Glossary of Texas Aggie terms includes words and phrases which are unique to, or hold a special meaning connected with, Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. With many traditions of Texas A&M University some unique terminology has come into use. Some phrases are also used by non-Aggies, such as persons associated with a rival school.
0-9
;12th Man : based on the concept that students are ready to enter the field to help the team as needed. To show their desire, all students stand throughout the entirety of college football games, except when the other team's band is playing.
;2 Percenters: Students who choose not to participate in Texas A&M traditions.
A
;Aggie (or Ag): A student, alumnus, or supporter of Texas A&M University.
;Aggieland: The term describing Texas A&M and the surrounding cities: Bryan and College Station Texas.
;The Association of Former Students: The Texas A&M University alumni association
;Batt: Short for the school newspaper, The Battalion
;BQ: Member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, Band Qualified, colloquially Band Queer
;Aggie Code of Honor: Texas A&M's honor code that is similar to that of the military academies. The code of honor is as follows: "Aggies do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor do they tolerate those who do."
;CT: Cadet in Training, colloquially Corps Turd
F
;Farmer's fight: a phrase used in several Aggie Yells. The farmer was the university's original mascot. Another reason why Aggie use the term former students to describe graduates because it is also felt that the term "alumni" would imply that Texas A&M graduates are "ex-Aggies". Aggies believe in the concept, "once an Aggie, always an Aggie" and thus the term "alumni" would not be appropriate.
G
;: Rather than end a conversation with "goodbye," many conversations between Aggies end with "gig 'em," usually accompanied by a hand signal in which the hand is fisted and the thumb extends upwards. Gig 'em is also the name of one of the school yells, which is used during football kickoffs.
;Good Bull: Anything that conforms to the traditions of Texas A&M.
H
;Highway 6 runs both ways: A phrase used in response to complaints made about Texas A&M. It means that those who do not like the university are free to leave. Howdy is the preferred method for a speaker to get a large group's attention, as the members of the group are expected to return the "Howdy" back to the speaker.
;Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!: Beginning phrase of the Aggie War Hymn
J
;Aggie jokes: Jokes used against Texas A&M and Aggies. They ingrained in Texas culture, and are similar to Polish jokes. . Maroon has been used in context in many places. One of the University's traditions, Maroon Out, is an official tradition occurring every year at football games. "Bleeding Maroon" has been used to describe people's deep passion for A&M.
;Mascot Corporal: The student assigned as the primary caretaker of Texas A&M's mascot, the dog Reveille. He must bring her everywhere with him, including to class and on dates.
;Mug down: Kissing one's date. Usually referring to kisses after the football team scores, or during midnight yell.
;Muster: The most sacred of Aggie traditions. "Aggies all over the world gather together to live over again their college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon the drill field and in the classroom."
;MSC: Short for the Memorial Student Center, Texas A&M's student activity center.
P
;Pass back: A hand signal, initiated by the Yell Leaders, which informs students which yell to do next.
;Pisshead: A nickname for a sophomore.
;Poor Aggies: A derogatory name meant to imply that Aggies are not quite capable of something or are destined to be down on their luck. Generally used in taunting the Aggie teams/fans after a loss; rubbing it in. Often heard from fans of the University of Texas.
;Pull out: Using a privileged word that is not available to your class; for example, sophomores saying "Whoop."
;Push: a) A student caught pulling out will be asked to push. This means the students must do a "class set" of pushups, one for each year of their class. The Class of 1945 did only 45 pushups, but the Class of 2009 now does 109. Because Yell Leaders do not attend baseball games, RAggies have developed traditions. They include: constantly calling on the opposing pitcher by name (often after a bad play or pitch), telling the opposing coach to "Pinch His Butt" during pitcher/catcher mound conferences (if he does give him a slap he's a "Dirty Old Man! Dirty Old Man!" if not, he's a "Tease!"), and the ring tap (tapping the Aggie ring, or substitute, on the bleachers to silently build momentum when vocally doing so may distract the Aggies).
;Red-Ass: Students who follow the traditions and rules of Texas A&M very closely. A reference to Corps members who wear a baseball belt underneath their pants, but over the tail of their shirts and underwear, in order to hold their uniforms in a tight configuration. Those who want a uniform to look VERY crisp/sharp may opt to pull it tighter than is necessary according to the regulations. Upon removal of said belt, there will be a red line across the buttocks...hence the term.
;Reed Arena: The university's arena. Used primarily for basketball games.
;Reed Rowdies: The name of the official fan club of Texas A&M basketball teams
;Reveille: The Texas A&M mascot, now a purebred American collie. Reveille is the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets, and freshmen in the Corps must greet her with "Howdy, Miss Reveille, ma'am."
;Ring dunk: A non school sanctioned Aggie tradition that is performed after a student receives an Aggie Ring. This tradition usually involves binge drinking, but might also occur with non-alcoholic substances also.
S
;Saw Varsity's Horns Off: A verse from the Aggie War Hymn,
;Serge Butt: A nickname for a junior.
