Karin Sabin
Staff Writer
Pepperdine rolled out the red carpet last Friday for its local celebrities — the cast and crews of its student-run TV shows.
Excitement buzzed around those strolling down the red carpet, dressed up to the nines.
The TV-26 Red Carpet Premiere began outside Elkins Auditorium at 10 p.m. to celebrate the television programs broadcast this year on cable channel 26. Among the shows present at the event were “Strong Currents,” “The Randumb Show,” “The Robby Mooring Show” and “The Sports Report.”
The purpose of the night was to showcase the student productions and introduce the cast and crew to the Pepperdine community, as each of the shows screened excerpts for 15 minutes.
“The Randumb Show,” a variety show that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, features segments and bits with a “Saturday Night Live” feel to it. Some of the segments included a dating expert, random acts and random destruction.
Senior Natasha Bullard, the show’s director, said she enjoys the opportunity to learn in a fun environment.
“‘Randumb’ is a lot of fun and has such great people in the show,” Bullard said. “I think that’s what has kept the show together over the years — people who are eager and glad to get the job done.”
Bullard admitted she was a little nervous at the premiere.
“This is my first time directing,” Bullard said. “At the premiere, I was no longer in the safety of my own room. People can throw things at me.”
There was no need to be nervous, it turned out, because “Randumb” received a positive reaction from the crowd.
“It was neat to see live audience feedback,” Bullard said. “It was good to see people laugh at what we hoped was funny.”
“The Randumb Show” airs Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m. on channel 26.
“Strong Currents” is a new show this semester, marking a milestone as the first all-women’s program. The talk show consists of four women who each specialize in areas like relationships, politics, philanthropy and hot topics.
“It’s a very campus-driven show,” said senior Melissa Parks, the creator and executive producer. “The hosts talk about what goes on in the world, yet tie it back to school.”
Parks cites raising awareness as the aim of the show. Recent discussions on the show included HIV/AIDS, the tsunami in Southeast Asia and women in media.
The original concept of the show was to have four girls discussing topics with a camera capturing it all.
“It was to be sort of like a sleepover,” Parks said. “But then we went for more sophistication and our motto became ‘women discussing’ and it turned more into a show like ‘The View.’”
At the red carpet event, Parks said she was excited and proud.
“I know all the hard work the cast and crew puts into it,” Parks said. “It takes a crew of 20 people to make the show, so I was incredibly proud of all their hard work.”
Mariko Wilson, the social awareness anchor for Strong Currents, said she enjoyed the red carpet appeal.
“You feel like you’re a celebrity,” Wilson said.
But the night was not only about the glitz and glamour of the red carpet.
“The premiere gave glimpses of the shows, and was a good opportunity to see what others are doing at TV-26,” Wilson said. “It was a way to share our accomplishments.”
“Strong Currents” airs Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. on channel 26.
The TV-26 premiere night turned out to be a success.
“It was a great event and I hope it’s done again next year to get the word out about these shows,” Bullard said. “I hope to get Pepperdine students to watch channel 26 this season and next.”
Wilson said she shares Bullard’s enthusiasm for the event.
“The premiere night was wonderful because we all understand the work that goes into the shows,” Wilson said. “It was a great night of appreciation of each other’s work.”
The rest of the Pepperdine community benefited, as well.
“The red carpet event was a great opportunity for Pepperdine to see what the telecommunication department does,” Bullard said. “People can see that we’re not just tinkering with expensive toys.”
03-24-2005
