- [Show host] Good evening and welcome to the upper Cumberland camera.

I mean studio 22.

Well, actually, we're not sure what to call the show.

So we'll call it the upper studio, Cumberland 22 camera.

As most of you know, this past Monday was April fool's day.

And this is sort of an April fool's day special from here on out.

Don't take anything you see or hear on this show seriously.

Tonight, we'll talk with Mike Birdwell about the choices made on the recent Academy awards night presentations.

We'll investigate the recent disappearance of a water tower in Cookville.

We'll interview a leash law violator, talk with two WCTE staff members who never appear on camera, and talk with anybody who will talk with us about April fool's day.

Remember, this is an April fools show.

Don't take any of this seriously.

- [Reporter] You look like you were a prankster.

What's your favorite April fools joke?

- Okay.

We'll see.

My favorite April fool's joke is going up to a good looking girl that thinks she's good looking.

You know, going up to her and say, man you looked very nice today.

And she says, well, thank you.

And I say, April fools day and always gets them right there.

Is that a good one or what?

That's really good ain't it?

Grubs got one, what's yours Grubs?

- huh?

- What's yours?

- Huh?

- (laughing lightly) He's camera shy.

- Huh?

No I ain't got one seriously.

- That's a pretty good one though, Don't you think?

- Yeah.

- Especially, You know, some people, You know nobody's better than nobody but a lot of people like think they are.

And I like to take a good looking girl that thinks she's real good looking.

And just go up and tell her that.

- How do you really go.

- Yeah.man that's pretty good and I'd like to do that (Both laughing hysterically) - We gotta go we gotta pump.

- Yeah.

- I tell my teacher yesterday that She's my favorite teacher.

And I said, April fool.

- (laughing hysterically) what a sick kind of joke.

- Are we still on TV?

Am still embarrassed.

- With all of the talk of the Academy awards lately.

We decided to get in our own film critic to tell us what he thought the best picture of 1985 was.

We're happy to have with us Mike Birdwell.

And Mike knows a great deal about film, as well as being an assistant instructor this quarter at Tennessee tech for a film class.

Is that right?

- [Mike] That's right.

- [Becky] Okay.

Well, great.

Mike, tell me, of course we know that out of Africa won best picture for 1985 by the Academy.

I can tell by the expression on your face that you aren't happy about that.

What do you think should have won for best picture - Of the things nominated without doubt the kiss of the Spider woman was the best film of 1985.

Hector Bebenco was able to take the script of the story by Manuel Pulley and make a jail cell, a very small space interesting.

For two and a half hours.

85% of the action takes place within the confined walls that are smaller than this studio.

And he was able to make it interesting for that period of time.

What's interesting about out of Africa?

- I mean, well now.

Maybe out of Africa, it shouldn't have been the best place - What other thing is nominated, Prince he's honor John Houston, a legend in his own time or any other.

Created a wonderful picture.

So a just incredible slice of life, about undesirable people most of, people that you and I would not want to know.

And yet he makes those people interesting.

He gives those people a sense of honor.

- Prizzi,s Honor.

- Prizzi,s Honor.

- You thought those people were interesting?

- I thought that Jack Nicholson was a scream.

I thought Kathleen Turner.

Kathleen Turner can act circles around Meryl street.

- What?

- I thought Kathleen Turner was incredible.

Best supporting actor who should have I mean, come on Don Ameche what are you talking about?

- Well, okay.

Now I agree with you on, on some of these others but let's get back to the best picture.

- Okay, back to best picture.

- Back to best picture.

- Okay.

- Now The Color Purple was a great movie.

The Color Purple was a great movie.

- Not a Great movie.

Color Purple was a good movie, an interesting movie but badly flawed just as the book is badly flawed.

Once you get to Africa.

Again Africa, once you get to Africa in the color purple, the film falls apart.

You have a very good, well, not a very good.

You have a good film up to a point and then nothing.

- [Becky] Well, well, okay.