;Sit down bus driver: The name of an Aggie Yell used in athletic events to taunt opposing team's coaches when they are angry. The term "bus driver" refers to the fact that coaches used to drive the buses for road games. The term, "the spirit" can also refer the school song, Spirit of Aggieland.
;Stack: The third phase of Aggie Bonfire construction, in which students would wire the logs together in their final shape.
located in front of the Academic Building]]
;Sully: Short for influential Texas A&M President, Lawrence Sullivan Ross. Modern usage of the term generally refers to the prominent statue of the former president.
T
;TAMC or Texas AMC: Refers to the university's former name the "Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas" While the institution has been renamed Texas A&M University with the initials TAMU, the initials AMC are still used in several Aggie traditions including Aggie yells and the Spirit of Aggieland.
;Tea-sip: A student of Texas A&M's archrival, the University of Texas at Austin
;White: Another official Texas A&M color. White out is a basketball tradition in with unlike football games where Aggie fans wear Maroon, the basketball crowds wear white.
;Whoop: An exclamation of approval and excitement, used at the end of a yell. Only juniors and seniors are allowed to say Whoop.
;Wild cat: A noise and a hand motion made after a yell. Each class uses a different wildcat based on seniority.
;Yell practice: A Texas A&M pep rally like event. The most notable yell practices, Midnight Yell, occur the night before home football games.
Z
;Zip: A nickname for a senior, named so for the black and gold braid on the garrison caps of seniors in the Corps of Cadets, which resembles a zipper.
0-9
;12th Man : based on the concept that students are ready to enter the field to help the team as needed. To show their desire, all students stand throughout the entirety of college football games, except when the other team's band is playing.
;2 Percenters: Students who choose not to participate in Texas A&M traditions.
A
;Aggie (or Ag): A student, alumnus, or supporter of Texas A&M University.
;Aggieland: The term describing Texas A&M and the surrounding cities: Bryan and College Station Texas.
;The Association of Former Students: The Texas A&M University alumni association
;Batt: Short for the school newspaper, The Battalion
;BQ: Member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, Band Qualified, colloquially Band Queer
;Aggie Code of Honor: Texas A&M's honor code that is similar to that of the military academies. The code of honor is as follows: "Aggies do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor do they tolerate those who do."
;CT: Cadet in Training, colloquially Corps Turd
F
;Farmer's fight: a phrase used in several Aggie Yells. The farmer was the university's original mascot. Another reason why Aggie use the term former students to describe graduates because it is also felt that the term "alumni" would imply that Texas A&M graduates are "ex-Aggies". Aggies believe in the concept, "once an Aggie, always an Aggie" and thus the term "alumni" would not be appropriate.
G
;: Rather than end a conversation with "goodbye," many conversations between Aggies end with "gig 'em," usually accompanied by a hand signal in which the hand is fisted and the thumb extends upwards. Gig 'em is also the name of one of the school yells, which is used during football kickoffs.
;Good Bull: Anything that conforms to the traditions of Texas A&M.
H
;Highway 6 runs both ways: A phrase used in response to complaints made about Texas A&M. It means that those who do not like the university are free to leave. Howdy is the preferred method for a speaker to get a large group's attention, as the members of the group are expected to return the "Howdy" back to the speaker.
;Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!: Beginning phrase of the Aggie War Hymn
J
;Aggie jokes: Jokes used against Texas A&M and Aggies. They ingrained in Texas culture, and are similar to Polish jokes. . Maroon has been used in context in many places. One of the University's traditions, Maroon Out, is an official tradition occurring every year at football games. "Bleeding Maroon" has been used to describe people's deep passion for A&M.
;Mascot Corporal: The student assigned as the primary caretaker of Texas A&M's mascot, the dog Reveille. He must bring her everywhere with him, including to class and on dates.
;Mug down: Kissing one's date. Usually referring to kisses after the football team scores, or during midnight yell.
;Muster: The most sacred of Aggie traditions. "Aggies all over the world gather together to live over again their college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon the drill field and in the classroom."
;MSC: Short for the Memorial Student Center, Texas A&M's student activity center.
P
;Pass back: A hand signal, initiated by the Yell Leaders, which informs students which yell to do next.
;Pisshead: A nickname for a sophomore.
;Poor Aggies: A derogatory name meant to imply that Aggies are not quite capable of something or are destined to be down on their luck. Generally used in taunting the Aggie teams/fans after a loss; rubbing it in. Often heard from fans of the University of Texas.
;Pull out: Using a privileged word that is not available to your class; for example, sophomores saying "Whoop."
;Push: a) A student caught pulling out will be asked to push. This means the students must do a "class set" of pushups, one for each year of their class. The Class of 1945 did only 45 pushups, but the Class of 2009 now does 109. Because Yell Leaders do not attend baseball games, RAggies have developed traditions. They include: constantly calling on the opposing pitcher by name (often after a bad play or pitch), telling the opposing coach to "Pinch His Butt" during pitcher/catcher mound conferences (if he does give him a slap he's a "Dirty Old Man! Dirty Old Man!" if not, he's a "Tease!"), and the ring tap (tapping the Aggie ring, or substitute, on the bleachers to silently build momentum when vocally doing so may distract the Aggies).
