Redskins Saturday Night was a weekly, thirty minute television show that ran once every Saturday Night, during the regular football season in Washington D.C., Roanoke, VA and Wheeling,WV. It originated from Joe Theisman’s Bar and Grill in Vienna, VA and remained on the air for three seasons. The show spawned one spin-off, a one-time-only, one hour special called Redskins Review which was recorded before a crowd of three hundred fans seated in the main ballroom of the Mclean Hilton Hotel in Tysons Corner, VA and aired on the ABC affiliate, WJLA-TV7 on Thanksgiving Day. 

In 1987, when the Redskins made it to the Super Bowl, three additional programs were added to the regular season line-up delivering analysis of the Redskins post-season play and their march to the Super Bowl. The team played well that year and the show returned it’s highest ratings in all three markets. Redskins Saturday Night concluded the 1987 season with one final episode, a program recorded from Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, CA., where the Redskins played the Denver Broncos and John Elway in Super Bowl XXLL. The Redskins dominated that game with a phenomenal performance by quarterback Doug Williams. Here’s a link to that game.    

Redskins Saturday Night was hosted by NBC/ESPN Play by Play Announcer, Jim Simpson and was co-hosted by Redskin Free Safety, number 22, Curtis Jordan. In year three, Jordan was replaced with All-Pro Defensive End, Charles Mann but continued to appear regularly as a panel guest. Other panelists included Ken Beatrice, a well known local radio personality heard daily on WMAL’s “Your Next With Ken Beatrice” sports call-in program. Other panelists included Kevin Harrington, Editor of the Redskins Sporting News, Mike Warren, a well-know football Handicapper, and Joe Theisman, former Hesiman Trophy winner and All-Pro Redskin quarterback. 

Each week, Redskins Saturday Night offered guests   in attendance, an opportunity to ask members of the panel a question. The guest Q/A took place in the bar area and Jim would “throw”(a term used to mean hand off the hosting duties to someone else) to Gary Spears (The Spearman), a local radio personality heard daily on Q107, in the metropolitan D.C. area. 

Redskin Saturday Night was shot on Thursday evenings at Joe Theisman’s restaurant before a packed house of fans, admitted on a first come-first served basis. There was no admission charge as most of the guests purchased food and beverages which benefited the venue. The fans hung around after the show and most of the players signed autographs, took pictures and answered a few more fan questions. 

The program was shot with four broadcast cameras, three on sticks and one handheld camera used for the Q/A segment and audience cut-aways. Crew arrived at 1:00 p.m. for set-up, with cameras, lighting, audio and flypack dialed in by 5:00 p.m. After week one, we established a locked in format and all parties agreed that we would keep rolling no matter what to give the appearance of a live program. The actual production was over in less than an hour and the set was wrapped two hours later. During the three year run, we had only one personnel change, so the program rarely had any technical or logistical problems.       

THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS DEFEAT THE DENVER BRONCOS AND JOHN ELWAY IN SUPERBOWL XXLL

I WAS THERE PRODUCING AND DIRECTING REDSKIN SATURDAY NIGHT

• NUMBER 68

• OFFENSIVE TACKLE

• SUPER BOWL 22 WINNER

• REDSKINS SATURDAY NIGHT GUEST

WMAL-980 RADIO SPORTS CALL-IN HOST. PRODUCER AND ON-AIR PERSONALITY, “YOUR NEXT WITH KEN BEATRICE” AND COMMENTATOR FOR REDSKINS SATURDAY NIGHT.

Voted the Best Redskin Talk Show in Washington!