Author Topic: Mac McGarry on the Net (Read 4876 times)

mbclev · « **on:** July 05, 2007, 01:36:16 AM »

On the It's Academic web page of WJZ-TV in Baltimore, last Saturday's three region (Washington, Baltimore, and Charlottesville, VA) "Super Bowl" is available for viewing. This marks the Internet hosting debut of Washington It's Ac host Mac McGarry, because the show comes from the Washington studio. Because that show aired on WJZ, as well as WRC-NBC4 in Washington, that show is on WJZ's It's Ac page. To me, Mac sets the standard for what a high school quiz host should do. The web page is at:

http://wjz.com/itsacademic

I'm hoping that NBC4 will air the Washington version on the Net so we can see Mac McGarry every week during the show's season.

davemackey · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2007, 06:34:12 AM »

[quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'156689\' date=\'Jul 5 2007, 01:36 AM\']
To me, Mac sets the standard for what a high school quiz host should do.
[/quote]
Absolutely. The few times I've been down in Washington and seen McGarry's act, it's always been top notch. And what makes it even more remarkable is that McGarry's been hosting this show since 1961 with no end in sight.

jmangin · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2007, 09:18:06 AM »

I live in Washington, DC and it's always a treat to catch him on Saturday mornings.

If anyone wants me to record a few shows for a trade, drop me a line.

tvmitch · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2007, 10:50:39 AM »

That was a treat to watch. Mac is most definitely a model for academic quiz shows...thanks for sharing!

Joe Mello · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2007, 12:27:15 PM »

A few years ago, I was in DC for a wedding and caught at least an ad for and/or part of a game aired in the hotel bar without sound. Being a nerd, it piqued my interest for however long I was at breakfast.

Three things that were interesting to me:
-The tri-regional idea is neat. It's probably good for TV distribution, too.
-The set and/or music probably hasn't been updated more than thrice in my lifetime. Of course, that detracts none from the game.
-Speaking of game, I'm a little surprised to see how similar Pittsburgh's local HS quizzer is to IA. In fact, the only real differences (aside from location) is the difficulty and that Hometown HighQ is shinier.

Once again, I wish that the Deleware Valley had a TV HS quizzer.

uncamark · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2007, 12:27:24 PM »

I've mentioned this before, but when I was in Washington a few years ago I saw him as a spelling bee pronouncer (produced by WRC but running when I saw it on a government access channel) and he was equally top-notch in that instance.

On the spelling bee, even though it wasn't "It's Academic," the library backdrop was behind him--is it safe to say that the backdrop is also on the Baltimore and Virginia versions of the show (are they all shot at WRC?). That backdrop is somehow incongrous on "Academic," considering that the rest of the set has become somewhat glitzier then the old "Academic" sets. Is it in his contract that he always works with the backdrop?

mbclev · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2007, 01:07:26 PM »

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'156710\' date=\'Jul 5 2007, 12:27 PM\']
On the spelling bee, even though it wasn't "It's Academic," the library backdrop was behind him--is it safe to say that the backdrop is also on the Baltimore and Virginia versions of the show (are they all shot at WRC?). That backdrop is somehow incongrous on "Academic," considering that the rest of the set has become somewhat glitzier then the old "Academic" sets. Is it in his contract that he always works with the backdrop?
[/quote]

That backdrop is also on the Charlottesville, VA version because that is taped in Washington, apparently due to a lack of studio space at WVIR-TV (my reasoning only; not what I may have heard from someone else). It is not in the Baltimore version.

mbclev · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2007, 01:25:34 PM »

I should slightly correct myself here. This is Mac's hosting debut on a full show. On WRC's web site, there's a video clip of segments of an It's Ac show from the first season. One of the teams on that show had on it former Maine governor Angus King (he was known as Gus King in his high school days). To see it, go to:

http://video.nbc4.com/player?id=0

then, on the right of the video screen, click on "Cool Stuff", then "Local Video", then "Video Vault", then "Historical Footage", then finally "It's Academic Montage From 1961".