- [Mike] The same in the book, same in the book the book is great for about 85 or 90 pages.

- [Becky] Now what didn't you like about Africa?

That's really sticking in my mind.

What didn't you like about Africa?

- You said let's take them one at a time, okay?

- [Becky] Okay.

- So let's go do that last, alright.

Witness.

- [Becky] Okay.

- Was the other nominee, witnesses far better than the Color Purple ever hoped to be.

Peter Wear an Australian.

Let's not get in an award of those guys.

- [Becky] (laughing lightly) - Peter, in Australia was able to take a slice of America that you and I aren't accustomed to seeing.

And give us a passage into that lifestyle.

Show us a part of that lifestyle.

Make it incredibly interesting.

Make us want to know more about what took place.

I mean we don't know that much about the Amish.

We don't see them around here.

There, they are living an existence that's totally foreign to us.

And yet they're here within the confines of our country.

And it's fascinating.

Absolutely fascinating.

- [Becky] No, I agree with you that The Witness was a good movie, but, and and I thought that, out of Africa it was an excellent movie.

I mean, I would not have chosen it for the best picture.

I personally would've chosen The Color purple for best picture.

- I personally would have chosen if it had been nominated for best picture, Ron, or if it had been if it had been nominated purple Rose of Cairo but Woody Allen.

Woody Allen is in disfavor with a lot of people.

Yeah.

- Well, okay.

- In all goes back to what the Academy does.

The Academy goes for the big picture.

Okay, there was only one other big picture on the list of what was nominated.

And it wasn't American.

Okay.

- [Becky] Yeah.

- Now look at last year Amadeus, big picture.

Good pictures.

No doubt about it.

I don't ask if it's a good picture.

A Gandhi, huge picture, big picture.

A lot of spectacle.

It gets the award.

There were movies just as good as Gandhi.

- Well, there are other movies like.

- [Mike] Cherry to Farm again.

- Right.

- [Mike] Again big picture.

- [Becky] So You've seen the only reason.

- [Mike] Out of Africa got the award for two reasons.

- [Becky] Okay.

- One, Merrill Street for some reason unknown to me is the darling of the Academy.

- (laughing hysterically) - Number two.

- [Becky] Don't you think that Merrill Street is one of the finest actresses in America.

If not, that have been in this century.

- Merrill Street is a fun technician, but she's no act.

- [Becky] She is an actress.

What do you consider an actress?

- You get carried up in Merrill Street's technique.

You sit there and go, my God, look at that.

How's she doing it?

Wow.

How's she doing?

Wow.

And you get all carried up in the technique.

You don't feel.

There's no depth.

There's no emotion there.

All of a sudden.

She puts on a new accent.

Like a, like you put on a coat.

- [Becky] No, Now.

- No no no.

Yes She does.

- [Becky] No mike listen.

- [Mike] (Growling).

- Well I hope that you have been enjoying this program and we very much appreciate you tuning in and watching.

And no matter what you think is the best picture.

We hope that you will continue to go to the movies and that you will take part in staying and watching studio 22.

Don't you agree?

- [Mike] (Growling).

- Smiling.

- [Steve] What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you on April fool's day?

- I don't know whether it's funny or not but it was by far and away.

The most memorable.

My daughter was born two weeks early on April fool's day.

- Does she have a hard time being an April fools baby?

- No she lives up to being a good joke.

- (laughing lightly) - She's a good kid (smiling).

- Nothing funny.

- Nothing happen to us.

- Some boy out of school.

I say, what he thinks of this shirt.

And they said, no and they flew (laughing lightly).

- I did this, You know, look here.

And he looked down, he got that for him.

- [Steve] You're looking at the Cookeville city municipal building.

This house is the magnificent offices of part-time mayor.

Dwight Henry.

We're here to talk with mayor Henry about an incident that happened earlier this week.

A tragedy here in Cookeville.

(Signaling) We tricked him into the interview.

