Here is the line-up for this week's Grand Ole Opry
Friday September 18th:
7:00: John Conlee(host); Jean Shepard; George Hamilton IV; The Flatlanders
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Jim Ed Brown; John Anderson
8:00: Bill Anderson(host); Stonewall Jackson; Riders In The Sky; Suzy Bogguss
8:30: Vince Gill(host); Jan Howard; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; The Whites
Saturday September 19th:
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Connie Smith; Buddy Jewell
7:30: Jeannie Seely(host); Jack Greene; Jim Ed Brown; The Lovell Sisters
8:00: Riders In The Sky(host); Ray Pillow; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: John Conlee(host); The Whites; Raul Malo
Still on just 1 show for Saturday night. Looking at the line-ups, the Friday show is certainly the stronger show this weekend. The Saturday show still has 1 slot to fill, during the 8:00 segment.
Hey Fayfare
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know, there is something going on with the Opry on XM/Sirius. There has been no live feeds of the Opry for at least the past week on Nashville Channel 11. I'm hoping they are just moving the live feed to Channel 10 (where they have been for some time airing one week delayed taped shows w/o commercials), and they do have the Opry scheduled on Channel 10 this Friday and Saturday, but I tuned in Tuesday, September 15 and they played only a taped version of the previous Tuesday show. If they have done away with the live feed of the Opry and are only going to be airing one week taped delayed versions on XM then it is probably time to discontinue XM/Sirius. Still hoping this Friday/Saturday they will have live feeds on the Opry on Channel 10 though.
I heard this last weekend but didn't know it was a delayed feed. They were deleting commercials in the editing, so there may be a sponsorship issue. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI do know that the Friday lineup is indeed better, although I am a big Earl White fan and therefore welcome the square dancing on Saturday nights.
I have Sirius and the Opry is still on the roadhouse channel each Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. For a while now, they have been running the Opry shows on a one week delay. For example, if you listen to Sirius this Friday night you will actually be hearing last Friday night's show. They do run it without the commercials, which makes for a much shorter show. As far as XM, I do not have that, so I am not sure what they are doing on that channel, although when they do the promo at the Opry, they always state that the Opry is on both Sirius and XM radio. As far as the commercials not being run on the delay format, I have heard the same thing, that is was a sponsorship issue. Finally, I know that I mentioned, and it was mentioned again by Michael, that the Friday night line-up is much stronger this week than the Saturday show. We all remember when the Saturday night Grand Ole Opry was considered the "real Opry", and that the Friday night Opry was always considered a secondary show. Times have changed.
ReplyDeleteA couple of notes. One, Josh Thompson now has been added to the 8:00 segment on Saturday night. Two, an intermission is listed during the Tuesday Night Opry on September 22. Any idea what's up there? They do it during Opry Country Classics, too.
ReplyDeleteXM has been running the Opry "live" until last week on Channel 11 Nashville. Just seems like another light that is going out concerning the Opry. . .first GAC now this. . .
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the intermission stunt, I figured that Opry management would pull this with the other Opry shows after they started doing it with the Classics show. They sell more refreshments and souvenirs in the "Opry Store".
Noticed though, that they are still keeping the entertainment portions at 2 hours on Tuesday. Wonder how long this will last? I look for them to soon "quietly" cut the show down to 2 hours on Tuesday with the intermission(or 1:45 minutes of actual content) to cut costs.
It wouldn't surprise to see them pull this on Friday and Saturdays as well.
Hope I'm wrong. Sadly, I fear that these Opry shows are soon going to be watered down in content to the point were it just isn't worth making the effort to drive to Nashville to see them anymore. I would imagine more than a few already stopped going to Opry when the shows were cut from 2 1/2 to 2 hours.
I would have to think twice about driving 3 hours to see the Opry if the shows get any shorter myself.
