Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer
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| Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer/Hustler | |
| Format | astronomy, science |
|---|---|
| Starring | Jack Foley Horkheimer (Host) |
| Theme music composer | Claude Debussy / Isao Tomita |
| Opening theme | Arabesque No. 1 |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 31 |
| No. of episodes | 1,500+ |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | WPBT Studios, Miami |
| Camera setup | Chroma key |
| Running time | 0:05 or 0:01 (per episode), 52 episodes yearly |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | WPBT (Channel 2), Miami, Florida, syndicated to PBS |
| Picture format | 480i SDTV |
| Original run | November 4, 1976 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer is a five-minute astronomy show on public television hosted by 70-year old[1] Jack Foley Horkheimer, executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium[2]. In the weekly program, Horkheimer informs the viewer of significant astronomical events for the upcoming week, including key constellations, stars and planets, lunar eclipses and conjunctions, as well as historical and scientific information about these events. Episodes usually feature Horkheimer in front of a green screen, where he appears to sit on top of a planetary ring on one side of the screen. Horkheimer then uses the screen to illustrate starfields and diagrams appropriate to his subject. Star Gazer has been in weekly production since 1976, and has produced over 1,500 episodes as of September 2006.
[edit] History
Star Gazer first appeared on the air in 1976 on PBS stations in Florida. The show later went national in 1985 and started appearing in foreign markets by 1989. It was originally designed to air on PBS stations just before sign-off, but since many PBS stations now stay on the air continuously, the show is often aired in between other shows. Additionally, WPBT now provides a one-minute "capsule" version of each episode with a brief summary of the week's events, and both versions are available for free download from the Star Gazer website and as video podcasts via Apple's iTunes Store.
From its inception until 1997, the show was named Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler. With the rise of the Internet, however, viewers let the show's producers and WPBT know that instead of the program's website showing up at the top of search results, search engines were also giving results for the Hustler adult magazine. As a result, the producers renamed the show Star Gazer to avert any confusion, accidental or purposeful [3].
The show's theme song is Isao Tomita's electronic rendition of Claude Debussy's Arabesque No. 1, from Tomita's album Snowflakes Are Dancing. According to the Star Gazer website, this is the most frequently asked question the producers receive[3]. Horkheimer's appearances on the show are always marked with his opening line, "Greetings, greetings, fellow star gazers!", and his signature closing line, "Keep looking up!"
Horkheimer also appeared on bumpers and commercials for Cartoon Network's Cartoon Cartoon Fridays in 1999.
[edit] References
- ^ "The Many Phases of Jack Horkheimer". http://www.tropicfan.com/The%20Many%20Phases%20of%20Jack%20Horkheimer%20by%20Michael%20Browning.htm. Retrieved on November 30 2008.
- ^ "Star Gazer Bio". http://www.jackstargazer.com/SHbio.html. Retrieved on January 8 2008.
- ^ a b "Star Gazer FAQ". http://www.jackstargazer.com/SHFAQ.html. Retrieved on January 8 2008.
