April 17, 2006
Secrets of New York
We caught a commercial for Secrets of New York on Channel 25 last night and were intrigued by what the show has to offer. While the host looks like an extra from The Matrix, the subject matter is interesting. Exploring what lies beneath our feet and within our walls (there are probably way more Molly the cats than we even want to think about), New York’s oldest bridge, what secrets are buried in the oldest cemetery, stories behind the skyscrapers and the history of the city's slammers. Not to mention hidden treasures! Land pirates get ready to do some searching. This one episode summary sort of freaks us out though:
Paranormal New York: Enigmatic and Unexplainable Mysteries Venture into Gotham’s scary paranormal history to uncover haunted secrets, eerie phenomena and other thought provoking mysteries unexplained by science. Investigate the legends surrounding some of New York City’s most chilling anomalies and oddities.
Get some new views of the city...the show airs on channel 25 Tuesdays at 8pm, Wednesdays at 10:30pm, Saturdays at 9pm. You can watch the commerical here.
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My only gripe about that show is that they make her wear that silly outfit. Other than that it's a pretty cool program.
Channel 25? I've got Directv, is that the local PBS station here? Numbers don't always correspond between Time Warner, Comcast, Cablevision, DirecTV, RCN and Dish, you know.
I think the host is HOOOT
It's a great show, hosted by Kelly Choi.
The usual topic is restaurants, nooks and crannies to visit in NYC.
Watched several episodes, but never seen her in the Matrix outfit before.
Channel 25 is not a PBS station, but NYC's "official" television station. So, if you have DirectTV, look for NYCTV.
If you can get over the "Matrix" schtick (I find it pretty annoying; was Matrix-style ever not lame?), the show is pretty interesting.
The host all does the show, Taste NY (discussed on Gothamist last Summer).
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2005/07/25/food_events_gothamist_takes_in_taste_ny.php
Channel 25 is really great. I just discovered it about a month ago and am addicted. In addition to Secrets of New York, they have shows like Cool in Your Code where they pick an area code from around the city and show you what's there to do. The really good stuff is on Saturday nights. The rest of the time, the channel is really public access-y junk. If you're not going out, definitely check it out.
"SoNY" is a fun show and worth catching. Compared to NYCTV's other show "$9.99", in which the host runs around NYC doing stuff for less than $10, "SoNY" is Pulitzer worthy. The latter is awful because it devotes 10% of its runtime to relating interesting NYC info and the other 90% of its time to the excruciating buffoonery of its host.
The video editor of "SoNY" won an Emmy, so someone must like that Matrix crap, although Choi usually dresses more standard cute than dominatrix.
I also like SoNY, and Choi was dressed in normal clothes before this season. She's cute but I find her big eyes kinda freaky.
There are multiple hosts for the $9.99 show, and only one guy is a buffoon. I do like the female host Julie who's quite pretty.
I'm also a fan of MYCTV -- NY Noise is a great video show -- I've become fans of a lot of bands whose vids I saw on the show first...the rebroadcasts of the Central Park concert series are great too...
However, while I agree with Vin that NYCTV host Julie Laipply is a bit of a looker -- she has the MOST annoying voice I've ever heard -- I can't even watch her -- it's like she is on stage at the Miss America pageant when she talks -- it comes across so insincere (and nasal)...ack....sorry...
WNYE is great.
I like SoNY and the show went through a major tweaking as others have mentioned Last season it was more of a mixed bag of stuff while this season it seems to be "Matrix" inspired and focused on a specific theme. I did like last years format a bit better, but regardless Kelly Choi is easy on the eyes no matter what she is wearing.
Cool in Your Code is another good show worth watching on WNYE, but they seem to need to produce more shows, as they repeat the same ones quite often.
Another show to check out comes on Saturday afternoons at 3:30. It is Transit Transit which is produced by the MTA by MTA employees who volunteer to be on TV. They repeat the same show for the month and can be intresting to watch, as well as somewhat funny watching amateur talent. Amazingly the show won an Emmy for a peice they did on George Washington.
i would so foul her.
Hmmm..."Secrets of New York" eh?
www.forgotten-ny.com
New York Noise is the best show on television for new music. I am obsessed. Everyone else should be, but likely isn't. That should change.
