Viva Laughlin, Oct. 18, 2007–Oct. 21, 2007

/ Tim / 8 Comments

Viva Laughlin, the CBS television musical drama based on the British series Viva Blackpool, was pronounced dead today following a four-day struggle with poor writing, bad acting and devastating production numbers. VL leaves behind several unaired episodes, expected to be adopted by cbs.com or an as-yet-unidentified cable network.

Five Hundy by Midnight 137: A Meaty Episode

/ Tim / 31 Comments

Las Vegas podcast #137 includes:

  • The Simpsons opening clip
  • Best Vegas song ever
  • Update on permit woes at Rio and Harrah’s
  • More cameras on Las Vegas Boulevard
  • New Las Vegas Monorail stats
  • Golden Nugget expands
  • Listener calls about timeshare sales idiots, El Cortez, Las Vegas Hilton rooms, Caesars Palace construction and more
  • USA Today/Forbes article on Las Vegas buffets
  • Beginner steak advice finally pays off


Five Hundy By Midnight 10/14/07 (53:40 min, 49.3 MB)

Busted: Harrah’s Renovation Shortcuts Extend Beyond Rio

/ Tim / 10 Comments

During this week’s podcast, we speculated that if Harrah’s skirted Clark County’s permit regulations for renovations at Rio, they probably did the same at some of their other properties. Well, today comes news that 600 of the rooms at Harrah’s Las Vegas have been closed as a safety precaution as part of an internal investigation into the company’s remodeling practices. Most noteworthy is the revelation that “several larger remodeling projects at Harrah’s on the Strip took place without the necessary permits.” No word yet on what other Strip properties may be affected.

UPDATE: Clark County officials are now defending their role in this mess.

UPDATE 2: The story continues to unfold, as the county inspector get reassigned.