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"Death and the Civil War" - Tonight on PBS

Tonight on the PBS series American Experience, Ric Burns brings us Death and the Civil War, a bleak and wrenching documentary about the 750,000 people who died in the American Civil War. "Never before and never since have so many Americans died in any war, by any measure or reckoning," the narrator says, then Drew Gilpin Faust explains that in today's population that would mean 7 million dead. "What would we as a nation today be like, if we faced the loss of 7 million individuals?" Faust asks. This is a... READ ON

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The Time Douglas Adams Met Jim Henson

"Kermit and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew in the digitally created world of the Muppet Institute of Technology, 1985." -Image © The Jim Henson Company On September 13, 1983, Jim Henson and author Douglas Adams had dinner for the first time. Henson noted the event in his "Red Book" journal, in characteristic short-form style: 'Dinner with Douglas Adams – 1st met.' Over the next few years the men discussed how they might work together -- they shared interests in technology, entertainment, and education,... READ ON

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11 Awkward Canadian Game Shows

Some of America's best-known game show hosts are actually Canadian -- including Alex Trebek, Monty Hall, and Alan Thicke. But in Canada, the game show landscape has featured plenty of painfully weird ways to win a few bucks (sorry, Loonies). Here's a rundown of the most awkward Canadian game shows. 1. Anything You Can Do This early 70s show pitted men against women "physically, mentally, and any other way you can think of." The most awkward element of the show was the requirement that the teams... READ ON

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Survivorman Returns

Image courtesy of Discovery Channel. I'm a big fan of Les Stroud, better known as Survivorman. When his survival show first appeared on Discovery seven years ago, it was a breath of fresh air -- by shooting everything himself (he lugs all the gear with him; no crew), Stroud gave us a voice in the wilderness that was authentic, minimally produced, and very personal. Indeed, this is a show created by, written by, directed by, and starring Les Stroud. He even provides much of the music, and brings along... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Flight of the Conchords

New Zealand hunkthrob band Flight of the Conchords recently recorded a brilliant new song, "Feel Inside (and Stuff Like That)," for charity. Seeing Bret and Jemaine back in action, I thought it was time to look back at some of their greatest hits (and stuff like that). "Feel Inside (and Stuff Like That)" In order to write the song, the guys interviewed a bunch of kids. Favorite lyric? "The? kids who are sick cannot do their hip-hop anymore." In case you don't catch the reference part-way... READ ON

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Betty White's Sweet Two-and-a-Half Hour Interview

The Archive of American Television is a goldmine. Last week I came across their four-and-a-half-hour interview with Mister Rogers; this week let's take a look at their similarly ultra-in-depth interview with Betty White. This is a five-part sit-down with America's TV sweetheart, conducted at her home in 1997 by her agent, Tony Fantozzi. The interview is gentle, funny, smart, and full of trivia I'd never heard about Betty. I hope you have some spare time today to enjoy this. Part 1 From the... READ ON

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Mister Rogers' Epic 9-Part, 4.5-Hour Interview

In 1999, Karen Herman interviewed Fred Rogers for the Archive of American Television. The resulting nine-part (roughly four-and-a-half hour) interview spans the career of the man we've come to know as Mister Rogers. Throughout, Rogers conveys the same gentle, honest wisdom we all expect from the best neighbor ever. It's truly a joy to see such a thoughtful long-form discussion, and Herman truly knows her stuff (she is Director of the Archive, which is affiliated with the Academy of Television Arts &... READ ON

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The Late Movies: The First 7 Videos on MTV

MTV turns 31 today. It launched one minute past midnight on August 1, 1981, with footage of Space Shuttle Columbia and Apollo 11 launches, then the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," spoken by John Lack, one of the creators of MTV. An extended version of the MTV theme riff played, and then we were treated to the first set of music videos on MTV. Tonight, let's remember those early music videos by watching them. In order. First up, here's that intro bit: 0. "Ladies and gentlemen, rock... READ ON

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RIP Sherman Hemsley: 6 Stories About The Jeffersons

Actor Sherman Hemsley has passed away at the age of 74. Raised by a single mom in Philadelphia, the diminutive actor dropped out of high school in order to join the Air Force. After serving four years, he took a job with the U.S. Postal Service during the day for the next eight years while studying acting at various night classes and workshops. He eventually worked his way to Broadway, which is where TV producer Norman Lear spotted him. Unlike many actors who spend a lifetime distancing themselves from... READ ON

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How Many Spider-Men Can Fit Inside a Jamba Juice?

On May 8, 2007, David Letterman asked perhaps the least important question any man could have asked: "How many guys in Spider-Man suits can fit into a Jamba Juice restaurant in New York City?" In order to answer this question, Letterman sent a rather large group of Spider-Men into a Jamba Juice, filming the whole time. This is one of the dumbest, weirdest things I've ever seen. I think about this every few days. When life seems a little low, maybe you should just send some Spider-Men into a juice bar... READ ON