;Red-Ass: Students who follow the traditions and rules of Texas A&M very closely. A reference to Corps members who wear a baseball belt underneath their pants, but over the tail of their shirts and underwear, in order to hold their uniforms in a tight configuration. Those who want a uniform to look VERY crisp/sharp may opt to pull it tighter than is necessary according to the regulations. Upon removal of said belt, there will be a red line across the buttocks...hence the term.
;Reed Arena: The university's arena. Used primarily for basketball games.
;Reed Rowdies: The name of the official fan club of Texas A&M basketball teams
;Reveille: The Texas A&M mascot, now a purebred American collie. Reveille is the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets, and freshmen in the Corps must greet her with "Howdy, Miss Reveille, ma'am."
;Ring dunk: A non school sanctioned Aggie tradition that is performed after a student receives an Aggie Ring. This tradition usually involves binge drinking, but might also occur with non-alcoholic substances also.
S
;Saw Varsity's Horns Off: A verse from the Aggie War Hymn,
;Serge Butt: A nickname for a junior.
;Sit down bus driver: The name of an Aggie Yell used in athletic events to taunt opposing team's coaches when they are angry. The term "bus driver" refers to the fact that coaches used to drive the buses for road games. The term, "the spirit" can also refer the school song, Spirit of Aggieland.
;Stack: The third phase of Aggie Bonfire construction, in which students would wire the logs together in their final shape.
located in front of the Academic Building]]
;Sully: Short for influential Texas A&M President, Lawrence Sullivan Ross. Modern usage of the term generally refers to the prominent statue of the former president.
T
;TAMC or Texas AMC: Refers to the university's former name the "Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas" While the institution has been renamed Texas A&M University with the initials TAMU, the initials AMC are still used in several Aggie traditions including Aggie yells and the Spirit of Aggieland.
;Tea-sip: A student of Texas A&M's archrival, the University of Texas at Austin
;White: Another official Texas A&M color. White out is a basketball tradition in with unlike football games where Aggie fans wear Maroon, the basketball crowds wear white.
;Whoop: An exclamation of approval and excitement, used at the end of a yell. Only juniors and seniors are allowed to say Whoop.
;Wild cat: A noise and a hand motion made after a yell. Each class uses a different wildcat based on seniority.
;Yell practice: A Texas A&M pep rally like event. The most notable yell practices, Midnight Yell, occur the night before home football games.
Z
;Zip: A nickname for a senior, named so for the black and gold braid on the garrison caps of seniors in the Corps of Cadets, which resembles a zipper.
Great Falls Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency in Great Falls, Montana. The city currently has 67,000 people. The department has many subdivisions including a High Risk Unit.
The current police chief is Cloyd "Corky" Grove.
Organization
Personnel
The GFPD has 82 sworn men and women and 37 civilian supportive staff.
K-9 Unit
There are two canines on the GFPD force. K-9 York and K-9 Kelly. Both dogs are from Holland. Officers Bragg and LaBard are the dogs owners. The dogs specialize in drug detection and suspect apprehension.
Bike Patrol
Bike patrol consists of 4 officers and they mainly patrols the downtown section of the city. They volunteer to patrol on mountain bikes.
HRU
HRU is a SWAT team which is trained to handle dangerous situations. The candidates take on rigorous tasks.
History
The GFPD was established in 1888. George E. Huy was the first police chief. At that time the department had two officers. The officers did not wear uniforms so they used plain clothes. The department got automobiles in 1914, and two way radios in 1940, then computers in 1970. Now the department has 82 officers and 65 cars.
The current police chief is Cloyd "Corky" Grove.
Organization
Personnel
The GFPD has 82 sworn men and women and 37 civilian supportive staff.
K-9 Unit
There are two canines on the GFPD force. K-9 York and K-9 Kelly. Both dogs are from Holland. Officers Bragg and LaBard are the dogs owners. The dogs specialize in drug detection and suspect apprehension.
Bike Patrol
Bike patrol consists of 4 officers and they mainly patrols the downtown section of the city. They volunteer to patrol on mountain bikes.
HRU
HRU is a SWAT team which is trained to handle dangerous situations. The candidates take on rigorous tasks.
History
The GFPD was established in 1888. George E. Huy was the first police chief. At that time the department had two officers. The officers did not wear uniforms so they used plain clothes. The department got automobiles in 1914, and two way radios in 1940, then computers in 1970. Now the department has 82 officers and 65 cars.
Be There was a slogan used by NBC during the 1983-84 TV Season. The song was composed by Rob Mounsey.
