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from the issue of August 18, 2005
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Tommy Lee Goes to College premiers
Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" band blasted out "There is No Place Nebraska" when Tommy Lee walked on stage during The Tonight Show Aug. 8. Lee then showed a video clip from Tommy Lee Goes to College depicting his on-screen meeting with UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman.
"It's a beautiful campus..." Lee quipped in the clip from episode one. The chancellor volleyed back: "Well we think so. And don't trash it."
From all indications Lee did not trash UNL. The show's hour-long premier Aug. 16 began with sweeping vistas of campus green spaces and blue skies. Professors were shown engaged with teaching and mentoring students. And the butt of the jokes is Tommy Lee.
The series continues with half-hour episodes on NBC at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sept. 13. It is also airing on VH1 and on a Canadian network, CTV.
"The show really has shone a global media spotlight on UNL," said Dave Fitzgibbon of University Communications. Fitzgibbon accompanied crews at nearly every location while they filmed in Lincoln and juggled media calls received from Australia to Wichita.
"The decision to participate certainly sparked debate early on," Fitzgibbon said, "But at the same time it generated a lot of excitement and we feel so far the positives have far outweighed the negatives."
An analysis by Universal Information Services, an Omaha-based media monitoring service, took a snapshot of media exposure for UNL after the first wave of publicity ending in January. Through January 2005, 422 newspaper stories and 236 broadcast stories reached an audience of more than 54.2 million, according to the report. There have since been many stories not captured in that tally including recent features in People and Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Newsweek and Esquire. Additionally, advertising experts estimate the cost of a prime-time 30-second television commercial to be about $150,000, translating into a promotional value to UNL in the millions.
The premier episode featured many members of the UNL community. The show revolves around Lee's experiences with his tutor Natalie Reidmann - a May graduate who begins medical school at UNMC this week - and roommate Matt Ellis, a December 2004 graduate. Perlman kicks off the show on-screen along with administrative assistant Beth Griffin. Viewers are introduced to Tim Gay, physics; Bill McLaughlin, chemistry, Fran Kaye, English; Richard Sutton, horticulture; and Carolyn Barber, Anthony Falcone, and Doug Bush from UNL Bands. Later episodes feature among others: Butch Hug, athletics; Ron Burke, housing; and Jan Driesbach, Sheldon.
UNL administrators see the show as a possible positive factor in the student recruiting equation. Admissions recently sent an attractive postcard to about 25,000 high school juniors and seniors directing them to the UNL Web site for more information about attending UNL, and a special tie-in UNL "Tommy Lee Goes to College" site.
"As we ramp up our student recruiting efforts out of state, our ultimate goal with the show is to build awareness about Nebraska," Fitzgibbon said. "The show depicts UNL as a dynamic and beautiful place and we think this may at least put us in the consciousness of prospective students who otherwise never would have thought about Nebraska."
In an interview with the Omaha World Herald, Chancellor Harvey Perlman said, "We certainly don't think the show will be a significant factor in a student's decision-making process, but it may put us on their list. I think we'd do very well on anyone's list."
GO TO: ISSUE OF AUGUST 18
NEWS HEADLINES FOR AUGUST 18
Students roll back to campus
CBA chair selected for beltway post
UNL takes lead in Antarctica drilling project
Dissertation travels down roadways of commuting wives
Durham gift to forge school of architectural engineering and construction in Omaha
External research dollars hit record level
Food Processing Center Hosts Congressmen
FROM THE ARCHIVES
New tool monitors drought impact nationwide
Technical ag college to offer new degree
Tommy Lee Goes to College premiers
UNL, iDiverse to develop stress resistant crops
UNL lands $2 million grant for international physics experiment
UNL, World-Herald program shares skills, ideas
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