Did Tyra Banks & ANTM Film on the Tram Before Residents Got to Ride It?

According to a TV Blog's post of earlier today the models of Tyra Bank's TV reality show America's Next Top Model, in this week's episode, each took a spin on the Roosevelt Island Tram with a male model to test how well each model broke the ice with a new colleague.

When was this filmed? I sure hope it was not recently as RIOC and POMA test out the Tram. If it's a new episode would they be only playing an episode now that was filmed prior to March 2010? That seems strange. So maybe they did film this recently? Seems improbable at best.

TV Alert: 11/13 Showing of Life on Mars at Goldwater

We all saw the "Life on Mars" signs all around Roosevelt Island and now you can see the episode they filmed this Thursday night November 13th. For a somewhat shaky video of the filming see the below YouTube clip posted by hughcree.

50 Cent "The Money and The Power" Filmed at Southpoint Park

In the premier episode of the new 50 Cent reality show "The Money and The Power" the opening scenes all took place at Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park. No way this would have the same effect at an FDR Memorial Park. Looking like the man in charge 50 Cent started his show off letting his potential protege's know what he expected.

The episode titled "Choose your Crew Wisely" involved two teams being chosen and as their first task being chained together "chain gang" style and racing from Southpoint to a location in Brooklyn. How did most residents miss this as the two "crews" had to either run right up Main Street or else they ran on the Promanade facing Queens. The video episode cuts from Southpoint to the "crews" on the RI Bridge so itis unclear which way they went. I am assuming PSD and RIOC know for sure. Very amusing. Now we know what Southpoint was rented out for a few weeks back.

In "New Amsterdam" Hell Gate is at Southpoint

Apparently the writers of the new Fox TV show New Amsterdam are not only having fun writing for a central character that is immortal but they have decided to relocate the Hell Gate section of the East River to Southpoint Park on Roosevelt Island.

This week's episode and season finale opens with a scene of a woman drowning but quickly moves onto a grassy area where the body, now recovered, has been set down. John Amsterdam's fellow detectives are standing over the victim in what is known to Roosevelt Island residents as the tip of Southpoint Park facing South into the river and across from the United Nations. When Amsterdam shows up he labels the spot Hell Gate and proceeds to have a flash back to 1927 at the same location.

What's amusing about this is that Hell Gate is not even visible from these locations but is just North of Roosevelt Island and actually refers to a larger area encompassing the confluence of the East River and the Harlem River. The Bridge in the above picture is the Queensboro Bridge (aka the 59th Street Bridge). When built it was known as the Blackwell's Island Bridge.

What's more amusing looking back at last week's episode where John takes his former partner Andy from the Detective's Squad Room onto a balcony was that that scene was filmed at Goldwater Hospital (see green arrow in above map) a ten minute walk from this location. So this body essentially washed up just down the block from their precinct house.

New Amsterdam Premiers Tonight: Can You Find the Scenes Filmed on Roosevelt Island?

Back in October, I posted about the new Fox TV show New Amsterdam. You may recall they filmed a few scenes for the show on the Island at that time. Well the premier is tonight on Channel 5 locally at 9:00 pm. Watch and see if you can spot Roosevelt Island or was it Mannings Island at that time? After all the central character John Amsterdam has been alive since 1642.

The Roosevelt Island Tram and New York’s Crime Shows

Law & Order : Criminal Intent
Episode: Untethered
Season 7 Series Episode 142
Original Air Date: December 6, 2007

"Goren investigates when his nephew, a prisoner who's bipolar, claims that inmates are being abused to the point of murder."

This clip is somewhat violent and the Tram sequence starts at 1:12 and lasts less than a minute. I don't believe the Tram was featured again in this episode.



CSI New York
Episode: Dancing with the Fishes
Season 2 Episode 5
Original Air Date:October 26, 2005

“Mac, Stella and Flack investigate the death of a young dancer who recently won the lottery, and her death is connected to Lindsay's investigation of the death of a tram driver. Danny and Hawkes look into the murder of a local fish merchant.”

Yes a Tram operator. The below videos comprise the full episode without commercial interuption. The Tram and the operator are first seen in Video Part 1 about 10 to 15minutes or more into the video.

Video Part 1 of 2



Video Part 2 of 2

Fox's "New Amsterdam" Filming on Roosevelt Island

According to Donna Masly at RIOC, the current film production on the island is that of the new Fox TV show “New Amsterdam”. The premise of this show is that it's central character John Amsterdam is immortal and has been living in New York City for 300 years and is as much part of the City as the City is part of him.

