| Call For Help (tv Series) |
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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 Computer s (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 and Morgan Webb 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 '' Extended 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 Gift s 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 . CANADA ORIGIN (AUGUST 2004 – PRESENT) A short time after the cancellation, Rogers Media (one of the three owners of G4techTV Canada ) 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 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. UNITED STATES RETURN (AUGUST 2005 – DECEMBER 2005) 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. EXTERNAL LINKS ; Official ''Call for Help'' sites ; Official sites of ''Call for Help'' personalities
; Official sites of former ''Call for Help'' personalities |
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