Campaign Synopsis
The full length campaign begins with scenes of a jazz band rehearsing for the song "Be There", the jingle of the promo. When the band starts performing the song, a clip show of returning and upcoming NBC shows begins over the commercials jingle. The jingle's theme was to invite the audience to watch NBC shows that were full of exciting and memorable characters. Every time the refrain ended in "You can N-B-C There/Be There!!!" A character or cast of a show would proclaim the slogan "Be There". In the first round, the cast of The Facts of Life is shown shouting the slogan while holding a cake decorated with the NBC "Proud N" logo. The second time around showed Hill Street Blues star Bruce Weitz as his character Sgt. Michael "Mick" Belker clinching his fists before saying the slogan.
During the bridge, the promo shows clips from NBC shows featuring characters clapping their hands or hitting an object or another person in rhythm to the tempo. Immediately, headshots of NBC stars are shown clapping their hands together in front of their faces.
A typical promo during the campaign consisted of younger versions of NBC characters such as Remington Steele (played in the promo by Pierce Brosnan), or Mr. T from The A-Team.
The season was notable for the fact that every prime-time show that premiered during the fall was cancelled by the end of the season:
*Jennifer Slept Here
*We Got it Made
*Manimal
*Mr. Smith
*For Love or Honor
*The Yellow Rose
*The Rousters
*Bay City Blues
*Boone
The only survivors during this season were the two mid-season replacement series:
*Night Court
*Riptide
Despite the fall setbacks, NBC was slowly beginning to regain its foothold in the ratings that had begun in the mid-1970s, and continued throughout the reign of Fred Silverman as the network's programming head, and through the early years of the reign of Brandon Tartikoff as NBC Entertainment president.
The following season, NBC would reuse the "Be There" slogan as part of their season jingle, now "Let's All Be There." By the end of the following season, NBC would be back on top.
This slogan was revived in 2007 as "Bee There" for promotion of the show "The Singing Bee".
Usage by other affiliates/networks
Individual NBC affiliates customized this and other slogans for local use. For example, WNBC in New York coined it thus, "Channel 4 There! Be There!", while KCRA in Sacramento showed it as "Channel 3 There! Be There!", actually one of the longest-running in time length of localized campaigns, running about the same length as the national campaign. Uniquely, a customized version of the campaign for WSMV in Nashville (also called "Channel 4 There! Be There!") contains a small snippet of Florence Warner singing "Hello Nashville" (the part where she sings "There's a feeling in the air that you can't get anywhere"), of which the popular Frank Gari-composed campaign was used on channel 4 from 1983 to 1993. A version used by WPSD (Paducah, Kentucky) incorporated the first line of My Old Kentucky Home into the promo. WECT in Wilmington, North Carolina also used this promo, and WRC in Washington, D.C., used a local version as well, plus the localized ID would be used to start its newscasts at the time. In the Altoona-Johnstown market, WJAC coined it "WJAC There, Be There!" Lansing's WILX coined it "WILX-TV There, Be There!" as well. In Pittsburgh, PA WPXI coined it "Chan-nel Eleven, Be There!" As with the previous NBC campaign, Seven Network adopted it. This time mostly in Sydney and Melbourne. It was also used on the Brazil network SBT as "Quem Procura, Acha Aqui" between 1987.
The Singing Bee
In a recent ad aired for NBC's The Singing Bee, the promo ends with the words Bee There, likely a reference to the slogan used by the network.
Campaign Synopsis
The full length campaign begins with scenes of a jazz band rehearsing for the song "Be There", the jingle of the promo. When the band starts performing the song, a clip show of returning and upcoming NBC shows begins over the commercials jingle. The jingle's theme was to invite the audience to watch NBC shows that were full of exciting and memorable characters. Every time the refrain ended in "You can N-B-C There/Be There!!!" A character or cast of a show would proclaim the slogan "Be There". In the first round, the cast of The Facts of Life is shown shouting the slogan while holding a cake decorated with the NBC "Proud N" logo. The second time around showed Hill Street Blues star Bruce Weitz as his character Sgt. Michael "Mick" Belker clinching his fists before saying the slogan.
During the bridge, the promo shows clips from NBC shows featuring characters clapping their hands or hitting an object or another person in rhythm to the tempo. Immediately, headshots of NBC stars are shown clapping their hands together in front of their faces.
A typical promo during the campaign consisted of younger versions of NBC characters such as Remington Steele (played in the promo by Pierce Brosnan), or Mr. T from The A-Team.
The season was notable for the fact that every prime-time show that premiered during the fall was cancelled by the end of the season:
*Jennifer Slept Here
*We Got it Made
*Manimal
*Mr. Smith
*For Love or Honor
*The Yellow Rose
*The Rousters
*Bay City Blues
*Boone
The only survivors during this season were the two mid-season replacement series:
*Night Court
*Riptide
Despite the fall setbacks, NBC was slowly beginning to regain its foothold in the ratings that had begun in the mid-1970s, and continued throughout the reign of Fred Silverman as the network's programming head, and through the early years of the reign of Brandon Tartikoff as NBC Entertainment president.
The following season, NBC would reuse the "Be There" slogan as part of their season jingle, now "Let's All Be There." By the end of the following season, NBC would be back on top.
This slogan was revived in 2007 as "Bee There" for promotion of the show "The Singing Bee".
