official names for those two stations' newscasts. The CBS-owned duopoly merged news operations several years ago under one roof.

The "NewsCentral" name also falls into line with the branding that KCBS and KCAL have used for several years on the sports side, "Sports Central."

Announcement was made Wednesday by KCBS/KCAL president and general manager Patrick McClenahan.

"While our anchor teams will remain attached to their current newscasts, viewers will be able to count on the combined forces of both stations for an improved and more consistent focus on local news coverage – 11 hours each weekday, beginning at 5 a.m. and continuing to 11:35 p.m.," McClenahan said.

McClenahan also pointed out that other stations in the market -- Fox's KTTV, NBC's KNBC, and Tribune's KTLA -- have opted to pool newsgathering operations.

From Wikipedia, here's a list of KCBS newscast names through the years:
World News (1938-1948)
Telenews (1948-1949)
Fleetwood Lawton & The News (1950-1951)
World News and KNXT News (1951-1960)
The Big News (1960-1976, 6:15 P.M. newscast until September 1, 1963; 6 P.M. newscast since September 2, 1963)
24 Hours (1960-1976, 11 P.M. newscast)
2LA Newsroom (1976-1979)
Channel 2 News (1979-1988)
Channel 2 Action News (1988-1997)
CBS 2 News (1997-present)

And here's the past KCAL newscast titles:
Don Lee News (1950s)
The Channel 9 News (1960s-1980s)
The Ten O'Clock News (1970s-early 1980s)
The Nine O'Clock News (1983-1989)
Prime 9 News (1990-1995)
KCAL 9 News (1995-present)

NoHo's Gateway to Hideousness

(Photo by Jodi Kurland)

Over at Metblogs L.A., Jodi Kurland highlights the truly tacky NoHo Gateway, which was recently installed. The lettering, the colors, the design and the way-too-literal interpretation of "the arts"... it seems way too amateur for Los Angeles.

I like NoHo and what they're trying to do with North Hollywood's burgeoning "arts district." Yet this sign sets that progress back. The commenters on Jodi's Metblogs post seem to agree -- they were brutal.

One Summer Night in Atwater Village

(Flickr photo by popomohaha.)

Atwater Village will keep its main drag -- Glendale Blvd. -- open late this Thursday, July 23, to celebrate "Summer Nights on the Boulevard."

Info from the Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce:

Stores will be open late. Restaurants will offer sidewalk dining. The Complex, located just east of the Gas Mart, will feature live bands, dancers, and art exhibits. The parking lot at 3111 Glendale Blvd.(Starbucks, 55 Degree Wine, Crispy Crust) will have a dj, art exhibit, massages, and dancers.

The Madera bump out will have no less than 10 bands, live dancers, and a cd release party. In front of The Little Knittery will be even more live music as well as live jazz in front of Hugo’s Tacos. Our homeless four-legged friends will be up for adoption via DAWS in front of Woof Dog Boutique.

Sadly, it will also be your last chance to check out boutique store Amelia Fitzwater, which shuts down at the end of the week. The store is selling the remainder of its product for at least 50% off.

Another Scoop on Scoops

As part of our Friday night Date Night, Maria and I headed to our fave ice cream shop, East Hollywood's Scoops, after seeing "(500) Days of Summer."

We got there around 9:15, and several of the flavors were already gone (including their signature brown bread). Only a few spoonfuls remained of coffee/cardamon, for example, so they nicely just added a sample to my scoops.

As you know by now, in Scoops' world, "one scoop" actually means two sizable balls of ice cream. In my case, besides the coffee/cardamom topper, I got strawberry/basil and green tea/crema de Mexicana. Maria got the strawberry/basil and green tea/creama de Mexicana as well. Good flavors, but not quite as good as my favorite.

Former 98.7 Morning Host Jamie White Arrested

Former KYSR 98.7 morning drive host Jamie White -- who spent several years at the station, partnered first with Frosty Stilwell and Frank Kramer, then Danny Bonaduce, and then Jack Heine and Mike "Stench" Roberts -- was arrested earlier this month in Los Angeles on undisclosed charges (although Radio-Info posters speculate on those charges here).

"Jamie, Jack and Stench" were dropped by Clear Channel and 98.7 at the end of 2006; just recently, White resurfaced on Sacramento's "106.5 The Buzz," a show she reportedly does via remote from her home in Denver.

California State Budget Concessions You Didn't Hear About

(Photo by Rich Pedroncelli/AP)
"Ha ha ha! WE JUST DESTROYED YOUR STATE."

The California budget stalemate is finally over -- and now the real pain begins. As state programs are cut to the bone and assistance plans reduced to nothing, it's probably time to remind you that the state partly has itself to blame for electing Schwarzenegger in the first place.

Too bad no one warned you at the time about what a mess the Governator would be. Oh wait. THEY DID.

But whatever. So Schwarzenegger didn't succeed in reforming Sacramento, only presiding over the further collapse of the state. Kids and poor people don't elect lawmakers, so why not hit them the hardest. Am I right, folks?

Term limits. A proposition system run amok. Impossible-to-achieve voting thresholds to approve a budget. Wrong-headed tax cuts.

