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MSNBC on Deep Impact

(August 2001)

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MA
mark Founding member
Just watching Deep Impact and I can't believe how much MSNBC branding there is! I know news channels often feature in films - CNN, Sky News etc - but this is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's interesting to see that they didn't use the proper MSNBC set, though.
MG
MikeG
What films have shown Sky News?
GA
Gary Founding member
I've always wanted to see BBC World feature in some films. Wouldn't it be great to see some of the presenters on a big blockbuster movie, which would be seen all over the world!
MG
MikeG
On news programmes on things, A Touch of Frost always have Calendar on!

So far, I've seen Christa Ackroyd (before she went of course!) and Karen Petch!
AN
andyrew Founding member
I vaguely remember hearing (about 6 months ago) Phil Hayton talking about a bulletin he was doing for a feature film on the World set. Phil being asked because he is the main World presenter seen the US.

Not sure what film it was or if it ever happened.
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
Didn't Independence Day have Sky News ? And also Mission Impossible ? I have to say that the anchor woman in the film would surely never be on MSNBC in real life, she's just way too wooden !
MA
mark Founding member
Sky News has featured in Mission Impossible and Independence Day - both with Bob Friend presenting! It was featured quite a bit more in the latter, where it was made to look like an American channel, with some other bloke presenting from Washington. But even then it was for less than about 2 mins in total.
MG
MikeG
Why Sky News? Is it broadcast in the US? Or were these films part made in the UK.

EDIT: I think MI2 was filmed partly in the UK, wasn't it?
IS
Isonstine Founding member
If you are very lucky and have a job thats important enough then you can get a lot of channels including the UK terrestrial ones.
MA
mark Founding member
Sky News isn't broadcast in the US, but as it's part of News International (who also own Fox, who made Independence Day), it was given a plug in the film! Presumably the film predated the Fox News Channel (which would have been used instead, I guess).

You're right, though - Independence Day wasn't film in the UK, but some of Mission Impossible was.
CA
cat
Yeah, the film was made by Fox in 1994 and 5, FNC only went to air in 1996, so at the time the only News Corporation news channel was Sky News.
I've seen Deep Impact and just as a pointer - the MSNBC you see in Deep Impact is nothing at all like the MSNBC you see on TV! At least not from what I remember.
It's quite worrying how much it features in the film, with lines such as...
'They're expecting me back at MSNBC in an hour... they'll get worried' and 'You're watching MSNBC with our special report', and the entire neighbourhood seemed to be watching MSNBC on portable TVs! BTW: I didn't watch the film tonight, I'm going off memory, so those lines may be wrong!
Strange really, not sure what the point was.

Independence Day did feature some local Fox stations - FOX 35 IIRC and also FOX 5.
Sky News was featured heavily though, but the sad thing was, Bob Friend only appeared once during the film, with the line 'Indeed... God bless us all'.
There were American reporters on Sky News as well, and anchors. The American anchor was actually a local Fox News anchor - not sure which station though.
They actually did show some 1993 logos in Inde Day, on the mike box the reporter was speaking into.
I've got Indep. Day on tape so I'll get some screen grabs for you.

Sky also have featured in MI and I think (but I'm not sure) MI2.
This was mainly because MI was based in London, and obviously the BBC would not be praised for advertising their none commerical tv channel (News 24) on a US film...
Sky News oddly featured in 2 BBC dramas, even after News 24 was launched, and in various ITV drama series.
It's probably because (and I know people in here wont like me saying so but it's true...) Sky News is seen as more of a 24 hour news service than News 24, just as CNN is seen as THE 24 hour news service in the US, Sky News is seen as THE 24 hour news service in the Uk... if you follow my thinking.

All of the US newsrooms have Sky News up on the screens - CNN certainly do, because I've seen it there.
It can also be found in The White House - as can just about everything else!
The White House actually have CNN up on various massive screens, no wonder when you consider CNN was and to an extent still is, Clinton's News Network.

(Edited by cheshirec at 11:27 pm on Aug. 28, 2001)
AN
andyrew Founding member
Martyn Lewis presented a news report from the old virtual N2 blue set in the James Bond film 'The World Is Not Enough'

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