Universal Studios Thanks Fictitious Fire Department For Support

(Pic credit: Mike Meadows, via LAFD News & Information blog.)

Universal Studios Hollywood has sent the word out that it’s “open for business” and that none of the theme park’s rides have been affected — well, other than the tram ride, which has incorporated the fire (and obviously no longer visits the charred King Kong) as part of the experience.

The park has begun airing radio ads promoting the fact — but I was struck by this: In the ads, Universal thanks “The Southern California Fire Department” for its heroics.

Southern California Fire Department? No such agency exists. The Los Angeles County Fire Department battled the blaze, with a huge assist from the Los Angeles Fire Department. Actually, I’ll let the LAFD’s d’Lisa Davies describe who all came out to assist:

On Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 4:50 AM, 31 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 9 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 2 Rehab Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 4 Helicopters, 4 EMS Battalion Captains, 7 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, Emergency Air 1, Foam Tenders 60 & 100, the Heavy Equipment and Dozer Company, Supply & Maintenance Mobile Mechanic, 1 CERT Coordinator, under the direction of Agency Representative Assistant Chief Greg West, responded to assist the L.A. County Fire Department, to a Backlot Soundstage Fire at 3900 Lankershim Bl. in the Studio City area.

Guess “Southern California Fire Department” was easier to say.

Universal Studios Thanks Fictitious Fire Department For Support

(Pic credit: Mike Meadows, via LAFD News & Information blog.)

Universal Studios Hollywood has sent the word out that it’s “open for business” and that none of the theme park’s rides have been affected — well, other than the tram ride, which has incorporated the fire (and obviously no longer visits the charred King Kong) as part of the experience.

The park has begun airing radio ads promoting the fact — but I was struck by this: In the ads, Universal thanks “The Southern California Fire Department” for its heroics.

Southern California Fire Department? No such agency exists. The Los Angeles County Fire Department battled the blaze, with a huge assist from the Los Angeles Fire Department. Actually, I’ll let the LAFD’s d’Lisa Davies describe who all came out to assist:

On Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 4:50 AM, 31 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 9 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 2 Rehab Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 4 Helicopters, 4 EMS Battalion Captains, 7 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, Emergency Air 1, Foam Tenders 60 & 100, the Heavy Equipment and Dozer Company, Supply & Maintenance Mobile Mechanic, 1 CERT Coordinator, under the direction of Agency Representative Assistant Chief Greg West, responded to assist the L.A. County Fire Department, to a Backlot Soundstage Fire at 3900 Lankershim Bl. in the Studio City area.

Guess “Southern California Fire Department” was easier to say.

R.I.P., Universal Tram Ride King Kong

(Flickr pic by SFPhotocraft.)

Sunday morning’s blaze at Universal Studios destroyed several sets and buildings… and also burned down the King Kong portion of the famed studio backlot tram tour.

The King Kong attraction was cheesy, yes. And hadn’t been updated in 20 years. But it was still a main highlight of the tour, and I’m sure the re-enactment of what a earthquake would look and feel like inside a San Francisco subway station was impressive back when it first opened.

The King Kong portion was so old that I got a kick out of the fake news broadcast that ran during it: Rolland Smith, who was lead anchor at New York’s WWOR-TV at the time the ride was created, takes center stage. Why WWOR, of all things? For a brief period in the early 1990s, Universal owned WWOR (Channel 9 in New York), and had rebanded the station as “Universal 9.”

Also, according to this, former NY mayor Rudy Giuliani once criticized Universal Studios for the King Kong feature, which included graffiti painted on fake subway cars.

The attraction (built in 1986) won’t be rebuilt, the L.A. Times reports, but instead be replaced by an all-new feature.

R.I.P., Universal Tram Ride King Kong

(Flickr pic by SFPhotocraft.)

Sunday morning’s blaze at Universal Studios destroyed several sets and buildings… and also burned down the King Kong portion of the famed studio backlot tram tour.

The King Kong attraction was cheesy, yes. And hadn’t been updated in 20 years. But it was still a main highlight of the tour, and I’m sure the re-enactment of what a earthquake would look and feel like inside a San Francisco subway station was impressive back when it first opened.

The King Kong portion was so old that I got a kick out of the fake news broadcast that ran during it: Rolland Smith, who was lead anchor at New York’s WWOR-TV at the time the ride was created, takes center stage. Why WWOR, of all things? For a brief period in the early 1990s, Universal owned WWOR (Channel 9 in New York), and had rebanded the station as “Universal 9.”

