Via DCRTV: a dream come true for you junkies–the C-SPAN DVD Box Set!
The first season of C-SPAN premiered in 1979 with then-Rep. Al Gore, D-Tenn., a leading proponent of TV coverage, giving one of the first televised speeches in the House.
“It was a magical time for all of us,” says Gore in a special documentary that comes as part of the special features disc. “We were all so young then, except for Rep. Tip O’Neill (D-Mass) who was like ninety something at the time.”
Gore was interviewed for the special DVD documentary back in January.
“The first season I just had a role as a recurring representative,” says Gore in the documentary. “But 12 seasons later, C-SPAN was covering my news conferences as Vice President. Yup, that’s as far as I got. I really thought I’d be President. Anyway, at least I’m now throwing my support behind a real winner, the next President of the United States, Howard Dean!”
The DVD set also includes behind the scenes commentary from Lamb as the fixed cameras in the House focus on various representatives.
“This scene here is fascinating because you see Trent Lott (R-Miss) making a hateful speech about the democrats,” says Lamb in his DVD commentary. “What you can’t tell from this shot is that Lott’s all by himself in the chamber. And he’s wearing khaki shorts and black knee-high socks.”
If only they’d saved this nugget for April Fool’s Day…
