ABC 2000 Today

Last updated

ABC 2000 Today
ABC2000.png
Also known asABC 2000
Presented by Peter Jennings
Barbara Walters
Diane Sawyer
Charles Gibson
Elizabeth Vargas
Jack Ford
Sam Donaldson
Connie Chung
Cokie Roberts
Deborah Roberts
Carole Simpson
Morton Dean
Dick Clark
Theme music composer Gavin Greenaway
Opening theme IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth [1] [2]
Country of originUnited States
Production
Production locations Times Square Studios, Manhattan, New York (Primary)
Running time23 hours 10 minutes
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseDecember 31, 1999 (1999-12-31) –
January 1, 2000 (2000-01-01)

ABC 2000 Today was ABC News' special programming covering the new millennium celebrations around the world from December 31, 1999, into January 1, 2000, as part of the 2000 Today programming in the United States. Peter Jennings anchored the 23 hours and 10 minutes of broadcast from Times Square Studios in Manhattan, New York. ABC temporarily converted the Good Morning America marquee broadcast studio into a type of "millennium command center" that included a desk, where a standing Jennings spent most of his time, two lounge chairs, where Jennings would interview guests, a large screen with a time-zone included map of the world, a wall of clocks, and a makeshift newsroom where ABC News staffers would follow the latest developments.

Contents

Correspondents and guests

Jack Ford was stationed in Times Square throughout the broadcast, and was also joined by entertainer Dick Clark (the creator and host of his namesake New Year's Rockin' Eve , which did not air due to ABC 2000 Today) as a correspondent to conduct his traditional countdown. Other correspondents were Charles Gibson in London, Diane Sawyer in New York, Barbara Walters in Paris, Sam Donaldson at the Y2K Command Center in Washington, Connie Chung in Las Vegas, Deborah Roberts at Walt Disney World, Morton Dean in Moscow, and literally hundreds of others at ABC News, technicians and newsmen, who worked throughout the day to bring the broadcast. Those hundreds of others included ABC News personalities stationed around the world to cover the new year in every time zone, including Elizabeth Vargas in Sydney, Australia, Cokie Roberts at the Vatican, with her mother Lindy Boggs, the then U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Carole Simpson in Chicago, John Quiñones in Miami, and Bob Brown, who narrated many segments consolidating the day's events. Local stations also featured their own coverage during time local breaks, which varied from traditional breaks for local news and weather to full-scale coverage of local countdowns and possible Y2K bug effects (which in ABC and local coverage, eventually became minimal as little to any issues came out of that). [3]

ABC had a total of more than 1,000 members of their news division part of the broadcast. They were all under the direction of ABC's Roger Goodman. [4]

Guests included famed Australian comedian Barry Humphries in character as Dame Edna, David Blane, comedian Al Franken, and longtime ABC anchor Howard K. Smith. Musical performances included the Bee Gees, Neil Diamond, Faith Hill, Enrique Iglesias, Kenny G, Charlotte Church, Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Bonnie Raitt, *NSYNC, James Taylor, Christina Aguilera (who performed at the MTV studios across the street), Aerosmith, and Phish. Phish's appearance was live via satellite from their Big Cypress festival. [5] The performances by the Bee Gees, Phish, Charlotte Church, and Kenny G were selected to appear in the international 2000 Today program.

Broadcast highlights

ABC News's stage in Times Square. New Years Eve 1999-2000 - Times Square.jpg
ABC News's stage in Times Square.

Originally, the name of the broadcast was ABC 2000, but it was officially retitled as ABC 2000 Today because ABC joined 60 other nations, all celebrating the dawn of the new millennium. The network was part of the 2000 Today consortium that included PBS, WGBH, the BBC in the United Kingdom, ATV in Hong Kong, RCTI in Indonesia, RTM in Malaysia, CCTV in China, TCS and Singapore Television Twelve in Singapore, ABC in Australia, TV Asahi in Japan, MBC in South Korea, SABC in South Africa, TVE in Spain, Rede Record in Brazil, GMA Network in the Philippines, RTL in Germany, RTP in Portugal, TV3 in New Zealand, Televisa and Once TV in Mexico, TVN in Chile, CBC and Radio-Canada in Canada, TF1 and France 2 in France, RAI in Italy, and RTÉ in Ireland. (The program was nonetheless consistently promoted under the ABC 2000 name, possibly to avoid confusion with the U.S. morning show Today , which airs on rival network NBC.)

