Downton Abbey

By now, you may have heard of the PBS (yes, you heard me right) show that's been attracting an impressive following: "Downton Abbey," a British import that chronicles the lives of an aristocratic family and their servants in the years leading up to World War I and during it. Here's a quick trailer for Season 1:

Season 2 just finished airing on PBS last month. In case you missed the show, the library has both seasons on DVD. You can find them on the DVD shelves that house our TV shows under DVD TV DOWNTON. We've also got the book on the show, The World of Downton Abbey.

I recently started watching "Downton" out of curiosity. Now I'm hooked. You come to care greatly for all the characters and the few villainous characters there are, you love to hate. Even then, you can grudgingly see where their bad attitudes come from. Upstairs, benevolent patriarch Lord Grantham (played by Hugh Bonneville) oversees his brood, which includes his mother, wife and three daughters. Downstairs, the dignified Mr. Carson does the same with his small army of staff.

In Season 1, the ill-fated Titanic has taken with it the heir to Downton Abbey. The rules of inheritance shift Downton's fate into the hands of a unknown third cousin, Matthew Crawley, a lawyer working in Manchester. The fact that he is unlanded and employed (gasp!) is cause for great consternation.

The show examines, among other things, issues of class and gender at the time. Be prepared; the first episode starts out slow and it takes a while to warm up to the show but by the end of Episode 1, you'll be flipping over to Episode 2 and pushing "Play." It may be a period piece, but it's written in a way that feels thoroughly modern and relevant. No stodgy, boring portrayals here; just well-written, absorbing fun. There is drama, romance, and humor — all PG-rated, of course (this is PBS) — but engrossing nevertheless.

But you don't have to take my word for it

For many of us, just the first few beats of the Reading Rainbow out is enough to bring back fond memories of the long-running PBS children's' show that fostered a love of learning and reading.

For Reading Rainbow's entire run from 1983 to 2009, it boasted the same host, the imminently likable LeVar Burton. The world may know Burton as the actor who played the slave Kunta Kinte in the blockbuster TV miniseries Roots and Trekkers (or Trekkies) may know him as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series, but Reading Rainbow fans know him as the guy who always always said, "But you don't have to take my word for it," before segueing to book reviews from kids like ourselves.

(Want to revisit some of those Reading Rainbow book picks? We've got a fair number in our collection.)

The show may have gone off the air three years ago, but Burton's stayed busy with other TV-related projects. He also made an especially memorable cameo on the quirky NBC show "Community" last year, playing himself — much to the distress of a hilariously shell-shocked Troy Barnes, a character who has long adored Burton from afar.

Chatter around Burton has picked up in recent weeks due to news he's bringing Reading Rainbow back to the masses, only this time reconfigured for the digital age. As part of the effort, last month Burton successfully nabbed the @readingrainbow Twitter handle. On Burton's website RR Kidz, he reports that the show will be reincarnated as a book-related mobile app, ensuring that Reading Rainbow continues its mission of teaching kids that, just as the song says, they can go anywhere and be anything.

HBO boosts book sales (again) with latest book-TV series

With their latest foray into fantasy, HBO's "Game of Thrones", based on author George R.R. Martin's epic novels, was nominated for an Emmy for best drama series on Thursday. The author's series itself is titled A Song of Ice and Fire, of which Dance with Dragons (SF MARTIN) is the fifth of what will likely be seven or eight total volumes. "Game of Thrones" has not only renewed interest in the books, it has made Martin the latest celebrity author on a level rarely seen by writers--J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, John Grisham, Stephenie Meyer are a few exceptions--as was witnessed only a few days ago at an author book signing in NYC. You can read about it here in this article and see what Martin himself thinks of his success.

When The Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006) DVD / A Spike Lee Film; an HBO Original Documentary Films Event

