Posted by Bud on June 28, 2010 at 07:25:37:
In May of 1997, a little cable access show called "The Big Fat Nude Hippo Show" made its debut. The show featured local media celebrity interviews, magazine-style reporting, sketch comedy, local information, general silliness, and much more. The show's name eventually became simply "Nude Hippo."
After a full decade on Chicago's television sets, the "Nude Hippo" ended TV broadcasting in May 2007. It then reinvented itself as a series of video shorts on the NBC 5 TV website.
This past Saturday morning (June 26th), between 6:00am-6:30am, the cast and staff of "Nude Hippo" was on NBC5.
When the show makes its 2010 debut, among the highlights of the "Newer-er Nude Hippo" will be a change in the host. "Nude Hippo" creator, co-producer and longtime host, Tony Lossano will now only be working behind the scenes. The program's new host will be a lovely & familiar face: Ashley Lobo, a reporter for "Nude Hippo" since 2005. She also has been widely seen as one of the Chicago Blackhawks sexy Ice Crew for the last two seasons. As an actress, she has been seen in various roles, including as a waitress in a recent Miller Lite commercial.
Tony Lossano said: "'Nude Hippo' and I have always been associated together, and we have had 13 years of phenomenal success, but it's time for us to get a face lift. That's why I chose veteran "Hippo" reporter, Ashley Lobo, to be our new star. If people loved "Hippo" with my mug leading the way, they will go wild with her at the helm... and let's be honest... I can't compete with her. I don't look as good in a skirt."
"We're making "Nude Hippo" sexy, smart and simply funny in 2010. After all, it should reflect me, right?" said Lobo jokingly.
Returning to the show as reporters will be veteran "Hippo" reporter/former co-host Amy Zanglin and funnyman Nick Rosario. In addition, two new faces are joining the show as reporters: Gina Ferraro and Tim Pogo. Gina Ferraro is a host on WCPT radio's overnight "Dance Factory" programming and a frequent contributor to WCIU-TV's "You & Me This Morning" segments. She previously worked with Tony Lossano on WLIT-FM's "Melissa Forman Morning Show," where Lossano was a producer and Ferraro was the traffic reporter. Tim Pogo -- often going only by the name "Pogo" -- is a weekend radio personality for WKQX-FM/Q101 and former host on CLTV's "Metromix" programming.
Another change for 2010 will be the way the segments are done. Instead of having reporters just "report" stories, the "Nude Hippo" reporters will be "living" the stories, giving the segments a more interactive feeling.
From television to the Internet, the Emmy Award-winning and 100% locally produced "Nude Hippo" has been entertaining Chicago audiences for over 13 years. The goofy, magazine-style programming will continue to be able to be seen online at NudeHippo.com and at NBCChicago.com. The show is produced by Lossano/Perin, Ltd.