196 replies to this topic

[TheCustomOfLife]

I'm gonna tape it this year. I've stayed quite loyal to Dick Clark; I've watched him every New Year's since 1993. I mean, that was all fine and dandy when I was 7, but now I'm 18 and I'm a lamer.

[RabbitEars]

Clark will also introduce highlight performances from some of this past year’s most successful tours including Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Elton John, KISS, Avril Lavigne and Tim McGraw.

Did this show always suck this bad? Because I can't believe that for all these years, Dick Clark has just been fronting bad pre-taped performances. Nothing's even interesting enough to turn the sound up. I'll stick here typing and playing my Limp Bizkit.

[mtvcdm]

Would someone explain to me why, when New York hit midnight, Anaheim-- you know, that city in CALIFORNIA, which last time I checked is THREE HOURS BEHIND NEW YORK-- was celebrating the arival of 2004 with confetti and fireworks and everything. Guys? Check your watches. It's 9:00 PM. You will get to celebrate 2004 as well. Just hold your horses and wait your freakin' turn.

[asdfasdfjames]

Hee! I noticed that too, mtvcdm. I hope those poor dears didn't run out of fireworks, since they've been setting them off since six-freaking-thirty their time. Anyway, this "special" was ass. Happy new year!

[StaceyRosie]

My dad after seeing Jessica Simpson on the TV says outloud to everyone at the party we were attending, "Someone should just shoot her in the head and get rid of her once and for all." Yeah ... that shut everyone up for a few seconds. Jesus.

[jw7579]

Here is a post from the Jump The Shark website that talks about the Hollywood portion of the show:

Finding out that the New Year's party is pre-taped before tonight is the equivalent of learning the truth about the Tooth Fairy, who eats the cookies left for Santa, and that Rosebud is a sleigh all wrapped up into one.

[StaceyRosie]

I had to inform my dumbass brother that the Hollywood portion is pre-taped like weeks earlier. He was so disappointed.

Heh.

[Autumn1501]

It's sad that we don't have LIVE New Year's Eve Celebrations on TV in the west. I was stuck home, sick, and watched the CNN and parts of the MTV count down and was looking forward to our celebration. Bless Dick Clark's heart, he is still alive and kicking, but I'm seeing the same thing over. Thought the California part was live and editing in. Nope. But I kept laughing remembering the episode of Friends when Monica and Ross wanted to dance on the special which was taped a week before New Years. It made me watch the dancers more closely and wow,
would have perfered Monica!

I did think poor Dick was going to buy it last night when he was doing the cheesy M&M commerical and puts a hand full in his mouth. Looked like he almost choked!

I have to say that I did feel proud of the ole USA. All those people singing and kissing (loved Dick & the Misses), still gives me goosebumps.

[Prairie Fire]

It's sad that we don't have LIVE New Year's Eve Celebrations on TV in the west.

Or the midwest (although we at least got to see Conan dancing around with Steve Bartman, a "Cheesehead"-wearing Packers fan, a guy from Belize, and a donkey to mark 12am in the Central Time Zone).

Anyone have an explanation why the networks pretty much ignore the other 3 time zones on New Year's Eve? Lame...

[jw7579]

I noticed that when they show the countries around the world setting off fireworks when they reach midnight, they always show Sydney, Austraila first. Is that becaue they are the first ones to have the New Year?

Did anyone see the primetime version of the show? There was one funny part where Mario Lopez asked a group of women why they came to NY. The ringleader answered by saying that they were there to see Dick's ball drop. I wished I got that on tape.

Edited by jw7579, Jan 1, 2004 @ 7:18 PM.

[LadySheherazade]

Anyone have an explanation why the networks pretty much ignore the other 3 time zones on New Year's Eve? Lame...

Yeah, that bothers me. Central time zone here. We get nothing. Midnight passes and nobody says a peep.

[TheCustomOfLife]

Yeah, they rapped a lot. I'm not crazy about rap to begin with, so I switched over to FOX to get some sort of "New Year" recognition.

[Fandomania]

Finding out that the New Year's party is pre-taped before tonight is the equivalent of learning the truth about the Tooth Fairy, who eats the cookies left for Santa, and that Rosebud is a sleigh all wrapped up into one.

ohshit...I didn't know it was pre-taped!

[iMissEthan]

would have perfered Monica

You mean no one did 'the routine'?

I taped NY1's coverage, because I like to go local. Cyndi Lauper was singing her guts out way up high. Did Dick Clark not have rights to the Cyndi Lauper performance? Was that only for NYCers?

I know someone who ate at a restaurant (Foley's) overlooking Times Square on NYE. It was $700 per person. I can't imagine seeing Dick Clark in person would be worth that.

[Sean C]

Anyone have an explanation why the networks pretty much ignore the other 3 time zones on New Year's Eve? Lame...

I think it's just a matter of the difficulties with live television in a four-time-zone country (or lower 48, to be more accurate). It's the same reason award-show celebs have to put on "eveningwear" to walk a red carpet at 3pm local time so the show can start at 5:00 local and be on in primetime in the east, or that Monday Night Football lasts until after midnight because to start it early enough to end at a decent hour would be to have the kickoff before West-coasters could get away from work and get to a TV (on that, Pacific & Mountain get the advantage, as the ballgame airs while their bars are having Happy Hour, and people who turn in before midnight can actually go to bed knowing who won the game).

