Everyone thought AFV was dunzo when YouTube came on the scene. But we’re still here! We talk to our host Alfonso Ribeiro about his career before the show and why he thinks AFV continues to thrive in the digital age.
Everyone thought AFV was dunzo when YouTube came on the scene. But we’re still here! We talk to our host Alfonso Ribeiro about his career before the show and why he thinks AFV continues to thrive in the digital age.
AFV ep5 TRANSCRIPT
Alfonso Ribeiro: What's crazy is, you know, the idea that I've been, I've been working fortunately in this business for 40 years and to a whole generation, I will be the funny video guy and that's kind of cool. It's actually very, you know, it's very cool cause you know I was the tap dance kid, I was the Pepsi kid, I was on silver spoons, I was you know, Carlton fresh Prince, you know there's a generation that was like, you know, dancing with the stars and then all of a sudden, you know, I might go out of this world being the funny video guy.
Brittany High: That was Alfonso Ribeiro AFV's current host also known as the funny video guy. So far we've taken a look at how AFV came to be. We've heard from the past hosts and from the folks who make the show happen week after week. One burning question. We have yet to discuss how is AFV still on the air when there's YouTube? Well I'm here today to get to the bottom of it. How can a fun family friendly video clip show thrive in the digital era? And we'll talk to AFV's current host. You might know him from dancing with the stars sitcoms like silver spoons or the fresh Prince of Bel-Air or that Pepsi commercial. You know, I'm talking about Alfonso Ribeiro. I'm your host Brittany High, and you're listening to America, This is you! AFV isn't just on TV. We've got a pretty major online presence too. I would know. I work in the digital department. We've got millions upon millions of fans on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and yes, even YouTube... About that. Back when YouTube first came about, it hit AFV like an earthquake. Remember Richard Conner from episode three? Here he is talking about when YouTube came on the scene,
Richard Conner: A real dark moment was Vin called us down to his office and he hit the play button on his computer and my cats montage from season 12 which was done to a famous classical piece and it's gotta be one of the most viral videos ever made. That montage, that montage went viral, you know, 2002 and it's still up and it doesn't look good. It's fuzzy, but it's been re posted so many times and you'll watch it and it'll repost and it'll have 65 million views and then it'll, you'll see somebody else has it as a 180 million views. It's the one of the most viral, but that was bad news that they had our video. We didn't know we didn't, we thought that was bad. We thought, okay, now they can just, maybe people can just take our content and put it on there and then we're really screwed. It caused a lot of worry. It caused a big worry on two fronts. First front was, wow, here is an outlet for people to watch videos. Why would they watch our show anymore? That was the worry Number one worry Number two was when YouTube started monetizing. Now people had a motivation to upload to them for a financial purpose, so that was really the only advantage we had, right? We had a prize. Now YouTube had a prize. Sometimes it could be very lucrative if a clip went viral, so those were two things that did scare us. Are people going to send us their clips anymore? Is anybody going to want to watch a network show about clips anymore?
Brittany High: Michele Nasraway from episode two shared similar fears.
Michele Nasraway: So when YouTube first came on the scene, there were definitely moments of concern for us. Youtube is, was starting to become a household name and we started to see our unattributed content all over their platform. We couldn't control what we felt was a rampant thievery at the time. I mean, here they were making money off of it in, in some way. It was not branded as AFV and we were pretty upset about it. We really started to fight back and we were, you know, we were calling our lawyers every day saying, we've just discovered another compilation on YouTube, but more of our clips, let's give them a cease and desist. Let's get it off of there, let's figure it out. And then at some point it was just, it was not controllable.
Brittany High: It was terrifying for the staff that after 20 plus successful seasons, AFV could be wiped out and what felt like the blink of an eye user generated content is our domain. Everyone got a little up in arms, but luckily cooler heads prevailed. Here's what Vin has to say about it.
Vin Di Bona: Well, I got to tell you, when YouTube first started, I was at a a car show. I'm a car collector and I, the show it ended, I came back to my room and there was a report on CBS news and said, here's something new. It's YouTube and, and you can take stuff and you can move it around and you can share it with people. We want to show you some things we saw. So they ran six clips four the more ours. I went nuts. And for many years we tried to stop people from stealing our videos. And then finally we realized, why don't we share stuff? And it became much more advantageous. And the, the difference with our show is it's curated. It's curated to be funny. It's curated that we also have the rights to everything that we show. And on YouTube, you know, you can go through a hundred videos and you might find three that are funny. Ours are genuinely funny and that's the big difference. People know they can come to our show on a Sunday night, they're going to laugh
Michele Nasraway: Rather than continue to fight it. We embraced it and we embraced the fact that it actually helped us promote the show and we created our own YouTube channels. We branded all that content and put it up there ourselves. And ultimately, I thank God for YouTube.