Card Shark · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2007, 01:27:57 PM »

I interned on It's Academic in the spring of 1999 during the brief time I thought I'd try to work in television. At the time, it taped right at WJZ. When did it start taping on Washington? Also, I saw others speaking highly of Mac. Let me tell you, he was truly an honor to work for. Yes, bringing him coffee was part of the gig, but I also kept a written record of the team scores and tried to keep some kind of hold on the audience during stop downs. Mac didn't treat me as the peon (although he probably should have

. What a consumate professional. I'm glad he's in better health these days. The producers and everyone else have been working together for decades and treated me like one of the family from the beginning throughout the brief 3-4 month internship. What great folks!

mbclev · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2007, 01:40:16 PM »

[quote name=\'Card Shark\' post=\'156722\' date=\'Jul 5 2007, 01:27 PM\']
I interned on It's Academic in the spring of 1999 during the brief time I thought I'd try to work in television. At the time, it taped right at WJZ. When did it start taping on Washington? Also, I saw others speaking highly of Mac. Let me tell you, he was truly an honor to work for. Yes, bringing him coffee was part of the gig, but I also kept a written record of the team scores and tried to keep some kind of hold on the audience during stop downs. Mac didn't treat me as the peon (although he probably should have

. What a consumate professional. I'm glad he's in better health these days. The producers and everyone else have been working together for decades and treated me like one of the family from the beginning throughout the brief 3-4 month internship. What great folks!
[/quote]

The Washington version was the very first, in 1961. From what I've read, the version in Chicago started in 1962, then New York in 1963, Cleveland in 1964 (it was retitled "Academic Challenge" in 1972), and Jacksonville, FL (and possibly Buffalo) in 1967. The version in Charlottesville, VA started in 1987, Pittsburgh ("Hometown High-Q") in 1999, and the newest version in Arizona ("Brainstorm") started this year.

Steve McClellan · « **Reply #10 on:** July 05, 2007, 10:21:43 PM »

[quote name=\'mbclev\' date=\'Jul 5 2007, 10:40 AM\']The version in Charlottesville, VA started in 1987, Pittsburgh ("Hometown High-Q") in 1999, and the newest version in Arizona ("Brainstorm") started this year.[/quote]
Nitpick: while High Q did start in the 1999-2000 school year, they ran an abbreaviated tournament that year (27 teams instead of the later 81), which was entirely in the calendar year 2000.

mbclev · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2007, 01:57:59 PM »

Thanks for the correction, Steve.

A side note: the closing theme you hear on the aforementioned show is titled T.L.C.(Tender Lovin' Care) by the group MFSB (famous for their Soul Train theme).

Jumpondees · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2007, 12:10:01 AM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'156709\' date=\'Jul 5 2007, 12:27 PM\']

-Speaking of game, I'm a little surprised to see how similar Pittsburgh's local HS quizzer is to IA. In fact, the only real differences (aside from location) is the difficulty and that Hometown HighQ is shinier.

[/quote]

Being so used to Mac McGarry's style of hosting growing up in the DC area...it almost makes watching Hometown High-Q (the Pittsburgh show) very painful.

Jumpondees · « **Reply #13 on:** July 07, 2007, 12:21:27 AM »

[quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'156782\' date=\'Jul 6 2007, 01:57 PM\']

A side note: the closing theme you hear on the aforementioned show is titled T.L.C.(Tender Lovin' Care) by the group MFSB (famous for their Soul Train theme).
[/quote]

Thanks for posting this...I've been trying to figure out what that cut of music was for a long while now, and just haven't been able to put my finger on it.

I had always assumed the IA closing theme was a MFSB cut since it sounded very similar to another cut that I enjoy by them and is used on WRC-TV at the end of their Friday newscasts entitled My Mood. Hopefully I can now find and download that cut for my personal enjoyment

mbclev · « **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2007, 01:17:46 AM »

[quote name=\'Jumpondees\' post=\'156820\' date=\'Jul 7 2007, 12:21 AM\']
[quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'156782\' date=\'Jul 6 2007, 01:57 PM\']

A side note: the closing theme you hear on the aforementioned show is titled T.L.C.(Tender Lovin' Care) by the group MFSB (famous for their Soul Train theme).
[/quote]

Thanks for posting this...I've been trying to figure out what that cut of music was for a long while now, and just haven't been able to put my finger on it.

I had always assumed the IA closing theme was a MFSB cut since it sounded very similar to another cut that I enjoy by them and is used on WRC-TV at the end of their Friday newscasts entitled My Mood. Hopefully I can now find and download that cut for my personal enjoyment
[/quote]

I had grandparents that lived in the Washington area, and I'd usually see the Washington It's Ac on trips to their house. I remember hearing this song in the mid '70s, close to the time the album the song was from came out. (I received a compilation CD of MFSB on Friday, and it has this song, as well as My Mood and the Soul Train theme.)