Island At War
Masterpiece Theatre
In January of 2005 Masterpiece Theatre presented a five-part mini-series titled “Island at War.” This period drama followed the experiences of three British families living in the German occupied Channel Islands during World War II. You may recall that when the series ended there were many questions left unanswered. There was talk of another season of “Island at War.” Unfortunately, the series did not garner much interest when broadcast in the UK and the passing of writer Stephen Mallatratt in 2004 pretty much assured that the loose ends of the story would be left to the imagination of the viewer.
I’ve included a link to an article presented by The Times that you may find interesting, and perhaps it will provide a sense of closure for “Island at War.”
Independent Lens
Mine / New Orleans
As New Orleans celebrates the success of their professional football team and looks to the future, Independent Lens, public television’s award winning forum for independent filmmakers, presents an intimate look at the emotional bond between humans and their pets set against the backdrop of one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history
Read more →Julia Child
French Chef Debut
The French Chef debuted on February 11, 1963 on WGBH in Boston. The series had a successful run of ten years on NET (National Educational Television) making Julia Child the first celebrity in the PBS world.
Read more →Through A Dog's Eyes
Service Animals
The 134th annual Westminister Kennel Club dog show will occur on February 15th and 16th.
Over the years this event has created a programming niche for a cable network, but beyond the carpet, the glare of the lights, the blow dryers, and applause, there are special dogs that captivate our attention and create their own niche in our minds and hearts.
Read more →Academy Award Nominees
P.O.V.
The 82nd annual Academy Awards has selected two PBS documentaries as nominees in the documentary features category. The nominees are “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” and “Food, Inc.” Both documentaries will be featured as part of the P.O.V. series.
Read more →History of the Horse
I received a viewer request for a program about horses and specifically the Apaloosa breed. The series “History of the Horse with Dennis Brouse” is close to completion. The series will look at the special relationship horses have in our world. Read more →
Ken Burns Film
Prohibition
The encore presentation of Ken Burns’ The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is airing Wednesday evenings at 8:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Mountain on KSPS-TV. The next project that Florentine Films is working on is an indepth look at Prohibition. I’ve included a family photo taken in the 1920’s. The location is presumed to be just north of Seattle. My mother-in-law is the small child resting in the basket. Each time the picture re-surfaces from the family’s photo archive the story behind the family gathering becomes more intriguing. English tea was not the beverage of choice in the boneware cups and the rosy cheeks were not the handiwork of a photographer’s art brush. And the smiles? They are the result of Nettie, the young woman holding the tea cup, a child of the Alberta prairies and in her later year’s my wife’s grandmother, who was held in high regards as a “home brewer.”
Read more →Plenty more in the Archives
