Your local PBS station is broadcasting this 3-part series about one of the dumbest social experiments in history. Part One was broadcast last night, but I’m sure you can find it on the PBS rebroadcast schedule. Part One dealt with the run-up to Prohibition. Partly social movement, partly religious imperative, and mostly political chicanery Prohibition had a 14 year run in the U.S. warping values and turning most people into law-breakers. I’m looking forward to Part Two (tonight) and Part Three (Tuesday night). Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area. I’ve enjoyed all of Ken Burns’ documentaries. Prohibition continues his streak of producing compelling historical films. GRADE: A
If you haven’t already read it, I strongly recommend reading Daniel Okrent’s LAST CALL, which is a truly comprehensive history of prohibition, including the decades leading up to the Volstead Act. I didn’t catch this last night, but I understand Okrent is one of Burns’s “talking heads” in the documentary.
Thanks for the recommendation of LAST CALL, Deb. I’ll order a copy today. Sounds like a fascinating book.
Glad to hear it was worth DVRing it. Too much to watch on Sunday nights. How did that become the go to night for every TV show we like.
Monday used to be the “go-to” night, Patti. Now it’s Sunday. Go figure.
Didn’t watch it either. That’s what On Demand is for. Also, as George pointed out PBS does tend to repeat these shows, and we have three PBS stations all with different schedules.
I liked THE CIVIL WAR best of all of Burns’s documentaries, but then I’m a Civil War buff from childhood.
Burns’ JAZZ series was wonderful, too, Jeff. In fact, I’ve enjoyed all of Burns’ documentaries.
I took a pass on Desperate Housewives – even if it is the last season – and watched Prohibition. It was excellent. And, following the “encore” presentation, the local PBS station had a Milwaukee historian and local folks sharing family lore of the impact of Prohibition in Milwaukee, beer capital of the US. I was fascinated.
Wow! I wish our local PBS station had done something in that vein, Beth. Plenty of booze was smuggled over the border from Canada in those days. I can’t wait to see PART TWO and PART THREE.
I’m a big Ken Burns fan, especially of The Civil War. Watched this last night.
Ken Burns can do no wrong in my book, Stan. All of his documentaries have been outstanding.
I watched it too, and thought it excellent. That follow-up program sounds great, Beth. I’ll be watching again tonight.
Your mail carrier may get a hernia lifting that BOUCHERCON box I sent you, Rick. You might want to have the fork-lift ready when it arrives today or tomorrow.
Arrived this afternoon, George. Good grief! I’ll send you an email.
JAZZ drove me up a wall, as Burns relied in his total ignorance of the subject almost exclusively on Stanley Crouch and Wynton Marsalis (NOT, on balance, the most evenhanded of observers) for his guidance through the subject matter (and the best parody of JAZZ had Crouch and Marsalis goofily pronouncing everything to be “like butter”). While THE CIVIL WAR certainly had its points (though I was never swept up in it), that it scored such record ratings for PBS has made the network entirely too willing to kick themselves in the ass for anything he’s proposed since, however he wants to do it.
And, indeed, prohibition definitely had some sensible roots, if not too-well-thought-out ones…spousal abuse did seem to be enabled, at least, quite widely by alcohol abuse…and though it clearly wasn’t the root problem by itself, yet another in the long history of the meliorative half-measure fighting with really digging in and solving something.
I’ll have to bow to your superior knowledge of JAZZ, Todd. I know Stanley Crouch can be a bit cranky. But I’m amazed JAZZ got made at all. You’re probably right about THE CIVIL WAR giving Burns the clout at PBS to do pretty much whatever he wants.
I’m with Todd on Jazz – I didn’t much care for the film series and after buying the giant book and skimming it, gave it away. “Baseball” struck me as being too long but was very interesting. I loved Civil War, Lewis & Clark, National Parks, The West, most of the others.
I didn’t think last night part 2 of Prohibition was as interesting as part 1, but I’ll be watching again tonight.
You and Todd have vastly more knowledge of JAZZ than I do, Rick. Giving a book away…shocking!
Burns reached his peak with The Civil War. His WWII series was lame. Saw some of Prohibition and liked it.