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This week's Imagineer Quest 2007 update…
As I stated last week, Imagineer Quest 2007 has been a complete success. This week, it got even better; previously I had received an e-mail from an Imagineer willing to talk to me, and this week I spent nearly 30 minutes on the phone with him. What can I tell you about it? What did he say? It's all about hard work, perserverance, and doing what you love. Will it be easy for me to become an Imagineer? No, no it won't, but that does not mean it won't happen.
Sunday, June 22:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Nature – “Cloud’s Legacy: The Wild Stallion Returns.” If going to the movies has taught me anything, and I’m not sure that it has but go with me here, it’s that Wyld Stallyns Rule! And that should be reason enough to watch this.
9:00 – 10:30PM
Mystery! “Miss Marple, Series III”. Ever since watching Murder By Death years ago, see it if you haven’t, I can’t take Miss Marple seriously. I don’t have the same problem with Charlie Chan or Sam Spade or any of the other guys, but Miss Marple and I are through. It’s sad really, because back in the day, when I was just a lad at boarding school, she and I, well, you know.
10:30 – 11:00PM
PBS Previews: The War. This is exactly what it says it is, a behind the scenes look at an upcoming PBS Documentary entitled The War. It’s about World War II, not World War I, The War on Terror, the War of the Worlds, or The War of the Roses.
Monday, July 23:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Antiques Roadshow – “Portland (Hour Two).” Wow, Oregon. No one ever said that the Roadshow didn’t go to the ends of the Earth, and I’ve heard that Portland, Oregon is that. Much like with past cities, I’m not saying anything bad about Portland here, I actually really applaud the show for thrusting this otherwise benign city into the national spotlight. Maybe there’ll be a really swell rocking chair from 1821 to be found in Portland.
9:00 – 10:00PM
History Detectives. For some reason when I think of these detectives, Encyclopedia Brown always comes to mind. I have no idea why that is, but I’m quite curious. Do any of you know why I might always think of Encyclopedia Brown when I’m thinking of the History Detectives? Please comment below.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Simon Schama’s Power of Art – “Turner.” This episode focuses on how the artist in question went from colorizing every movie in existence (TNT) to insisting they all remain black and white (TCM). When you talk about the power of art, there is nothing more controversial than this.
Tuesday, July 24:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Nova scienceNOW. So, two weeks ago, episode four of season two aired. Last week, they aired episode three of season two. This week, it’s episode five of season two. Is this one of those you have to go back to go forwards thing? Is it a you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been kind of thing? Or, is it just a if you don’t know history you’re doomed to repeat it kind of thing.
9:00 – 10:00PM
Wide Angle – “The Sand Castle.” Sheikh Ras al-Khamiah wants to build a new capital city in the middle of the desert. He’s in the UAE (United Arab Emirates). He has hired a Norwegian architectural firm to do the work. Watch what happens.
10:00 – 11:00PM
P.O.V. – “Prison Town, USA.” Back in the 1990s it was apparently quite fashionable to build prisons. There was a prison building boom, in which a new prison opened every 15 days. This is the story of one town that built a prison and what happened there.
Wednesday, July 25:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Hairworld: The Pursuit of Excellence. Sorry to make you recall last week again, but this is what I wrote then, following the airing two weeks ago of Synchronized Swimming: The Pursuit of Excellence and last week’s Ferrets: The Pursuit of Excellence: “please insert your own ‘actually I’m holding out for Such-and-Such: The Pursuit of Excellence joke here, there are a number of really great choices that I have off the top of my head, but I’m sure I’m missing some outstanding ones, feel free to comment below.” I’d like to thank PBS for playing my little game and hands-down declare them the winner.
9:00PM – 10:00PM
American Masters – “John James Audubon: Drawn From Nature.” Bon. Audobon. An in-depth look at the American version of the suave British super-spy. His catchphrase: “Budweiser… bottle, not can.”
10:00 – 10:30PM
PBS Previews: The War. Because we, as a society, can never get enough of war.
10:30 – 11:00PM
At Close Range with National Geographic. It’s a look at how one photographer for the aforementioned magazine, Joel Sartore, chooses pictures to accompany stories. He does it with the help of photo editors in Washington, DC. They’re thinking of farming it out to India, but are worried people would complain about it being “National” Geographic then.
Thursday, July 26:
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.
9:00 – 10:00PM
Antiques Roadshow – “Portland (Hour Two).” Wow, Oregon. No one ever said that the Roadshow didn’t go to the ends of the Earth, and I’ve heard that Portland, Oregon is that. Much like with past cities, I’m not saying anything bad about Portland here, I actually really applaud the show for thrusting this otherwise benign city into the national spotlight. Maybe there’ll be a really swell rocking chair from 1821 to be found in Portland.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Soundstage (2006-2007) – “Jewel From the Rialto Square Theatre (Part 2).” Jewel sings some more. Needless to say, it’ll be a night without armor.
Friday, July 27:
8:00 – 8:30PM
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal #4704. 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 #330. 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 #1116 – It’s Bill Moyers. It’s his 1,116th 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 – 10:30PM
Exposé: America’s Investigative Reports #206. Each episode in this series focuses on journalistic investigations and the people that went and did them. I think it’s a dying art in this country, we’re all far too interested in the cheap hit than the in-depth story.
10:30 – 11:00PM
Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers – “Hydrogen Hopes.” Hydrogen fuel is, allegedly, the future. What will it take to make the future the present, the present the past, and the past a distant, unpleasant, memory?
Saturday, July 28:
9:00 – 10:0PM
Austin City Limits – “Modest Mouse/Guided By Voices.” I have it on no authority whatsoever that Modest Mouse is in fact guided by voices. My lack of authority tells me that it’s actually Mighty Mouse that guides Modest Mouse via a hearing aid in Modest Mouse’s left ear that helps Modest Mouse on his quest to be like Mighty Mouse. Because, after all, if you want to be like Mighty Mouse, who better to teach you than Mighty Mouse and to be guided by Mighty's voice?
So, that may be it for Imagineer Quest 2007 for a while. The time has come for me to return to being within myself, to work on what needs to be worked on for me to become an Imagineer, and then for me to let you all know that everything has been accomplished. Don't expect to hear from me next week on the subject, but know this — I am working on it, I've spoken to an Imagineer about it all, and one day, it will happen. Thank you all for bearing with me through this quest, and know this, the most important thing of all: When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme, when you wish upon a star as dreamers do. (Fate is kind, she brings to those who love the sweet fulfillment of their secret longing). Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you thru, when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.
