TCM's Robert Osborne taking break due to health
Mr. Hole the Magnificent
Robert Osborne, the longtime host of the Turner Classic Movies
channel, plans to take a three-month leave of absence, the channel
said in a statement Monday. Mr. Osborne, 79, will be undergoing minor
surgery, the channel said, without specifying for what, as well as
taking a vacation.
Perhaps assuaging viewers’ concerns, the channel noted that Mr.
Osborne, who has been the channel’s host since 1994, recently renewed
his contract. In his place, guest hosts including Robert Wagner, Jane
Powell and Tippi Hedren will step in, with others to be announced “in
the coming weeks,” the statement said. In the interim, Mr. Osborne
will still appear in taped features like the channel’s guest
programmer series and “The Essentials,” a weekly showing of a must-see
film.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/turner-classic-movies-host-to-take-a-break/
tomcervo
All the pretaped stuff he did will run--apparently it's just at night.
Bit of a shock, though, tuning in for Tab Hunter night and seeing
Robert Wagner. I thought he was going to sell me a reverse mortgage.
Maybe they can get Bob Dorian in a few weeks.
Barb May
I thought he looked and sounded a little shaky the past couple of
months.
--
Barb
gtr
Agreed. His voice has had the occasional wobbly, the occasional slurred
word. I hope he's okay, maybe on the wagon for awhile or something.
We're so used to him that we will sometimes watch a classic on dvd and
at the conclusion we say, "Hey, where's the guy in the living room!"
For years we regularly mangled his name calling him Charles Coburn,
Robert Gordon and myriad others. But usually: "the guy in the living
room".
Usually I don't like to hear what he says before the movie. So we'll
watch the chatter at the end, and then rewind to the beginning to
listen to his prelims.
He's the best.
--
The whole premise of being a Republican is that somewhere in the middle
of the night some poor person has a dollar that some rich man deserves.
-- Keith Olbermann
Patty Winter
In article <2011071213151995987-xxx@yyyzzz>, gtr <x...@yyy.zzz> wrote:
>On 2011-07-12 10:19:53 -0700, Barb May said:
>
>>I thought he looked and sounded a little shaky the past couple of months.
>
>Agreed. His voice has had the occasional wobbly, the occasional slurred
>word. I hope he's okay, maybe on the wagon for awhile or something.
You're really jumping to an unsupported conclusion there. He's old
enough that there are many medical issues that are more likely than
over-drinking to explain problems with speaking.
Patty
gtr
> In article <2011071213151995987-xxx@yyyzzz>, gtr <x...@yyy.zzz> wrote:
>> On 2011-07-12 10:19:53 -0700, Barb May said:
>>
>>> I thought he looked and sounded a little shaky the past couple of months.
>>
>> Agreed. His voice has had the occasional wobbly, the occasional slurred
>> word. I hope he's okay, maybe on the wagon for awhile or something.
>
> You're really jumping to an unsupported conclusion there.
No conclusion at all: I said "maybe" and added a "or something" which
might include cold medications, lingering respose to any number of
incidental medications or something else as benign.
> He's old enough that there are many medical issues that are more likely than
> over-drinking to explain problems with speaking.
I know! That's why I'm hoping it's only booze. Just an idle hope.
I intend to write him a pen-and-ink letter encouraging a quick return
and another score years of good health.
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
Wow, I didn't realize he was up there.
Anyway, I enjoy his commetary and hope he makes a speedy recovery.
gtr
> In article <2011071213151995987-xxx@yyyzzz>, gtr <x...@yyy.zzz> wrote:
>
>> Usually I don't like to hear what he says before the movie.
>
> Not me, sometimes I'll tune in at the start of a movie I have no interest
> in watching just hear his introduction.
It's not the content, it's the guiding aspect. He'll say "look for
this" and "disregard that", and mostly I want to be surprised.
The Loan Arranger
"gtr" <x...@yyy.zzz> wrote in message news:2011071313582731563-xxx@yyyzzz...
I enjoy the commentary before the film.
gtr
>>>> Usually I don't like to hear what he says before the movie.
>>>
>>> Not me, sometimes I'll tune in at the start of a movie I have no interest
>>> in watching just hear his introduction.
>>
>> It's not the content, it's the guiding aspect. He'll say "look for
>> this" and "disregard that", and mostly I want to be surprised.
>
> I enjoy the commentary before the film.
Now snipped to confusion let me try it in a single sentence:
I like Robert Osbornes's comments, both those that precede and follow
the presentation, all together, after I've seen the movie.
The Loan Arranger
"gtr" <x...@yyy.zzz> wrote in message news:201107131525464071-xxx@yyyzzz...
> On 2011-07-13 14:45:00 -0700, The Loan Arranger said:
>
>>>>> Usually I don't like to hear what he says before the movie.
>>>>
>>>> Not me, sometimes I'll tune in at the start of a movie I have no interest
>>>> in watching just hear his introduction.
>>>
>>> It's not the content, it's the guiding aspect. He'll say "look for this" and
>>> "disregard that", and mostly I want to be surprised.
>>
>> I enjoy the commentary before the film.
>
> Now snipped to confusion let me try it in a single sentence:
Snipped to confusion? Maybe you're confused but I assure you most readers are
not.
> I like Robert Osbornes's comments, both those that precede and follow the
> presentation, all together, after I've seen the movie.
Fine and dandy. Listen, don't listen, nobody gives a shit.
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> It's not the content, it's the guiding aspect. He'll say "look for
> this" and "disregard that", and mostly I want to be surprised.
He does not give away any plot points. Rather, he talks about
cinematic notes that might not easily be seen. For example, a famous
actor may have a slight bit role in the film and he points out in what
scene they're in. Often he points out particular techniques used by
the director. Sometimes he'll mention something that was very
significant at the time the movie came out, but long forgotten since
then.
tomcervo
> Sometimes he'll mention something that was very
> significant at the time the movie came out, but long forgotten since
> then.
We who have lived in another century need to remember that not all
have. There's a post on IMBD's "Man Who Wasn't There" board, asking if
people really did smoke that much in the 40's. The only thing I don't
like, and I'm afraid it's necessary these days, is when he tries to
cozen people into watching something black and white, or silent, or
otherwise Before Radio, when you know that's ALL he'd watch if he was
in charge--I think Kay Francis Day is in his contract.
gtr
All good points. I don't even like to hear the slug line in movies
before seeing them. When we had season tickets to the Mark Taper Forum
for a few years (in Los Angeles), I preferred not even knowing what the
play was before I got there. It's not about Osborne, it's about me.
Professor Bubba
<DaveJohnson12@nomail.> wrote:
> He looks good for 79. I didn't know he was that old. I hope they don't have Alec
> Baldwin as a guest host. ;-)
They're still saying Robert Osborne will be co-hosting the TCM Cruise
next December.