A synopsis of the show per TV.com is as follows:

New York City homicide detective John Amsterdam is cursed with immortality because he stopped the murder of a Native Indian girl in 1642 by stepping in front of a sword. Due to this act of kindness, the Indian girl rescued Amsterdam from the stab wound by making him immortal, but warns that it is a curse that will only be lifted when John meets his true love.

You can watch a clip from the series premier HERE on TV.com. According to the TV.com website the series should premier January 2008.

Perhaps the Native Indian girl was from Minnahanock Island. If you don’t recognize that name it was the earliest known name for Roosevelt Island.

Update: Video per YouTube

The graphic showing the buildings sprouting up in the background is cool.

Abandoned New York - The Renwick Ruin

Apparently a cable channel titled New York 2.0 Television launched its show “Abandoned New York” using the Renwick Ruins as its first topic. The episode was filmed prior to June 2007 as the Visitors Center kiosk is seen as still boarded up but in its current location.

The most interesting comment I have about the 7 minute plus segment is that the hosts and camera crew were given access behind the current fencing surrounding the ruin. They did not actually go inside the ruin from what I see but they did secure a number of interior camera shots. It’s reasonably well done, perhaps a tad cutesy, but worth watching if anything for the video they shot.

As an aside at the close they are standing on the last remnant of the Lurie Uniting Painting which was abandoned on the island after that project concluded. Did this inaugural episode of “Abandoned New York” make reference to the multi colored tarp beneath their feet? Nope not a peep.

PBS Tonight: The Why Behind the 9/29 NYC Run for Congo Women

Tonight on most PBS stations the documentary "Lumo" is being televised on Point of View . In NYC, WNET, the local PBS station is broadcasting POV at 10:00 pm EST.

As this blog post title states the atrocities discussed in this program are the reason for the 9/29 NYC Run for Congo Women that will take place on Roosevelt Island. I first posted about his event on September 5, 2007. For links to the official event page and the associated organizations please go to that blog posting.

For a NY Times review of tonight's program link through HERE.

Update re 9/21 Community Board 8 TV Broadcast re Hurricane Preparedness

According to Elizabeth McKee of Community Board 8 the broadcast is a videotape of the July 20, 2006 event that took place at the Church of Good Shepherd which was sponsored by CB8. The above image was of the flyer that advertised that event. for info regarding that event you can check out the Main Street Wire article that covered it and ran in the July 29, 2006 issue. To be honest that article covered a lot of ground ad is worth reading again. It also raised a lot of good questions as many of the residents that attended the 2006 seminar were not altogether satisfied with the OEM plan.

So if you felt attending that seminar was enough watching this broadcast may not be something for your agenda but if you missed attending that event perhaps this broadcast is something to put on your calendar.

If you cannot watch or videotape this re-broadcast you can also listen to an audiotape of the event at the Community Board 8 offices which are located at 505 Park Avenue, Suite 620, (East 59th Street). CB8 asks that those wanting to listen to the tapes call their offices before coming so that they can have the tape ready for you (212-758-4340).

TV 9/21 – “Hurricane Preparedness Comes to Roosevelt Island”

This Friday, September 21, 2007, at 2:30 pm on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network [Channel 34 Time Warner/Channel 82 RCN], Community Board 8 will rebroadcast "Hurricane Preparedness Comes to Roosevelt Island". The program is a mere half hour long so if you plan to be out of the apartment that afternoon set your VCRs or DVRs.

Apparently this is the third showing of this program this month. It previously played on September 7th and on September 12th.

I have not seen the program so I am unsure when it was filmed and who the presenters are. I have sent an email to CB8 looking for information and I plan on calling their office tomorrow in that same regard. Look for updates to this post.

RIOC & OEM Hurricane Info:

The emergency preparedness webpage of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) can be found HERE. A supplement (made for a magnet format) with emergency phone numbers for Roosevelt Island can be found HERE.

NYC TV - $9.99 Show on NYC Other Islands

This episode of NYC TV's $9.99 really only shows some recent video of the lighthouse and the Renwick Ruin and a little historical video. Other than a quick shot of the tram it shows nothing else of the island.

Per the $9.99 website the episode included:

"The Other Island of New York: When you talk to people around the country, Manhattan & Long Island pretty much sum up what most people think are the “islands” of New York City. In this fun and exciting episode, "$9.99" will take you to the Big Apple's other islands: Roosevelt Island, City Island, Hart Island, even Governor's Island - which is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Not all of these are open to the public, but we can cruise by and take them in by water."

Click on the above image for the video link. If that link does not work head over to the Next Stop NYC website via HERE and look on the right hand column for the $9.99 Roosevelt Island video download link.