Midnight Blue (TV series)
| Midnight Blue | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Al Goldstein |
| Starring | Al Goldstein |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel J |
| Release | 1974 – 2003 |
Midnight Blue is a sexually themed cable television program that aired on Manhattan Cable Television Channel J[1] in New York City.[2]
Al Goldstein, the founder of Screw magazine, started broadcasting Midnight Blue on public-access television in Manhattan in 1974,[3] originally calling the program Screw Magazine of the Air.[4] The show featured interviews with porn stars, topless women, and advertisements for escorts and phone sex services.[5]
Midnight Blue was the subject of controversy when Goldstein testified before a United States District Court in 1995 as part of a lawsuit brought against Time Warner Cable's plan to scramble sexually explicit public access programs unless subscribers gave written consent for them.[6] The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in Goldstein's favor in 2000.[7]
Goldstein was the host[3] and producer along with radio personality Alex Bennett.[8] Bennett and Screw editor Bruce David were its creators and original producers.[9]
Seven collections of show excerpts have been released on DVD by Blue Underground, together with added material about the actresses and scenes from their movies.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Corliss, Richard (July 6, 1987). "Cinema | Turned On? Turn It Off". Time. Vol. 130, no. 1. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Paumgarten, Nick (January 3, 2005). "Pluck You". The New Yorker. p. 23. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Frumkes, Roy (June 28, 2005). "Midnight Blue Vol. 1: Deep Throat Edition". Films in Review. ISSN 0015-1688. Archived from the original on October 24, 2010.
- ^ Sloan, Will (December 20, 2013). "Al Goldstein: The Anti-Hef". Hazlitt. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Vaughn, Stephen (2006). Freedom and Entertainment: Rating the Movies in an Age of New Media. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-521-85258-6.
- ^ "2 Stars of Explicit Cable Shows Plead for Free-Speech Protection". The New York Times. September 19, 1995. Section B, p. 3. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Gay, Jason (May 28, 2000). "Supreme Court Cable-Porn Ruling Clears Way for Boogie Mornings". The New York Observer. ISSN 1052-2948. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Svetkey, Benjamin; Kilday, Gregg (September 28, 1990). "The latest in television news the week of Sept. 28, 1990". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ "New York cable's answer to Carson: late-night sex". Broadcasting. June 9, 1975. pp. 48–49. ISSN 1068-6827.
Further reading
[edit]- Friedman, David (September 4, 1990). "The Fat Cat of Porn; Al Goldstein Claims He's Misunderstood". Newsday. Melville, N.Y. Part II, p. 8. ISSN 0278-5587. ProQuest 278233563.
- "Television: Blacking Out Blue". Time. Vol. 107, no. 24. June 7, 1976. ISSN 0040-781X.