This was by far the most comprehensive coverage of any of the broadcast networks. [6] By contrast, CBS had hourly updates throughout the day with Dan Rather, a special 8 pm edition of the Late Show with David Letterman and from 10pm-1am ET, Rather and actor and rapper Will Smith hosted America's Millennium live from Times Square and Washington D.C. respectively. [6] It was the only time CBS offered live New Year coverage between the finale of Happy New Year, America (leading into 1996) and the debut of New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash (leading into 2022). [7] NBC had an extended edition of The Today Show , Dateline NBC at 8 pm and from 9:00 pm–3:30 am ET, Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric anchored NBC's millennium coverage, which included a special edition of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , which took part in the millennium celebrations in Los Angeles. [6]

Peter Jennings stayed on the air for the entire duration without a break using only commercial breaks and correspondent pieces to rest, eat, or change suits. He changed his wardrobe four times, including wearing a tuxedo when the ball was dropping at Times Square, and a sweater at the end of the ABC 2000 Today broadcast. [6]

At least 175 million Americans tuned into some portions of ABC 2000 Today. The broadcast won a Peabody Award. [8]

The theme music for ABC 2000 Today (which was also used for ABC News' election coverage that year) was from Epcot's IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth live show. The music was composed by Gavin Greenaway, who won an Emmy award for the work. Footage of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth were shown in the opening and closing sequences.

Follow-up

ABC News also used Times Square Studios for ABC News's 2000 election coverage ABC 2000: The Vote, with the studio set up very similar to the ABC 2000 Today studio set up, except the large screen was used to show the map of the United States with all the red and blue states. [9]

For 2002, ABC preceded the primetime hour of New Year's Rockin' Eve with a follow-up special, ABC 2002. The three-and-a-half-hour special featured a "meaningful and reflective" view on New Year's celebrations from around the world (especially in the wake of the September 11 attacks), and performances by Arlo Guthrie, Sting, and U2. It was hosted by Jennings from the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBC News</span> News division of NBCUniversal

NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations report to the president of NBC News, Noah Oppenheim. The NBCUniversal News Group also comprises MSNBC, the network's 24-hour general news channel, business and consumer news channels CNBC and CNBC World, the Spanish language Noticias Telemundo and United Kingdom–based Sky News.

<i>ABC World News Tonight</i> American television news program

ABC World News Tonight is the flagship daily evening television news program of ABC News, the news division of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network in the United States. It is currently the most watched network newscast in the United States, with an average of 2 million more than its nearest rival, NBC Nightly News. Since 2014, the program's weekday broadcasts have been anchored by David Muir. As of February 6–7, 2021, Whit Johnson and Linsey Davis anchor the Saturday and Sunday editions of the newscast respectively.

NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NBC television network in the United States. First aired on August 3, 1970, the program is currently the second most watched network newscast in the United States, behind ABC's World News Tonight. NBC Nightly News is produced from Studio 1A at NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City. Select Los Angeles–based editions broadcast from The Brokaw News Center in Universal City, California, or when broadcasting from Washington, D.C., either from the NBC News bureau based at WRC-TV in the Tenleytown neighborhood, or NBC's secondary studio overlooking Capitol Hill.

<i>Today</i> (American TV program) American news and talk television show

Today is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television and in the world, and after 71 years of broadcasting it is fifth on the list of longest-running United States television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Jennings</span> Canadian-American broadcast journalist (1938–2005)

Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings was a Canadian-American television journalist, best known for serving as the sole anchor of ABC World News Tonight from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2005. Despite dropping out of high school, Jennings transformed himself into one of American television's most prominent journalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television news in the United States</span> Aspect of news broadcasting

Television news in the United States has evolved over many years. It has gone from a simple 10- to 15-minute format in the evenings, to a variety of programs and channels. Today, viewers can watch local, regional and national news programming, in many different ways, any time of the day.

<i>Good Morning America</i> American morning news television show

Good Morning America is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. The Sunday edition was canceled in 1999; weekend editions returned on both Saturdays and Sundays on September 4, 2004. The weekday and Saturday programs airs from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in all United States timezones. The Sunday editions are an hour long and are transmitted to ABC's stations live at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, although stations in some media markets air them at different times. Viewers in the Pacific Time Zone receive an updated feed with a specialized opening and updated live reports. A third hour of the weekday broadcast aired from 2007 to 2008, exclusively on ABC News Now.

<i>Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve</i> US New Years Eve television special

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (NYRE), billed since 2008 as Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, is a New Year's Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts primarily from New York City's Times Square and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop event hosted by television personality Ryan Seacrest, along with live and pre-recorded musical performances by popular musicians from Times Square and Hollywood. Since 2016–17, the special has regularly included performances and coverage of midnight festivities from other U.S. locations, including New Orleans and San Juan.

