Turkey time!

It's a good thing they put America's most trusted tabloid news family at the helm of Thankgsiving parade coverage.

I guess if there'd been a terror attack at Macy's, they'd have cut to 'Miracle on 34th Street.'

From today's New York Times:

NBC did not interrupt its broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade yesterday to bring viewers the news that an M&M balloon had crashed into a light pole, injuring two sisters.

In fact, when the time came in the tightly scripted three-hour program for the M&Ms' appearance, NBC weaved in tape of the balloon crossing the finish line at last year's parade - even as the damaged balloon itself was being dragged from the accident scene. At 11:47 a.m., as an 11-year-old girl and her 26-year-old sister were being treated for injuries, the parade's on-air announcers - Katie Couric, Matt Lauer and Al Roker - kept up their light-hearted repartee from Herald Square, where the parade ends...

At 11:47 a.m., about 7 minutes after the accident, the screen image faded from live coverage of a high school marching band from Kennesaw, Ga., to last year's tape of the M&M balloon. Ms. Couric, advising the audience that it was now looking at old tape, riffed on the balloon's concept of M&M's in distress.

"Now, because of today's windy conditions," Ms. Couric told viewers, "these characters are on video, and if we told you they were not in a panic, we'd be full of hot air."

Mr. Lauer, Ms. Couric's co-anchor on the "Today" show, chimed in: "You may be thinking 'color us clueless' as they flirt with trouble, with Yellow hanging on by a thread and Red struggling to keep his best buddy from flying off into the blue."

Mr. Roker then spoke his lines: "Will these classic candymen get out of this delicious dilemma? Hard to say, but when it comes to sweetness, Yellow and Red continue to melt your heart, but not in your hand."

...After that, it was on to the Pillsbury Doughboy, and, bringing up the rear, Santa and his wife. "Old Saint Nick and Mrs. Claus, his wife of, what, 200 years?" Ms. Couric said. "What a marriage. What a team!"

With that, the parade was over.

"It's obvious the three of us have had a great time today," Mr. Lauer concluded, "and we hope all of you did as well."