Our Visit with the Lads
Monday, April 17, 2006
LOS ANGELES - On Friday, my Bookable Offense colleague Bryce and I had the honor of attending a live broadcast of Fox Football Friday. As many of our American and Canadian readers will know, Fox Football Friday is a weekly show hosted by British ex-pats Nick Geber and Steven Cohen. The Anglo-centric show, which is set in a pub, includes previews the upcoming
weekend's English Premier League contests, phone calls from viewers, questions from the live audience, and discussions of other topical issues in the world of football.
I must admit that I am only an occasional viewer of the show. The show airs on Friday evenings, which is typically pub time for me. However, the "Triple F" is a very watchable program. Nick, a Liverpool supporter, and Steven, a Chelsea fan, are very engaging and knowledgeable. They move the program along nicely from topic to topic, and do a nice job of interacting with callers and audience members. Things can get a little slow when they are spending five minutes discussing a Charlton-West Brom match. Still, I was very interested to attend the show and see what goes on behind the scenes.
Living in Los Angeles, I've been able to attend a few television show broadcasts in my time, including the Tonight Show and American Idol. While Fox Football Friday may not have the big-studio bells and whistles, it succeeds in bringing American and Canadian viewers a venue to hear about and discuss the world of European football.
Bryce and I arrived at the Fox Soccer Channel studios one hour before the broadcast. I couldn't help but be suspicious when they herded the audience of 12 into what appeared to be the office lunch room. While we waited, we were treated to an episode of "The People's Court," and Bryce even spotted a celebrity - FSC's English Premier League host Nick Webster. After about a 40 minute wait, we were finally ushered into the studio.
One thing you soon learn when you attend a live television event - everything you see on TV is much smaller in person. The Fox Football Friday "pub" was basically a small bar area and three tables. There were not even enough chairs for the 12 of us in the studio audience. We soon learned that the pub did not actually serve libations, which is disappointing for any football fan. Instead we were treated to a glass of Coke.
The stars of the show made their way into the studio, rehearsed a bit, and got settled in for the show. Neither Nick nor Steven interacted much with the studio audience, but they can be forgiven considering their hosting responsibilities. We were, however, treated to the cheery attitude of Keith, the Irish bartender/interviewer.
As the show began, it quickly became apparent that we were there more to add ambiance than we were to actually watch the show. Bryce and I had our backs to the hosts as we sat at the bar sipping our Cokes. It was easier to watch the proceedings on nearby flatscreen TVs than it was to actually turn around and watch the hosts. Then again, there wasn't much to watch other than a couple of guys talking football.
It was easy to follow along with the hosts as they discussed the weekend's matches. However, as part of the audience, we were required to act as one normally would in a pub setting. So we chatted amongst ourselves and with the friendly Keith. One downside to the show was that we were unable to hear questions being asked by viewers calling in on the phone.
The highlight of the night was the second segment. Bryce and I were moved to a table and were prepped for the question and answer segment. I have to admit, even this seasoned journalist was a bit nervous ahead of my 15 seconds on live TV! But when the moment arrived, I stepped up like a champ and delivered my question - I had wanted to know how Arsenal would respond to its role as a favorite in the Champions League semifinal against Villareal . Likewise, Bryce turned in a man-of-the-match performance in asking his question about Newcastle's summer priorities.
Following the Q&A segment, we were able to settle back and enjoy the rest of the show. Unfortunately, we had finished our Cokes, and Keith didn't have any
refills for us. We then spent the last 20 minutes trying to devise ways to act out on camera.
Overall, I quite enjoyed participating on the show. It's always a thrill to get on camera. I was impressed with the professionalism and organization of all of those involved in producing the show.
I would suggest that the hosts try to incorporate a segment on leagues besides the EPL in the show. Also, the questions from the audience and callers were a bit random and not always germane to the topic the hosts were just discussing. It would be nice to have a bit more consistency in that regard. And finally, they really need to find out a way to serve beer to the live audience. The show is set in a pub, after all!