I have seen this show and I did enjoy some of the episodes. One thing I saw was Talking Street which is a walking tour of LES and other places with celebrity voices such as Jerry Stiller. I don't think I would have stumbled apon that on such NYC sites such as Fogotten NY.
The Show itself has a 3-2-1 Contact with a little documentary feel to it. It is enjoyable especially when you are not seeing commercials for Progressive, Gieco or Sprint. There are some other cool shows such as $9.99 too.
Kelly Choi is the greatest thing ever
Kelly Choi is REALLY hot. I've only seen her on her food show - which is great. I had no idea she was on other shows. When is this show on? Can I get it on Cable?
There's actually two seasons, the first one has her dressed normal, while the second is more Matrix-y. I liked the first better, as it was more user-friendly. It's like NYC TV doesn't want you to know the first season existed though the way they play second season non-stop and moved first season to later hours on Wednesday and Saturday. There's also an IMDb page up for it
Listen y'all: I'm an avid television fan..watch everything from Laverne & Shirley on TVLand to Nascar, and Secrets of New York City is one of the best damn shows on TV anywhere. Its what the history channel should be. Its got the history, but way cool F/X and a hot host in Kelly Choi. Its as if the history channel told Micahel Mann to make a docmentary series. Too bad 25 ain't in HD yet.
I think 25 is on HD on Cablevision. Its like channel 131 or something like that. But Cablevision has 25 on 22. Makes sense. NOT!
U R missin the real story here
New York Noise is the beak-through show on WNYE. Not Secrets of the City - its a good show and they play some cool bands, but Noise is what brings me back.
Nutz! Noise is the one show I NEVER watch and a I am the biggest NYC-TV fan out there, but lots of bands videos on Noise look like Access TV. The interviews are lame and who cares about a bunch of losers who living in a co-op in BK? Its like bad Fuse on a budget. My favorite show is New York 360 degrees and a show called Globetrekker which is also on Travel.
by the way, anybody seen the On the Prowl with the Cat? I loved those quirky things they did with her.
The cat is now at Channel 4. Saw her reporting on lost puppies or something. What a shame!
Is it me or is NYCTV the Metro channel brought back to life?
So Cat sold out and went to network. what a shame. I bet soon Choi will book too. in the end its all about the $$$
also guys there is another blog (I ran across on nyc tv: http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/05/22/wnyc_tv_love_it.php
do u all know a talent they have on their named vanessa rae? i'd love to get her phone # :)
CT
Do you know if the Bridge can be seen in Philly? its my fav show and i am moving next month down there.
-RT
Noise is sacred. U mess with it. U mess with All Willysburgh!!!
I think "Secrets" is a sleeper hit. It will only be amtter of time before History channel or Nat'l Geo steal the concept.
Secrets IS a sleeper hit. I love it!! (Wish there were more)
Does anyone know more about the symbolic significance of the black cape? Also, I've noticed that Kelly's necklace changes and I was wondering if anyone did any reserach on what each symbol around her neck means.
I assume the cape is just creative costuming; never noticed the necklace but will pay attention next time.
I have a question: what is the significance of the bar code that appears under each name. its obviously another code, but is it a real code or just something stylistic?
I too am curious about the more archane secrets embedded in the show. The necklace may be just ad hoc costume arrangements but not sure. The narration seems to have a cadence that alludes to several meanings. its actually really fascinating to listen to secrets without the visual. try it. especially the skyscraper episode.
I find it really cool the way Secrets of NY rolls in rock music interludes into the show ...no one in the documentary sphere is doing that. I think when documentarians wake up to all the innovation going on in SNY, docuementaries will changes dramatically - forever.
I went to college a few years ahead of Kelly Choi down in VA
her name back then was Young Choi. How's that for a secret!!
Secrets is shot in HD and down-converted to standard-def. But it looks amazing. Its one of the best-conceived shows made in the doc genre. And the lighting and true cinematic touch put on the show makes it look like it was hand-polished by Michael Mann himself.
YL
I overheard at a cocktail party that the cadence of the narration is pupuseful; that in Secrets of NY, if you take every third letter of every first word in a sentence - or something like that - it spells out something. Is this BS or does anyone else know something about this?
coded narration? that is ridiculous. get a life
Not its not shot in HD. should be but it wreaks of SD.lots of color-adjustment going on. nice touch.
