…the third week of December! Maybe it’s not as iconic as an SNL opening, but for everyone who follows our Instagram (and who asked for the videos to go with the goofy photos we posted), here you go. We never expected to write that sentence, but it’s been a busy week in the live-television department. About the photo on the right: we didn’t plan to match the set — it just happened, and it was hilarious.
By coincidence, two local Richmond stations invited us onto their live programs this week. Live TV means whatever comes out of your mouth goes straight to viewers without delay. Yikes. Okay, let me rephrase that: YIKES.
The first appearance was Tuesday on NBC12’s “First at 4.” We were invited by Ryan Nobles — a local news host, social media enthusiast, fellow parent to a Clara, and friend — who’d interviewed us about radon in our house a year and a half earlier (you can find that clip linked at the end of the original post). It was fun to be at his studio this time.
Check out the weatherman, Ros Runner, doing his forecast on the green screen in the background.
Here’s our short interview with Ryan. It stayed pretty tame on the embarrassment scale, except for when Sherry kept repeating that chalkboard paint is great because “you can tell people what to do.” She said she just couldn’t stop saying it.
Funny behind-the-scenes moment: when we stepped into position the producer quietly announced, “yeah, I’m gonna get her a box.” My petite wife stood on a little booster behind the news desk the whole time. Cute, right? Also, if you’ve ever wondered whether newscasters wear pants behind their desks…
Big thanks to Ryan and everyone at NBC12 for having us. And thanks to whatever live-TV gods kept us from swearing, fainting, or accidentally saying “fart” instead of “art” on air.
With that boost of confidence, we arrived at CBS6 on Thursday for a second appearance. We were still nervous, but slightly less so. Sherry promised not to say “tell people what to do” this time. She also swapped her usual black blazer for a bright orange one — she called it coral, but I’ll stick with orange.
This was a show we’d been on before, back in 2009 — a local morning program called Virginia This Morning — and the hosts had been friendly ever since. Sherry even tried to get The Nate Berkus Show carried in our market years ago; it didn’t work, but she tried.
We learned when we arrived that we’d have two five-minute segments. Gulp. The hosts were warm and welcoming, though, which made everything feel easier. In the first segment we chatted about thrifting, buying ugly things and making them work, and even Clara’s favorite tool. The host introduced us with a playful hybrid celebrity name — that was a fun touch.
While we waited between segments, we watched a local tween jazz band play “Jingle Bell Rock.” Lots of energy — maybe future stars in the bunch.
Our second segment focused on quick, easy projects from our book that make great last-minute stocking stuffers or hostess gifts. Sherry even raised her fist in a Jersey-style shout-out at one point. Luckily, we avoided wardrobe malfunctions and FCC-worthy slip-ups.
We’re grateful to have headed into the holiday week without bringing shame to our families or getting banned from Richmond television. Big thanks to the teams at both stations. It was great to see Ryan again, and Jessica Noll at CBS6 was so easy to talk to that we could’ve kept going for hours — though I doubt the station needs a permanent segment called “The Petersiks Blab On And On.”
Have you ever had a memorable TV experience — good or awkward? Did you get recognized afterward or cash in on your 15 minutes of fame? Any wardrobe tips you learned the hard way? (Sherry learned to avoid dangly earrings the second time around and, in a moment of panic, grabbed that orange blazer for the second show. Still not calling it coral.)