Switching Channels (1988)

Switching Channels (1988)

Taglines: Tonight’s News. Romance. Scandal. Intrigue. And that’s just behind the camera!

Switching Channels movie synopsis. Sullivan (Burt Reynolds) is the operations manager of Satellite News Network, a fictitious cable TV news channel. He tries to prevent the impending marriage of Colleran (Kathleen Turner), his best reporter and ex-wife, by keeping her on the job during the critical news coverage of an upcoming execution and prison break.

Switching Channels is a 1988 American comedy film remake of The Front Page and His Girl Friday. It stars Kathleen Turner as Christy Colleran, Burt Reynolds as John L. Sullivan IV, Christopher Reeve as Blaine Bingham, Ned Beatty as Roy Ridnitz, Henry Gibson as Ike Roscoe, and George Newbern as Sigenthaler. The film was notorious for its harsh infighting between Reynolds and Turner during filming. The film was seen as a failure, both commercially and critically.

Filmed primarily in Canada with a Canadian director (Ted Kotcheff), Switching Channels features many popular Canadian character actors in supporting roles: Al Waxman as Berger, the station manager, Ken James as Warden Terwilliger, Barry Flatman and Anthony Sherwood as television reporters Zaks and Carvalho, Joe Silver as newswriter Mordsini, Tony Rosato, Jackie Richardson, Philip Akin, Laura Robinson, Fiona Reid and Jack Duffy. It also co-stars Charles Kimbrough as the hapless Governor.

Switching Channels (1988)

Switching Channels Movie Poster (1988)

Switching Channels (1988)

Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
Starring: Kathleen Turner, Burt Reynolds, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Henry Gibson, George Newbern, Barry Flatman, Anthony Sherwood, Monica Parker
Screenplay by: Jonathan Reynolds
Production Design by: Anne Pritchard
Cinematography by: François Protat
Film Editing by: Thom Noble
Costume Design by: Mary E. McLeod
Set Decoration by: Mark S. Freeborn, Rose Marie McSherry
Art Direction by: Charles Dunlop
Music by: Michel Legrand
Distributed by: TriStar Pictures
Release Date: March 4, 1988

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