Results tagged “wttw”

With the passing of broadcast journalist legend John Callaway, WTTW has made some scheduling changes to honor him. According to the Trib's Phil Rosenthal:

Tonight's 7 p.m. edition of "Chicago Tonight," the WTTW show Callaway launched in 1984, will focus on Callaway's career and life with tributes from "Chicago Tonight" regulars Phil Ponce, Carol Marin, Joel Weisman, Elizabeth Brackett and Rich Samuels. The show will also feature highlights of Callaways most memorable interviews with array of newsmakers and celebrities.

Rosenthal has a few additional details as well. And while you're at it, skate on by WBEZ to check out what Steve Edwards has to say about Callaway and listen to an interview Edwards had with him.

WTTW's aired between 1988 and 2003 (with a short seven part revival in 2006) and took a look at various wacky and unusual places, people, and events around the city. The show went through a number of different hosts and correspondents over the years, and while they all had their certain charm, we have a special affinity for original host Ben Hollis (sorry Will, while we love nerds you just didn't connect with us). Part of Hollis' charm was his complete lack of pretense running around town in a khaki outfit and pith helmet. Watching clips of the old shows lead to a lot of "Oh, I remember that place" moments, and once in a while a "Before they were stars" sighting, such as in the video below from 1990. Hollis was in Lincoln Park asking people a dumb question as part of the regular -- what else -- "Dumb Question" segment, and one of the participants happens to be a familiar face. Familiar now, anyway. We would tell you who it is, but as you're sitting at work on this dreary Friday counting down the minutes until 5:00, we don't want to spoil a chance for you to kill some time so we'll let you try and spot him/her for yourself.

Last week, we told you about an old "lost" episode of WTTW's Check, Please which featured a young state Senator and law professor from Hyde Park named Barack Obama talking about Dixie Kitchen. Now, we have our first glimpse of what that episode will look like thanks to the following clip which has leaked. Don't forget to check out the full episode on January 16 at 8:00 p.m. [via Menu Pages]

Fans of "Check, Please!" know that WTTW often runs repeats of previous episodes, helping to propagate the "'Check, Please! Effect'" and make household names, for a brief time, of folks named Fred Solomon and Manase Latu.

For the first time since being elected, Sen. Barack Obama addressed the press on economic issues from a downtown Chicago hotel this afternoon and then took questions from reporters for a short time. Obama was quick to make sure he didn't step on the toes of the current administration, saying:

The United States has only one government and one President, and until January 20th of next year, that government is the current Administration. I have spoken to President Bush, and I appreciate his commitment to ensuring that his economic policy team keeps us fully informed as developments unfold.

He then outlined his economic concerns that will be facing the Obamistration. Following the statement, he fielded a few questions from reporters, nothing particularly hard-hitting, though he did seem to make an instant celebrity of the Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet who discussed with the President-Elect an injury she sustained at Obamapalooza. Check out the entire conference after the jump. And if that's not enough Obama for you, WTTW is replaying the Bob Sirott interview with Obama from 2004 tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Bummed Project Runway is done for the season? Don't worry because there's still some quality viewing for you tonight as Chicago 10, Brett Morgan's film about the 1968 Chicago DNC riots and ensuing trial, gets its television debut courtesy of PBS' series Independent Lens. The film mixes animation with archival footage of the incidents and features the vocal work of Mark Ruffalo, Hank Azaria and Jeffrey Wright. We caught a screening of it at least year's CIFF and, in spite of a few qualms, thought it was worth catching. Chicago 10 airs tonight at 9 p.m. on WTTW Ch. 11, with a replay early Friday morning at 2:30 a.m.

Earlier today, we told you about the Chicago Emmys that were handed out. Friends of Chicagoist Schadenfreude were nominated for their work with WTTW's IL-Informed (Category #13-a. Outstanding Achievement for Arts/Entertainment Programs – Program or Program Series). But they had a show going on that prevented them from attending the Awards in person so, instead, they shot an "acceptance speech" ahead of time just in case. Ultimately, they didn't win, which only makes it funnier.

The Chicago Police Department is investigating a bomb threat made last night to the WTTW Channel 11 station. Officials say that the threat may have been tied to last night’s premiere of the station’s new LGBT documentary, Out & Proud in Chicago.

This year Gay Pride Month in Chicago, a.k.a. June, kicks off with a brand new documentary premiering tonight on WTTW. Out & Proud in Chicago highlights almost 150 years of the city’s LGBT history – from the Civil War era through present day. The documentary serves to illuminate the path to liberation for Chicago’s LBGT community, coupling historical milestones with personal vignettes and individual reflection. From the WTTW pressroom:

WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer