Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
I'm constantly amazed at how quickly time goes. We're now halfway through the month of March. March. Halfway through. Once March is finished we'll be one-quarter of the way through 2008. One-quarter. It's amazing. The world seems to go more and more quickly. I guess I can take a Quantum of Solace from the fact that it's been a good year so far.
Sunday, March 16:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Nature – “Deep Jungle 'The Beast Within'”. Wow. This is part three of a three-part miniseries – a miniseries, I tell you – that follows explorers and scientists as they examine life in the jungle. Part three deals with the how the jungle may or may not have affected humanity in the distant past (I'm betting that it did).
9:00PM – 10:30PM
Sarah Brightman: Symphony in Vienna. A repeat of the brand new Sarah Brightman concert. It was taped way back in January of this year in Vienna (if Indiana Jones has taught me anything, that's in Austria). She sings old stuff, she sings new stuff. She sings and sings and sings.
10:30PM – 12:30AM
André Rieu: In Wonderland. I would call this the sequel to Alice's visit, but that was the whole Looking Glass thing. Maybe it's now a trilogy. Fine, fine, it's not Rieu and his orchestra, choir, several soloists, and some really kicking music playing at a theme park in Holland.
Monday, March 17:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Antiques Roadshow – "Tampa (Hour Three)". I wonder if the things that appear at the Roadshow in Tampa are imported by snowbirds from New York. Either that or they recall the moments back in the day when the Buccaneers were a good team.
9:00 – 10:30PM
American Experience – "Ansel Adams". What is there that can be said about Ansel Adams? Actually, a fairly decent amount. Adams' photography is truly outstanding. In this documentary Ric Burns attempts to explore "the meaning and legacy of Adams' life and work."
10:30 – 11:00PM
PBS Previews – "Carrier". PBS isn't going to show you Carrier, they're just going to show you a preview of it (it airs at the end of April and beginning of May). They're going to tantalize you. They're going to intrigue you. They're going to tell you about some of the people on the USS Nimitz.
Tuesday, March 18:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Nova – “Saved by the Sun”. See, Al Gore isn’t necessarily right. The sun is good, warmth is good. I’m not even going to read the description of this episode, because I’m completely and wholly convinced that it’s entirely about how global warming will prevent sad deaths on frozen mountains in the winter — people will be saved by the sun. Yes, that’s the only thing it could possibly be about. It’s certainly not about taking solar energy seriously again due to rising oil prices and trouble in the Middle East. No way.
9:00 – 10:00PM
Frontline – "Secret History of the Credit Card". Oh, the credit card. He's a sly one. He has a secret history. This special originally aired over three years ago, at a time when, according to the synopsis, the average family in this country had 10 credit cards and personal bankruptcies were at an all time high. Think it's any better now? I don't (though I don't think having credit cards is inherently evil).
10:00 – 11:00PM
Independent Lens – "Iron Ladies of Liberia". I'm actually a little curious about this one. You see, it's about Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first freely elected female head of state of Liberia. But, in my mind, that would make this about the "Iron Lady" not "Ladies." Right?
Wednesday, March 19:
8:00 – 8:30PM
PBS Previews – "Carrier". PBS isn't going to show you Carrier, they're just going to show you a preview of it (it airs at the end of April and beginning of May). They're going to tantalize you. They're going to intrigue you. They're going to tell you about some of the people on the USS Nimitz.
8:30 – 9:00PM
Ribbon of Sand. Things change. It's the way of the world. It just happens. Things change. Get used to it. In this documentary Meryl Streep tells us all about how things change off the coast of North Carolina, in North Carolina's Outer Banks, to be specific. The sand shifts, the beautiful islands that exist now may not exist in the future. Things change.
9:00 – 11:00PM
Great Performances – “Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago”. Mr. Clapton – Eric, if you will – and some buds (B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Jeff Beck, and Buddy Guy) play in Chicago. Even Bill Murray is there. I hope he tells some jokes.
Thursday, March 20:
8:00 – 11:00PM
Live From Lincoln Center – "New York City Opera: Madam Butterfly". Get this, the New York City Opera is going to be doing Giacomo Puccini's Madam Butterfly. How awesome is that? I mean, I'm quite sure they've done it before, and quite sure they'll do it again, but it's still something. It's the New York City Opera. It's Giacomo Puccini. It's Madam Butterfly.
Friday, March 21:
8:00 – 8:30PM
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal #4738. 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 chocolate ice cream.
8:30 – 9:00PM
NOW on PBS #412. It’s the Emmy award-winning weekly newsmagazine. 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 #1150. It’s Bill Moyers. It’s his 1,150th 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).
10:00PM – 11:00PM
Journey to Planet Earth – “The State of the Ocean’s Animals”. Jason Bourne is back! This is Matt Damon’s fourth season hosting the show. Can you believe it? Jason Bourne caring about the environment. Humph, this is man who doesn’t care at all for human life, heck, he can’t even remember his own.
Saturday, March 22:
9:00 – 10:00PM
Austin City Limits – “Allison Krauss + Union Station/Kathleen Edwards”. Really? They're adding Allison Krauss and Union Station/Kathleen Edwards. I wonder what happens when you try to do that math. Let's see, Krauss, Station, and Edwards… nope, I have no idea what that would make.
Okay, quite honestly, I can take more than a Quantum of Solace from the fact that it's been a good year so far. Far more than a Quantum of Solace from it. Plus, let's not forget the most important thing we can possibly talk about – the new James Bond movie is due out in just a few short months. Who can wait? I can't wait. I can't, I can't, I can't.
