Good Day Atlanta viewer information: July 21, 2021

Turner Classic Movies hosts return to Atlanta studios

A certain character in a classic film once uttered these famous words: "There’s no place like home."

And the team at Atlanta-based network Turner Classic Movies couldn’t agree more.

"This really does feel like a family here in Atlanta," says TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.  "TCM is a pretty unique place."

After more than a year of working from home, the network’s hosts are now returning to the studio in Atlanta to record programming; recently, Good Day Atlanta stopped by to reflect on the work-from-home experience with Mankiewicz and fellow host Dave Karger.

"At first, we were doing everything; uploading each introduction on Dropbox and sitting there waiting for the upload to finish," says Karger. "And it was kind of new and novel at first, but I got pretty sick of it.  And I missed everybody here in Atlanta so much." 

Laughs Mankiewicz, "I'd mark on my carpet where to put the lights, right? And then you come back — whatever it is, two days later — and set it up again in that spot, and it doesn't work!"

But both hosts say the experience of delivering classic films to viewers during the pandemic gave them an even greater understanding of why the network occupies such an important place in the lives of those who watch.

"I think the viewers were counting on it, particularly because a lot of people were sitting at home, and watching more TCM, a​nd relying on it even more as a comfort than they ever did before," Karger says.

"Look, I'm just the guy who talks for two minutes before ‘Casablanca,’ but it made me recognize once again … that this channel matters to people," Mankiewicz says. "It connects with people. It makes a difference in their lives. They're not just fans; it's part of their identity, part of who they are, that they love this channel and they love these movies."

Emmy-nominated director Derek Doneen tells us about his upcoming Netflix docuseries "Heist":  

Told throughout six episodes, "Heist" is a serialized anthology docuseries that tells real heist stories from the perspective of the people who pulled them off. Viewers will see how the subjects select their targets, the meticulous planning that goes into the job, the sweet glory of success, and the boneheaded errors that lead investigators straight to the truth. Doneen serves as the showrunner and director, alongside his Academy Award-winning partners at Dirty Robber. The docuseries is available to stream on Netflix now. You can check out the trailer here.

"Cesar Millan joins us to talk more about his new show "Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog": 

The leader of the pack is back with dog adoptions hitting record highs over the past year, dog behavior expert Cesar Millan takes on the challenging cases.  He joins us live with more on the Amazon series.  For more information click here. 

Radio host HeadKrack joins us from "The Morning Hustle" on Hot 107.1 with the latest celebrity entertainment news. For more information click here.

Pet of the day from the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia: For more information on how to adopt today's pet of the day click here.