Being late to the party for "Stranger Things" they have a town station WSQK [don't bother googling, call letters for a real station are non-existent but the station's design is based on a real station in NC, WPTF] If I could reach through the TV screen and strangle The Duffer Brothers or whomever wrote the Season 5 Episode 1 story, I would. I have NEVER seen on any show that I can recall how a radio station is portrayed so badly. This is the one time I would have endorsed them talking to a consultant or even a part-time DJ from some podunk station in Bug Whistle, Mississippi. It's like an old Mickey Rooney "Hey kids, let's put on a show" version of a radio station where they have high school kids running the station. The only part they got correct was when a doo-dad at the top of the tower broke and two guys decide they're going to climb it and fix it and the DJ says "Uh, let me turn off the power first unless you wanna get fried." And the DJ plays a record, not once but twice, and TALKS through the whole damn song. I know there's such thing as "hitting the post" but they don't mean the very last word on the record as it's sung. Why, why, why, oh why, do they continue to portray stations so badly on TV?
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Poorly done "fictional" radio stations
- Thread starter Yabadabado1
- Start date
WKRP in Cincinnati would like a word...
Even they had issues but not as bad as Stranger Things.
There was an episode of Nashville, my buddy played the "DJ". For the one episode they built a studio. Could've rented one, but this was built with false walls for cameras. He worked in radio, over 20 years, and said it was the nicest studio he'd even been in. Everything was plugged in, for lights. They even asked his opinion on the build to be sure things were right. He was a day player! They did it right.
The simplest answer is that probably no one on the set designing crew had ever been to a radio station.
Of course, the short answer is that this is fiction. So there will always be a lot of leeway when it comes to reality. It's not just radio, but anyone who sees their profession or industry portrayed on TV and the movies almost always finds fault with what they see.
On that note, what really bugs me is when they use an incorrect frequency allocation for the fake station. Like FM 108.0, or the AM 510 I saw once.
On that note, what really bugs me is when they use an incorrect frequency allocation for the fake station. Like FM 108.0, or the AM 510 I saw once.
Good Morning World says, "Hold My Beer".
One of the best on TV was the radio station set built for "Frasier". It was accurately modeled after the the then new state of the art studios of KABC 790 Los Angeles, at the time one of the leading talk stations. Pure 80s tech, real triple decker ITC cart machines, real audio consoles, soundproofing on the walls, microphones we still use. I enjoy watching and remembering how things were in those days.
Today all you need to emulate a modern studio is a table, several monitor screens, a keyboard, microphones and headsets. There was a recent series about a podcaster in New York, and he had that along with a small mixing console right in his apartment.
Today all you need to emulate a modern studio is a table, several monitor screens, a keyboard, microphones and headsets. There was a recent series about a podcaster in New York, and he had that along with a small mixing console right in his apartment.
For the ST station had cart decks, R2R...set in the 80s. Someone gave consult. I dont think they came up with it on their own. For what was shown.... it was fine.
Relevant to this thread:
Fine? Cart decks way off to the side and miles away from the DJ was just one of the things that stood out to me. Apparently not tied into the board as she had her friend standing there punching a play button on the decks anytime she needed a sound effect. Major electrical problems [thanks, Vecna] that should have been handled by an engineer and yet they just pull out the transmitter repair manual. Good thing an FCC inspector wasn't around, he'd probably have the hauled off in handcuffs and attach their allowances to pair any fines.
And yes, other professions are shown that are even worse. Used to be an EMT and work for a police dept and some of the things shown on those medical/police shows would have you sitting in a jail cell if you did them in real life.
Looks like Cheech & Chong's long lost sons.
OK...things they got right: Continental Transmitter. Gates control console. I think they are using Technics 1200 turntables. Cart machines appear to be ITC or knockoffs that look like them. Oh, and there's a WNCI sticker on an electrical box in the station's basement. WNCI is located in.....Columbus!
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Another good movie radio set is in "Telling Lies in America" with Kevin Bacon and written by Joe Eszterhaus about a teen growing up in Cleveland circa 1960 who is befriended by a WHK DJ. The producers built an excellent set modeled after the WHK 5000 Euclid Avenue studios of that era with many WHK vintage pieces loaned by collectors, the radio museum and the historical society. Although the plot does not center around radio as such, it is a good effort.
Seen bits and pieces of that movie. One of these days, I'll have to watch the whole thing. But I do know that former reporter for WJW TV, Dave Buckel, had a part in the movie as a newsman.
It wasn't really a whole fictional radio station, but I did enjoy Jeff Bridges' performance as fictional radio host Jack Lucas in "The Fisher King." Years before he became "The Dude," he played a loud-mouth NY talk radio host whose rants inspired a terrible act, lost everything (including a possible sitcom role) and was about to hit rock bottom when he met Robin Williams' character.
Another one I tried to watch but just couldn't get into it.