Fiftieth Anniversary for Fab Four

February 9, 1964: The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Beatlemania is born. There were 50,000 requests for the 728 seats in the theatre. 73 million people watch the show that night. Music experts say that once every generation, an iconic group/performer comes along that changes the landscape of the industry. Elvis did it, Michael Jackson did it, and The Beatles did it. On Sunday, CBS celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' performance. The Ed Sullivan Theatre, at 53rd and Broadway in Manhattan, is now used for Late Show with David Letterman. Sunday at 8:00 pm eastern, CBS will air "The Night that Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles". David Letterman will interview the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Various musical guests will pay tribute to the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo. The marquee of Letterman's theatre has been covered to match the one from 50 years ago, when the venue was called CBS Studio 50.

Information from http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/02/06/ed-sullivan-theater-unveiling-special-marquee-to-mark-50th-anniversary-of-beatles-performance/.

Google Maps Street View Hollywood Tour

Google maps is amazing, especially the street view feature. Pick a city anywhere in the world and you can go there via cyberspace. I was "exploring" Hollywood and took some screenshots of some landmarks. Here's the famous Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard where you can see the hand prints and footprints of some of the biggest celebrities in the cement.



Next is an overhead view of Hollywood and Highland, where the red carpet is installed for the Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theatre.



Next is a street view image of the Hard Rock Cafe and the Kodak Theatre.



Across from the Kodak Theatre is the venue where Jimmy Kimmel does his late night show.



Next I traveled to Sunset Boulevard to find the legendary club where some of the biggest comics have performed, The Comedy Store. Notice the KNBC-TV van out front.



Finally here's the famous Whiskey A-Go-Go club where bands like Van Halen have performed. Elton John was discovered here.

Late Night TV Changes Lead to NBC Lay Offs

As the changing of the guard takes place at The Tonight Show, NBC lays off the 164 employees who work for Jay Leno. The show is moving back to New York, and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show starts on Monday, February 17. The show has not been based out of New York since 1972. The 164 employees are encouraged to apply for other positions with NBC. Fallon's inaugural guests will be Will Smith and U2. He will get paid $12 million per year, while Leno made $15 million. Ironically, the highest paid late night host is on basic cable. Jon Stewart makes $25-$30 million per year hosting Comedy Central's The Daily Show, according to TV Guide. Seth Meyers' late night show will premiere the night of February 24, after Fallon's program. His first guest will be fellow Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler. NBC has a legacy for the 12:35 am time slot dating back to the 1970's and Seth Meyers will become the fifth person to host a show in that time period. The 12:35 am time slot on NBC has been occupied by Tom Snyder (The Tomorrow Show), Late Night with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Information from http://www.thewrap.com/nbcuniversal-tonight-show-burbank-lay-offs-new-york-jay-leno-jimmy-fallon.

NPR's Fresh Air: Showbiz Radio

Fans of movies, television, music, entertainment and culture owe it to themselves to check out "Fresh Air" from NPR, National Public Radio. This show covers all of those topics and more through in-depth, insightful interviews by host Terry Gross. She has hosted the Peabody award-winning program since 1975. The show originates from WHYY radio in Philadelphia. "Fresh Air" features intimate interviews, and music, television and movie reviews from various contributors. 4.5 million people hear this show every week and it airs on 450 NPR affiliates. This show airs Monday through Friday, check your local listings for times.

Information from http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

End of an Era for NBC Burbank

The legendary NBC studios at 3000 West Alameda Ave. in Burbank will be vacated with the end of the Jay Leno era for the Tonight Show. Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show will be based out of New York. Also, the Los Angeles owned and operated NBC affiliate, KNBC-TV 4 is moving to the Universal lot due to the merger between NBC and Universal. KNBC has operated out of Burbank since 1962. Click here for a look at the new set for KNBC. You can watch a short video tour of the Burbank building here. The NBC building was the home of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show from 1972-1992, Days of Our Lives, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and many other shows over the years. It is truly one of the iconic facilities in the world of broadcasting. Above are photos from the walls of NBC studios that show the various celebrities who worked in the building.

Information from the 2 links above plus the Facebook page, "Eyes of a Generation"