Brittany High: What can I say? The fans have spoken and they still want AFV. Even in the era of YouTube,
Richard Conner: People did keep tuning into our show because it was a show where you could turn it on and you wouldn't have to touch the remote for an hour. There wouldn't be something coming on where you had to yank your kid out of the room. That's the fear of YouTube or any, any internet situation. It turns out people did want a curated show that was safe. They didn't have to worry about the content or the vulgarity or nudity or people getting hurt badly. It was safe for the family. And so I think it was those little families, those family, young families with a couple of kids. I think they're the ones that hung onto us. Eventually. We did business with them and we became a big part of YouTube, right? We became a big we made the decision, not right at the beginning, but fairly early on we made the decision, okay, let's work with this. Let's start an AFV channel. Let's get an a YouTube presence of our own. And then we expanded that. Well let's have a Facebook presence. Let's have a eventually an Instagram presence. It turns out that the digital world, welcomed on the digital platform. So that was good. So, so we survived on the network and then we flourished on the digital side.
Lisa Black: So, I mean we started programming content on YouTube and Facebook and then as other platforms Vine, which is now defunct but you know, Tik Tok and Snapchat and have been able to sort of realize what the brand is on these different platforms. Again, using clips, using compilations, but now as we entered the 30th anniversary, it's really even taking it a step further as to going beyond just using the clips and what kind of other personalities embody the brand and can represent the brand other than Alfonso in the digital world to, you know, appeal to different audiences, but also to provide addition additional value than just the clips. I mean, I think the one thing that has happened in the digital space is there's just so much now clips and viral video. So we're always looking at how do we a, have the best for our audience and how do we also provide additional value. Like if they can get that somewhere else, how do we offer something that's special?
Brittany High: Now, here's the incredibly talented host of AFV Alfonso RIbeiro. I asked him what he thought about YouTube.
Alfonso Ribeiro: We were the beginning before YouTube, right? Like I think that people are used to looking at clips now because of AFV, you know, onto YouTube. So it doesn't feel like a tough transition for people to come back to the TV and watch it like this. It's actually one of those things where you want to say to network television, you see AFV is YouTube on TV and that's why it's still successful because people can watch it in small clips. They're okay watching something that doesn't have to connect to the next week. That is literally this week I watch these, I go watch half the show. I could watch three quarters of the show and watched the whole show. It doesn't really change their enjoyment. They're going to watch the videos until they get, you know, distracted and go somewhere else and come back and, and it still works.
Brittany High: It still works well. Clearly. Want to hear how Alfonso became the host of AFV? Of course you do.
Alfonso Ribeiro: Well, I, I was doing dancing with the stars and after I won, they basically kind of wanted to sit down with me and talk about, you know, what kind of things I might be interested in doing with the network. And there was a picture of Tom on the wall in Rob mills, his office. And I said, you know, that. And he goes, well, that's great because that's actually what, you know, we'd love for you to do with us. And you know, Tom is leaving. And so we're looking for someone that we believe will be great. And you know, so I went in and, and did a screen test with Vin and, and at the on the set and they sent it out to the fans and, and did a focus group and it came back with me being the guy. I mean, they, they, they certainly looked at, you know, a bunch of other people. And luckily enough for me, I was the chosen one.
Brittany High: And did Tom Bergeron have a hand in getting Al's, foot in the AFV door
Alfonso Ribeiro: He did. He did. I mean, he played a major role in this for me. Having, you know, spent the 11 weeks with him on dancing and I think he saw obviously saw something in me that he felt would translate well to the show. Uand was a huge supporter. I mean he told ABC, he told Vin, told Michele, I mean he, he stood up and said, I think as I'm leaving, this is a guy that can take this show and continue and, and uI believe in him. And that was a, it was a huge thing. It was a huge thing for obviously all the powers that be, but I think more importantly it was a huge thing for the audience. Uyou know, it's like telling someone that it's okay to love the next person. You know, it's a vote of approval. Uand sometimes the audience needs to know that cause they don't know all that's going on behind the scenes. Even, even some of the fans didn't realize that Tom had decided to leave. They just thought that I was getting his job. And that's a very difficult thing for people when you've been coming into their homes for 15 years, that now all of a sudden someone else is kicking that guy out. And it wasn't that at all. It was a passing of the torch.
[AFV CLIP: Alfonso Ribeiro: Man. I love brushing up on the classics. I also love brushing up on the brand new-sics. You're about to see why all their packages get left on the front lawn. ]
Brittany High: As you likely noticed with each host comes a different style of hosting. Bob does VO Daisy laughs, John makes fun and Tom is the straight man. What's Alfonso's take?
