It was seven filmmaker's views on aspects of the music. And there were films made before about the blues and there will other films made about it in the future. But it did bring a focus and a new audience to the music.
The problem is more people might have seen it if it hadn't aired over seven straight days at the same time as the networks were launching their fall schedule. It would have been better over seven weeks during the summer. Just because people watched Ken Burns Civil War day after day doens't mean they will do the same with every documentary series PBS tried to make an event.
The Blues has been supported by a larger advertising campaign (sponsored by Volkeswagon) than most PBS series and has the draw of a number of well known directors, but that could have been spread over six or seven weeks.
At least now, people can buy the DVD set (or check it out at their library) with a wealth of additional material if they miss a film. And in addition to bringing people to the music, it may convince people to check out some of the films by directors involved in the series who aren't as well known like Charles Burnett (unfortunately, his best films like To Sleep With Anger and Killer of Sheep aren't out on DVD) and Marc Levin who directed Slam.
Article comments
1 - JR
"Can we say motherfucker on the air?"
On WETA, the Washington DC PBS station, it was bleeped out.
2 - Eric Olsen
It was bleeped in Cleveland too, which is strange because in the Chess Records episode, Marshall Chess swore like a mofo.