WASHINGTON, DC – It may be the longest-running TV show ever. But the current set design for NBC's Meet the Press, launched with an assist by Showman Fabricators on May 2, 2010 and featuring HD video screens, isn't likely to be confused with the way the weekly government issues-oriented news program looked when it made its debut in 1947. Along with the HD video, which gives the program's current host, David Gregory, new ways to visually communicate the issues being discussed, Showman Fabricators provided the new set's eye-catching desk.
The design includes an illuminated 28-foot mono rail internally lit by color changing LED fixtures, and desk surfaces include a five-foot-diameter stainless disc and separate rotating clear acrylic trapezoid. Each desk surface tracks and rotates along the full 28-foot length of the rail.
The flexibility offered by the color changing, tracking and rotating units opens the show to a 360º array of looks. Mike Riccio, Showman's head of engineering describes the desk like "a floating blade of light that carves up the open space of the set."
"It's an exciting time to be debuting a new Meet the Press set as we head into another important political year," said Gregory, the show's 11th host.
"This new set offers a fresh look and added versatility that will enhance our interviews and better engage our viewers, it's a thoughtful combination of contemporary design elements in a stately setting – keeping with the longstanding history of the program," added Betsy Fischer, executive producer.
Erik Ulfers of Clickspring Design, who has collaborated with Showman Fabricators on previous projects, designed the set. Other projects with Clickspring have included the studios for the Fox Business channel and the CNN Communication Center in New York City.
Meet the Press is just one of many programs Showman has built for NBC. Others include Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Marriage Ref, Football Night in America and The Today Show.
For more information, please visit www.showfab.com .