Also, Times Square's ball-drop has become the iconic representation of New Year's celebration, and is the easily-identifiable large-crowd event. It happens when the first time zone in the country hits midnight, so it gets covered as the country's "official" start to the new year. I don't know what big events are held in other parts of the country that would make for TV as good as Times Square. I imagine there are a lot of "Mayor's Ball"-type events held in convention centers and arenas, but I don't know of any that incorporate famous landmarks that easily identify the location to viewers across a wide swath of country (I'm just saying I don't know of any, not that there aren't any; tell me, if there are), at least not on par with Times Square.

And to be straight with you, I'm in the Eastern Time Zone (though just barely; our area should be Central, going by longitude and whatnot, but I'm glad to be on Dick Clark Time, myself).

[iMissEthan]

It's because New York rules the country (OK, that's DC, but they're eastern zone as well). A couple of years ago I was visiting L.A. and couldn't believe it when I saw a basketball game on at 9am on a Sunday. Then I realized it was noon at home.

The best example is the Oscars. It's the middle of the afternoon where the event is taking place, it's the middle of the night in Europe, but prime time for eastern time zone viewing.

[indybear]

They generally show the Sydney, Australia, celebration because they are the first major celebration, what with the fireworks on the bridge and all. The first spot to actually celebrate is a tiny island called Kiribati.

[mtvcdm]

Central as well, and I couldn't find anything except Univision in my time zone (Mexico City is, in fact, in the Central time zone). I had 3 options otherwise:
1. Find an affiliate rerunning the Times Square footage from an hour earlier.
2. Find an affiliate that has a ticker at the bottom of the screen reading "00:03...00:02...00:01...Happy New Year!"
3. Find an affiliate showing absolutely nothing, holiday-wise.
This ticked me off: doesn't my time zone have, say, New Orleans? How about Chicago? Or maybe St. Louis or Dallas? Nothin'. So I settled for a ticker, of which I saw 2 on 2 different affiliates... with disagreeing clocks, which totally ruined the countdown. "5...4...Happy New Year! ...AACK! YOU SUCK, AFFILIATE!" Close quote.
I resorted to Univision, and watch them shoot their fireworks... and see them disappear into reams of smog, never to be seen again. No explosions, just futile attempts to show fireworks going off. You'd think they'd put the camera close enough so that they can show actual explosions.

[daidouji]

All I watch on Dick's show anymore is the ball dropping, since the music acts don't interest me and I'm in the Central Time Zone--then I always switch over to Conan O'Brien for his special Central Time Zone countdown. It's much more entertaining anyway.

[Traderex]

Anyone watching this show and waiting to see how Dick Clark has recovered?

[mattmarcotte]

Dick looked awful, but at the same time, it was wonderful to see him--he's obviously trying exceedingly hard. And how blatantly is Mariah lipsyncing while freezing to death?

[erik316wttn]

Holy cow, Dick looked and sounded like he was about to drop dead any minute. I guess I didn't realize how badly the stroke affected his body.

It got to the point where it was downright painful to listen to him and I couldn't anymore. I switched over to FOX.

[mtlchickie]

It got to the point where it was downright painful to listen to him and I couldn't anymore.

Same here. I was like "I am officially old." A valiant effort nevertheless.

And Happy New Year!

[smijca]

Besides Dick's sounding like he was about to keel over any moment, he also did a little too much when the ball dropped.

I mean, did we really need to hear him bumpin' lips with his wife. Honest, hearing anyone kiss when they have a mike on is icky but this was especially...just nasty.

Having said that, go Dick!

[murphsully]

At first it was shocking to see Dick Clark but I admire him for being there. I think he truly is an inspiration and it's great to see him. Although he looks as good as ever, it's when he speaks that you realize that he has had a stroke.
I also feel that as the show progresses that he sounds stronger.
I agree smijca, Go Dick!
(I didn't hear the kissy face -- my 6 year old was too excited making noise as it was his first time ringing in the new year.)

Happy New Year all! All the best to all my fellow TWoPers for 2006 -- may there be snark aplenty!

Edited by murphsully, Jan 2, 2006 @ 8:10 PM.

[simplyperson]

I tell you, the first time I heard Dick Clark speak, I nearly cried. Silly, but oh well. I didn't turn it on until just before midnight. Dick Clark isn't supposed to get old or have any of those sort of afflictions, how unfair. Though, it seems right that he was there. Even if I don't watch the thing, he's supposed to be there.

[ersatzreality]

That certainly doesn't sound like Dick Clark - even though the body looks like him.

Amusing that the Bangles did Hazy Shade of Winter - the last time I watched a NYE show they did HSoW. A long time ago.

[Well Manicured]

I just got through watching the Mariah segment. Blech.

Ditto on Dick Clark, watching him made me feel sad, I think it would've been nicer to just have shown him instead of making him talk.

[DuckyinKy]

I got a lump in my throat.....poor Dick, yet I think he just needed to be there.

Good heavens - Mariah's boob, just one boob, is bigger than Ryan's head. She could kill him with those things.

[LadyJaney]

I think I had mentally prepared myself for seeing Dick possibly looking and/or sounding bad. I was actually relieved to see him looking fairly well. His voice was obviously slurred, but I give the guy loads of credit for going back to his show. It was great seeing him again, he has been going through alot, I hope he keeps improving and we see him for many future Rockin' Eve shows.

Seacrest seemed to behave well and do a good job as co-host. Mariah looked kind of scary, I just don't get it. I cant help but stare at Hillary Duff's teeth the entire time she is on TV. Her veneers distract me. But all in all, the show was done well.

Happy New Year everyone!