Usage by other affiliates/networks
Individual NBC affiliates customized this and other slogans for local use. For example, WNBC in New York coined it thus, "Channel 4 There! Be There!", while KCRA in Sacramento showed it as "Channel 3 There! Be There!", actually one of the longest-running in time length of localized campaigns, running about the same length as the national campaign. Uniquely, a customized version of the campaign for WSMV in Nashville (also called "Channel 4 There! Be There!") contains a small snippet of Florence Warner singing "Hello Nashville" (the part where she sings "There's a feeling in the air that you can't get anywhere"), of which the popular Frank Gari-composed campaign was used on channel 4 from 1983 to 1993. A version used by WPSD (Paducah, Kentucky) incorporated the first line of My Old Kentucky Home into the promo. WECT in Wilmington, North Carolina also used this promo, and WRC in Washington, D.C., used a local version as well, plus the localized ID would be used to start its newscasts at the time. In the Altoona-Johnstown market, WJAC coined it "WJAC There, Be There!" Lansing's WILX coined it "WILX-TV There, Be There!" as well. In Pittsburgh, PA WPXI coined it "Chan-nel Eleven, Be There!" As with the previous NBC campaign, Seven Network adopted it. This time mostly in Sydney and Melbourne. It was also used on the Brazil network SBT as "Quem Procura, Acha Aqui" between 1987.
The Singing Bee
In a recent ad aired for NBC's The Singing Bee, the promo ends with the words Bee There, likely a reference to the slogan used by the network.
"Come Home To NBC" is the slogan that NBC used from 1986-1988, and the first of the campaigns to introduce the current six-feathered peacock.
It was another one of NBC's more popular slogans, while not quite gaining the popularity of its previous campaign, "Let's All Be There."
In 1988, NBC modified the campaign into "Come Home to the Best... Only on NBC", and turning the campaign song from a gospel-style sound into a more calypso-style sound.
1986: Modern Rock Come on Home
The first promo using the "Come Home" slogan showed various everyday people in daily situations such as work or school eagerly awaiting for the day to finish so that they can go home and watch TV. The music is somewhat of a modern rock tempo. NBC stars appear periodically in front of the newly introduced peacock logo proclaiming the viewer to "Come Home" to NBC. Near the end of the promo, various families are gathered around to watch The Cosby Show. Then we see the "Come Home to NBC" logo slide up onto the screen.
Localized Versions
*KNSD (then KCST) in San Diego: "Come Home to KCST" (also called "Come Home to 39, Cable 7")
*KVBC in Las Vegas: "Come Home to TV 3"
*WRC in Washington DC: "Come Home to Channel 4"
*KXAS in Dallas: "Come Home to Channel 5" (this ID was used to launch the 6:00 news at the time)
*WNBC in New York City: same as WRC's
*WJAC in Johnstown: "Come Home to Channel 6"
*WPXI in Pittsburgh: "Come Home to 11"
*WWBT in Richmond, VA: "Come Home to Channel 12"
Videos:
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRrlCXRh1xU 1986 KXAS news opens, with local "Come Home to NBC" ID] on YouTube
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCmuqoIOR4s Commercials taped off WWBT in Richmond, local version of "Come Home to NBC" starts at 1:25 mark, ends at 1:55] on YouTube
1987: Gospel-Rock Come on Home
For the second installment of the "Come on Home" campaign, NBC promoted itself with a "music video" that utlized a gospel rock soundtrack. This was the first of three promos that featured 227 star Jackée Harry and The Cosby Show star providing lead vocals for the networks promos
At the beginning of the main promo, clips of various shows are as the scene zooms out to reveal a slide show presented by Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger). Then we see William Daniels arriving "home" only to find several stars lounging in his living room. Richard Moll, who appeared to be hanging upside down from his door post surprises Daniels. The promo progresses with various NBC stars engaging in impromptu or everyday actions. Among them are:
*Bob Hope and ALF embracing and laughing.
*Harry Anderson performing different magic tricks to Night Court co-star Markie Post.
*John Laroquette spying on fellow stars' actions via a telescope. At one point, he spots Estelle Getty who is trying to seduce Laroquette.
*Corbin Bernsen and Susan Dey embracing.
*Johnny Carson doing his trademark golf swing in a spotlight which has "25 years" to indicate his seasons hosting the Tonight Show
*Michael J. Fox lounging on a chair designed to look like the NBC snake logo. Various portions of the promos feature vintage logos such as the NBC chimes, microphone, and the red-and-blue N.
Throughout the ad, Harry is singing the song on a studio stage designed to look like a city rooftop. As the promo ends, the stars all tell the viewers at home to "Come Home". Then we see the words "COME HOME" resting upon a set of silver "glass" squares. The NBC peacock logo fades in at the bottom of "COME HOME".
Though the entire promo was not broadcast on TV, snippets of the promo were used, often accompanied by a remix of the song sung by either Harry or RashÄ?d.
