All Thing PBS

[Karina1974]

How was it? I had to record it and I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to watch, but definitely not before part 2 airs tonight.

I won't "spoil" you, but I will say that it was intense from an emotional perspective.

[leesaleesa]

But for most history, science and travel shows, the cable networks have made the PBS productions obsolete.

When I worked for Comcast, I had every station available, and still went to PBS when I wanted to watch anything History themed. The History channel tends to show reality TV, at least when I am able to tune in.

I agree that PBS has the most content if you actually care to learn something: I saw a great documentary about Appalachia called Country Boys, sat through a full week of History and the Jews, spent several weeks enthralled by Surviving the Iron age, stayed home on a Sunday to catch An American family, caught a Rick Steve's travelouge on Plitevice, enjoyed cooking shows with Daisy Martinez, Jaques Pepin, and Martin Yan.

Cable? Well, the History channel had Ice road truckers, Swamp people, and some show set in Alaska about a drunk guy looking for gold in a glory hole. That's not history, It's reality TV. The cooking channel had the annoying Guy Fieri and Puala Dean, and I love Adam Richman, but the poor guy has to resort to extreme eating to have a hook. Never saw much about travel on any channel.

[skipaway]

The book that the "Death and the Civil War" documentary is based on the brilliant "This Republic of Suffering" by Drew Gilpin Faust, one of the best books written about the American Civil War, IMO. http://www.amazon.com/This-Republic-.../dp/037540404X

:

Have the book on my iPad. It's excellent.

[Karina1974]

Cable? Well, the History channel had Ice road truckers, Swamp people, and some show set in Alaska about a drunk guy looking for gold in a glory hole. That's not history, It's reality TV. The cooking channel had the annoying Guy Fieri and Puala Dean, and I love Adam Richman, but the poor guy has to resort to extreme eating to have a hook. Never saw much about travel on any channel.

I've noticed that a LOT of the cable stations that centered around a certain theme (AMC, TLC, A&E, Game Show Network, SciFi, MTV, Court TV for example) really moved away from the original premise of the channel. I wish there was a la carte cable, where you can pick and choose which channels you want. I went all the way down to Basic with my cable, because I haven't the $$$ to waste on a bunch of channels I'm not even watching.

[Artemis@BC]

I think TLC has strayed the furthest from their original mandate. All the other cable basic channels still have some nuggets of decent programming, but I can't believe they can still call themselves the Learning channel.

[lulu]

I think TLC has strayed the furthest from their original mandate. All the other cable basic channels still have some nuggets of decent programming, but I can't believe they can still call themselves the Learning channel.

What, you mean "Honey Boo Boo Child" isn't high quality t.v.? I watched the Duggar franchise for snarking purposes a few seasons ago, but even that has gotten boring and repetative.

[Latte]

I watch a lot of PBS.
I even started watching Opera this year.
I watch Masterpiece(of course), History Detectives, a lot of musical specials, nature, Great Americans, sometimes POV or Frontline, depending on what the story is.
Oh, I am going blank righ now, but, I do watch a lot of others also.

[Jasmar]

Masterpiece, for sure. There's also a British sitcom about a family with three kids (NOT "My Family" - cant stand that dreck) that's really funny. I wish I could remember the name. It looked like it was going to be really stupid, but I think I was sick that day so I watched anyway, and it turned out to be really good.

[PDilemma]

Masterpiece, for sure. There's also a British sitcom about a family with three kids (NOT "My Family" - cant stand that dreck) that's really funny. I wish I could remember the name. It looked like it was going to be really stupid, but I think I was sick that day so I watched anyway, and it turned out to be really good.

Outnumbered.

It is good.

I just (finally) watched the first two episodes of Downton Abbey season one on DVD. I am really going to need to catch up completely before the new season starts!

[Artistic Skaters]

I watch PBS almost every day. I like the documentaries the best, especially Ken Burns, American Masters, POV & the nostalgic sometimes off-beat Rick Sebak films.

[Jasmar]

Yes, Outnumbered, thank you! I love that show. (Off to see if it's online anywhere as I sit here - sick again - looking for something to relieve the boredom)

[aliceanne]

My local PBS station has 3 channels and they show all of the popular shows Sunday evening - Great Performances, Masterpiece Theater, all of the BBC comedies and dramas. The rest of the week it has obscure arts and crafts or cooking shows. I don't know if it is financial or they just think people won't watch Downton Abbey on Thursday night. To me it would make more sense to have one channel and spread the content out throughout the week.

[A.H.Black]

Without any references to opinions that should be expressed on the Politically Incorrect page - I enjoyed the Frontline program about the Presidential candidates this evening. I was able to watch both portrayals of the candidates without feeling like Frontline had an agenda in favor or against either one.

[lulu]

Without any references to opinions that should be expressed on the Politically Incorrect page - I enjoyed the Frontline program about the Presidential candidates this evening. I was able to watch both portrayals of the candidates without feeling like Frontline had an agenda in favor or against either one.

I wasn't home to watch it this evening, but I remember the one they showed in 2008 for McCain & Obama, and I thought that one was very well done.

[moojja]

Without any references to opinions that should be expressed on the Politically Incorrect page - I enjoyed the Frontline program about the Presidential candidates this evening. I was able to watch both portrayals of the candidates without feeling like Frontline had an agenda in favor or against either one.

I agree, I learned a lot about both candidates.

[lulu]

Anyone watching "The Dust Bowl"? I'm learning a lot

[Cachoo]

I watched the second part tonight and saw bits of the first half. I am so impressed by those folks who weathered all of those years of drought. And there are times when I am reminded why FDR is my favorite president. So many people have talked about starving to death during the 30's if it were not for government assistance: We talk about a lot of help the government can provide but we don't talk about starving to death in our time but it certainly was a possibility then. As usual Ken Burns is both interesting and informative.

[mrr50]

I watched The Dust Bowl and thought it superb.

[Alixana]

I watched The Dust Bowl and thought it superb.

Ditto. How wonderful to actually learn something from TV. (Although I have to admit I PVR Dancing with the Stars and the Voice too.) .

[kittyjake5]

I watched The Dust Bowl and thought it superb.

I watched too. A part of U.S. history that needed to be told, thank you to Ken Burns and PBS.