A Weekend of Television
February 04, 2008
Our son is home for a visit this weekend, so we have sat in front of the television more than usual. This is what we've watched:
- Super Bowl 42 -- My son and wife picked New York to win; I picked New England. Don't get me wrong; I am glad New York won. I just thought New England would find a way to preserve their perfect season. They did not and I think their big heads and inflated egos got in the way of making history with a perfect season. If there is any more boorish coach than New England's Bill Belichick, I haven't seen him in my 57 years of watching football. Make no mistake, however; New York earned their victory. Congratulations to all New York fans everywhere. It was a boring game that became a classic in the last quarter.
- Planet Earth -- Our son gave us this five-DVD, ten-hour compilation of BBC shows about our planet and it proved to be a breathtaking, spectacular series. It featured sixty-minute shows on oceans deep, shallow water oceans, ice worlds, wilderness and so much more. The photography was fantastic and the series had no "edge," refusing to make statements about conservation and the like until the last DVD. All of the series was a visual feast and pure joy to behold.
- The War -- My wife gave me Ken Burns' 15-hour documentary series for Christmas and we finished it over the weekend. Both our fathers served in the Army in WW II, so we watched with special interest as Burns' utilized his story-telling genius to capture the essence of The War. Burns focused on four American towns and the impact the war had on them; the towns were Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; Luverne, Minnesota; and Mobile, Alabama. We lived in Mobile for 14 years, so that view was especially interesting for us. The series included interviews with veterans who served from those four cities. The music, pictures, video clips, interviews and story line brought tears to our eyes on more than one occasion. The series showed that war is hell, but also depicted the devilish nature of the Nazi and Japanese regimes that made the war a necessary evil.
In the last two months, we purchased a new high definition TV and DVD to go with it, so now I suppose I have to put it to good use. Those two series are what I consider good use. There are a few other series I would like to purchase and watch. When I do, I will give you a report as I did here. I would highly recommend either series above, but be prepared to invest a significant chunk of time in watching them all, but it's time well spent.
Technorati Tags: Ken Burns' The War, Planet Earth, Super Bowl 42
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