It should be no surprise to any long-time reader here that local TV stations often show some strange things, from cringe-worthy segments on inflatable runs to a cow getting friendly with a reporter to a 14-person box for Atlanta snowmageddon. But Chicago’s WGN has maybe taken it to a new level. As part of their second-ever “morning news primetime special” (the weirdest branding move since Thursday Night Football: Saturday Edition), they tried to crush some news vans with a tank. Here’s video via Tim Burke of The Daily Beast:
why (ht @CRB1079) pic.twitter.com/bFtVkNKjhZ
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 15, 2018
It’s particularly great how the broadcast coverage of this goes off the rails, with no one quite sure what to do or say next once the tank stops on the vans. Was Tony Buzbee not available for tank-driving lessons? (Update: as per the tank company’s publicist, stopping it on the vans was intended, and it exited without trouble after this clip ended. So congrats on that, guys!)
They also crushed some cars, as per this video from entertainment reporter/critic Dean Richards (the man driving the tank):
Having your morning news show on in the evening so reporters can crush cars with a tank is a choice, all right, but it’s one that appears to fit with WGN’s larger brand for this show. It’s not exactly reverent, as can be seen from this promo for their primetime cast:
The fabulous second-ever @WGNMonringNews prime time special is TONIGHT. 7-9 on WGN. #WGNMorningNews pic.twitter.com/JbLQUPpZpS
— WGNTV (@WGNTV) November 14, 2018
They didn’t even spell “morning” right! And that’s just one of their wacky promos. Here are some others:
No, it’s not Anchorman, or a lost episode of SCTV (although Floyd Robertson and Earl Camembert would fit right in here). But hey, WGN is standing out from the pack. Make sure to tune into them for all your morning TV in primetime needs, and for all the tank driving you could ask for.
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.