Tag Archives: American Experience

Monopoly Has a Secret History and It’s Ruthless on PBS

“It was supposed to be a critique of capitalism.  It turned out to be a celebration of it.” Ever play Monopoly as a kid?   Ever actually win the game?  Or did every sit-down with America’s “favorite board game” begin with … Continue reading

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Director Anna Lee Strachan Unzips the History of Jeans in Riveted on PBS

“You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins?  Nothing!”–actress Brooke Shields. Ms. Shields’ seductive pose and vampish delivery in that controversial 1980 TV commercial shocked the nation.  She was only 15 at the time, but her fetching … Continue reading

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The Double Life of Pioneer Codebreaker Exposed on PBS

“If we missed her, who else are we missing.” She had big dreams. But as a young Midwestern woman growing up during the last decade of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th, she needed more than … Continue reading

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1920 Bombing of Wall Street Revisited on American Experience

The parallels are unsettling.  Immigrant profiling and deportation.  American workers embittered by a profiteering moneyed class. Homegrown terrorists schooled in bomb-making and rhetoric by foreign-born anarchists. Russia vs. the F.B.I. As revisited in the fascinating new documentary, The Bombing of … Continue reading

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Teddy Roosevelt and Director John Maggio Travel Into the Amazon on PBS

In 1914, after suffering a stinging defeat two years before in the Presidential election of 1912, former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt gave up his dream to serve an unprecedented third term in office and focused his wanderlust on the Brazilian Amazon … Continue reading

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PBS Rebroadcasts The Boys of ’36 on American Experience

Yes, I’m on vacation and I’m surrounded by water…the optimum venue from which to give you a shout-out about the rebroadcast of American Experience’s rousing documentary about Olympic rowers.  The Boys of ’36 reruns on PBS tonight, Tuesday, August 1, 2017, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET. … Continue reading

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American Experience Remembers The Boys of ’36

I’m writing this blog post from the second floor porch of a Victorian B&B in Ocean Grove, NJ, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. There’s a brisk wind off the ocean today, but the sparkling white caps and the fishing boats hovering close to shore hold promise … Continue reading

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American Experience Tackles Walt Disney on PBS

Walt Disney always reminded me of my childhood pediatrician. And that was a very good thing. Not only did they look alike, but both men were, in fact, passionate healers who never lost their ability to speak to the needs of children… … Continue reading

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Last Days in Vietnam Not To Be Missed on American Experience

I’ve always been fascinated by the offspring of super achievers. If their moms, dads, grandparents or great grandparents are heavy hitters in politics, the arts, medicine, sports, the military or scholarly pursuits, these kids have quite an act to follow. Independent filmmaker Rory Kennedy, … Continue reading

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The Big Burn Lights a Fire on PBS

“The question of forest fires, like the question of slavery … sooner or later, it must be faced.”  So said Gifford Pinchot, the zealous conservationist who founded the U.S. Forest Service in 1905. The back story and legacy of the … Continue reading

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