Localized Versions
*KYW in Philadelphia: "Come on Home to Channel 3"
*KXAS in Dallas: "Come on Home to Channel 5"
*WPTZ in Plattsburgh, New York/Burlington, Vermont: "Come on Home to PTZ"
*WLUK in Green Bay: "Come on Home to 11"
*WMAR in Baltimore: "Come on Home to Channel 2"
1988: Party Come Home to the Best...Only on NBC
For the third installment of the slogan, the slogan was extended to read "Come Home to the Best...Only on NBC". The music was changed from the gospel-rock style to a softer calypso style. The promo had a party-like theme, strikingly similar to the Something's Happening on ABC promos in that same season.
First we see a shot of The Cosby Shows Phylis Rashad rushing home to a New York-style apartment. Upon arrival, Bill Cosby welcomes her and reveals a party filled with NBC stars of the season is going on inside the apartment. The party is decorated with colorful balloons and a giant neon-style NBC peacock logo with the words "Only On" in an all-capitalized font adorns the party. We see different stars performing impressive dance moves. At one point an unknown actor reveals his boxers to the stars of The Golden Girls. Throughout the rest of the promo, stars can be seen in different poses and activitiessuch as Keshia Knight Pulliam takes a photos of the Huxtables from The Cosby Show. Michael Landon of Highway to Heaven does somewhat of an impressive dance move after a great white light from the TV is exposed (an allusion to his character being an angel). Some stars are seen holding fluorescent light bars.
As the promo comes to a conclusion, the screen zooms outward to show a panoramic view of all the NBC-stars in the party dancing in front of the logo. Then we see the words "only On" slowing descending as the words "Come Home to the Best" appear in a font similar to the previous words in front of three colored transparent trapezoids and tiny-sized texts of "The Best" ascending. The trapezoids and the slogan rotate to reveal the same "Only on NBC" logo.
Some notes on the promo. This promo prominently featured then-anchor Tom Brokaw in one of the TV's. Also, Pat Sajak and Vanna White from the daytime version of Wheel of Fortune are included, though unlike most promos, it did not feature daytime stars.
Localized Versions
*WDIV in Detroit: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 4" (also used to launch evening newscasts)
*KPRC in Houston: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 2"
*WAVY in Portsmouth, Virginia: "Come Home to the Best, Only on TV-10"
*KARE in Minneapolis: "Come Home to the Best, Only on KARE-TV"
*KPNX in Phoenix: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 12"
*WECT in Wilmington, North Carolina: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 6"
*WTVG in Toledo, Ohio: "Come Home to the Best, Only on TV-13"
*WXII in Winston-Salem, North Carolina: same title as KPNX's
*KYW in Philadelphia: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 3"
*KNSD in San Diego: "Come Home to the Best, 39-Cable 7" (most likely they did one)
*WSLS in Roanoke, Virginia: "Come Home to the Best, WSLS"/"Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 10"
*WIS in Columbia, South Carolina: "Come Home to the Best, on WIS-TV 10"
*WJAC in Johnstown, PA: "Come Home to the Best, only on Channel 6"
*WPXI in Pittsburgh, PA: "Come Home to the Best, only on Channel 11"
*KYTV in Springfield, Missouri: "Come Home to the Best, Only on KY-3"
*KOMU in Columbia, Missouri: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 8"
Audio and video links:
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m5nbkgi-Y4 :05 "Come Home to the Best" custom ID for WAVY in Norfolk]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrI179twPnM 1988 WDIV news open, has local "CHTTB" ID]
*Custom "Come Home to the Best" promo for WXII in the NC Piedmont
*Audio-only custom version for KPRC in Houston (WARNING! Very loud.)
*Custom "Come Home to the Best" promo for KPNX in Phoenix
1989: Animated Come Home to the Best, Only on NBC
The final year the slogan was used, broke with traditional promos. Unlike previous ones with used real sets, this one used an artsy, surreal backdrop. The promo featured various NBC stars in various places and situations that were animated. This time, Harry was the only vocalist from the 1987 version of the slogan to lend her vocals for the final variation. As the Harry sand and the stars did their actions, words from the lyrics or the titles of the NBC program from which they starred in would occasionally appear in a window shade/random bars effect. As the songs progress, the stars of The Hogan Family are seen building a set of steel letters to form the NBC name logo. Finally after Bill Cosby flashes a number one sign, the screen cuts to the NBC peacock logo zooming out onto a vertical grey stripe. The words "Only on" appear in lowercase font above the NBC logo after a violet stripe passes above.
This was one of very rare promos that featured the co-hosts of The Today Show, which at the time were Jane Pauley and Bryant Gumbel. Jane Pauley would step down from co-annchoring duties in December of 1989. Also this was the last promo which a Disney character (Mickey Mouse) would be featured in. The Walt Disney Company would later purchase Capital Cities Communications the former parent of rival network American Broadcasting Company.