Alfonso Ribeiro: The videos are the stars of the show, right? I'm there. I'm an assist, right? So if we're going to look at it like, you know, basketball terms I'm the point guard, right? The point guard doesn't always score, but every once in a while he needs to score. And that's what we do with voiceover. Right? or on certain jokes on, you know, on set, trying to, you know, find funny ways of going into the videos. But very much about delivering those videos, you know, with the perfect timing, perfect pass to score every time. So I kinda feel like I'm I'm a point guard. So one of the things that I will do is not look at videos that I don't do voiceover for so that when I'm actually in the studio and the videos are playing in front of the live audience, that I get to enjoy it with the audience myself. So it's like, you know, being at a show while working at a show. So I, I will absolutely laugh. I love when people get scared cause like to me that's still almost like an Epic fail, right? Like someone was chilling and then they lost their stuff because of a visual or someone walking up or someone jumping on them or whatever.
Brittany High: Alfonso doesn't just share the show with the masses. His four kids get in on the fun too.
Alfonso Ribeiro: I get to enjoy this as a family man. I get to enjoy it with my kids. Just last night, you know, going over videos for the show and, you know, the voiceovers and all of that. I, you know, my kids will come and sit on my lap and they'll watch the videos with me as I'm going through them. And, and that's something that is very different than obviously, you know, when I was young growing up. But the industry has changed. Times have changed. And this show is a standard, the test of time. And I think it's because of the fact that it is a such a family show, right? Kids and adults and grandparents and the like can all enjoy it together.
Brittany High: Speaking of family,
Alfonso Ribeiro: The company Vin Di Bona productions is a family and they treat it that way and they treat everyone, you know, like family members. And that to me is you know exactly what you're looking for at this point in my life, right? It's, it's everything that I want to feel part of it to feel respected and loved and, and, and vice versa to really care about the people that you work for and work with.
Brittany High: It's true Vin Di Bona productions, the company behind AFV, it's like a family.
Michele Nasraway: And that comes from the top that comes from Vin who has always perpetuated that throughout the years. I mean when we have a birthday party for him every year and we go in the conference room and he pretends to be surprised that we're all in there and he always gives a speech where he is complimenting us and making us feel good. And you know, I'm always, I'm always astounded by that. It's his birthday, we're celebrating him and he's the boss, but he wants to make us feel great and that is him through and through and with every interaction. Honestly, if he is not the nicest guy in television, I don't know who is.
Manny Maura: I love my AFV family. I just saw a Vin for the first time in a couple of years and we were hugging and actually crying because I know Vin from so far away and longer ago. And he's one of the greatest gentleman I've ever known.
Richard Conner: Working here is just such a, I don't want to sound cliche, but it's just such a treat. It's really a privilege because, you know, we've, a lot of us have been here together for a long time. Now. You make the closest friends. Michele and Tamika are two of my closest friends in the world. Michael and Eric, the two writers, dear friends. Vin kind of presides over all of this in this amazingly gentle, warm, loving manner. When my mom passed away, Vin was just showed up. I didn't even know, but he, there he was in the church. Michele showed up, others showed up. It goes beyond making a show with them. It's just like you, you connect with people. You all realize you're lucky to be working on something like this. And so you don't take it for granted and you, and you do your best at it and you work hard at it and you're just grateful for it.
Alfonso Ribeiro: There's nothing better than real life. And when people have cameras and they're getting clips and they're taking, you know, video of their lives that's the journey that we're all on. We're all on this individual journey together and we're showing a little piece of the real world of the real life. Life's in the real fun and the real laughter that happens is to why we're all here. And that kind of feels deep with it being so shallow. At the end of the day. Laughter is real. Laughter is fun. This show is a little mirror back at you. You know, this is you America. This is your world. This is the laughter you bring to us and to others and we never want that to change.
[Ernie Anderson: America's Funniest Home Videos!]
Brittany High: Well, we've reached the end of our five-part podcast series America, This is you! Made in partnership with Sirius XM. Was that a smooth transition or what? In case it wasn't completely obvious. It was an absolute pleasure to take you on this AFV journey. Thank you for listening. Seriously, Rob Schulte and I produced this episode and the entire series together. I wouldn't have it any other way. It was mastered by Jim Bilodeau, the reigning master of all masters. Andrew, do not call him Andy for goodness sake. Gruss... He did all that audio engineering. Additional help was provided by Michael Fische, Kelsey Albright, and So Choi, thank you to the endlessly charming Alfonso Ribeiro and to that he doesn't need any qualifiers Richard Conner, thank you all for sharing your time with me. I owe you one. Always, always thank you to Michele Nasraway, much like AFV, the TV show. This podcast couldn't have gotten made without you. And lastly, but certainly not leastly. Thank you Vin for letting me make this. I still can't believe you did that, but I'm really glad you did. THANK YOU…
[AFV Clip: Alfonso Ribeiro: you just won $10,000 Hopefully we'll see you back for our $100,000]
Brittany High: There's just one more thing, when I was sitting in Michelle's office asking her all about her. Nearly 30 years at AFV. I noticed something.
Brittany High: Okay, one more question. As a, someone who's been with AFV for 30 years, how is it that you have a treadmill?
Michele Nasraway: That is an excellent question.