Greetings From Lanesville

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A composite of episodes of Lanesville TV, which was broadcast every Saturday night in Lanesville, New York to residents of a few small towns in the Catskills. The show had a lighthearted community focus, and featured segments on local events and people. Verbal description does not do it justice because it is a unique example of early "pure" video.

0:00 Station ID and title sequence.

0:35 Greetings from Lanesville: “home of probably America’s smallest TV station.” Neighbor Sam Ginsberg and his family wait for relatives from Soviet Union to come visit.

1:20 Ginsberg family looks through photos, speaking Russian. An old woman talks with her two visitors, an elderly Russian couple.

2:10 Ginsbergs watch Lanesville TV. Families canoeing, a boxing match, kids play football, a picnic, strange duck walks down street, a couple gets married. Montage of various Lanesville TV scenes.

3:41 The Lanesville TV News Buggy rolls down the street. Bart Friedman explains that strange things can happen while pushing the buggy around town.

4:26 Friedman talks to Jerry, a Lanesville youth, about racing in an upcoming bike race. Jerry explains that Bubba got 2 brown and white cows.

5:30 Young chubby kid describes a local car accident.

6:25 News Buggy is moved off road by a local farmer and children who stop to talk about how their pigs are doing.

7:18 Old man talks about his wife’s vacation and plans her return.

7:45 News Buggy meets Harriet Benjamin outside her trailer. Nancy Cain investigates signatures on Harriet ‘s cast.

8:43 Twenty-something girl introduces her friend Elan, who can stand on her head. Discussion of yoga exercises and headstands.

10:06 Skip Blumberg introduces his grandmother Lucy and explains how to put an announcement on Lanesville television.

11:12 Onlooking news crew arrives at the site of a fire being put out by the volunteer fire department. A fireman explains that by the time the volunteers arrived the mostly wooden house had burned down. Skip Blumberg juggles and explains what happened with the fire.

14:06 Skip Blumberg interviews Scottie Benjamin, who appeared terrified upon arrival at the scene, but now claims he wasn’t scared. “So maybe next time you won’t be scared?” “I don’t know… Probably won’t, probably will.”

14:55 Skip Blumberg’s grandmother Lucy says that she is proud of her grandson and the whole show. Blumberg explains that Elmer Benjamin suffered minor injuries incurred in the fire.

15:45 Skip Blumberg talks to John on the phone, who plans to bring a gift from California to Blumberg’s grandmother.

16:30 Parry Teasdale, in a Howdy Doody t-shirt, finishes fixing a car before rehearsing his news segment.

18:10 Tom Weinberg, in an appearance as a UFO investigator, interviews locals about an alleged flying saucer sighting earlier in the morning. Nancy Cain captured the UFO on video and Tom Weinberg watches it. Tearing off his jacket and running into a field, the flying saucer lands on top of him and he is carried off into the Milky Way.

23:45 Carol Vontobel and John Keeler talk about the abduction and try to solicit calls to the station. A rumor is spreading that it was all a stunt by a political candidate. Mr. Ginsberg calls in and claims to know nothing of the UFO.

26:07 Nancy Cain introduces herself as the editor and says farewell. The Ginsbergs sit in the living room speaking Russian, end credits.

28:50 Tape appears to end, then Bart Friedman tells a story to a bored Mr. Ginsberg in front of his house.

30:18 END OF TAPE