“TV Made Fresh Daily” was the original mantra of the fX (little “f”) cable channel as it launched 30 years ago on June 1, 1994. The network’s original lineup included several hours of live TV programming, interstitials with their channel hosts, and a slew of fun reruns of shows that hadn’t been in heavy circulation for a while. It was a delight.
The biggest delight of the early days of fX, and the thing it is most remembered for today, was Breakfast Time, an “irreverent” morning show hosted by Tom Bergeron (yes, that Tom Bergeron), Laurie Hibberd (now Mrs. Gelman to you!), Jim Kocot (The Announcer), and the late Al Rosenberg (“manager” of an orange puppet named Bob). The show also employed a group of “Road Warriors” who would travel the country to take audiences to interesting places — all live, broadcast across the country. Well, most of the country — apparently New York City didn’t even have fX when it launched!
Honestly in this day of instant news and immediate feedback, fX and Breakfast Time were just a few decades too early. The show gave its audience a feeling of being part of the events that were happening in an “apartment” in the heart of Manhattan. News was covered, as it is on many morning shows, but Breakfast Time would skewer politicians and situations in such an even handed way it probably wouldn’t matter what political affiliation you follow! Can you imagine that in 2024?
Being a live show, sometimes things would and could go wrong. Audiences saw more of a pre-Amazing Race Phil Keoghan than they might have expected during a remote broadcast at a bath house. There could also be awkward guests, such as Richard Simmons obnoxiously singing through Spencer Garbett’s remotes or this sit-down with musician Elliott Smith which even Tom Bergeron’s talents for improvisation could barely navigate around.
As with many good things, someone higher up on the food chain saw the success of Breakfast Time and wanted it for themselves. Thus, Breakfast Time ended within two years and was shipped over to FOX, where it ran at a later time slot and was massively declawed and retitled FOX After Breakfast. The fun chyrons were gone. Jim the Announcer was gone. The Edd Kalehoff theme music? Also gone. With time all of the elements that made Breakfast Time wonderful disappeared. First, Bob the Puppet was let go. Then, Laurie. Not even Tom Bergeron made it to the end — himself replaced by Vicki Lawrence. There is a great video about the downfall on YouTube.
June 1, 2024 is a Saturday, so you’re probably at home with nothing to do anyway, so you’re invited to do what I’m going to do today: Going back in time and watching the magic of the June 1, 1994 episode of Breakfast Time as preserved on a YouTube video below. Wishing I could still write in for a Mail Bag segment. Oh, yes, wait a minute Mr. Postman….
