Holly Molly – Ten years ago (April 1, 2015), really. I had posted my usual April Fools joke on my blog at the time of the day, opelikadailynews.com. And Bam! It went viral. The Alabama Film Commission called local officials to find out more, and blog traffic over three days reached over 85,000 views. And after several hours of searching, a local news reporter (with great hair) found me. She asked for an interview, and I had to fess up and ask if she had noticed the date on the calendar. She asked, “Have you pranked me?” I said yes, then the phone hung up. Later, a call back to complain about my poor journalism. It’s a blog, folks!
The story was a blog post that went viral, but that was never addressed. I ran into someone this week who heard that when they were in High School, they are now working with OPS. I even got some flashing blue lights at me one afternoon on 1st Avenue. The officer said, “Katz, that wasn’t funny”. But he was laughing. I think this is about the time America lost its sense of humor. It’s kept me from writing more. Here’s the original post:
The Walking Dead Plans Opelika Shoot in Spring – April 01, 2015
AMC Televisions “The Walking Dead” plans Alabama Film locations. Reportedly, Steven Yuen who plays the character Glenn Rhee in the show was spotted in Tiger Town last weekend, on his way from the Florida panhandle to the shows Georgia film studio in Senoia. Apparently, several walkers (aka Zombies) cast for the show have been from this side of the Chattahoochee River and the Opelika area which has captured the attention of Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd and Creator Robert Kirkman. Work will stop of the demolition of the Old Mill on 1st Avenue as scouts have determined its empty open areas, not used for Hollywood since Norma Rae will work well for one of the early spring shootings. Production of the new season is to begin within weeks. Talking Dead host and Stand Up comedian Chris Hardwick will do several cast interviews during the Opelika Filming. AMC’s Walking Dead ended season five on Sunday with its highest-rated finale in history, with 15.8 million viewers and 10.4 million among A18-49, ending its season with all 16 episodes ranking among the top 20 telecasts in the demo this season. After-show Talking Dead had its highest-rated episode ever, with 7.5 million viewers and 4.9 million in the demo. More details as they become available!
I hope this brings back some memories from ten years ago. Keep smiling! – Jerry
Camper Jerry and His Friends 