Q Talk

[Spurt]

I miss Lisa Mason--- enjoyed her quick wit, pleasant, calm, informative and fun presentations.... If something wasnt right for the caller she was honest and told them so even if it meant lossing a sale....  One year I had the flu and remember watching Lisa's fun New Year's Eve Show......

[stevieb]

I tend to think most of us realize times have changed (boy, have they) and that the hosts are not our personal friends, but I see nothing wrong with expressing fond memories of days gone by. I suppose I missed QVC's heyday, coming in about 2007. Kathy Levine was gone and Lisa Robertson, who I liked and enjoyed, was more or less the lead host. For a few years, the programming, variety and mix of products was good and some of the 'special' remote shows were fun. It became pretty clear, though, that things were changing, that the hard sell was taking over, along with narrow branding, incessant repetition and an overall demise in the sort of 'glam' factor that once was. I did enjoy Lisa's remote shows, particularly the 'Posh' show when it originated from NYC and some of the jewelry shows, before they started foisting out little more than costume jewelry. Shortly before she departed, her Christmas decorating shows were lovely and were, at that point, among the very few shows I was still watching. There are other hosts I've liked who left, but I suppose she's the only one I could say I miss, particularly around holiday time.

[Spurt]

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@stevieb wrote:

I tend to think most of us realize times have changed (boy, have they) and that the hosts are not our personal friends, but I see nothing wrong with expressing fond memories of days gone by. I suppose I missed QVC's heyday, coming in about 2007. Kathy Levine was gone and Lisa Robertson, who I liked and enjoyed, was more or less the lead host. For a few years, the programming, variety and mix of products was good and some of the 'special' remote shows were fun. It became pretty clear, though, that things were changing, that the hard sell was taking over, along with narrow branding, incessant repetition and an overall demise in the sort of 'glam' factor that once was. I did enjoy Lisa's remote shows, particularly the 'Posh' show when it originated from NYC and some of the jewelry shows, before they started foisting out little more than costume jewelry. Shortly before she departed, her Christmas decorating shows were lovely and were, at that point, among the very few shows I was still watching. There are other hosts I've liked who left, but I suppose she's the only one I could say I miss, particularly around holiday time.

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@stevieb 

Me too---QVC started broadcasting in my area after the humorous Mike Rowe and QVC "goddess" Kathy Levine left ..

Yes ITA....I did enjoy and miss Lisa R's Christmas Shows--- the products and decor style were elegant and different from QVC's usual stock.....And I also enjoyed her remote shows from Italy

[stevieb]

@Spurt  The Italy shows were great fun. I remember taping them or sometimes even staying up or getting up to watch them. The villas, gowns and jewelry were beautiful... And then there was Bronzo...

I also loved the show from Vienna but even then, as beautiul as was the city and were the show's production values, the focus was on Diamonique, which made no sense to me at all. Why fly an entire production team to Austria to sell fake diamonds... 

[Spurt]

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@stevieb wrote:

@Spurt  The Italy shows were great fun. I remember taping them or sometimes even staying up or getting up to watch them. The villas, gowns and jewelry were beautiful... And then there was Bronzo...

I also loved the show from Vienna but even then, as beautiul as was the city and were the show's production values, the focus was on Diamonique, which made no sense to me at all. Why fly an entire production team to Austria to sell fake diamonds... 

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@stevieb 

Lisa's gowns from the Italy Shows were a "must see"...and of course her "golfer's voice" as not to awake the neighbors....all great fun....and as you said the "bronzo age" killed the shows....

Then QVC started making bizarre decisions on these remote shows:

QVC went all the way to NYC for "fashion week" but ended up broadcasting from a sound stage with cardboard cutouts as backdrops--why bother---just do the show from West Chester if they were going to do that....

And then the LA "Red Carpet" shows---the only "celebrities" were QVC vendors.....😄

And then David's "Wine Festival Show" from Colorado, which was as silly as the Vienna Show----all they did was show the same exact products they showed every Sunday.....and videos were taken of the festival and shown not on air, but streamed it on the website as an after thought....to probably justify the expense...

I think some of these remote shows became more of a "vacation" and perk for the crew than they were for the viewer.......

[Jake1316]

I'm going way back, but if you ask me, nothing was better than Mary Beth, Gary Lowenthal and the Boyds Bears shows around the holidays.

[Witchy Woman]

@Jake1316 

Oh, I had forgotten all about those shows.  They were some of the best!  He would dress in a big bear costume.

Gary was so irreverent, and Mary Beth tried her best to keep him in line.  They ended up laughing at each other.

One year, they had a live audience and the tickets were by lottery.  I submitted my request, but didn't get selected.

Don't laugh, but I cried a little about it.  How silly!  But, it came at a time when I really needed a pick-me-up and I was just disappointed.

Nevertheless, I survived and watched the show from home.

I still have quite a few of my Halloween themed bears.  

[newname0]

I remember -

Patti Reilly      Christa Pitts        Jacque Gonzales       Sharon Faetsch

[LeaLeander]

Oh yes, Jaque and Patti -- miss them, too.

QVC used to be aspirational -- as did much of retailing, I guess.  I'm only in my 50s but when I was in my 20s and even 30s, "going shopping" was something my friends and I dressed up for -- browsing high-end dept stores like Lord & Taylor, Carson Pirie Scott,  etc. was an experience, an exposure to a gracious way of life -- buying something there like a pair of nice leather gloves or a handbag or cashmere scarf was purchasing an heirloom item.  Things were packed in nice boxes and bags, not plastic grocery sacks -- I still have gift boxes from such dept stores that we re-use at Christmas. 

Now, Target and Walmart reign supreme and I guess QVC has had to adjust to that level as well. But I do miss the dressier, more gracious approach. 

[Ibby114]

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@Justshop wrote:

Kathy Levine always closed out Christmas Eve by hosting the last presentation before they went off the air at 4:00 p.m.

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@Justshop that's one QVC holiday show I enjoyed!