Film & TV / Theatre & dance
Nat Morris
· television host
Host of The Scene, the WGPR-TV dance show (1975–1987) from the first Black-owned TV station in the continental United States.
- Also known as
- Captain Geek
- Detroit years
- 1975–1987
- Field
- Film & TV, Theatre & dance
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
When WGPR-TV signed on from East Jefferson Avenue in September 1975 as the first Black-owned and operated television station in the continental United States, one of its first local productions was The Scene, a weekday dance show that premiered on October 13, 1975. Nat Morris was picked to co-host with Ray Henderson and became the sole host in 1976. For twelve years, five days a week, The Scene put Detroit teenagers, local musicians and the city's own dance styles, including the jit, on screen, much as American Bandstand and Soul Train did nationally but with a Detroit cast. Morris has described the station's purpose as giving airtime to people who had been overlooked. The show ended in 1987. Morris later organized reunions of Scene dancers and has kept the show's memory alive; the old WGPR building is now the William V. Banks Broadcast Museum.
Highlights
- Host of The Scene on WGPR-TV (channel 62), 1975–1987
- Co-host with Ray Henderson in 1975, sole host from 1976
- The show aired five days a week and showcased Detroit dancers and local musicians
- Organizer of Scene reunions celebrating Detroit dance history
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Worked here · 1975–1987
William V. Banks Broadcast Museum (former WGPR-TV studios)
The East Jefferson studios where The Scene was taped; since 2017 the building houses a museum of WGPR-TV's history.