PBS

Films, TV shows, and books of the 'modern' era
RedRiver
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Re: PBS

Post by RedRiver »

Burns' World War Two program was fine too. At least, what I saw of it.
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Lucky Vassall
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Re: PBS

Post by Lucky Vassall »

"Lucky--have you seen Burns' The Dust Bowl (2012)?"

Yes, Moira, I saw and greatly enjoyed it. I don't think I've missed any of his docs, and he's never disappointed. Even the Baseball doc was entertaining, and I'm not a fan of the national spurt.

I do sincerely thank you for supplying the connection to the Dust Bowl thread. It just now made for some delightful reading and brought back many memories of the doc. I keep forgetting that there are thousands of threads buried in the past but available if you have the patience to do a search.

Agree about the Kennedy Honors and their deserved place in a future lineup.
[size=85]AVATAR: Billy DeWolfe as Mrs. Murgatroid, “Blue Skies” (1946)

[b]“My ancestors came over on the Mayflower.”
“You’re lucky. Now they have immigration laws."[/b]
[i]Mae West, The Heat’s On” (1943[/i])

[b]:–)—[/b]
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moira finnie
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Re: PBS

Post by moira finnie »

OK--we saw part of the PBS special last night promoting the new season of Downtown Abbey. Who was the stoned-looking woman with the long curly red hair and the expressionless weird voice who was hosting the show? The disconnect between DA, the dialogue the host delivered, and her manner of delivery was one of the most bizarre things I've seen in some time.
I believe you are referring to Bernadette Peters, who seems to have been zonked during the taping of that program, Kingrat. Peters, who has proven herself a great singer in the past (she was in the original casts of Mack & Mabel and Into the Woods, among other Broadway hits), really doesn't evoke "Downton Abbey" for me either. I've no idea what they were thinking of but around here the program was interrupted every 10 minutes for our local PBS station to put out the begging bowl. Whoever thought that December was a good time to hit people up for donations for public tv should have their head examined (right after Bernadette gets through with the neurologist, that is).
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movieman1957
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Re: PBS

Post by movieman1957 »

I saw the promo for that show and knew right off it was Bernadette but managed to miss the show itself.

As far as beg-a-thons go they seem to come more frequently. In my neck of the woods we have three PBS stations and they don't always do them at the same time or for the same length. So, it can seem endless.

When I see a promo for 50's music, better ways to eat, Wayne Dyer or "Behind The Scenes of ______" We are in for it. I wonder if people send money to get them to stop?
Chris

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moira finnie
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Re: PBS

Post by moira finnie »

movieman1957 wrote:When I see a promo for 50's music, better ways to eat, Wayne Dyer or "Behind The Scenes of ______" We are in for it. I wonder if people send money to get them to stop?
Ha!

Doo Wop music seems to have one helluva big audience during pledge months, doesn't it? I am always leery when they schedule Downton marathons around here too. It usually means that we are going to see some canned moments of our local PBS staff pretending that they are caught up in the drama while telling us that if we ever want to see Maggie Smith drop some bon mots again, we better pony up.
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moira finnie
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Re: PBS

Post by moira finnie »

Downton Abbey Spoilers Be Here:

Okay, is it me, or has Lady Mary's habitual self-absorption reached new heights this season on Downton Abbey? When she decided to take her potential future husband for a test drive during an assignation at a hotel, she never bats an eye inveigling her maid to help her--even though Anna is clearly ill at ease. I'm just amazed that birth control was legal in the UK at a time when we Puritans in the U.S. were still tossing Margaret Sanger & her ilk in the pokey for such heresy. Also, when is the simmering enmity between Mary & Edith going to crest and break out into open warfare?

If the Downton creators think that Richard E. Giant's smarmy art historian is a threat to Cora & Robert's mellow love in the minds of viewers, they better think again...besides, Robert's more concerned that the interloper is flirting with Isis than the Duchess. Isis isn't looking so hot, btw. I'm worried that he's heading to the kennel in the sky before revealing Barrow's long ago duplicity to curry favor. Speaking of the Wiley Thomas, he's looking awfully human lately, isn't he?
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MissGoddess
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Re: PBS

Post by MissGoddess »

Will Thomas's tenuously emerging "humanness" extend to keeping him from blowing the whistle on Bates? I only wonder because Anna was so nice to him in that one scene.
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Jezebel38
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Re: PBS

Post by Jezebel38 »

kingrat wrote:
Mary's cowardice in not buying the contraceptive device will surely work out badly for Anna and Bates.
How simple would it have been for her to just leave it in the hotel room, or toss it in the trash at the train station? But no, in addition to having Violet's butler just happen to be in Liverpool and standing on the street across from the hotel at the exact moment the two leave the hotel (oh sure), they bring the diaphragm home to Downton Abbey? Sheesh...
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Masha
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Re: PBS

Post by Masha »

Our PBS station has begun airing six-episode series: Grantchester.

It is vicar-as-detective stories but bear little similarity to: Father Brown which I love dearly. This vicar is young and a little brash and quite very handsome. I should mention that he is handsome. He has a certain naive charm also. Did I say that he is handsome? He is. Quite.

The first episode only has aired and I have watched it once only and so I can not say if they are fair mysteries which could be solved by viewers. I did not guess murderer. I may watch it again so as to determine if I missed vital clue or if solution was pulled from hat.

There is element of soap opera to episode because it begins with him and young lady enjoying a day as courting couples do and at later meeting she tells him that she has become engaged to a wealthy man. She gives him a puppy as consolation prize. I dearly hope this relationship does not burn much time in episodes.

There is crotchety housekeeper and recalcitrant police detective which I believe are staples of British period mystery series. Mrs. Hudson was very nice but I believe that for all series since there has been insistence that housekeepers be grumpy, argumentative and nosy.

I do not give recommendations lightly but I will say that those whose tastes run to British mysteries should check their local schedules to see if this is being aired also by your PBS station.
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movieman1957
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Re: PBS

Post by movieman1957 »

Having a long line of British mysteries in my viewing history I'm always looking for something new. Thanks. Will check it out.
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MissGoddess
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Re: PBS

Post by MissGoddess »

I've heard that Netflix will be discontinuing all its BBC titles soon. :(
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
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knitwit45
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Re: PBS

Post by knitwit45 »

Get thee to Acorntv.com....posthaste! (Pre-haste? Hastily? ). Oh phooey, go check it out. It features almost all British movies and TV shows, some old, some new. "Vera" is outstanding, "Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries" is my favorite, all of the Hercule Poirots, and..."Foyle's War"!! Just some of the available programs, all for $4.99 a month.

"Grantchester" looks like one that could grow with the Vicar. He is quite dishy, too...

I truly hope Lady Mary gets knocked down three or four rungs. She has set up Anna for disaster, hasn't she. Edith's anguish is heartrending, and Mary just adds to it.
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