THE GREG GILBERT TV SHOW

The origins of the Greg Gilbert TV Show go back to the late 1980’s and the beginning of cable television, especially at the local level.  John Richards, recently deceased, became interested early on in the middle 1980’s in local cable programming and the opportunities that were presented.  He had a keen interest in producing shows and promoting local television.

The show shifted from Riverview to Woodhaven where it survived under several different cable communication systems.  In approximately 1988, Greg Gilbert started a half hour show for a brief time and then went to an hour.  The show featured, at first, legal matters but shifted within a few months to not only legal issues, but also issues of general interest in the community.

The main stays of the show throughout this long period of time have been Mike Cameron, who has mostly done camera work, and Chris Duncan, who has primarily done work in the sound system.  However, they have done all aspects of the cable production and have many times gone out with Greg on outside shoots.  Everyone has worked together on the program and has provided leads on guests as well as helping make the set look more presentable and ideas concerning how to improve the program as far as production values.

For a number of years, the program was a live show and people would call in with questions.  Among the most popular guests over the years have been Jeffery Figer, Survivor cast members from Michigan, numerous political figures including mayors, congressmen, Supreme Court justices and the like.  In more recent years, a great many artists of every description have been on the program.  Among the more colorful shows was a show featuring a one-man submarine, a human powered parachute, a fashion show featuring tattoos, and many different scientists and inventors with their creations.

At the end of 2007, Comcast closed its Woodhaven studio where the show had been produced from about 1992 and now the show is filmed at the Wyandotte Municipal Services cable studio on Elm Street in Wyandotte.  However, the show is still being shown in the Southern Wayne County area on channel 20 in the Comcast system from a Southfield studio.

“It’s hard to believe that so many years have passed and so many changes have occurred in retrospect.  One constant has been the cost, the cameraman, and the sound person,” said Greg Gilbert.  The names of the cable companies, the studio coordinators, and the numerous guests have come and gone.  It has been a rich experience for Greg, Mike Cameron, and Chris Duncan, and they have maintained a friendship over the years, even outside of the cable show.  Hopefully, Comcast and other systems will continue to promote and allow local broadcasting (so called “public access”) in the future as it is of interest to the local residents and provides a nice outlet for people interested in local programming.  Wyandotte photographer Anthony DeCuir has joined them as producer/director of the show.