Little did we know that our evening with Fox Football Friday wasn't over when the show ended. We were fortunate enough to cross paths with our new pal Keith later in the evening. I could write a whole other story on the hijinx that ensued, but that will have to wait for another time.
Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com
weekend's English Premier League contests, phone calls from viewers, questions from the live audience, and discussions of other topical issues in the world of football.I must admit that I am only an occasional viewer of the show. The show airs on Friday evenings, which is typically pub time for me. However, the "Triple F" is a very watchable program. Nick, a Liverpool supporter, and Steven, a Chelsea fan, are very engaging and knowledgeable. They move the program along nicely from topic to topic, and do a nice job of interacting with callers and audience members. Things can get a little slow when they are spending five minutes discussing a Charlton-West Brom match. Still, I was very interested to attend the show and see what goes on behind the scenes.
Living in Los Angeles, I've been able to attend a few television show broadcasts in my time, including the Tonight Show and American Idol. While Fox Football Friday may not have the big-studio bells and whistles, it succeeds in bringing American and Canadian viewers a venue to hear about and discuss the world of European football.
Bryce and I arrived at the Fox Soccer Channel studios one hour before the broadcast. I couldn't help but be suspicious when they herded the audience of 12 into what appeared to be the office lunch room. While we waited, we were treated to an episode of "The People's Court," and Bryce even spotted a celebrity - FSC's English Premier League host Nick Webster. After about a 40 minute wait, we were finally ushered into the studio.
One thing you soon learn when you attend a live television event - everything you see on TV is much smaller in person. The Fox Football Friday "pub" was basically a small bar area and three tables. There were not even enough chairs for the 12 of us in the studio audience. We soon learned that the pub did not actually serve libations, which is disappointing for any football fan. Instead we were treated to a glass of Coke.
The stars of the show made their way into the studio, rehearsed a bit, and got settled in for the show. Neither Nick nor Steven interacted much with the studio audience, but they can be forgiven considering their hosting responsibilities. We were, however, treated to the cheery attitude of Keith, the Irish bartender/interviewer.
As the show began, it quickly became apparent that we were there more to add ambiance than we were to actually watch the show. Bryce and I had our backs to the hosts as we sat at the bar sipping our Cokes. It was easier to watch the proceedings on nearby flatscreen TVs than it was to actually turn around and watch the hosts. Then again, there wasn't much to watch other than a couple of guys talking football.
It was easy to follow along with the hosts as they discussed the weekend's matches. However, as part of the audience, we were required to act as one normally would in a pub setting. So we chatted amongst ourselves and with the friendly Keith. One downside to the show was that we were unable to hear questions being asked by viewers calling in on the phone.
The highlight of the night was the second segment. Bryce and I were moved to a table and were prepped for the question and answer segment. I have to admit, even this seasoned journalist was a bit nervous ahead of my 15 seconds on live TV! But when the moment arrived, I stepped up like a champ and delivered my question - I had wanted to know how Arsenal would respond to its role as a favorite in the Champions League semifinal against Villareal . Likewise, Bryce turned in a man-of-the-match performance in asking his question about Newcastle's summer priorities.
Following the Q&A segment, we were able to settle back and enjoy the rest of the show. Unfortunately, we had finished our Cokes, and Keith didn't have any
refills for us. We then spent the last 20 minutes trying to devise ways to act out on camera.Overall, I quite enjoyed participating on the show. It's always a thrill to get on camera. I was impressed with the professionalism and organization of all of those involved in producing the show.
I would suggest that the hosts try to incorporate a segment on leagues besides the EPL in the show. Also, the questions from the audience and callers were a bit random and not always germane to the topic the hosts were just discussing. It would be nice to have a bit more consistency in that regard. And finally, they really need to find out a way to serve beer to the live audience. The show is set in a pub, after all!
Little did we know that our evening with Fox Football Friday wasn't over when the show ended. We were fortunate enough to cross paths with our new pal Keith later in the evening. I could write a whole other story on the hijinx that ensued, but that will have to wait for another time.
Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com
posted by Brian at 4/17/2006 10:39:00 PM 
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