No Show: Difference between revisions

From The Joe Frank Wiki
m Footnote about source of counseling.
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* Joe calls a telephone counseling line from the studio.<ref>
* Joe calls a telephone counseling line from the studio.<ref>
<blockquote>'Frank sits expressionless and unblinking, under an enormous pair of headphones, looking like a still life of a man in outer space. He flips a switch that carries his voice to the glassed-in control booth. "Sharon, get me a crisis hot line."
<blockquote>'Frank sits expressionless and unblinking, under an enormous pair of headphones, looking like a still life of a man in outer space. He flips a switch that carries his voice to the glassed-in control booth. "Sharon, get me a crisis hot line."
<br>
'Sharon Bates, a station volunteer, makes the call; when she gets through, she waves to Frank, who's resumed his usual, distant, off-air expression.
'Sharon Bates, a station volunteer, makes the call; when she gets through, she waves to Frank, who's resumed his usual, distant, off-air expression.
<br>
'Now he leans forward, his lips nearly touching the microphone, ready for the hot line. "I do a radio program where I talk about my life," he tells the counselor. He rests one hand on his heart. "And because I'm sort of
'Now he leans forward, his lips nearly touching the microphone, ready for the hot line. "I do a radio program where I talk about my life," he tells the counselor. He rests one hand on his heart. "And because I'm sort of
depressed"--his voice takes on a caressing shimmer--"I thought of calling you on the air."'</blockquote>
depressed"--his voice takes on a caressing shimmer--"I thought of calling you on the air."'</blockquote>

Revision as of 05:38, 17 November 2023

No Show[1]
Series
Work In Progress
Original Broadcast Date
1986
Cast
Joe Frank
Format
Serious Monologue, 88 minutes
Preceded by: A Landing Strip In The Jungle
Followed by: Let Me Not Dream

I have an announcement to make this evening. There is no show.

No Show is a program Joe Frank produced as part of the series Work In Progress. It was originally broadcast in 1986.

Synopsis

  • Joe announces that there is no show, and spends the program explaining why against soft piano music.
  • Discussing the inter-connectedness of all things and the indomitable desire to live with his producer.
  • Joe sweeps a tuner across commercial radio stations, suggests his audience listen to something else
  • A woman invites herself to Joe's apartment, talks forever about nothing, and harasses his cat. Sharing a frozen dinner with an elderly cat.
  • Joe calls a telephone counseling line from the studio.[1]
  • A dinner party in Joe's honor, feeling a fraud, discussing the meaning of quality of life. Dinner parties as an Olympic sport.
  • The lawsuit against a film company for plagiarism.
  • Joe's friend talks about problems with his mother.
  • Joe's cat goes into a seizure.
  • Living in a noisy neighborhood. Waking up to a Simon & Simon film crew outside.
  • Joe picks up a girlfriend at the airport.

Music

Shared material

Additional credits

The original broadcast credits state: "Technical production by Tom Strother."

Miscellanea

  • Joe's most truly autobiographical show. 100% true, *probably*. He talks about his daily life and frustrations, and the cumulative interruptions which have caused him to be unprepared to write a show.
  • Joe's most "improvised" monologue. You hear him tell unprepared stories about his life, his narrative is less polished, more hesitant, sounds like his "true speaking voice".
  • Includes material about his lawsuit against the screenwriter of the Martin Scorcese film After Hours, which is not included in the 60-minute version.
  • There is also a 120-minute version that contains duplicated segments plus an excerpt from Joe Frank's America.

Footnotes

  1. 'Frank sits expressionless and unblinking, under an enormous pair of headphones, looking like a still life of a man in outer space. He flips a switch that carries his voice to the glassed-in control booth. "Sharon, get me a crisis hot line."

    'Sharon Bates, a station volunteer, makes the call; when she gets through, she waves to Frank, who's resumed his usual, distant, off-air expression. 'Now he leans forward, his lips nearly touching the microphone, ready for the hot line. "I do a radio program where I talk about my life," he tells the counselor. He rests one hand on his heart. "And because I'm sort of

    depressed"--his voice takes on a caressing shimmer--"I thought of calling you on the air."'


    'Radio Noir : On the Air, a Voice Like Dirty Honey Tells Stories Grim as Nightmares. If You Think Radio Is All Top 40, You Haven't Heard Joe Frank.'