For those of you, who've never been in on an investigation like this before you start off this type of interview with an easy question and kind of build into the hard part.

So let's get going with this.

Hey, Dwight.

How you doing?

- [Dwight] Great, Steve, how you doing?

I'm fine.

- Good.

- [Steve] Alright, so how do you like this weather around here?

- Oh man.

I tell you if it got any better, we'd get suspicious.

Wouldn't we?

- [Steve] Yeah.

(Both laughing) - [Steve] How about those Louisville Cardinals.

- Oh man, I tell you.

I was a big fan myself.

- [Steve] I tell you what.

Tell me about that water tower?

- What water tower?

- [Steve] The one over on fifth street.

You know the one we're talking about, we saw it.

- The water tap.

- [Steve] Yeah.

- Oh, the water.

Oh, I guess you want me to answer you in a truthful manner, right Steve?

probably.

Well, the truth is that we discovered that this water tower here in Cookeville had been infected with a rare virus.

I guess you could say a serious water bug.

And it was affecting the health and wellbeing of water towers all over America.

So we risked a life and limb of our staff, our crew, department head Dan Potter went over and decided that for the wellbeing of water towers, everywhere in the civilized world, that we would sacrifice the one here in order to make sure that all the rest of them enjoy good health and prosperity everywhere.

It was, I think it was a noble gesture on our part and I just commit our people on their on their brave action.

- [Steve] Sure.

That sounds reasonable.

That's one of the stories that's been circulating but the real story is, we understand that it was Luther Mathis.

Favorite water tower.

- Well, that's true.

It was Luther Mathis' favorite water tower.

And he just, he had tears flowed down his face as he saw it fall to the ground.

People streamed over there to watch it to wave goodbye to this water tower.

But Luther, Luther's a big man.

And you know, he did cry some and he did moan some, but he realized for the big picture the wellbeing of the whole, that that's what had to be done.

And it's not an easy job.

It's dirty work, but somebody has to do it.

- [Steve] But isn't that the real reason it was cut down.

There's some kind of insurgency in city hall between you and the city manager.

- No.

Now, you know there's not any Luther Mathis and I are just like that.

There's no problems whatsoever, but you may with lift Mathis and myself.

And I wouldn't, in no way without good and valid reason cut down his favorite water tower unless I really did believe that it was a good thing to do.

- [Steve] I understand that you have a staff member who was actually there at the cutting down, who is willing to go on camera.

- Dan Potter is the one who was there.

And he, as I say, risk life and limb and infection of the water bug.

But was there any way and he's willing to share his thoughts with you about it.

- [Steve] So you're actually blaming this on him then, so to take the heat off of you, right?

- In a word.

Yes.

- We're here now with Dan Potter.

Dan, thanks for coming along.

We understand that the mayor is trying to blame this water tower cutting on you.

- Yes.

I caught the last end of that Harley go.

I'm not real sure why he did that.

I thought he and I were closer than this but evidently there's some reason behind it.

- [Steve] There must be.

So we understand that you taped the water tower going down.

Is that right?

- Yes, sir.

I tried to do it.

That was what I called.

Potter's first production.

I managed to get 11 feet of it, which if you blink your eye you almost missed the tank falling.

It only took seven seconds.

And I think I caught about a half of that.

- [Steve] Well, don't you think that there was actually probably some type of sabotage on the part of somebody in city hall so that you wouldn't get the whole thing on tape.

- There's a good possibility of that.

- [Steve] And what about those poor people around fifth street?

Are you just going to let them die of thirst?

- Well, Steve you've asked me a question, you know that we really haven't thought about it and I don't want anybody to ever say that this administration is not sensitive to human need.

I guess we have no choice.

We just have to put it back up.

Okay guys, put it up.

- We may have not done what we set out to do but today we did prove one thing.

And that is that you can fight city hall.

- [Reporter] What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you on an April fool's day?

- My boss telling me I have to do this interview.

- [Reporter] You're a teacher's aid.