<i>Weekend Today</i> American morning television program on NBC; weekend broadcasts of "Today"

Weekend Today is currently the branding of the weekend editions of Today, an American morning news and talk program that airs daily on NBC. Weekend editions of Today, began with the launch of the Sunday edition of the program on September 20, 1987.

Melissa Zoey Stark is an American television personality and sportscaster, best known as the current sideline reporter for NBC Sunday Night Football and the former sideline reporter for Monday Night Football.

<i>IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth</i> Former nighttime show at Epcot

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was a nighttime show performed nightly at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The show utilized fireworks, pyrotechnics, water fountains, fire effects, lasers, searchlights, and a large rotating globe with curved LED screens to create a visual production on the park's World Showcase Lagoon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Times Square Ball</span> Time ball in New York Citys Times Square

The Times Square Ball is a time ball located in New York City's Times Square. Located on the roof of One Times Square, the ball is a prominent part of a New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square commonly referred to as the ball drop, where the ball descends down a specially designed flagpole, beginning at 11:59:00 p.m. ET, and resting at midnight to signal the start of the new year. In recent years, the ball drop has been preceded by live entertainment, including performances by musicians. Over 1,000,000 people from all over the world attend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Times Square Studios</span> American television studio

Times Square Studios (TSS) is an American television studio owned by The Walt Disney Company, located on the southeastern corner of West 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The studio is best known as the production home of ABC News' Good Morning America (GMA), a morning news and talk program, segments for other ABC News programs, and various programs on ESPN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Ford (journalist)</span> American lawyer and journalist

Jack Ford is an American television news personality specializing in legal commentary. He has spent over two decades in front of the TV camera as a host and presenter of numerous information and entertainment programs.

NBC has broadcast coverage of New Year's Eve festivities since the 1940s, the majority of which focusing on the "ball drop" event at New York City's Times Square. NBC's coverage was initially anchored by Ben Grauer, airing in simulcast on NBC radio and television. Eschewing a standalone special, its coverage would later become part of special New Year's Eve episodes of NBC's late-night talk show The Tonight Show. This arrangement lasted through the tenure of Johnny Carson, and continued into the tenure of Carson's successor Jay Leno.

<i>ABC Olympic broadcasts</i> American TV series or program

The Olympic Games aired in the United States on the broadcast network ABC during the 1960s to the 1980s. ABC first televised the Winter Olympic Games in 1964, and the Summer Olympic Games in 1968. ABC last televised the Summer Olympics in 1984 and Winter Olympics in 1988.

New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen is an annual New Year's Eve television special broadcast by CNN and CNN International. It primarily focuses on coverage of the "ball drop" event held at New York City's Times Square, while also featuring coverage of festivities in other areas of the U.S. and around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium celebrations</span> Celebrations of the year 2000

The millennium celebrations were a worldwide, coordinated series of events to celebrate and commemorate the end of 1999 and the start of the year 2000 in the Gregorian calendar. The celebrations were held as marking the end of the 2nd millennium, the 20th century, and the 200th decade, and the start of the 3rd millennium, the 21st century, and the 201st decade. Countries around the globe held official festivities in the weeks and months leading up to the date, such as those organised in the United States by the White House Millennium Council, and most major cities produced firework displays at midnight. Equally, many private venues, cultural and religious centres held events and a diverse range of memorabilia was created, including souvenir postage stamps.

From 1991 to 2020, the Fox television network aired New Year's Eve specials with various hosts and formats. Many of these specials featured music performances by popular musicians, and coverage of the Times Square ball drop in New York City, although some deviated from this format by focusing on festivities in other cities.

References

  1. ↑ ABC News 2000 open on YouTube
  2. ↑ ABC news 2000 closing theme on YouTube
  3. ↑ ABC 2000 Today: The New Millennium Highlights on YouTube
  4. ↑ "Veteran ABC News Director Roger Goodman to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award". ABC News. December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  5. ↑ Sokol, Brett (January 13, 2000). "Mother-Tested, Kid-Approved Psychedelia". Miami New Times. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Brumley, Bryan (January 1, 2000). "Fade out on an era, fade in on the next - News stories, countdowns split TV screens worldwide - Y2K trouble becomes the nonstory of the day". Associated Press.
  7. ↑ "Star-studded New Year's Eve special from Nashville to air on NewsChannel 5". WTVF . September 9, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ "ABC 2000 Today". PeabodyAwards.com.
  9. ↑ Eltiempo1. "ABC 2000 The Vote". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "Dick Clark will ring in the New Year with his annual ABC special". The Dispatch. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.