I had to watch this twice to actually get the jokes! If you've ever watched the venerable Jim Lehrer of The Newshour With Jim Lehrer, you'll know this Southern gent is all business. So when he cracks jokes to introduce PBS's retrospective on American comedy, Make 'Em Laugh, starting in January, it's just bizarre. I'm still interested in it, but Jim, please stick to the sub-prime mortgage crisis, Afghanistan, and news about Obama!
With all of the ACORN and voter registration snafu stories floating around, it's nice to find comfort in the cozy arms of technology. That is to say, if you have a video camera, use it. YouTube and PBS are teaming up to encourage voters to upload any footage of the voting process onto a new website. The Video Your Vote site wants to spark people to "document the energy and excitement, as well as any problems you may see." The best clips will air on PBS.
Some bad-voting situations to be on the lookout for? Excessively long lines, broken voting machines, or "overly aggressive" voter identification procedures. But be careful about local rules before putting on your documentarian hat. Some states aren't excited about having you film — a move that could end up in cuffs. The site has a link to the Citizen Media Law Project to tell you who has laws against what. Florida, Georgia and Michigan all prohibit photos and recording equipment in polling places. Are you planning on recording the day in photo or video?
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is shunning personal chefs and raw-foods-only diets for the joys of home cooking. She recently told People magazine:
I cook all the meals for my house. I really love to cook. Breads and pizzas is what I'm cooking and we all love it. We have a wood-burning pizza oven in our garden. Right now the weather is nice in London, so I'm using that oven a lot. You can cook anything in there. It's amazing.
It's no surprise that Paltrow is so passionate about cooking, her first travel food show, Spain . . . On the Road Again with Mario Batali, debuted on certain PBS stations over the weekend.
The dynamic duo has already signed on to do a second series that will take place in Italy further cementing Gwyneth's love for food.
Did you tune in this past weekend to see the pair eat their way through Spain? What did you think of it, and will you be watching their follow-up in Mario's motherland Italia?
Of course, the actual Mister (Fred) Rogers passed away in 2003, and it has been a comfort to know that we could at least hear his soothing, friendly voice and watch him change his shoes and cardigans every weekday on PBS. But it looks like episodes of the show will dwindle from TV, living on mostly in our memories (and, of course, on YouTube). PBS has plans to change the airing of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood from daily episodes to "a single episode per weekend to member stations."
Unless, that is, Brian Linder's Save Mister Rogers' Neighborhood campaign is successful. A staunch defender of Mister Rogers, Linder writes that the "unfortunate decision" on the part of PBS "essentially silences the special nurturing voice of Mister Rogers in the daily lives of today’s children." He asks Rogers' fans to contact PBS and express displeasure about this move, and to spread the word to friends and family (which could include joining the group on Facebook).
The Save Mister Rogers' Neighborhood campaign even comes with an easy, built-in tag line: Won't you be our neighbor? I mean. . . won't you?
Yesterday I brought you a quick video tour of my behind the scenes look at Hubert Keller's show, Secrets of a Chef. While I was there, I chatted with everyone from executive producer Marjorie Poore to the gals from the Culinary Institute who were prepping the back kitchen. It was an amazing morning and completely fascinating to see a show come together. We were there for a few hours — a teeny amount compared to the cast and crew's long 16 hours days — and I can't wait to tell you guys about what I learned. To check out all the details, just hit the "Start" button.
Recently I had the opportunity to take a behind the scenes look at Hubert Keller's cooking show Secrets of a Chef. Filmed in the Napa Valley, his fantastic PBS show is a mix of great cooking, relaxed presentation, and fun. I was absolutely nervous to meet such a prestigious chef, but it wasn't him I should've been scared of, it was his producer Marjorie Poore!
An award-winning cooking show producer with a meticulous eye for detail, she knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to tell people what that is. In fact, I watched her command Chef Keller to pick up a pot and put it back down five times until the angle was just right. Her technique was thoroughly impressive and the entire crew was a treat to work with.
I'll have more about the experience later, but for now I'll leave you with a video of what it was like. Consider it a little amuse-bouche.
I can't wait to watch PBS's up and coming travel-food show, Spain . . . on the Road Again. The show — which has already been filmed — stars the random, but fabulous foursome of Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, and Claudia Bassols. Although the air date is yet to be determined, more details about the show have been released. According to an article in Advertising Age, the series will:
culminate in an Iron Chef-esque competition emceed by Mr. Batali and Ms. Paltrow. In between visits to the Prado Museum in Madrid, an impromptu chat with starchitect Frank Gehry and countless trips in topless convertibles furnished by Mercedes, Ms. Paltrow lets her newfound appreciation for the less-refined side of food shine.
In an attempt to highlight their "Food With Integrity" slogan, Chipotle has signed on as the show's main sponsor. The fast-food Mexican chain owned by McDonald's wants people to know their commitment to using natural meats and organic products.
While the combination of Chiptole, Gwyneth, and Mario seems odd, I have a feeling the show is going to be amazing. What do you think of the partnership? Are you looking forward to Spain . . . on the Road Again?
Over the weekend, a story in the arts section of the New York Times put forth the argument that public television is less necessary today than ever before. PBS programming — Antiques Roadshow, Nova — feels musty, the story argues, and it's far less important in the scheme of things than it was when there were just three broadcast networks directing the course of TV. Now, on the other hand:
"Cable has changed all that. There are not only countless more channels to chose from now, but many offer the kind of stuff that in the past you could see only on public TV, and in at least some instances they do it better."
Are any of you die-hard PBS viewers? What shows do you watch? And do you think the programming still has its place in the 100+ channel, digital cable world?
A few months ago, I mentioned that Gwyneth Paltrow was heading to Spain with Mario Batali in order to film a show for PBS. Well, for all of you who thought it was too crazy to be true, I have news for you: They've started filming!
That's right, according to the Associated Press, Paltrow and Batali — along with Mark Bittman (aka the New York Times's "Minimalist") and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols — are spending much of the next four months cruising around Spain in a fleet of Mercedes. Their producer, Charles Pinksy, hasn't told them what their itinerary is, but cameras in the cars will capture their reactions.
"It is going to be a road trip as if anybody else was taking a road trip, although we've planned things out. We've got some special things that maybe other tourists might not get a chance to do, as well," Pinsky told a press conference Tuesday in Madrid.
I don't know about you, but I am definitely going to tune in. Batali and Bittman are always worth watching — especially together — and the addition of Paltrow and Bassols should make for very entertaining television. What do you think? Are you going to watch?
There are many ways to get yourself motivated to run! Or even just to exercise in general. If you can’t make it to an actual marathon for inspiration, you can watch Marathon Challenge produced by NOVA for PBS. It is an up close and personal look at normal folks training to run the prestigious Boston Marathon.
The story begins in the summer of 2006, when 13 running newbies begin training for the upcoming race in April 2007. The 13 participants come from diverse backgrounds, one is even a former NFL linebacker, and they all have diverse reasons for running. NOVA watches as the 13 participants train with 3 time Boston Marathon winner Uta Pippig and a former track coach from Tufts University. They even receive nutritional advice from a Tuft prof! You will learn the health benefits as well as the health costs of running such distances - from stress blisters to stress fractures.
This is a real life experiment and one trainee equates his experience to the original physical challenge reality show Survivor. So I expect the show to be part documentary with a heavy dose of reality show drama and I am so excited to watch! Marathon Challenge will premiere Tuesday, October 30 at 8:00 pm on most PBS stations.
To see the dramatic trailer, just read more
