WHBHS’ weekly news program Hurricane Watch returned on Friday, October 8 with its first episode of the year. The episode, produced by Mrs. Mett’s third period Broadcast Journalism class, presented a new look for the program and brought a much-needed revamp to the show.

First off, having hosts Danny Naglieri and Loris Van Vlodrop outside on the turf field was a nice change of pace from the usual black desk. The outside location provided a brightness that symbolized a new day for the broadcast program.

And unlike the stale monologues with forced jokes that had become commonplace on the Watch recently, Naglieri and Van Vlodrop were genuinely funny and showed the charisma needed to carry a news show.

It was the graphics that really made the episode soar. There was a lot of info to take in during the segment about the district’s new superintendent, Dr. Carolyn Probst, but the pristine design made it easy to absorb. This was also the case for the segment on the nominees for Mr. and Ms. Hurricane, which showcased the candidates in an informative, yet fun manner. These graphics gave the show a sleek, professional look that elevated the show beyond a simple high school news broadcast.

Audio mixing, which has been hit-or-miss with the Watch in the pass, was done quite well this episode. Both the background music and dialogue were clearly separated, yet simultaneously blended great with each other.

The package on the varsity football team was probably one of the best looking packages produced in recent years from the show. The camera angles immersed the viewer in the team, especially with the POV shot of a receiver catching a ball. The edits between shots were clear and consistent throughout. And the videos themselves were some of the clearest and professional-looking ones ever put on the show.

With a great first episode, WHBHS should be very excited for what Hurricane Watch has in store for this year.