Hey Mainers, on Tuesday, celebrity weatherman Al Roker will know exactly what’s happening in your neck of the woods. Because it’ll be his neck of the woods too.
Roker and a crew from NBC’s “Today” show will film some of Tuesday’s show from the midcoast town of Georgetown. It’s part of a travel segment that will show Roker clamming, lobstering and camping in Maine. Roker said Thursday morning that he doesn’t know all the details yet, and that’s fine with him. He’s a big believer in the energy and power of live television, and he thinks that’s a big reason the “Today” show has been on the air since 1952.
“Yeah, we’re doing this on the fly, which is great, and it’s what people have come to expect from us. It’s one of things I love about doing this,” said Roker, 63. “I know there will be water and mollusks.”
“Today Show” weatherman Al Roker greets fans at Rockefeller Center.
Roker has been a “Today” weather forecaster and anchor since 1996. One of his signature phrases on the show, to introduce local weather forecasts at the end of the national one is “here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods.”
Roker’s Maine adventure is part of the “Today” show’s “Great Outdoor Series.” Roker and show co-anchor Craig Melvin will begin a New England trek Monday in Boston, broadcasting live and seeing sights, before hitting the road for Maine. Roker said he’ll likely visit places along the Maine coast, though he’s not sure which ones.
Roker and Melvin will pitch a tent at Sagadahoc Bay Campground in Georgetown, south of Bath. The campground is not far from Reid State Park and has views of Seguin Island Light. While in Georgetown Roker said he’ll also do some clam digging and go out on a lobster boat for the TV segment, though he’s not sure where.
Though Roker grew up in New York City, he has some shell-fishing experience. He said his father use to take him crabbing off Rockaway Beach in Queens.
“I’ve dealt with crab traps, but not lobster traps. Usually when I deal with lobster someone else has found it,” said Roker.
When asked why Maine, and specifically Georgetown, was picked for the “Great Outdoor Series,” Roker said that Maine is a place that comes quickly to mind when considering summer activities.
“It’s summer, it’s Maine, why not?” said Roker.
Roker has been to Maine at least a couple times before. He has a very specific memory of a family vacation at a campground near Kennebunk some 25 years ago.
“I had never seen horseflies that big. Those things had saddles on them,” said Roker.
Besides hosting “Today,” Roker has written several books. His latest, “Ruthless Tide,” came out in June and is about the Johnstown Flood in Pennsylvania in 1889.
The “Today” show airs weekdays at 7 a.m. and can be seen locally on Portland TV station News Center Maine on channel 6.
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