My latest podcast is called Unintended Detainee. For 24 years I had local show on channel 21 called Unattended Dundee. When I named this new podcast, it was a tip of the hat to the Unattended Dundee TV show, now out of production which I produced for 23 years. Beginning in 1990, it was a teenage talk show of sorts that naturally flowed with students I had from the classroom, or friends of friends that knew of the project. Many of the shows were hosted by an outstanding student I once had in school named Heidi. Her upbeat personality drove the show and sent it in directions never expected. Those shows still make me smile. I always loved location shoots and used to take the entire production to the homes and backyards all over the mid midwest. The age range was 12 years old to college aged young adults. Participants often told stories of their families, perspectives on life and their day to day survival. Most of these students are now adults with children of their own. I get requests almost once a week to post a particular show or send links to the 250-some shows produced over that span of time.
Kids are not as fragile as many parents think. They are resourceful and resiliant. One show in particular stands out as we were swarmed by the 7 year locusts while we shot outdoors near a river. Kids are great at rolling with changes, they almost embrace these oddities. On this particular show, two girls never blinked an eye while the locusts began to fill the set environment. Another time we were shooting on a warm fall day around 2PM, within the hour the temperature dropped almost 35 degrees and as the credits rolled, snow fell. It should have been a show about weather!
Each year as my family took a vacation, usually to warm climate, I would shoot video about the adventures we had or showcase something historical on camera and edit into a special one-hour Unattended Dundee. My daughter and son learned to do narration and 'on cameras' at an early age. They liked it, so I continued to have them host or do segments. My daughter, now 26, can still regurgitate the 3 paragraph introduction to the summer vacations shows, We shot in San Francisco, Key West, New Orleans, Savannah, Tampa, Sarasota, Los Angeles & Las Vegas to name a few. These were early pre-internet years. It was novel to be on TV and be recognized for it.
These days being seen online is common. Video is everywhere. Kids and young adults inhabit social media these days. The pacing is hyper, and the length of the shows are brief digestible chunks.
Now we get to podcasting. THAT is a rule breaker to the YouTubers and Social Media kids. Our culture has actually re-discovered a verbal new type of long form communication. It works! As kids and adults of today multitask, ie., they may be playing a podcast through earbuds in the gym, in the car, or doing any other task. (It's good for cleaning out the garage as well) Podcasts can be amazing, and a GOOD venue to open up the theater of the mind. This is just the next progressive and effective step in long form communication. The Unattended Dundee TV show was good in its time frame. If I were to produce that show today, would it be a podcast? Absolutely.
So with respect to the past we look forward to our episode of Life's Learning Curve called Unintended Detainee. Give it a watch :)
-My old friend... Won't you think about me every now and then.
Cheers. -Paul