UPDATE: I'm glad to see this ABC News report about Rick Kirkham...
by Paula Neal MooneyI was up all hours of the night engulfed by an HBO documentary titled TV Junkie.
TV Junkie is the harshly honest and amazing video diaries of TV journalist junkie Rick Kirkham.
Rick was a super successful Inside Edition adventure-man reporter who spiraled into a sad and sick life of a crack addict, wife beater and failing father whom you expect to blow his brains out any minute as his video life unfolds.
What is so amazing is that Rick Kirkham tapes just about everything -- his wild flings on the road with women across the globe to his marriage to Tammy -- a sweet and loooonnnnggg-suffering Southern gal who weeps for her drug-addicted husband.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhvSz5G94xI&feature=emb_title https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhvSz5G94xI&feature=emb_title Rick doesn't even turn the camera off as he does crack, but instead gives a grippingly raw portrayal of his own hatred of his drug life.
Kirkham also films the horrible aftermath: the draining hangovers, getting fired from great jobs, listening to phone messages from people he owes money to, etc.
Check HBO's site here at the bottom of the page for "TV Junkie" showtimes.
What a testament to hope and God's preservation and renewal...
Tags: tv junkie,tv junky,rick kirkham ,hbo ,airdate ,time ,view ,trailer ,video ,diaries
Comments
Rick is a very fortunate man to have recovered from Crack Cocaine addiction. Few people recover.
You never cease to amaze me with your uncanny ability to keep cranking out excellent content. Thank you for sharing Rick Kirkham's story.
May Rick's testimony serve as a warning to the children and young adults who are contemplating playing Russian Roulette with Satan's candy.
Peace.
Thanks, Manchild. I go to the Father and wholly lean on Him to know what to write.
Be blessed,
Paula
March 24,
Dear Paula,
I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your kind review of our film, “TV Junkie”. Your blog and the many people who read it and interact with is but one of many helping to get the word out on addiction; That it is a form of subconscious suicide and it can be treated, it’s victim can return to a normal life.
The film ended fairly quickly showing my two sons, Ricky and Dusty a little older with me in the car. Just to let you and your readers know, the Kirkham “Boyz” as we refer to ourselves are all healthy and fine. Ricky is now a football player in middle school with lots of little girlfriends and Dusty, more like his dad, is constantly seeking out adventure. Don’t worry, he has the perfect parent to monitor his curiosity.
I am well and working again in television, albeit in private, producing some internet broadcasts for a Dallas company. However, most of my time is spent speaking to kids and young adults around the country on the dangers of addiction. It is something I have to do to complete my journey back from hell.
To all who have watched “TV JUNKIE”, thanks. Thanks for having made it so popular we are receiving thousands of emails and are presently helping, one-on-one, a number of people to get their lives back on track as well. If anyone needs more information please have them visit me at tvjunkie.tv where they can find just about any information they like.
This is the first blog I have ever written to. But after having a few friends forward your review to me personally I couldn’t not write just to say “GOD bless and thank you”.
Sincerely,
Rick Kirkham
“TV Junkie”
Dallas, TX
Hi Rick -
Wow -- I can hardly believe you're writing me. It's like you stepped out of the TV and into my inbox!
Anyway, thank you for taping your life all those years, and for being man enough to show it all to the world.
I was just thinking that many of us have those ugly moments in our lives -- like when your one son was crying when you and Tammy were fighting.
But many of us just forgo showing that side of us and don't even talk about it, prefering to show the world our "pretty" sides.
You, my friend, are a brave soul and are being used so mightily to change lives for the better.
Seriously, God bless you abundantly on this journey to helping so many folks.
Amen.
Take care and much love,
Paula
http://paulamooney.blogspot.com
It must be horrible.. Im very surprise too by the personal reply that he made, because he really is a great man, that has mistakes in his past, but who hasn't.. and now he is helping people, and helping his kids with all that they need in a father, and helpping us to understand that situation, and to make us wanna help too..
I really admire this man, and i've already write to his site to get the DVD, because i can't wait to show it to everyone that i know...
Well, that was too much.. sorry, but i still have every scene in my head.. is shoking.. and so real
Good job in the resume, i really like it..
Natalia (monterrey, México)
I hope you get Oprah down there in Monterrey, México because I just saw that Rick Kirkham is going to be on Monday's Oprah show.
I'm so excited to see it.
I didn't want to sound harsh on Rick when I wrote this post; I don't think it came across how much of a good guy I could tell that he is.
It's just perfectly clear that the demons of drug abuse really beguiled him to use drugs that Rick really didn't even want to use anymore.
Anyway, Oprah is billing it as "The TV Reporter with a secret."
Should be good and help many more folks.
He got what he deserved. RIGHT SCUMHAM?