Hot City was a syndicated series that lasted two months in 1978, airing mostly on stations owned by Metromedia (i.e. WNEW in NYC). Producer-director Kip Walton had worked on American Bandstand, Happening, & Where The Action Is for Dick Clark & ABC, but what did him in was the fact that his show wasn't cleared in a lot of markets. For example, aside from WNEW, which was available on cable in the 518 at the time, no local channel picked up the show, simply because there was no room on the schedule. In those days, Hee Haw was the preferred choice on a Saturday night at 7 (ET) at my house. The fact that Hot City debuted in August of '78 didn't help.
Disco was in its waning days. Around the same time that Hot City hit the air, Clark was mounting a 1-shot special for NBC, Le Disco, that aired in place of a Saturday Night Live rerun. His Live Wednesday bowed a few weeks later, and tanked.
Let's take a look at the opener of Hot City, headlined by hostess du jour Linda Clifford and the Sylvers. Animation by Canada's Nelvana Studios. If the announcer's voice sounds remotely familiar, it should to 80's viewers. Shadoe Stevens was in the booth, 8 years before The New Hollywood Squares made him a national household name.
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