No it is all shot in HD. I have a friend who knows on of the producers and Secrets is shot in HD for sure using Sony HDW F900 and Sony HVR Z1Us.
According to my source. the titling sequence (with Kelly in the classic lincoln convertible) was shot on a Panasonic AG-HVX 200.
Hey y'all am I the only one who is in LOVE with Kelly Choi?!?!?!?!?
They are shot in HD but I believe they use just F900s and a varicam or 2. not 100% sure but it seems weiner milien, who ive seen is the DP of the show, looks at the F900 and still sees "Sony colors."
I think the cameras they are using is a mistake for a show like Secrets Of NYC. I know from personal experience that the F900s don't quite track right. The Varicam tracks color vastly better according to my eye although I don't see the shades of tonalities that I do on the AG-HVX200. on the latter, the gain settings are easier to manage for this type of multicam shoot.
I just stumbled across secrets last week...what a terrific show.
MAN SCERETS IS JUST AN OK SHOW. NOT BAD NOT GREAT. STOP WITH ALL THE OVER-ANALYSIS!!!
anyone have any scoop on whne the next season of SoNY begins? its all repeats now
does anyone know where (or if at all) the secrets of ny soundtrack is available? i have been searching online and have come up empty so far...
i do know u can buy bootleg secrets dvds on canal street..saw a few last weekend
secrets is NOT shot in HD. its shot on film. thats why it looks so good.
secrets is my favorite show on earth.
I HATE TO BE A PARTY POOPER BUT SECRETS IS SHOT ON SD...PLAIN OLD STANDARD DEF GUYS.
anyone out there know the back-story on how/why the series changed from being a cheesy lifestyle series to a post-modern matrix-y take on history? that sounds like something iteresting
NYCTV GENERAL MANAGER LISTEN UP: I PROPOSE THAT NYCTV RENAMES ITSELF AND MAKES ITSELF THE KELLY CHOY CHANNEL
"everything kelly"
OR
"all kely all the time"
screw kelly. make it "kela all the time" - as in Kela Walker.
anyone ever noticed how the host of the show uses her hands? the rings, the pockets...its all very intriguing...just caught an airing last week...she was always doing something with her hands... as if it was some "coded" message....
kela on secrets? r u nuts
You sound like u have a hand fetish! Weirdo
yeah with secrets its kelly's way or the hi-way!
if u ask me, i'd say that nyctv has had a few strokes of genius and a few strike-outs...secrets is one of those strokes of genius
kelly choi is the svengali of primetime local television
i copied the bar code and ran it thur a bar code scanner (Datalogic Heron Barcode Scanner) and the results came up empty. I then ran through a software off a DL9600 Viper that recognizes most scan-data types. still no dice..so anyoen have any success deciphering the secrets of ny barcodes?
mixx - u are a loser
fred. u hit the nail on the head...who scans tv shows? its a gimmick.. dont mean a damn thing!!
WHAT FASCINATES ME IS THAT CLEARLY KELLY'S RINGS HAVE THIS DEEP DARK (SINISTER?) MEANING... HOW THEY CHANGE HANDS, DIFFERENT FINGERS... ANYONE ABLE TO SCAN THE VIDEO UP CLOSE TO READ THE ENCRYPTIONS ON THEM?
i saw kelly choi shooting secrets recently - she was on a harley in midtown. everyone was staring...pretty cool!
Kelly Choi is a babe, she is so beautiful. I hope she gets into acting so I can see more of her
I know I am an audio geek, I am myself an audio engineer and technician for one of the biggest houses in nyc, All I have to say is I have been mixing for many many years and I have been watching this channel for about 2 years now, NYC TV must have hired a Pro mixer now for their shows because i hear a HUGE IMPROVEMENT! The entire presentation of the shows and network are 100% better, Audio and Video wise. I am impressed!
Kudos!
Is there any trivia for the show on its IMDB page?
Arick Wierson is the creator of SoNYC? isnt he also the station manager?
Is there a companion bok to Secrets of NY?
No, but you have a book called Secrets of New York that Wierson stole his idea for the show from. The book used to be listed in the credits, but no longer.
The first stage of a £150m investment in regional museums is praised for boosting visitor numbers...
The first stage of a £150m investment in regional museums is praised for boosting visitor numbers...