The Oregonian and I are Friends

This past week, I was in Los Angeles at the Television Critics Association's semi-annual press tour. The event is basically where various networks feature shows that they're trying to push, and a few hundred reporters have the opportunity to ask questions of people who are either on the shows, or work on the shows. Finding Bigfoot was the show that Animal Planet wanted to push, and the press was feisty with us, to say the very least. (Between Bobo telling them they were ignorant, and my explanation about the available evidence, however, we slowly won many in the crowd over by the end of a tense 20 minute panel.)

Before the panel discussion where the press went after us for thinking bigfoots are real creatures, the cast and I did various interviews for a number of media outlets.  Most of the interviews were based around the idea of, "Do you really think bigfoots are real?"  My patience and training as an elementary school teacher really came in handy for those...

The interview I was most looking forward to was one by The Oregonian. I knew that a reporter from the Northwest wouldn't scoff or poke fun at the idea of bigfoot like those from Los Angeles might. I was correct in my assumption, and reporter Kristi Turnquist and I had a very nice conversation. The following article is the result.


Cliff Barackman of 'Finding Bigfoot' -- 'Bigfoots live right outside of Portland'

Cliff Barackman, the Portlander who's part of the
"Finding Bigfoot" team on the hit Animal Planet series,
which returns with new episodes in November.

TV critics took on Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot during a contentious panel at the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

For those who haven’t seen the show, it’s a bit like Syfy’s Ghost Hunters, only an expert team looks for Sasquatch instead of spooks. There are interviews, data crunching, mysterious footprints and a group hunting in the woods … but no actual bigfoot.

The press tour reporters have spent nearly two weeks in a hotel interviewing actors and executives promoting TV shows. So when Animal Planet rolls out this panel the critics are, understandably, thinking: Show us bigfoot or GTFO.

A critic points out: If these guys actually find bigfoot, such huge news is not going to really stay quiet until a regular episode of Finding Bigfoot airs. One asks: Has Animal Planet run out of real animals to do shows about? Yet another wonders: First Animal Planet airs a mermaids special, now this — isn’t Animal Planet damaging its brand with this stuff?


Click here to read the rest of the article