Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

There’s a new year coming up so what better way to tell the days apart than a NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND calendar. Now celebrating its 20th season!

Sounds Familiar

“Deactivating a generator loop without the correct key is like repairing a watch with a hammer and chisel. One false move and you’ll never know the time again.” – The Doctor (Tom Baker), DOCTOR WHO (“Pyramids Of Mars”)

Wednesday Trivia Question

What was the name of Elizabeth’s brother on KEEPING UP APPEARANCES?

The Britcom KEEPING UP APPEARANCES was a fan favorite that we aired for many years. The comic misadventures of snobbish middle class social climber Hyacinth Bucket (Boo-kay!) has entertained folks around the world. Patricia Routledge starred as Hyacinth and Clive Swift was her incredibly patient husband Richard. Sisters Daisy and Rose (with Daisy’s husband Onslow) were always present – and a constant source of embarrassment for Hyacinth.

Aside from her relations, Hyacinth’s next door neighbor Elizabeth “Liz” Warden (Josephine Tewson) was a regular, appearing on all but one episode of the series. Though ordinarily calm, Elizabeth’s nerves go to pieces in Hyacinth’s house, causing her to smash Hyacinth‘s china and spill coffee and biscuits on Hyacinth’s Burmese rug. Liz is married yet her husband works abroad and is never seen. She also has a daughter at university.

Deep Dive: Jim Henson on Dick Cavett

Jim Henson was a talent that was lost far too soon by any measure. And if the word genius can be thrown about, the person who was the driving force behind the Muppets was most definitely a creative genius. As his creations came to saturate the pop culture consciousness in places like THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW and SESAME STREET, Henson and his assorted entourage would appear on chat and variety series such as THE TONIGHT SHOW, DINAH!, THE JIMMY DEAN SHOW and THE JULIE ANDREWS HOUR. While looking for interesting Muppet-related material, I discovered this clip online where Jim Henson and Kermit appeared on THE DICK CAVETT SHOW. I have a vague recollection of watching this when I was home from school with the German Measles and being dumbfounded at how seamlessly Kermit flowed from Henson (and vice versa). That memory is, of course, false because this was broadcast many years before I was born (cough cough).

Check out the late, great Jim Henson as he appears on THE DICK CAVETT SHOW in 1971…

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Relive the cooking competition that took PBS by storm as ten contestants share heartfelt stories and signature dishes to win the national search for the GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE – beginning tonight at 9 on PBS NC.

Hugh Laurie (Jeeves And Wooster) leads the voice cast of the animated feature The Amazing Maurice, based on the Pied Piper tale. Himesh Patel (EastEnders) and Gemma Arterton (Tess Of The D’Urbervilles) also appear.

Discover the enduring friendship between television personality Dick Cavett and his mentor iconic comedian Groucho Marx. Tune in as AMERICAN MASTERS presents GROUCHO & CAVETT – Tuesday night at 8 on PBS NC.

Anya Taylor-Joy (The Miniaturist) took in a performance of The Nutcracker while in Alabama for the holidays.

Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

We recently had a bit of a holiday party at PBS North Carolina. I guess it’s the sort of thing that happens at businesses all over but since you weren’t invited unless you work here I thought I’d share a few snaps of the desserts table. Homemade and delicious, as if you couldn’t tell. Not many leftovers, believe it or not.

Happy holidays!

Sounds Familiar

“He was a Southerner and a Northerner, a Westerner and a New England Yankee; a tireless wanderer who lived in a thousand places all around the world. He would call just two of them home: the Missouri town of his childhood, which he would transform into the idealized hometown of every American boy, and the magnificent Connecticut house he built for his wife and children, which he hoped would shelter them from hardship, but where heartbreak found them nonetheless.” – Narrator (Keith David), MARK TWAIN, a film by Ken Burns

Wednesday Trivia Question

PETS OR MEAT was a 1992 short film by what documentary filmmaker?

In 1992, the PBS documentary series POV aired a short film titled PETS OR MEAT. It was co-produced and directed by a celebrated director. The short was presented as a sort of epilogue to an earlier full-length feature by the same filmmaker which was aired the same night on POV.

PETS OR MEAT refers to a woman who appears in both films and her business of raising rabbits and selling them for “pets or meat.” It’s actually an allegory for the larger issue the filmmaker’s attempting to highlight but, macabre metaphor aside, you don’t forget the grisly scenes once you’ve seen them.

The director in question has won an Academy Award for his documentary work (though not for this film). As documentarians go, he’s one of the big ones. I could give other clues that might give it away so I’ll leave it at that.

Who directed PETS OR MEAT, the 1992 short film which aired on POV in September 1992?

Deep Dive: Woodwright Ted Talk

I don’t know when I first heard the phrase “TED Talk” but it seems relatively recently considering TED Conferences were started in 1984. Believing in the concept of “ideas worth spreading,” TED Talks cover almost all topics including – woodworking? Huh. Who knew?

Imagine my surprise when, while websurfing once, I discovered a TED event featuring our very own classic cut-up Roy Underhill of THE WOODWRIGHT’S SHOP. We produced the how-to series here in North Carolina for 38 seasons and it still runs on PBS stations throughout the system.

In 2011, Roy spoke at a TEDx event in Raleigh, demonstrating the woodworking spirit that made him famous. He even quoted Star Wars, so that’s worth a look-see, I think. Check it out…

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Join the beloved British home cook and some special friends as they prepare the a grand yule feast with all the trimmings. You’re invited to MARY BERRY’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS – tonight at 9 on PBS NC.

Congrats to Bill Nighy (Page Eight), Lesley Manville (Magpie Murders), Emma Thompson (Fortunes Of War), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Miniaturist), Olivia Colman (Broadchurch), Sarah Polley (Ramona) and the many other actors, writers and directors with PBS connections who were just nominated for a Golden Globe!

John Cinnamon and Ann Craig-Cinnamon take viewers on a travel adventure from Moscow to Beijing on the world’s longest train ride. Climb aboard for JOURNEY ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY – Tuesday at 9pm on the Explorer Channel.