One other thing I will add to my comment above, because this intermission stuff has got me pretty concerned, is that the Opry is different from concerts. The Opry ALREADY HAS INTERMISSIONS CALLED COMMERCIALS and these already eat up 15 minutes or more of EACH SHOW. If Opry management tries to cut this to a show that is 2 hours including a intermission(granted, they haven't done this yet. .except for this Classics show ) the musical content of the show would only be maybe 1 hour 15 or 20 minutes after the 15 minutes of commercials, the 15 minutes of intermission and 15 minutes of chit chat, talking, introducing, stage changes, dead time etc. are deducted.
ReplyDeleteI am just going to make a guess. If the Opry is going to "fiddle" any more with the format, I think they will probably start it the first of the year. Also, I think that if there is going to be a change in the format for the Tuesday and Thursday shows, it will take place when they come back from their break in the Spring. I will find it interesting if the classics show returns as attendance has been low and they keep discounting the ticket prices. And, I agree that the amount of music on the show is slowing going down. Even up to a few years ago, you would usually have 6 songs per half-hour segment. Now, on some segments, especially those hosted by Jimmy Dickens, you sometimes only get 4 songs. The other interesting thing to watch is whether or not the Opry will make the 1 show on Saturday night permanent, or will they attempt to go back to 2 Saturday shows. I will be in Nashville in 3 weeks for the Opry's birthday bash and I will be talking to folks down there and hopefully I will be able to come back with some solid information. Usually, I talk with some of the Opry members and some of those who work for Gaylord and within the Opry house. Of course, I will share anything I receive.
ReplyDeleteHi Byron
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they will wait or not till the first of the year to fiddle with things. After all, the Tuesday night change(an intermission) is apparently happening this Tuesday.
They seem to be going with the same schedule in 2010 if you go by the tickets available on the Opry website. BYW, one ticket to a Saturday show will be $ 58.00 tax inclusive. . .in 2010.
Also, they have tickets available for 2nd shows in the same months next year as this year as well as dates scheduled for the Classics shows. They could change this at any time and pull shows off but that is what is in their system currently for 2010.
These Classics shows have been disappointing to listen to from a radio standpoint. Too much talk and games, too much dead time, too many commercials, too much intermission. The lineups (as you have stated from time to time) have been largely weak. I haven't been to any in person. I have been told that they are more entertaining if you are there in person with the video screens and all.
I know we all feel sad to see what is happening to the Opry. Too many changes too fast. With each change that is made they alienate a few more loyal fans. I think we would be stunned to know just how many. Myself, I have been to 300+ shows over my 44 year lifetime and it has been a fun ride(particularly prior to the last couple of years).
I have been a loyal fan. I have been to as many as 20-25 shows a year. However, the birthday show will be only my 4th show of this year. Have my order in next year for 3 dates. I guess I am just responding to the changes. . .
In regards to this intermission deal, an intermission is OK(although I think it kills the momentum of the show, especially since you already have 15+ minutes of commercials that slow things down), as long as the musical segments still total 2 hours.
However, when they go to 2 hours(which I believe will quietly and subtly happen) including the intermission for all the Opry shows, I will have to consider at that point what I will do, is it is worth the effort to make the trek down there for an hour and 15 minute show? I will probably always go at least once a year as long as it is alive, but multiple visits, I dunno.
BTW, I will be at the Opry for Saturday of the Birthday weekend. Would like to put a face with a name and meet you down there, Byron.
I think the intermission is different here because on Country Classics, there are fewer commercials and no 30-minute segments. On the Tuesday Night Opry, there are 30-minute segments but, again, fewer commercials. And, to be fair, I don't blame the Opry for hoping to sell a few more Goo-Goos and Cokes (Speaking of sponsors--WHY aren't they still sponsors? That "partner sponsor" deal is kind of silly in the end, in my opinion).
ReplyDeleteIf they want to know why attendance is down, maybe the ticket price is a hint?
And as to fewer songs, it's partly that management wants to make sure the bigger name guest gets the two songs and all the time s/he wants, so the host rarely gets more than two any more. I'll never forget a TNN telecast where Bill Monroe hosted. He would introduce the commercial by nodding to Hairl Hensley. But he got EIGHT songs into the segment.