A Taste of Summer in New York (PICS)

In mid-May I spent a week in New York for the network upfront presentations. There's nothing better than early summer in NYC; here are some pics. First up, above, a view of Central Park from the Belvedere Castle.


Speaking of the Belvedere Castle...


Strawberry Fields, forever


Crowds gather at the Sheep Meadow


Nothing much to see here, just a cellist performing in his store window.


Inside the subway.


Turns out people don't actually show up to the "Today" show with posters in hand -- they're asked to make them on the spot.


Random art exhibit spotted in the lobby of an office tower.



At the Museum of Modern Art, the fantastic exhibit "Frank Lloyd Wright and the City: Density vs. Dispersal"


A model of the H.C. Price Company Tower that Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

MIKE ON TV: Discussing the Letterman News on NBC's "Today Show"

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I taped this last night at NBC News' bureau in Burbank.

Retro Friday: The Empire Strikes Back on "Today"

In this 1980 clip from "Today," host Jane Pauley interviews Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford as "The Empire Strikes Back" is about to be released. At first, neither want to talk -- and there's an awkward dead silence. Later, Hamill explains George Lucas' plans to eventually shoot a series of prequels -- which we now know took a bit longer than expected to happen.

The Controversy Over "Kid Nation"

Did the upcoming CBS reality show really exploit its underage participants? Who would allow their kid to go on this show? Good questions. As New Mexico looks into whether any laws were violated (and now, the Hollywood guilds raise a stink), NBC's Today show looked into the controversy last Thursday; you'll see me toward the end of the clip. Click above or here.