Mike Randall (entertainer)

Mike Randall
Born Michael E. Randall
(1953-11-02) November 2, 1953
United States
Occupation Meteorologist, actor

Michael E. "Mike" Randall (born November 2, 1953) is an American actor, meteorologist and reporter from Buffalo, New York. He is best known within his native Western New York for his long run on WKBW-TV, where he has been an on-air personality since 1983 and was the chief meteorologist from 1999 to 2013, and outside Western New York for his stage shows.

Television career

Randall holds seals of approval from the National Weather Association (seal #9708542, which he has held since at least the early 1990s)[1] and the American Meteorological Society (seal #1558, which he earned some time in the 2000s).[2] Randall was the first and, until one-time Randall protege Andy Parker also earned his NWA seal, the only television meteorologist in Western New York to carry the NWA seal. His meteorology education comes from Mississippi State University's Broadcast Meteorology Program, while his broadcasting education was obtained from Onondaga Community College, among others (Randall never actually graduated and had dropped out of four different colleges by the start of his broadcast career).[3]

Prior to 1983, Randall worked at WFSB in Hartford and WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, as well as a brief stint as a commercial spokesman for, among others, the New York Lottery in 1978.

Randall joined WKBW-TV in 1983 as a feature reporter. His features are still occasionally rerun on WKBW today. In 1989, Randall was paired with Ann Edwards to host Good Morning Western New York, the first morning newscast in the Buffalo market, with Randall assigned weather presenting duties as well as co-hosting duties. Randall became a bona fide meteorologist shortly thereafter; he became the third true meteorologist in the Buffalo market (after WIVB-TV's Don Paul and Mike Cejka). From 1992 through 1993, Randall was named "Captain" of the children's television program Rocketship 7. Upon the retirement of Tom Jolls in 1999, Randall was named chief meteorologist and moved to the station's evening newscasts. He was moved back to mornings in 2009 in an effort to revive the ratings of Good Morning Western New York.

In 2013, Randall came to an agreement with WKBW to keep him at the station through the end of 2015. The agreement reduces Randall's workload (Randall moved to weekends in September 2014) and grants him the title of senior meteorologist, allowing him to focus more time on his stage work.[4][5] In September 2015, Randall renewed his contract with WKBW through the end of 2017.[6]

Acting career

Randall is known as a character actor and impersonator performing primarily in one-man shows. His best known impersonations are those of 19th century authors Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. The Twain performances are known as Mark Twain Live! As Dickens, Randall traditionally recites the book A Christmas Carol as Dickens used to do on stage during his lifetime.[7][8][9][10][11] He studied theater at State University of New York at Geneseo.[12]

In 1975, Hal Holbrook, the creator of Mark Twain Tonight, filed a lawsuit against the then 22-year-old Randall alleging that Randall had plagiarized Holbrook's work. The two reached a settlement stating that Randall could not use any of Holbrook's work in future productions, but that Randall could continue impersonating Twain.[13]

Randall also has a puppet show, "Reading is Magic with Mike Randall and Friends," which is geared toward children and encourages them to read.

Outside of his own shows, Randall has also appeared in Shakespeare in Delaware Park[14] and at Buffalo's New Phoenix Theatre.[15]

References

  1. ↑ List of NWA Seal of Approval holders. From the National Weather Association. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  2. ↑ List of AMS Seal of Approval holders. From the American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  3. ↑ Pergament, Alan (July 21, 2013). Mike Randall is channel 7's mainstay and will be for three more years. The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  4. ↑ Pergament, Alan (June 27, 2013). Randall babbles, Parker changes diapers and more morning news. The Buffalo News. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  5. ↑ Pergament, Alan (August 11, 2014). Ch.7's Randall moving to weekends. The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  6. ↑ Pergament, Alan (September 15, 2015). Channel 7's Randall, Morse, Drantch and Lewandowski have new deals. The Buffalo News. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ Mike Randall to appear at SCA. Springville Journal. 5 December 2008.
  8. ↑ Rhodes, Sandra (2010-01-07). One Book Bradford: Randall Brings Mark Twain to Bromeley. WESB. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  9. ↑ Deluca, Michelle (2007-11-30). RANDALL AS DICKENS: Weatherman brings “A Christmas Carol” to life. Tonawanda News. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  10. ↑ ON STAGE: A look at area theater productions. Batavia Daily News (2010-04-29). Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  11. ↑ Author unstated (2010-07-14). ‘Mark Twain Live’ To Play 1891 Fredonia Opera House. The Post-Journal. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  12. ↑ Harvey, Jerry (2010-11-10). Landmark Society bringing Randall, A Christmas Carol to Bradford but he does not hold a degree. WESB. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
  13. ↑ Randall, Mike. Randall vs Holbrook vs Twain. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  14. ↑ Kibler, Kristy (August 13, 2014). Mike Randall takes on Shakespeare. The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  15. ↑ Buckley, Eileen (March 30, 2015). Local meteorologist portrays priest in Angels Fall. WBFO. Retrieved March 30, 2015.

External links

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