Also, according to this, former NY mayor Rudy Giuliani once criticized Universal Studios for the King Kong feature, which included graffiti painted on fake subway cars.

The attraction (built in 1986) won’t be rebuilt, the L.A. Times reports, but instead be replaced by an all-new feature.

Scenes from the Strike: "Picketing with the Stars" Day

The actors — particularly from TV, which has been hardest hit — joined writers Tuesday afternoon to rally outside of Universal Studios. A few pics from the Franklin Avenue camera:

Impromptu “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion: Exec producer Phil Rosenthal with Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton.

Brad Garrett: “I had a well-publicized negotiation four years ago. All I wanted was my share. That’s all the writers want.”

Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg; “SNL” has been dark since the strike began.

Wait, that’s what “AMPTP” means? (This sign, and the next few, were held by Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffn and others.)

A rallying cry for workers everywhere.

Making a long-term point.

Wait, is that pencil flashing a “Writers Guild” gang sign?

Picket sign, autographed by a variety of stars (Victor Garber, Ray Romano, etc.) that will be auctioned off, the sign holder said.

“The Office” supporting players Leslie David Baker (Stanley) and Kate Flannery (Meredith) dance along to a protest band.

Jay Leno hits the picket lines again, this time sans Krispy Kreme.

Scenes from the Strike: "Picketing with the Stars" Day

The actors — particularly from TV, which has been hardest hit — joined writers Tuesday afternoon to rally outside of Universal Studios. A few pics from the Franklin Avenue camera:

Impromptu “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion: Exec producer Phil Rosenthal with Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton.

Brad Garrett: “I had a well-publicized negotiation four years ago. All I wanted was my share. That’s all the writers want.”

Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg; “SNL” has been dark since the strike began.

Wait, that’s what “AMPTP” means? (This sign, and the next few, were held by Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffn and others.)

A rallying cry for workers everywhere.

Making a long-term point.

Wait, is that pencil flashing a “Writers Guild” gang sign?

Picket sign, autographed by a variety of stars (Victor Garber, Ray Romano, etc.) that will be auctioned off, the sign holder said.

“The Office” supporting players Leslie David Baker (Stanley) and Kate Flannery (Meredith) dance along to a protest band.

Jay Leno hits the picket lines again, this time sans Krispy Kreme.

Farewell to Beautiful Downtown Burbank

Johnny Carson famously made fun of “Beautiful Downtown Burbank.” So did “Laugh-In.” Jay Leno still teases his show’s home base. But that’s all about to change.

Well, in four years. NBC is officially announcing today that its west coast news operations, as well as KNBC and sister Telemundo outlet KVEA, will move into a new building to be erected above the MTA Red Line subway stop on Lankershim in North Hollywood (across the street from Universal City). NBC Entertainment will also likely be making the move, but perhaps on to the Universal lot.

NBC is touting the new site as “green” friendly, pointing particularly to its location above a subway as one way to encourage public transit use. New building will also be equipped for high definition broadcast.

Curbed LA first leaked word of the announcement yesterday; by late in the day, the LA Business Journal and LA Times had stories as well. Now, a little history lesson, as I wrote last night for Variety:

Before moving to Burbank in the early 1960s, NBC’s West Coast headquarters were on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. That building, dubbed NBC Radio City, was demolished in 1964. A Washington Mutual bank now sits on the site.

After the NBC move, Burbank will still be home to two broadcast networks, ABC and the CW. Not far away, CBS is readying a move from the Fairfax district to Studio City, on its Radford lot.

NBC isn’t completely abandoning Burbank. The company plans to sell its 34-acre Burbank lot, but lease back some of the space for various uses.

Back to the Future, But Soon History

(Flickr pic by Gary Bembridge.)

It was long overdue: Slashfilm reports (by way of Blogging.la) that the “Back to the Future” ride at Universal Studios Hollywood will shut down in September.

It was time. The ride, fifteen years later, feels remarkably dated. After all, when the ride opened in 1993, the web and the Internet were still fringe elements in society (all the LED displays and “flux capacitor” designs now seem very… well, 20th century). It’s still a well-done ride… but “ET” was better, and they already eliminated that one several years ago. (“ET” is also more evergreen… This new generation probably knows little about “Back to the Future” — look to that scene in “Knocked Up” where Katherine Heigl’s character doesn’t get the Doc Brown references).

(Flicker pic by D. Rodriguez.)

But does that mean the horribly punny “Snack to the Future” eatery will close too?