Can you tell us what happened to you on April fool's day?

- Well, they, they tried to trick me and I got tired of it.

And I finally said to one that, that said, you know, look behind you, there's a bug or anything like that.

And I said, well.

The next person that April fools me is going to the office.

And he went, Oh, and I said, April fool.

So none of them did that anymore.

- Oh My funniest thing so let's see, I was about the third grade and somebody told me that I had a rain coat on that was split down the back and I truly thought it was an April fool's joke.

And what I did not realize is that somebody had actually split the back of my rain coat and it cut it off, which on the back, that was it.

- We're happy to have with us now our assistant chief engineer, Robert Huddleston at WCTV.

Robert, thanks for joining us.

What does the assistant chief engineer do?

- Well, it all depends.

Mostly We just liked to sit around and watch and see what else goes on but that don't work all the time.

See we've got people around and there always pushing the wrong buttons or tiring things up.

And we have to run all the time and fix this and do that.

And it's a hectic job sometimes.

- And is there one word that you could use to describe these people?

- Well, I guess I would have to go in the category of production People.

Either that or talent one, you know both of them kind of fall in the same category.

They're both hard to get along with sometimes.

- Well, why don't you explain the difference between production people and engineers and talent and engineers while you're at it?

- Okay, Since you put it that way.

It's an engineer's job to make sure that all equipment is in good working order.

And you know, there's no problems and everything works real fine.

Production People they have the habit of thinking that it should work all the time regardless of how they treat it.

So that means that they think that there's something wrong with it.

If it don't work after they've dropped it two or three feet or they pushed all the wrong buttons or something like that.

And it leaves us with.

- Cause I mean, you fix something one day and it's broken the next day.

- I know, but if he left it alone and didn't bother it it wouldn't be broken the next day.

- Well how are you going to leave it alone?

You have to use it.

- I know.

Well, lets say there were to be a way around that somewhere.

I suppose we could put all over equipment, you know, arm it like a tank and put it on the big dollies, you know, like the big ones you've seen where you've got to drag them all over the place and shields.

And maybe instead of a small cord, put one on that size of your thumb or something.

Where you couldn't break it.

- Well, that's what engineers are for.

I mean, they're supposed to have things in perfect working condition so that the real people who are the real meat of the station, the production people the ones who do all the hard work can use this equipment.

All the engineers have to do is fix it.

- No, all we already have to do is just get it lined up and working good and set back and watch it work.

You know or maybe go fishing or something like that.

- Well I knew that its been on your mind.

That's why none of the equipment works around here.

- Well, you know, spring fever gets to everybody.

- Now You never explained the difference between engineers and talent.

What would, for people at home they might not know what talent is.

- Well, talent are the people that, you know, they sit before the cameras, sit in front of the camera like we're doing now.

And they provide the entertainment to the people at home.

And you know, a lot of times they think that, you know there's something special after all.

You people at home You can see the talent and you can see what they're doing.

But all the rest of us were kind of back in the background.

And that rubs off on them a lot of times, you know, they get in there and they they walk around with their head up real high and their fancy clothes and everything like that.

You know, I won't this year and set my monitor this way.

And do I look all right?

You know, they're kind of insecure as well.

And I suppose that goes along with being talent too.

- Now I'm a production person and I also do some talent but so what are you trying to say here?

- Well, I don't know if the shoe fits right, I guess.

- Well, the real problem though is now we've got an engineer on camera, not your talent now.

- I know.

So what am I going to do about that?

- So I guess, you're probably according to you you're probably ruined for life.

- I know it.

You know, it was kind of degrading step to sit down and you know, turn in front of the camera that way but somebody has to do it.

And I thought that I would this time.

- [Steve] Degrading.

- Yeah, You know where always see if it wasn't for us but you know, you couldn't operate.

- [Steve] Us many engineers.

- If it weren't for the engineers then the talent, you know, people wouldn't be able to see.

There wouldn't be nobody to operate a transmitter, nobody to fix the camera when it broke down.