Localized Versions
*WNBC in New York City: same title as WDIV's local version in 1988
*WVIR in Charlottesville, Virginia: "Come Home to the Best, Only on 29"
*WPTF in Durham, North Carolina: "Come Home to the Best, WPTF"
*[http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/vintagenyctv/files/Promos/ 8th file down is a custom version of "Come Home to the Best '89" for WNBC]
*Custom version for then-WPTF (now WRDC) in Durham, NC
International Usage
Both of these versions were also adapted to other countries in the world. For instance "Come Home to the Best, Only on NBC" became "Only the Best on 7" for the Seven Network in Australia in 1989, as well as "Come Home to the Feeling, Only on 3" for TV3 in New Zealand during the early 1990s, (although the tune sounds completely different from 1988 NBC and 1989 Seven versions), while "Come Home to NBC" became "Vem Que é Bom" for SBT in Brazil in 1991, as well as "Let's Celebrate '88" for Seven in Australia in 1988.
You Can see the "Come Home to NBC" and "Come Home To Best, Only On NBC" promos right here .
It was another one of NBC's more popular slogans, while not quite gaining the popularity of its previous campaign, "Let's All Be There."
In 1988, NBC modified the campaign into "Come Home to the Best... Only on NBC", and turning the campaign song from a gospel-style sound into a more calypso-style sound.
1986: Modern Rock Come on Home
The first promo using the "Come Home" slogan showed various everyday people in daily situations such as work or school eagerly awaiting for the day to finish so that they can go home and watch TV. The music is somewhat of a modern rock tempo. NBC stars appear periodically in front of the newly introduced peacock logo proclaiming the viewer to "Come Home" to NBC. Near the end of the promo, various families are gathered around to watch The Cosby Show. Then we see the "Come Home to NBC" logo slide up onto the screen.
Localized Versions
*KNSD (then KCST) in San Diego: "Come Home to KCST" (also called "Come Home to 39, Cable 7")
*KVBC in Las Vegas: "Come Home to TV 3"
*WRC in Washington DC: "Come Home to Channel 4"
*KXAS in Dallas: "Come Home to Channel 5" (this ID was used to launch the 6:00 news at the time)
*WNBC in New York City: same as WRC's
*WJAC in Johnstown: "Come Home to Channel 6"
*WPXI in Pittsburgh: "Come Home to 11"
*WWBT in Richmond, VA: "Come Home to Channel 12"
Videos:
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRrlCXRh1xU 1986 KXAS news opens, with local "Come Home to NBC" ID] on YouTube
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCmuqoIOR4s Commercials taped off WWBT in Richmond, local version of "Come Home to NBC" starts at 1:25 mark, ends at 1:55] on YouTube
1987: Gospel-Rock Come on Home
For the second installment of the "Come on Home" campaign, NBC promoted itself with a "music video" that utlized a gospel rock soundtrack. This was the first of three promos that featured 227 star Jackée Harry and The Cosby Show star providing lead vocals for the networks promos
At the beginning of the main promo, clips of various shows are as the scene zooms out to reveal a slide show presented by Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger). Then we see William Daniels arriving "home" only to find several stars lounging in his living room. Richard Moll, who appeared to be hanging upside down from his door post surprises Daniels. The promo progresses with various NBC stars engaging in impromptu or everyday actions. Among them are:
*Bob Hope and ALF embracing and laughing.
*Harry Anderson performing different magic tricks to Night Court co-star Markie Post.
*John Laroquette spying on fellow stars' actions via a telescope. At one point, he spots Estelle Getty who is trying to seduce Laroquette.
*Corbin Bernsen and Susan Dey embracing.
*Johnny Carson doing his trademark golf swing in a spotlight which has "25 years" to indicate his seasons hosting the Tonight Show
*Michael J. Fox lounging on a chair designed to look like the NBC snake logo. Various portions of the promos feature vintage logos such as the NBC chimes, microphone, and the red-and-blue N.
Throughout the ad, Harry is singing the song on a studio stage designed to look like a city rooftop. As the promo ends, the stars all tell the viewers at home to "Come Home". Then we see the words "COME HOME" resting upon a set of silver "glass" squares. The NBC peacock logo fades in at the bottom of "COME HOME".
Though the entire promo was not broadcast on TV, snippets of the promo were used, often accompanied by a remix of the song sung by either Harry or RashÄ?d.
Localized Versions
*KYW in Philadelphia: "Come on Home to Channel 3"
*KXAS in Dallas: "Come on Home to Channel 5"
*WPTZ in Plattsburgh, New York/Burlington, Vermont: "Come on Home to PTZ"
*WLUK in Green Bay: "Come on Home to 11"
*WMAR in Baltimore: "Come on Home to Channel 2"
1988: Party Come Home to the Best...Only on NBC
For the third installment of the slogan, the slogan was extended to read "Come Home to the Best...Only on NBC". The music was changed from the gospel-rock style to a softer calypso style. The promo had a party-like theme, strikingly similar to the Something's Happening on ABC promos in that same season.
