Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
It is with more than a little sadness that I tell you that this will be my second-to-last PBS in Primetime listing. This is actually the 170th straight week that I've written the column, and, despite the fact that I've greatly enjoyed doing them, this does seem like the right time to let someone else take over the reins. More on that later though.
Sunday, March 14:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Nature – "What Females Want and Males Will Do.” Do males in the animal world pick the females or do the females pick the males? Perhaps, just perhaps, it's a mite more complex than that. I don't know, but there are tons of scientists out there that are desperately trying to find out. It seems as though the females pick, but it's not quite as simple as all that. Watch and find out.
9:00 – 10:30PM
The Blitz: London's Longest Night. This repeat delves into exactly what transpired on December 29, 1940. That night, the Luftwaffe dropped tens of thousands of incendiary bombs on the city. For this show, eyewitness accounts were researched and then used to help put together a complete – yet intimate – picture of what took place.
10:30 – 11:00PM
Yellowstone: Land to Life. Forget the land, it's all about the pic-i-nic baskets (provided that darn Ranger doesn't stop Yogi and Boo Boo from getting them). Actually, I shouldn't jest, this special was filmed over the course of two years and covers every season (perhaps twice) in the park.
Monday, March 15:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Antiques Roadshow – "Baltimore (Hour Two)". I used to live in Baltimore. I know about antiques in Baltimore. The city mentality is antique. The city's actions are antique. The city's persona is antique. And, none of that is antique in a good way, it's all, frankly, just old and outdated.
9:00 – 10:00PM
Time Team America – "New Philadelphia, Illinois." Another week and another episode. This time out, our team has three days… only three days… to discover everything they can about "Free Frank" McWorter, a freed slave, and the town he founded. Can the team accomplish their mission? I'm betting they can.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Time Team America – "Range Creek, Utah." One nights, two episodes?!? Wow! This time out, our team has three days… only three days… to unearth and examine the remains of the Fremont Indians, a group of Native Americans who vanished 1,000 years ago (give or take).
Tuesday, March 16:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Nova – “First Flower”. Wow. Nova is going to look for the origins of the flower. Have they completely run out of stories? Is there nothing left in the world of science, except sending people globetrotting all over creation (in this case a remote mountain region of China) searching for where the first flower came from? They are children starving in this world, people.
9:00 – 10:00PM
The Natural History of the Chicken. Listen, I tried not to do make this joke, I really did. I wrote this paragraph over and over and over again and every time I decided that I had to do a version of this joke. So, here it is, in its least offensive form: If they put the band back together and make another episode on the natural history of the egg, will it be a sequel or a prequel?
10:00 – 11:00PM
Independent Lens – "Butte, America." I know what you're thinking because I thought it too. You're thinking to yourself, "boy that America, she's a Butte," but I think that's really pretty insensitive. This hour is going to tell you all about Butte, the town that "plumbed and electrified America." Without Butte, we'd all be visiting outhouses – bet you feel pretty foolish about your mocking comments now.
Wednesday, March 17:
8:00 – 11:00PM
Great Performances at the Met – "The Barber of Seville." Is this a repeat? Yes, yes it is, but let's face it, it's not like The Barber of Seville was new when this episode first aired. This particular performance has, I'm told, the greatest Rossini tenor of our time. That's right, the greatest one.
Thursday, March 18:
8:00 – 9:00PM
The This Old House Hour – Episode TBA. It’s This Old House and Ask This Old House. It’s like maintenance… for your home. Wait, no, that’s exactly what it is. That doesn’t mean it’s not awesome though. Seriously, The This Old House Hour is one of the finest home improvement hours on PBS. No joke.
9:30 – 10:00PM
Antiques Roadshow – "Baltimore (Hour Two)". I used to live in Baltimore. I know about antiques in Baltimore. The city mentality is antique. The city's actions are antique. The city's persona is antique. And, none of that is antique in a good way, it's all, frankly, just old and outdated.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Synchronized Swimming: The Pursuit of Excellence. Wow, they made a joke for me, thanks guys!
Friday, March 19:
8:00 – 8:30PM
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal #4937. Another whole week has gone by and good old Gwen Ifill and National Journal are here to fill us in. For the record, I like to pretend the National Journal is a sidekick, like Robin to Batman, Starsky to Hutch, or chocolate sauce to Double Dutch Chocolate ice cream.
8:30 – 9:00PM
NOW on PBS #612. It’s the Emmy award-winning weekly news magazine. It looks at issues facing our democracy. The show is hosted by David Brancaccio. And, even better, they still send me e-mails (I think that makes me cool and them nice). Thanks, Now, you guys are awesome!
9:00 – 10:00PM
Bill Moyers Journal #1347. It’s Bill Moyers. It’s his 1,347th journal (not really, but I’m not going to explain to you the way in which TV shows are numbered at this point in time, maybe later if you’re nice). He’s a good journalist so I assume this will be good journalism (at least the odds are it will).
10:00 – 11:00PM
Time Team America – "New Philadelphia, Illinois." Three episodes in one week!?! Okay, they already showed this episode this week, but still, our team has only three days to discover everything they can about "Free Frank" McWorter, a freed slave, and the town he founded. Can the team accomplish their mission? I'm betting they can.
Saturday, March 20:
9:00 – 10:00PM
Austin City Limits – "Norah Jones". She's a singer. She's a songwriter. She's just plain awesome. You like her. I like her. Austin City Limits likes her, and that's why she's back again. You know you want to hear her sing. I certainly do
Over the course of the past three plus years I have written on a lot of nonsensical topics, but the one I'm most proud of is the famed "Imagineer Quest," and that it actually led to my getting to speak to one of that vaunted group. Quite honestly, I still believe that those men and women have the greatest job in the world and there's little I wouldn't do to become one of them.
