Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Do you realize that it was about a year ago that I launched "Imagineer Quest 2007?" A year. Wow. It's gone so quickly and, quite happily, I heard from my Imagineer contact recently. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to get hired as an Imagineer, and, that's where you come in. I want your ideas. I want your thoughts. I want to know what you would do if you were in my shoes. Then, if I get hired, you could take a Quantum of Solace from the knowledge that you did something to enrich the world.
Sunday, May 25:
8:00 – 9:30PM
National Memorial Day Concert. The yearly spectacle is back, and quite possibly better than ever. It's a tribute, it's a memorial, it's a concert. It's hosted by Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna. Plus, if you get American Forces Radio, it'll be on that too.
9:30PM – 12:00AM
American Experience – "Truman (Part One)". Harry Truman. Doris Day. Red China. Johnny Ray. South Pacific. Walter Winchell. Joe DiMaggio. I could go on, but I don't see the point, only Harry Truman will be covered here (unless the others influence his life during the portion of it covered tonight on this two-parter).
Monday, May 26:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Antiques Roadshow – "Las Vegas (Hour Three)". I've been to Vegas… several times. It's always new and different (not necessarily better, but possibly). I am shocked to think that the series could find much that is old there, at least unless they redefine "old" to me pre-Sinatra.
9:00 – 11:00PM
American Experience – "Truman (Part Two)". Harry Truman. Doris Day. Red China. Johnny Ray. South Pacific. Walter Winchell. Joe DiMaggio. I could go on, but I don't see the point, only Harry Truman will be covered here (unless the others influence his life during the portion of it covered tonight on this two-parter).
Tuesday, May 27:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Nova – “Master of the Killer Ants”. Did you realize that last week the episode was about the "lord" of the ants, and this week it's about the "master" of the killer variety? It all makes me wonder, which ranks higher? I've always heard "my lord and master," I've not heard them separated before.
9:00 – 10:00PM
Frontline – "Crimes at the Border". Lowell Bergman, along with the help of The New York Times investigates human smuggling at the U.S./Mexico border, mainly around Tijuana I'm told. Bergman is actually going to focus the story on one corrupt U.S. border guard.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Independent Lens – "New Year Baby". Socheata Poeuv grew up in this country and didn't know that her family had survived the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. Now, she goes back to learn her family's history.
Wednesday, May 28:
8:00 – 9:00PM
Secrets of the Dead – “Herculaneum Uncovered”. Herculaneum is a city that was covered by the same eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii. Listen to this quote from the press release: “It was engulfed by blistering pyroclastic flows that instantly caused muscles to contract, skin to vaporize and heads to explode.” I’m totally watching this.
9:00 – 10:00PM
Great Performances – "Maestro: Portrait of Valery Gergiev". For those of you who don't know, and I'll just politely refer to you as uncouth heathens, Valery Gergiev is a conductor and the artistic and general director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. But, who is this man? What else has he done? How did he get where he is? You know you want to know.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Eden at the End of the World. That must be what R.E.M. meant. They were in Eden, and they felt fine (it was the end of the world as they knew it). In actuality, it's Patagonia. It's wilderness, it's wild, and covers more than a half million square miles.
Thursday, May 29:
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 – "Las Vegas (Hour Three)". I've been to Vegas… several times. It's always new and different (not necessarily better, but possibly). I am shocked to think that the series could find much that is old there, at least unless they redefine "old" to me pre-Sinatra.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Prince Among Slaves. Mos Def narrates the true story of an African prince who was a slave in Mississippi for 40 years before being able to buy his freedom. Now my description of the show doesn't say when this took place, but do you want to give me odds on it being the twentieth century?
Friday, May 30:
8:00 – 8:30PM
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal #4748. 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 #422. 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 #1208. It’s Bill Moyers. It’s his 1,208th 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
Retirement Revolution – "On Our Own". Over the past several decades retirement has changed. Over the past several decades the notion has changed. It has. We don't need to deny it. As this episode will explain, baby boomers will pretty much have to work out their retirement plans all on their own. Paula Zahn hosts.
Saturday, May 31:
8:00 – 10:00PM
American Soundtrack: Doo Wop's Greatest Hits. I know you think you've seen this before, but you haven't, it's an entirely new compilation of favorite doo wop songs. I don't mean the songs are new, they're not, but the compilation is new. You've probably never heard these songs in this order, and that, as High Fidelity taught me, is very important.
10:00 – 11:00PM
Good Evening Ev'rybody: In Celebration of Louis Armstrong. It's a "never-before-released concert performance" of Mr. Armstrong's. Now, don't confuse that with "never-before-seen," it's been seen before, but not on television, only by the people there at the time. Also by the folks editing the piece, and the producers, and… well, a few others.
Seriously, aren't you the type of person that wants to know that you helped someone else? That you enriched the life of another person? Well, enrich my life. You know what they say, "a friend in need is a friend indeed" and, I think of us as friends, or, at least, I'd like to think of us as friends. Be my friend. Why not? What have you got to lose? Think of the story you could tell your kids.
