Call for Help (TV series)
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"CFH" redirects here. For The hospital in London, see Chase Farm Hospital.
| Call For Help | |
|---|---|
 Current Call For Help Logo |
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| Genre | |
| Running time | 1 hour (with commercials) |
| Starring | Leo Laporte |
| Country of origin |  Canada |
| Original channel | G4techTV Canada |
| Original run | May 11, 1998–present |
| Official website | |
Call for Help (also known as CFH) is a computer-themed television program that first aired exclusively on TechTV (formerly ZDTV), a cable and satellite television network focused on technology, and now airs on G4techTV Canada and the HOW TO Channel in Australia.
Contents |
[edit] United States origin (May 1998 – May 2004)
Broadcast live from San Francisco, California, the show premiered on May 11, 1998 with Leo Laporte as host. The show's very first caller (by accident) was Laporte's mother. He functioned as a technical advisor to viewers experiencing difficulties with their personal computers (or "personal confusers", as Laporte jocularly referred to them). Such individuals were encouraged to contact the show via e-mail, telephone or webcam, with telephone/webcam users serving as on-air participants. Laporte also welcomed in-studio guests (including Martin Sargent, Roger Chang, Brett Larson, Hahn Choi and others), who expertly highlighted and reviewed various technology products with a novice perspective in mind.
In 2001, Laporte decided to focus solely on another TechTV program, The Screen Savers, and Becky Worley became the lead Call for Help host (briefly joined by Scott Herriott as co-host). Later that year, Chris Pirillo took over the lead hosting duties, with Cat Schwartz, Morgan Webb, and TechLive correspondent Laura Burstein serving as rotating co-hosts. In 2003, Pirillo was terminated from TechTV for publicly unspecified reasons, and Laporte returned as lead host alongside Cat Schwartz. Morgan Webb left her CFH co-hosting duties (and her other show, The Screen Savers) to go co-host TechTV's X-Play.
Call for Help performed an annual "Call-For-Help-a-Thon" on December 26. The live telecast lasted eighteen hours in 2002, and twelve in 2003, during which viewers with questions pertaining to new technology gifts called in.
In December 2003, the original animated cartoon opening and theme music were replaced with a new live-action sequence (featuring Laporte and Schwartz) and a different song. A new version of the show's logo was introduced.
In May 2004, TechTV and G4 merged to form G4techTV. Call for Help, despite being the network's second-highest rated show (ranked just below X-Play in viewership), did not appeal to the combined channel's target demographic in the opinion of G4 executives, and was cancelled immediately. The final United States edition of Call for Help, taped two days prior, aired on May 21, 2004.
[edit] Canadian origin (August 2004 – present)
A short time after the cancellation, Rogers Media (one of the three owners of G4techTV Canada at that time) expressed interest in reviving the program as a Canadian production, and licensed from G4 Media the rights to the Call for Help name and format, along with the 1998–2003 music and graphics. Taped in Toronto, Ontario, a new version of Call for Help made its G4techTV Canada debut on August 16, 2004, and quickly became the channel's highest rated series. Leo Laporte (who regularly commuted from his residence in Sonoma County, California) served as lead host, with co-hosts Andy Walker and Monica Litonjua. The program followed the same basic formula as the original, but was pre-recorded instead of airing live. Nonetheless, the viewer participation element remained, and a large number of United States residents continued to call and e-mail (despite the fact that no US channels carried the program).
In September 2004, Litonjua (who had retained her position in the promotions department of the Rogers-owned OMNI Television) decided that her schedule was too hectic, and resigned as co-host. Filling the vacancy was Amber MacArthur, who previously contributed the show's "Web Workshop" segments.
On March 7, 2005, Call for Help was made available in Australia on the HOW TO Channel. The US made Call for Help series was screened in Australia on Foxtel's TechTV channel until the end of 2004.
On June 9, 2005, the original animated cartoon opening and theme music were retired once again. A new still images - with Ken Burns effect - sequence (featuring Laporte, MacArthur and Walker) and a different song were introduced, as was a radically redesigned logo (sometimes featuring Laporte's name).
On August 31, 2005, Andy Walker announced on his official blog that he was leaving the show, citing an unsatisfactory pay cut in his proposed contract renewal. He was not replaced with a new co-host, and the number of guests and viewer calls was increased.
On August 28, 2006, nearly one year since Andy Walker's departure, co-host Amber MacArthur announced on her blog that she would be leaving Call For Help to work at the Canadian network Citytv. Her final episodes aired in early November 2006. Cali Lewis will be the new temporary co-host. [1]
On November 25, 2006, Leo Laporte announced on his KFI radio show that production of Call for Help will be moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Rogers Communications Inc., the owner of G4techTV, have contracted Greedy Productions to produce the show.
It is said that the show will be revamped with an American audience in mind and Call For Help will broadcast in HD for the first time.
[edit] United States return (August 2005 – January 2006)
On August 29, 2005, following months of public outcry, G4 (which, as part of its licensing agreement with Rogers Media, held the right of first refusal) began airing the show in the United States. The program started out airing at 11am ET Monday-Friday.
However, in December 2005, G4 "shelved" Call For Help indefinitely, meaning that the show was acknowledged in the network's programming lineup, but not actually scheduled to air. This happened a month after G4 moved the show to its earliest and least-viewed time slot, 9am ET weekdays. On December 17, 2005, Leo Laporte announced on his KFI Los Angeles radio show that G4 was dropping Call For Help from its lineup at the end of 2005. On January 3, 2006, Call For Help aired for the final time on G4.
[edit] Online Distribution (June 2006 – present)
On June 13, 2006, Rogers began offering Call For Help for 99 cents per episode via Google Video. [2] The offer is only available to United States residents. At launch, only a select few episodes are available; however, Rogers plans to roll out all episodes of the show over time, including all new episodes.
[edit] Call For Help Specials
Six shows have recently been shown on G4techTV Canada, repackaged programs with a specific theme of select episodes from Call for Help. Web Gems focuses on tips and tricks on navigating the Internet, along with new developments online. Super Software shows viewers how to use certain programs. A recent program, Digital Lifestyle illustrates the connection between technology and everyday life and lessons on do-it-yourself projects. My Media focuses on the multimedia aspects of technology, More Gadgets shows all the latest in "tech toys", and Tech To Go showcases technology that can be used on-the-go.
[edit] External links
- Official Call for Help sites
- Official sites of Call for Help personalities
- Leo Laporte
- Mike Lazazzera (Call for Help technical researcher and frequent guest)
- Cali Lewis (Temporary replacement)
- Official sites of former Call for Help personalities
