Saturday, November 20, 2010

Dr Nancy

In 2001 I made an hour long documentary about a local cable TV "star"... Dr Nancy Mroczek. Some cable companies provide free space and equipment for locals to make their own TV shows. Normally they are just call in shows or tarot card readers, but occasionally you get something really... different. I never liked the doc much, Nancy had provided me with some very poor VHS tapes of her shows and the interview went well but to be frank.. she rambles. So I decided recently to re-edit it down to 7 minutes, make it more video clip like and intercut her singing, dancing and rants with the much calmer personal interview. No Dr nancy film is worth seeing unless you show her in a cage in a leotard pretending to be a lab animal, of course. I've seen her show recently on you tube and she's become very "tea party" ish. Going on about Obama not being american, being communist and sending "earthquake bombs" to Haiti.

Voyons Donc!

9 comments:

Mr. Sophistication said...

CCTV or WGBH? Either way it's a smash!

Behemoth media said...

Boston Neighborhood Network!
http://www.bnntv.org/
Too bad Donna and i didn't make our own show when we were both in Boston!

Mr. Sophistication said...

I got involved with CCTV for a couple of shorts. I had a friend that took a class there to gain access to the equipment. I was so stupid then. If I had the opportunity now....

I remember those BNN shows! Those call-ins were terrible!

Behemoth media said...

I was on one! Promoting my film "46 years" (now called 50 years) about a gay couple. it was an ok experience, I think the show was called "talk out" or something...

it's just too bad none of us ran with it when we could have! We have some public shows here in Montreal.... they are so polished though! I am not sure how you get involved, but there is nothing like Dr nancy on them!

Mr. Sophistication said...

Those shows were hard to watch. Those poor panelists would get prank calls from college kids making HORRIBLE comments. I hope you weren't on the receiving end of any of that. I wonder why they didn't use a tape delay or something?

I'm with you. I wish they had more programming like Dr. Nancy.

Pantheon Zeus said...

I took the classes in chicago 93-95 and had the joy of creating several episodes of a Dinah! Meets Donny & Marie meets Welk type variety show. It gave me the thrill of doing "live" Tv ( writing/casting/directing/producing)
( at first I had no editing classes under my belt so mistakes had to remain in show.) you were given a 4 hour slot to get in there, set up stage, adjust lights with your volunteer crew (who you begged to help you and prayed they'd show up)
Tape the show and break it all down and get out.
It was a thrill! Years later I switched to single camera soap opera Mary Hartman style shows but the variety thing was a real challenge and much fun. I watch the Welk show to this today in awe and vast appreciation of the art form.

I love dr Nancy in a cage-- she should have teamed with Pixanne !

Mr. Sophistication said...

PZ, I think Welk had the benefit of a well-paid crew and he certainly had his system down by the end of the run. Four hours seems almost impossible. And a non-paid crew is very impossible. I've been in that situation, thankfully not LIVE! Kudos for pulling it off.

Let me know when Dr. Nancy is ready for a second installment. I'd sign on for that!

Behemoth media said...

She never spoke to me after I finished the first draft of this in 2001. I am not so sure she'll like this any better! She might though... it's still pretty positive about her and she does realize not everyone thinks she is dealing with a full deck.

Donna Lethal said...

This is fantastic and I apologize for the late reply. I was in SF!
Oh, why weren't we in Boston at the same time longer? Dishrag Dottie still calls out to me.