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♫ If it keeps on raining levee's going to break
. .When the levee breaks have no place to stay ♪
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The title "When The Levees Broke" references a song popularized by Led Zeppelin but first recorded by Delta Blues tandem Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy. The original dates back to the depression and is an ode to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 in which thousands of Mississippi Delta residents lost their homes and livelihoods, many having to permanently relocate to places like Chicago or Kansas City. The ironical ballad, with its haunting melody and chorus is a spot-on title for this revealing documentary, likely among the most important films Spike Lee and HBO have ever made. In addition to erasing many pre-conceived notions pertaining to Lee’s projects, the piece represents a cumulative voice of the Katrina disaster victims. It's an aggressively vocal, emotionally powerful and thoroughly detailed exposition on the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina as told by the survivors.
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It’s also a documentary in the truest sense--over 4 hours in length, with literally hundreds of images, dozens of interviews and a fully comprehensive analysis of exactly what went down. The film was even scored by Terence Blanchard, a Spike Lee collaborator and New Orleans native, who was coincidentally raised in the ninth ward in a house destroyed by the flooding. Nothing is withheld, nothing is censored. Perspectives on the plight of the city are portrayed through eyes of everyone. Testimonies include that of politicians and pedestrians; white, black, rich and poor; from those sheltering in the Superdome to those who escaped before the storm hit. Analysis is presented by structural engineers who assess why the levees broke and civilians who suspect otherwise.
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Among those featured are the multitudes left stranded on rooftops as well as the hundreds of homeless, disabled and displaced others all abruptly relocated against their will away from their families. Celebrities present at ground zero like Wynton Marsalis and Sean Penn offer their stories (Penn literally dropped everything flew to New Orleans from California after seeing a news brief). Journalists like Soledad O’Brien, who conducted a series of baffling interviews with infamous FEMA Director Michael Brown about the absence of federal aid, and WWL radio host Garland Robinette recall the maddening communications disaster and emergency management gaffe which imperiled the lives of thousands and imprinted a legacy of enmity and distrust towards government officials. For anyone with Louisiana ties or for those even remotely connected to New Orleans or the Gulf Region, this is a must see. (DVD 976.335044 WHEN)
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Recently a follow-up documentary mini-series "If God is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise", also by Spike Lee in partnership with HBO, was broadcast. Showing the lasting legacy of Hurricane Katrina, it reconnects with many of the original interviewees and looks back at the disaster while investigating how things have (or haven't) changed in the five years since the tragedy.

We Have Books About TV

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Brought to You in Living Color: 75 Years of Great Moments in Television & Radio from NBC / by Marc Robinson; w/ foreword by Tom Brokaw
Beautifully illustrated with digitized photographs and footage stills from some of TV's most memorable programs, this book looks back at some of the greatest moments in the NBC network's illustrious 75 year broadcast history. Like with television, Robinson as much as lets the pictures do the talking, merely supplying filler material in between the tell-it-all photos. Still, his colorful captions and behind-the-scenes tidbits on some of the most popular and long-lived shows provide this coffee table book with some gloss to go with its well-preserved glamour.

The PBS Companion: A History of Public Television / by David Stewart
From its inception in 1969 until the present day, America's public network has hosted some of television's most beloved series. Renowned for children's programs like "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street", this member funded station has succeeded in virtually all demographics, even generating sizable ratings shares for shows like "Masterpiece Theatre" and "NOVA". Additionally, PBS has flourished for its ability to facilitate broadcast listings for local markets, long-providing it with a decided edge over national and private sectors in that regard.

TV Guide Book of Lists / by the Editors of TV Guide Magazine
So just what are the 50 greatest shows ever? What about the funniest TV characters? The top female leads? This is the 'list book' to trump all other list books--and blogosphere pundits--when it comes to nailing down just who was the best TV dad, the most colorful sports analyst or the roguest detective in a police drama. Written and annotated by the best critics (in the magazine business) to ever review the not-so-silver screen, this is a fun and informing read for anyone wishing to see just who cracked what list.

Get on TV!: the Insider's Guide to Pitching the Producers and Promoting Yourself / by Jacquie Jordan; w/ foreword by Donny Osmond
With winning candor, this shameless how-to book by a veteran TV producer lays down some can't miss tips on promotional marketing for all the small screen wannabees out there. Jordan states that while looks and talent certainly help, they aren't always what producers look for when auditioning for a potential role or reality TV spot, nor are they always the necessary qualities which can launch a budding career in the right direction.

"Upstairs, Downstairs" [DVD/TV-mini]

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Before the digital age back when entertainment was bland and inoffensive, television had a far greater appeal not just as an instrument to waste time, but as a medium to promote artistry. Programming had just barely progressed into syndication and networks could still rely on an audience's attention span to cover specific time slots, even maintain interest enough to tune-in the following week. It was the golden age for dramatic sitcoms, soap operas and miniseries.
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"Upstairs, Downstairs" was a program that not only flourished in this era but withstood the test of time as one of the most remarkable TV series ever broadcast. Produced in partnership with the BBC and seen on networks worldwide, the show portrayed an Edwardian era household in which a prominent politician's family resided "above" ground while their servants inhabited the "below" ground quarters. Airing in 1971, it was carried for six full seasons until 1975, fictionally representing the three decades between 1900-1930.

A ridiculously talented cast of actors including Nicola Pagett, Pauline Collins, Anthony Andrews, Leslie-Anne Down, Gordon Jackson and John Alderton comprised the lead roles as the series' immense popularity held an unprecedented global appeal. A poignant drama to be sure, it was the show's qualitative insight into history that made it so intriguing, an amalgamation of characters and dialogue meshed alongside actual twentieth century events (WWI, Titanic, 1920's, etc.). Relevant social issues were also present. Working class scruples pitted against liberal capitalism, tradition versus progress, "place" instead of potential were all themes envived in the context, never failing to resonate with devoted viewers enchanted by a seemingly simpler but all-the-more intimate period.