And then... a circus of a recall election in 2003 -- which was brought on by, well, what? The fact that Gray Davis was a dullard? The fact that a movie star wanted to be governor? The fact that so many people could easily be swayed by bombastic talk radio hosts? If it's true that you get the government that you deserve, then someone must have really wanted to punish California.

Most of all, our indifference as citizens in how California is run has finally bit us in the ass. We wanted it all: No taxes, yet great schools and plenty of social services for all. We wanted government to run smoothly, yet we wanted to shuffle in new politicians every few years. We wanted to protect the environment, yet we're pissed at how expensive our gas is.

LA Biz Observed has a smart roundup on why this new budget really won't solve anything.

But here are a few more California budget concessions you might not have read elsewhere:

:: "8th Grade" replaced by "Year-long Caltrans apprenticeship."

:: California State Lottery restructured into one great big Ponzi scheme.

:: Cal State Northridge to be replaced by "Cal State Wikipedia."

:: State lifeguards replaced by DVD copies of "Baywatch," season two.

:: Naming rights to the California State Song put up to auction; winner Diddy chooses "Swagga Like Puff."

:: "Cop-Free Fridays." Seriously, you're on your own every Friday. Stay out of trouble.

:: San Diego has been sold to the Tijuana Cartel for an undisclosed sum.

:: Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers announce a budget deal. Social services, assistance cut. State also plans to close down Fresno. Sorry, Fresno.

NPR Tackles In-N-Out Burger

No news outlet can resist eventually telling the story of SoCal's unique In-N-Out Burger chain. Most recently, NPR fell under the spell and filed this report, centered on Stacy Perman's new book, "In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks all the Rules":

The book chronicles the history of the chain starting with the company's founding in 1948 by Harry Snyder.

"Harry had a motto: Keep it simple; do one thing, and do it the best you can," Perman tells Madeleine Brand. "And they've pretty much hued pretty closely to that formula, and it's worked for them."

In-N-Out has its own process of making beef patties and delivers them, along with fresh tomatoes and potatoes, to the stores on a daily or a near-daily basis, Perman says. As a result, the stores are no farther than 500 miles away.

"I think one of the things you see, or rather don't see when you go into an In-N-Out is you don't see a freezer, you don't see infrared lights, and you don't see microwaves," she says.

Perman says In-N-Out's secret menu includes the popular Animal Style burger, named for Southern California surfers who flocked to the chain in the 1960s and were labeled animals by the clean-cut In-N-Out staff; and the Protein Style, which predates the Atkins Diet and comes wrapped in lettuce rather than on a bun.

Nothing in this report that you don't already know -- the bible verses in the wrappers, etc. But probably a few surprises for people not familiar with the beloved chain.

"(500) Days of Summer": A Love Letter to Two of Our Favorite Things, Downtown L.A. and Burbank IKEA

For our Friday night date night -- yep, our final date night before Blogger Baby 2.0 arrives (farewell, date night! See you in three years) -- Maria and I traveled to the Arclight in Hollywood to catch a showing of new indie comedy "(500) Days of Summer," now in limited release.

We knew it was a romantic comedy, and that it had been receiving strong reviews... but imagine our surprise to discover it's also a love letter to the Los Angeles you don't see much in film. "(500) Days" stars Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as a lovestruck twentysomething guy living in a downtown loft and working at a greeting card company, also in an old, rehabbed downtown building.

One day he meets Zooey Deschanel's character, who takes a job as his boss's assistant. Soon their whirlwind romance takes them through downtown spots such as the Redwood and the Million Dollar Theatre (which, for creative license in the film, is still a working movie palace); Gordon-Leavitt's character is an aspiring architect who also spends his days admiring buildings like the Fine Arts and the Bradbury.

And then there's the sequence where Gordon-Leavitt and Deschanel flirt their way through the Burbank IKEA. It's always fun-- and a tad surreal -- to see locations where you've spent countless hours, suddenly up on the big screen. (Union Station even makes a cameo.)

As Gordon-Leavitt and Deschanel note in the promo video above, "(500) Days" manages to showcase a Los Angeles as a city, not as a showbiz mecca. As a matter of fact, the film avoids even mentioning what city they're in until halfway through; I kept recognizing things, but wondering if they were doing the typical thing of trying to pass L.A. off as another city. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Get Your Kicks on the Route 66 Walk

The Location Managers Guild of America, which brings together location pros from the film biz, is throwing a series of six walks up and down the historic Route 66.

On July 26, hikers will walk from West Hollywood to Union Station; on Aug. 23, the march continues from Union Station to South Pasadena. The general public is welcome to join in -- head over to Route 66 On the Road Again for more details.

For the July 26 hike, participants will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Barney's Beanery, and leave right at 8 a.m. The midpoint is at the Vermont/Santa Monica Red Line Metro station in Los Feliz; total hike is 9.4 miles.

The West Hollywood-to-Union Station leg is a reverse of last November's Great Los Angeles Walk, when we hiked down Santa Monica Blvd. Don't forget to clear the Saturday before Thanksgiving this November to come join us for the fourth edition!