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Ready For Some Buccaneer Boogaloo? New Meteorologist Leaves Possibility Open

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By WALT BELCHER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2008

They called it the "Suchan Shuffle." It was just a silly little dance that meteorologist Chris Suchan did off-camera to kill time on the set at WBTV in Charlotte, N.C.

But it became a sensation up there a couple of years ago when the Carolina Panthers made the NFL playoffs and WBTV co-workers urged him to do it on camera.

"I had said if the Panthers made it that far, I would do the dance," says Suchan, who is the new morning meteorologist at WTSP, Channel 10.

"When they won the first round, I had to do it again," he recalls. "And they won the second round, and there was frenzy."

The dance was dubbed a good luck charm, and people started sending in videos of their own shuffles. There was talk of Suchan doing it at the Super Bowl if the Panthers made it to the game. But he avoided national embarrassment and any wardrobe malfunctions when the Seattle Seahawks derailed the Panthers.

"People have asked me if I'm going to come up with a Buccaneer Boogaloo, but I don't know," he says. "It was just one silly, harmless little thing that I did there that people remember."

After 11 years at WBTV, Suchan, 33, has relocated to Tampa and CBS affiliate WTSP. He debuted on the morning newscasts last week, replacing Anna Allen. Her contract was not renewed.

He says that although he enjoyed working in Charlotte, he and his wife, Kara Edwards, wanted to make a big dramatic change.

"This is a pretty good opportunity," he says, noting that he arrived at the height of hurricane season.

"North Carolina has been suffering from such severe droughts that we wanted as much rain as we could get," he says. "Now, I want the hurricanes to stay away."

Suchan's wife is a former radio personality who has become a successful freelance voice artist. She is heard on commercials, video games and Cartoon Network's "Dragon Ball Z." To see the Suchan Shuffle, go to Walt TV on TBOextra.com.

NEXT GREAT STARS: Viewers will crown a winner tonight in the "Next GAC Star" contest on the Great American County music network.

In the running are singer J.C. Andersen, 23, from Lakeland, and One Night Rodeo, a band from Bradenton. The live finale begins at 9.

Andersen, a graduate of Bartow High School, has been living in Nashville for four years and has impressed fans with his song "When the Tide Rolls In."

One Night Rodeo (Jack Tamburin, Duane Alluson, Mike Elrod and Cory Hildreth) is based in Bradenton. In their 30s, band members haven't given up their day jobs.

For information, go to www.gac.com

DON'T BOTHER: Every TV season there is one series that almost every critic agrees is the absolute pits. This year the dubious honor goes to "Do Not Disturb," a Fox comedy debuting at 9:30 tonight. Jerry O'Connell stars as the smarmy manager of a New York Inn who is surrounded by a crew of dimwits. Foremost is rising star Nicey Nash as his human resources director.

TENNIS ANYONE: "It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation," says Channel 10 spokesman Pete Nikiel, commenting on the station's decision Monday to put CBS' live coverage of the U.S. Open tennis finale on its high-definition channel.

This ticked off a lot of tennis fans who do not have HD access. The match on Monday was rain-delayed from the weekend. WTSP stuck with the afternoon lineup that included "Dr. Phil" and the local newscasts.

"We felt that covering Hurricane Ike was important to our viewers," Nikiel said, noting that live tennis coverage was available via the station's Web site.

Tune In Tonight

Bones, 8 p.m., Fox

On a new episode, Bones and Booth investigate the death of a reality show host who was killed in an outhouse explosion. Now that's a gas.

Greatest American Dog, 8 p.m., CBS

Call it a three-dog night as this summer series is down to a trio of canines for the finale.

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