New TV show spills on city's hot spots
Psst - do you have a Chicago secret to tell?
"24/7 Chicago" wants to blab it to the world.
The new entertainment TV show premieres on NBC5 Saturday right after "Saturday Night Live."
The show aims to tell the secrets of Chicago, one person at a time -- where to go, what to do, what's new.
Hosts Catie Keogh and nightclub impresario Billy Dec get the low-down from Chicago celebrities and unknowns alike, from Mayor Richard Daley, Mike Ditka and David Schwimmer to local bartenders.
The show has filmed Daley laughing it up while giving a behind-the-scenes tour of his office, and bartenders whipping up the newest drinks at the trendiest clubs.
One of Keogh's favorite activities she's found so far is the swing music night on Thursday, done in the style of an old radio show, at the Green Mill Jazz Club in Uptown.
A former comedian for Second City and improvOlympic, Keogh has worked on Nude Hippo, an entertainment Web site for NBC5, and previously was host of an entertainment TV show in Baltimore.
She lives in the Northwest suburbs and hopes to highlight hot suburban destinations.
"Our goal is to entertain people and show them a different side of Chicago," she said.
With Keogh's sister Colleen Kelly and Emerald-Jane Hunter, president of 24/7 Productions, the three women created the show and got financing in part from the Walter E. Smithe brothers.
A pilot episode of the show ran on New Year's Eve featuring former Bachelor Bob Guiney.
To mark the premiere, the cast and crew will hold a party open to the public from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Dec's Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St. Chicago.
To share or learn a Chicago area secret, go to www.247chicago.tv/.