Dave's Fiction Warehouse

In which I bloviate about books, TV, movies, politics and other stuff.

  • Books
  • Movies
  • TV
  • politics
  • Other Stuff
  • thatfuckingtrump

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Powered by Genesis

American History ‘R’

September 24, 2014 by Dave Knadler

roosevelt artThe past really would be just a bucket of ashes except for what it can teach about the present. The new PBS series “The Roosevelts” has at least one good lesson: In America, strong presidents are better than weak ones — unless you are a member of the foreign-tyrant or corrupt fat-cat community.

We viewed all seven episodes over the past week. It’s compelling stuff. But you can’t watch Theodore and Franklin and Eleanor fight the good fight without occasionally wishing there were modern leaders big enough to try it themselves.

By comparison, our recent presidents and the current one all seem smaller men, not leading so much as being led by election calculus or careerist advisers. Maybe that’s not completely fair; maybe the times make the leader, rather than the other way around. Maybe our times aren’t yet dramatic enough to require greatness. But after each episode the credits start to roll and you think: We won’t need another Mount Rushmore anytime soon. In today’s Washington, the greatness bullpen is pretty much empty.

The series isn’t just about the greatness, though. That would be boring. By giving equal time to their flaws and frailties, Ken Burns and crew make the Roosevelts real, not quite so legendary and inevitable. Yeah, they did a lot for this country, but none of it came easy. There’s no drama without adversity, and the Roosevelts had plenty of that. They also had pretty good senses of humor, to leaven the pathos. So the series is not just good history; it’s good TV.

Also, it’s free. Dave Bob says check it out.

More along these lines:

  • Fun with vampires
  • Bring on da crap
  • Jigsaw etiquette
  • No rush to reuniteNo rush to reunite
  • downton abbey season 4 lady mary‘Downton’: Time for another dead Turk?

Filed Under: american life, tv

About Dave Knadler

Obscure writer. Lazy photographer. Bashful guitarist. Perhaps too fond of wine. Tireless nemesis of New York Times crosswords, Wordle, Semantle and all other puzzles du jour.

Comments

  1. Deb says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:50 am

    I’m up to episode 3 and ‘compelling’ is right….two thumbs up!

  2. John H. says

    September 24, 2014 at 11:56 pm

    I finally got a chance to listen to the reading of “The Least Best Place”. I remember it as “Dead Black Cadillac” in EQMM. It is interesting hearing somebody read it. It makes me notice different things about the story construction and the language.

    And you’re right about the readers. The guy who did the intro is great, but the guy reading the story could have done better. Strangely, he pronounced “Ennis” correctly the first time, then got it wrong after that. He also had trouble with “superfluous” and “incongruous” – I guess those “-uous” words can be tricky.

Recent posts

  • We don’t need no stinking followers
  • This could be
    the last time
  • Still life with dicks
  • Not throwing away
    my shot
  • February fugue

Recent comments

  • Paul Silverman on We don’t need no stinking followers
  • Dave Knadler on We don’t need no stinking followers
  • Dave Knadler on We don’t need no stinking followers
  • Dave Knadler on We don’t need no stinking followers
  • Dave Knadler on We don’t need no stinking followers

FInd something

send dave cash

The obligatory PayPal donation button. Go ahead: Make my day.