And you have to just be left out in the cold.

- Us engineers all over the place.

I mean, you can get one anywhere.

Even the production people can operate the equipment.

That's what we do every day.

- Well, that goes for production people and talent too.

You know, you can go out and find talent real easy.

If you want to, or worst comes to worst while you can always just point the camera out the window.

There's a lot of pretty scenery going on out there.

- Well, the same thing with engineers there's no problem finding an engineer just walking down the street.

And You can ask anybody.

Hey, can you work in television?

Sure, that's easy engineers.

That's an easy job.

- Well, my baby.

We gotta have him.

- Okay, now I want you to tell me.

Now that you're on camera, you've really seen all sides of the TV spectrum.

You've worked behind the scenes.

You've worked on the scene and now you're working in front of the camera.

What do you think is the best?

- Well, all joking aside and rivalry aside and so on like that.

For me, it's engineering.

That's the job and the talent that I've been given to do.

Now I mentioned talent a while ago.

Everybody has a talent for something but the talent that I've been given is engineering.

And as long as I'm working as an engineer then my work is not work.

It's a Joy or pleasure.

And when you have a job like that.

Its is something to be thankful for.

That goes for talent.

As we talked about and it goes for production people as well.

And without one, while the other one couldn't get along and it's all something where everybody has to work together.

- Now that you're on camera, you got a chance to say something to the folks back home.

What would you like to say to them?

Look into the camera and tell them.

- Well, I'm sorry We're all out of time folks.

We're going to have to leave now.

So we'll see you later.

- [Reporter] Did you have any jokes played on you on April Fool?

- No.

- [Reporter] Did you play any jokes?

- No.

- [Reporter] What is your favorite April Fool joke?

- A flat tire.

Someone having a flat tire, I guess.

- [Reporter] What did you just tell them to have a flat tire.

- Yeah, tell me have one.

I really don't.

I guess.

- One time I called my dad and told him that I'd wrecked my car.

And I told him I was in a five car pile up.

And I waited two or three hours.

And then I called him back and told him April fools after that.

And I got him pretty good.

But that's just one of the funny ones that I've ever done.

- Is this is going to be on TV?

- I guess when one of my agents came in and tell me that they'd forgotten to close the sale out.

And it was for a lot of money.

And I thought that, they've closed the sale out.

And they said they've forgotten to.

And really come to find out the sale didn't close up for another week.

- [Reporter] And that was an April Fool joke.

- That was an April fool's joke in my business.

It was a real big joke because it was a lot of money.

- Yeah, I had some tape stolen (laughing lightly).

But they got laser turned up.

- [Reporter] It wasn't for real an April Fool's joke.

- Yeah, it was.

- [Reporter] Did you get excited when your tapes were gone?

- I didn't even know it was gone.

- We gotta go we gotta pump.

- Due to the sensitivity of the following subject matter the interviewer has requested not to be identified.

- [Jane] You know, we have a leash law in this city.

That requires that you put your pet on a leash and yet David Dow, you are a repeat offender.

What have you got to say for yourself?

- Well, Jane, it's something I just kind of, fell into.

I can't seem to leash my dog.

I know it's a very serious matter but it's something I just never have been able to handle, Lisa's.

- [Jane] Do you think it's something that maybe stems back from your childhood?

- Well, quite possibly.

I wore a leash very early in life when I was a child.

And it seems like leashes really kind of shake me up.

Whenever we have one in the house I have to get rid of it.

I just can't stand leashes.

- [Jane] You know this is a law, you know what you're doing is breaking the law.

Do You think it's wrong?

- Well, I know dog is a big problem here in Cookeville.

But it's just something that I just can't do.

My dogs I can't stand to see them on a leash and they just seem to be happier without a leash.

- [Jane] What would you tell a young child that was, maybe not putting his dog on a leash?

What would you say?

- Well, all I can say to them is, is go for it.