First we see a shot of The Cosby Shows Phylis Rashad rushing home to a New York-style apartment. Upon arrival, Bill Cosby welcomes her and reveals a party filled with NBC stars of the season is going on inside the apartment. The party is decorated with colorful balloons and a giant neon-style NBC peacock logo with the words "Only On" in an all-capitalized font adorns the party. We see different stars performing impressive dance moves. At one point an unknown actor reveals his boxers to the stars of The Golden Girls. Throughout the rest of the promo, stars can be seen in different poses and activitiessuch as Keshia Knight Pulliam takes a photos of the Huxtables from The Cosby Show. Michael Landon of Highway to Heaven does somewhat of an impressive dance move after a great white light from the TV is exposed (an allusion to his character being an angel). Some stars are seen holding fluorescent light bars.
As the promo comes to a conclusion, the screen zooms outward to show a panoramic view of all the NBC-stars in the party dancing in front of the logo. Then we see the words "only On" slowing descending as the words "Come Home to the Best" appear in a font similar to the previous words in front of three colored transparent trapezoids and tiny-sized texts of "The Best" ascending. The trapezoids and the slogan rotate to reveal the same "Only on NBC" logo.
Some notes on the promo. This promo prominently featured then-anchor Tom Brokaw in one of the TV's. Also, Pat Sajak and Vanna White from the daytime version of Wheel of Fortune are included, though unlike most promos, it did not feature daytime stars.
Localized Versions
*WDIV in Detroit: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 4" (also used to launch evening newscasts)
*KPRC in Houston: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 2"
*WAVY in Portsmouth, Virginia: "Come Home to the Best, Only on TV-10"
*KARE in Minneapolis: "Come Home to the Best, Only on KARE-TV"
*KPNX in Phoenix: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 12"
*WECT in Wilmington, North Carolina: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 6"
*WTVG in Toledo, Ohio: "Come Home to the Best, Only on TV-13"
*WXII in Winston-Salem, North Carolina: same title as KPNX's
*KYW in Philadelphia: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 3"
*KNSD in San Diego: "Come Home to the Best, 39-Cable 7" (most likely they did one)
*WSLS in Roanoke, Virginia: "Come Home to the Best, WSLS"/"Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 10"
*WIS in Columbia, South Carolina: "Come Home to the Best, on WIS-TV 10"
*WJAC in Johnstown, PA: "Come Home to the Best, only on Channel 6"
*WPXI in Pittsburgh, PA: "Come Home to the Best, only on Channel 11"
*KYTV in Springfield, Missouri: "Come Home to the Best, Only on KY-3"
*KOMU in Columbia, Missouri: "Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 8"
Audio and video links:
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m5nbkgi-Y4 :05 "Come Home to the Best" custom ID for WAVY in Norfolk]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrI179twPnM 1988 WDIV news open, has local "CHTTB" ID]
*Custom "Come Home to the Best" promo for WXII in the NC Piedmont
*Audio-only custom version for KPRC in Houston (WARNING! Very loud.)
*Custom "Come Home to the Best" promo for KPNX in Phoenix
1989: Animated Come Home to the Best, Only on NBC
The final year the slogan was used, broke with traditional promos. Unlike previous ones with used real sets, this one used an artsy, surreal backdrop. The promo featured various NBC stars in various places and situations that were animated. This time, Harry was the only vocalist from the 1987 version of the slogan to lend her vocals for the final variation. As the Harry sand and the stars did their actions, words from the lyrics or the titles of the NBC program from which they starred in would occasionally appear in a window shade/random bars effect. As the songs progress, the stars of The Hogan Family are seen building a set of steel letters to form the NBC name logo. Finally after Bill Cosby flashes a number one sign, the screen cuts to the NBC peacock logo zooming out onto a vertical grey stripe. The words "Only on" appear in lowercase font above the NBC logo after a violet stripe passes above.
This was one of very rare promos that featured the co-hosts of The Today Show, which at the time were Jane Pauley and Bryant Gumbel. Jane Pauley would step down from co-annchoring duties in December of 1989. Also this was the last promo which a Disney character (Mickey Mouse) would be featured in. The Walt Disney Company would later purchase Capital Cities Communications the former parent of rival network American Broadcasting Company.
Localized Versions
*WNBC in New York City: same title as WDIV's local version in 1988
*WVIR in Charlottesville, Virginia: "Come Home to the Best, Only on 29"
*WPTF in Durham, North Carolina: "Come Home to the Best, WPTF"
*[http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/vintagenyctv/files/Promos/ 8th file down is a custom version of "Come Home to the Best '89" for WNBC]
*Custom version for then-WPTF (now WRDC) in Durham, NC
International Usage
Both of these versions were also adapted to other countries in the world. For instance "Come Home to the Best, Only on NBC" became "Only the Best on 7" for the Seven Network in Australia in 1989, as well as "Come Home to the Feeling, Only on 3" for TV3 in New Zealand during the early 1990s, (although the tune sounds completely different from 1988 NBC and 1989 Seven versions), while "Come Home to NBC" became "Vem Que é Bom" for SBT in Brazil in 1991, as well as "Let's Celebrate '88" for Seven in Australia in 1988.
You Can see the "Come Home to NBC" and "Come Home To Best, Only On NBC" promos right here .