Remember Fast Lane Daily? You know, lots of fun humor, car "porn," the awesomeness of Derek DeAngelis (Derek D.)? Let me set up the story for you with YouTube videos...
UPDATE (1/19/2010): I found out that Derek D. was let go as host of Fast Lane Daily. It wasn't Derek's decision. A Facebook page was started by someone to want to see Derek D. return as host of Fast Lane Daily. If you want to cbeck it out (and if you have Facebook), check out this Facebook fan group.
UPDATE (2/10/2010): Since last week, Derek D has returned to Fast Lane Daily. FLD mostly has him doing shows between Monday through Wednesday, some other segment on Thursday, and Leo Parente's Shakedown on Friday. FLD recently opened a new studio in Times Square.
NOTE: Be sure to right-click on each link to view in another window or in another tab. I am including links only to help make my blog run more efficiently on your computer.
An Uncertain Future.
^ This is the first video of 2010, discussing Fast Lane Daily's Most Anticipated Cars of 2010. Listen at the end when Derek D. expresses at the end. It gives some sort of uneasy premonition about the future of Fast Lane Daily.
Promise?
Then this video announcement comes along on January 6, 2010:
And Now...
Now... there's THIS video:
^ Fast Lane Daily's return from a two-week hiatus.
Let me post a few comments (screennames undisclosed) about this latest video. I must warn you that there may be some inappropriate language in these comments. These are actual comments posted by actual YouTube viewers from the latest FLD video:
"not a fan of this AT ALL! What on earth is going on at Next New Networks? e-mail JF "it's not like he has anything else to do"?..c'mon. really? I'm watching the smoking tire. Fix this."
"Wow. Really bad feedback... Anyway, I didn't hate it, but I for sure as hell didn't like it. Bring back Derek please. "
"Great job guys, you took a unique, informative and entertaining show and made it into a flat boring presentation just like everyone else's. Bring back something with character and personality or consider me gone."
"So where is the crew of the real fastlanedaily? "
"way to ruin fastlanedaily "
And if you think the viewers are upset? You should see THESE channel comments posted on this new-look Fast Lane Daily:
"im unsubing on wed is fld is not back cause this crap isnt fld who ever thought of this should be fired along with all the ass holes running next new networks "
"I dunno about this, it's pretty bland
I liked the way you guys had segments and personal interviews
my guess is that's all gone now
now the show just blends in with all the other car media"
"wat the hell did u do to FLD?....if u guy's don't bring back Derick D i'm unsubscribing"
"'Don't have time to check every car news source? Want a full briefing in under 5 minutes? Fast Lane Daily is the car news show you've been waiting for.'
1. Yes i did have time to check them all and i chose FLD because it was the best of them.
2. No i don't want 5 minute briefings, I want the 10+ that it usually has.
3. We want Derek D or Unsubscribed without hesitation "
"I subscribed because this was the best grassroots auto news show on youtube. Not anymore, not with this sterilized, by-the-book android of a voiceover. Why? As I said in the comments of today's (Jan18) show, I hope this is a filler episode, to keep us hungry while you settle down i the new place. If not, I wish you the best of luck, and click on the "Unsubscribe" button. I'll be checking tomorrow to see if I'm right."
This one gives some life on this issue:
"DD said this on his FB Profile 'appreciates all the facebook messages, emails, and YouTube messages from all the fans of FLD, it's kind of overwhelming right now but i'll get back to all of you at some point, but Thank You! means a lot...'"
It's time I sound off in my own way.