There's no reason to put a dog on a leash because problems around the the city just just seem to be mounting nowadays.

And it just seems like dogs are the real answer to the world's problems without leashes.

- [Jane] Are you seeking help about this matter?

- Yes I am seeing a doggie doctor four times a day.

He's helping me with my problem with leashes.

In fact, I've got a little kid at home.

I have to do every time before I go to bed.

I have to take a leash and he's breaking me in slowly.

But I'm taking leashes now and just going a step at a time and eventually I'll be able to walk my dog with a leash with pride.

- [Jane] I just can't go on with it.

Just stop the cameras.

Just stop.

- Oh, my teacher went to Florida there in the spring break and we told her that we seen her on television.

But the jolly state college was about the only one I pulled.

- [Reporter] Can you tell me about any good April fools jokes that you've pulled?

- Well, I put one on my supervisor yesterday.

She came in from Chevaux and is supposed to stay for a couple of days now.

And I told her we're going the mall was going to close tomorrow at one o'clock and she said, Oh, well, I'm on leave at one o'clock.

And I said, April Fool.

- But I had a few pulled on me though.

- [Reporter] Well, can you tell us about those?

- Well, somebody told me my shoes were untied and I was stupid enough to.

You know, think that they were and I didn't have on shoes that had shoe laces (laughing).

And then, somebody told me I had run in my panty house and I thought, you know, it was true, you know?

Cause I have one now I look down there and they said April fools.

And that's about it.

- The people who work in the very back of our station include traffic manager, Sue Gibbons and our business manager, Lois McCart, Sue was smart.

She didn't want to be on camera.

So she had a baby, so she wouldn't have to come to work.

But Lois was there and our cameras snuck upon her.

- Do you know where the battle of the big band tapes are?

- [Lois] Yes, go and look around the top shelf.

- How do you spell ceremonies?

- [Lois] C E R E M O N I E S. - Lois when does the American Playhouse run?

- [Lois] It runs at 9:00 PM Monday night.

- Becky wants to know she get any phone calls?

- [Lois] Nobody important.

Just Philomena.

- Who was the 22nd president of the United States Lois?

- [Lois] Grover Cleveland.

He was also the 24th president.

In fact, he's the only American president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

- What's the formula for carbonic acid?

- [Lois] H2CO3.

- And where's the masking tape.

- [Lois] It's out in the hall in the last cabinet before the door.

- Hey Lois, do you know where the rubber bands are?

- [Lois] Yeah, they're right here.

You want one?

Dang.

- Does anybody know if we have blank 30 minute tapes?

- [Lois] Yes, They're in the studio on top of the middle cabinet on the right.

- Where is Fraser Island?

- [Lois] it's off the coast of Australia.

Didn't you watch the sands of time last week.

- Lois, do you want to go out for lunch or do you want me to just pick something up for you?

- I really don't know.

- I'll tell you about this when I haven't tried it but I think it would be a lot of fun.

What you do is you get behind something, like a big barrel or a big box or something.

And you put a wallet out in the middle of the sidewalk with a string attached to it and you had behind there.

And then when somebody comes by you just spread out at how greedy they are.

They are there reached down to pick it up and you jerk it out of their way but quick.

- Well, my next door neighbors happened to put some joy dish washing liquid in my dishwasher.

I came in and turned it on and next thing I turned around and sounds were coming all out on my kitchen floor.

So it wasn't too nice to trick but I got a big laugh out of it, I guess.

- [Show host] Thanks for tuning in for our April fools special.

We hope you got a kick out of it and be sure and be sure to tune in next week as Becky Robertson presents studio 22.

- Nothing funny happened to us.

- I'm overjoyed nothing cruel happened.

- [Jane] I just can't go on with this.

(Laughing hysterically) - [Steve] And tell me, Dwight.

- [Dwight] (Laughing hysterically) - What about you?

What was the funniest thing played on you?

- I'm not being interviewed.

- Yes You are.

- Are we still on TV?

Am still embarrassed.