STAR-BULLETIN / 2001

KITV’s Pamela Young
will go anywhere for a story

---

By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com

She's taken us around the world to Siberia, Russia, France, Portugal, Japan, India, Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Manila, Las Vegas, New York City, Las Vegas and every Hawaiian island.

In the 20 years that Pamela Young has produced, directed, written and starred in "Mixed Plate" on three Hawaii stations, viewers have seen the tall woman with that sweet-as-shave-ice smile shamelessly dance the lambada, moonwalk with the projected image of Michael Jackson, remarry husband Gary Sprinkle as he was outfitted like Elvis, eat ox penis in the Gobi desert, slurp noodles rinsed in water from a Thai swamp and bathe in a natural spring in the magnificent beauty of Patagonia.

Now "Pam," as she likes being called, has put together an hour special of her adventures in an anniversary show airing tonight and tomorrow.

In two decades Young has done 80 half-hour "Mixed Plate" specials and about 3,100 shorter pieces on her stations' news programs. She also co-anchors KITV's weekday 5 p.m. news.

"Putting the anniversary show together had me laughing at all the bad hairstyles I've gone through," she said. "You know you're old when the '80s seem a long ways away."

Hairstyles and fashions come and go, but Young's enduring, friendly journalistic style continues to capture viewers' hearts. She melds historical tidbits with personality and flair. She asks the questions we want to ask but are too shy to get out.

"Someone once told me that they liked the show because I wasn't worried about making a fool of myself," Young said. "I do like being out there. ... I'm not afraid of being laughed at."

Take the time she was a guest at a formal dinner in the Gobi desert and the ox's "middle leg" was dumped on her plate. Check out that facial expression.

But, trouper that she is, Young did eat the ox penis, which she says tasted not like chicken, but calamari.

'Mixed Plate' anniversary show serves up best world travels On the air What: "Mixed Plate 20th Anniversary Show" with Pamela Young on KITV-4 When: 7 p.m. today and 3 p.m. tomorrow

Food has become a major part of "Mixed Plate" shows largely because viewers enjoy the segments and Young loves to cook.

"From the beginning, viewers would contact me about recipes from the show or what a food was called and where can they get it," Young said.

"Mixed Plate" has featured the chilies of Mexico, cheeses of France, noodles of Japan, wines and cuisine of Napa and virtually all of Hawaii's food festivals.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

"Viewers never see the hard work going on behind the scenes," Young said. "They don't smell the smells, experience the hassles of travel."

Or the unrest in some countries, because "that's not what we're there to show," Young said.

OF ALL YOUNG'S travels, she's only had food poisoning once, in one of the cleanest countries on earth: Belgium.

"I drank the milk while we were there for the Father Damien piece and found out very quickly I was allergic to milk," she says. "I was sick as a dog."

Viewers also didn't get to see the amorous kangaroo at an Australian game park where Young was camping. What we saw was the lonely beast poking its head into Young's tent.

"He had a thing for me," she said. "When I tried to leave the tent, he grabbed me and wouldn't let go."

The kangaroo ripped Young's blouse and scratched her torso before her cameraman was able to extricate the animal.

"I guess male kangaroos don't get out much," she said.

The special gives us far too brief looks at several notable visits, including an audience with the pope, and backstage glimpses with notable Hawaii performers: Glenn Medeiros in Spain; Peter Moon, Japan; Martin Nievera, Manila; Brothers Cazimero, Carnegie Hall; Teresa Bright, Siberia; Jerry Santos, Portugal; Keali'i Reichel, New York City; and beloved Moe Keale and "Iz" in Hawaii.

There are charming sequences of Pam and Sprinkle, shown rock climbing in tandem, in a metaphor for marriage, and wrestling while wearing inflatable sumo suits, in the "Caravan Across Canada."

The glue of Young's journeys is her ability to make viewers believe they're companions, not passengers. When she trips, we trip; when she spills some wine on her shirt, we know what that feels like; and when she grimaces at odd food, we recognize the same fear.

"Mixed Plate" has aired at KHON from 1982-87; KGMB, '87-'89; and KITV ever since. In the process, Young and company have won six regional Emmy awards. Her latest Emmy, this year, was in the light feature series reporting category when Young took viewers behind the scenes of two Hawaii teams as they prepared for the "Olympics" of lion dancing in Hong Kong.

There are no plans to alter the show's format.

"The show has evolved," she said. "We've left it up to what viewers like to see."

What a concept.

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