I’m also not shedding much of a tear, because Back to the Future: The Ride will be replaced by a “The Simpsons”-themed attraction, as this press release notes:

Universal City, California – After thrilling over 61 million visitors with wild rides across “the space-time continuum,” the ground-breaking “Back to the Future: The Ride” attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood will soar into the future for the very last time on Labor Day, September 3, 2007. Fans of the attraction will also have an opportunity to take the last ride and drive off as the owner of one of the stainless steel 1981 DeLoreans that served as inspiration for Doc Brown’s flux capacitor-equipped time machines.

“Back to the Future: The Ride” blends breakthrough simulator technology with a cutting-edge Omni-max 70mm film to create a total sensory experience. A signature attraction at “The Entertainment Capital of L.A.” for over 14 years, the ride is being closed to make way for the introduction of a new thrill ride based on the enormously popular “The Simpsons” TV series and movie. The Simpsons ride is slated to debut in Spring 2008.

“Back to the Future: The Ride” was introduced in 1993 as a continuation of the Oscar®-winning blockbuster “Back to the Future” film trilogy directed by Robert Zemeckis and executive produced by Steven Spielberg for Universal Pictures. The attraction features an eight-seat convertible DeLorean Time Travel Vehicle that elevates the theme park ride experience to an unprecedented level of detail, beginning with an artfully staged queue line experience that helps set up the ride’s narrative storyline.

At the center of “Back to the Future: The Ride” is an original film, masterfully designed to interface with the simulator’s technology by an award-winning team of filmmakers, including Oscar-winning and three-time Oscar-nominated director Douglas Trumbull, Oscar-nominated cinematographer David K. Kennedy and Oscar-nominated writer Bob Gale.

(Flickr pic by Paul Mannix.)

Hmm, not sure what I’d do with a DeLorean.

Back to the Future, But Soon History

(Flickr pic by Gary Bembridge.)

It was long overdue: Slashfilm reports (by way of Blogging.la) that the “Back to the Future” ride at Universal Studios Hollywood will shut down in September.

It was time. The ride, fifteen years later, feels remarkably dated. After all, when the ride opened in 1993, the web and the Internet were still fringe elements in society (all the LED displays and “flux capacitor” designs now seem very… well, 20th century). It’s still a well-done ride… but “ET” was better, and they already eliminated that one several years ago. (“ET” is also more evergreen… This new generation probably knows little about “Back to the Future” — look to that scene in “Knocked Up” where Katherine Heigl’s character doesn’t get the Doc Brown references).

(Flicker pic by D. Rodriguez.)

But does that mean the horribly punny “Snack to the Future” eatery will close too?

I’m also not shedding much of a tear, because Back to the Future: The Ride will be replaced by a “The Simpsons”-themed attraction, as this press release notes:

Universal City, California – After thrilling over 61 million visitors with wild rides across “the space-time continuum,” the ground-breaking “Back to the Future: The Ride” attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood will soar into the future for the very last time on Labor Day, September 3, 2007. Fans of the attraction will also have an opportunity to take the last ride and drive off as the owner of one of the stainless steel 1981 DeLoreans that served as inspiration for Doc Brown’s flux capacitor-equipped time machines.

“Back to the Future: The Ride” blends breakthrough simulator technology with a cutting-edge Omni-max 70mm film to create a total sensory experience. A signature attraction at “The Entertainment Capital of L.A.” for over 14 years, the ride is being closed to make way for the introduction of a new thrill ride based on the enormously popular “The Simpsons” TV series and movie. The Simpsons ride is slated to debut in Spring 2008.

“Back to the Future: The Ride” was introduced in 1993 as a continuation of the Oscar®-winning blockbuster “Back to the Future” film trilogy directed by Robert Zemeckis and executive produced by Steven Spielberg for Universal Pictures. The attraction features an eight-seat convertible DeLorean Time Travel Vehicle that elevates the theme park ride experience to an unprecedented level of detail, beginning with an artfully staged queue line experience that helps set up the ride’s narrative storyline.

At the center of “Back to the Future: The Ride” is an original film, masterfully designed to interface with the simulator’s technology by an award-winning team of filmmakers, including Oscar-winning and three-time Oscar-nominated director Douglas Trumbull, Oscar-nominated cinematographer David K. Kennedy and Oscar-nominated writer Bob Gale.

(Flickr pic by Paul Mannix.)

Hmm, not sure what I’d do with a DeLorean.