--- John Sounds Off! - The New Look Fast Lane Daily ---
I, too, was disappointed at this new-look Fast Lane Daily. Because I'm someone who tries to have a positive heart, part of me believes that Fast Lane Daily is still being sorted out even with its two-week hiatus. The impact of this grand return of Fast Lane Daily is very horrible. Now I didn't use excessive cursing or anything. I was just disappointed that one episode of Fast Lane Daily (on its grand return) resulted in this.The reason why I loved and subscribed to Fast Lane Daily is because I trust it as my weekly fix of automotive news. Not only that, it was all covered in a fun and understandable way. It's devoted to cars and other weirdness, and it is delivered in a fun way. Derek D. usually heads well over 75% of all episodes in FLD's three or so years of existance. Even with hosts like the beautiful Alex Gizella and others who helped out hosting the show, Fast Lane Daily has remained a great show to watch on YouTube. It was something different. They do what channels like hotforwords does- take a concept, and express content in a different and fun way. Provide a service to others while offering your own flavor. And to see this new-look Fast Lane Daily really hurts me. It's like turning a world-renowned hard rock band and turning them into a "wuss" rock bad. It's like your favorite radio station changing format or being killed off completely. Think about if you're a fan of a Top 40 station, only to find out that station is now (and I'm just using anything) a Christian music station. I usually laugh 3-5 times to an FLD episode. That episode released on January 18? Just once. Not even the humor at the end of the Jan. 18 edition of Fast Lane Daily was enough to save me from worrying that the spirit of Fast Lane Daily was killed off.
I am not sure what Next New Networks was thinking in releaseing THIS for their first FLD since the two-week hiatus. I hope this doesn't fester any longer, or there will be significantly fewer subscribers left that still support FLD. It may mean the team who made FLD what it is may have to come up with their own show to rival this new-look FLD. The graphics and stuff are new, but the character of the previous show was completely demolished with this rendition. You know what this reminds me of? It's when G4 TV featured "Street Fury," then decided to soften it completely with a "wack" season of this otherwise great show.
So what happened? Was it a business decision to go from a character-packed show with its own personality and charm to go with something more professional? Was it a business decision to go from the always entertaining and cool Derek DeAngelis to this random car guy? If the producer is still J.F. Musial, then did he get rid of the current characters of the show just to go with this model? Not even appearances from Lindsey, Annie, and the luscious Trish? No commercial break with Leo Parente asking Derek D. for the money he's owed like Leo's a mafia boss?
Again... part of me wants to think this is a temporary change until Fast Lane Daily can secure everything and get everything all together. That's what I want to believe. I want to believe this is continued change in a proper evolution of Fast Lane Daily. But really, this has been nothing more but a de-evolution of an otherwise amazing show.
--- Looking to the Future ---
Let me school you a little on what I think about Fast Lane Daily's future based on this episode.Theory 1: Glorified Filler?
Something tells me that even after the two-week hiatus, that since there is still some change being sorted out to give out FLD episodes until Fast Lane Daily is 100% ready to go again proper with the cast that made it cool. If that's the case, then it's more like "bear with us."
Theory 2: "This is a Business, and You Need to Make Business Decisions."
That's something the consumer does NOT want to hear or see when their favorite products and shows go in different directions. If Next New Networks let go of Derek D., Leo Parente, and others to make way with a brand new cast, then it would be a great shame. If this is true, then that's about as bad as when Hockenheim was shortened from a high-speed playground to just another boring German race track.
Theory 3: Spinoff in the Future?
With the right kind of responses, imagine the possibility that a seperate show could stem from Fast Lane Daily. Only that this spinoff would continue the usual insanity put on by the Fast Lane Daily crew that made FLD what it is. Think if someone said: "so many people don't like the new Fast Lane Daily. Maybe we should show our appreciation to our fans and make our own show, continuing the tradition of the old Fast Lane Daily." This would make MANY fans happy if this were true.
Or maybe...
Theory 4: "The Old FLD is Dead. Get Over It."
Maybe this is just the new FLD with no plans to bring back any of the crew that made this show so awesome, long term or short term. I will still watch Fast Lane Daily for daily car news, but I'll miss the character of the previous generation of Fast Lane Daily.
No matter how you look at it, this is a dark day for Fast Lane Daily fans. How do you feel about all of this?
Remember to subscribe to my blog via my FeedBurner feed if you love my material. Also be sure to share my material with the world through my AddThis chicklets. Thank you for reading! And until next time, cop FLD staylez! :)
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