Day: February 8, 2021

Stories

This park has lots of nature, few people

If your goal is to be outdoors and away from people, then Big Bend National Park (shown here) is your spot.
It has a lot of outdoors – almost 800,000 acres, in the bend of the Rio Grande River, in Texas. And it has few people. “It is one of the least-visited national parks in the U.S.,” said Skip Hobbie, who filmed a gorgeous hour for “Nature,” at 8 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 10) on PBS.
That’s relative, of course. Overall visitation (400,000 a year) is topped ten-fold by Yellowstone and Yosemite – and 30-fold by the Grand Smokey Mountains National Park. But some get fewer people – 26,000 at Isle Royale in Michigan, 10,000 at Gate of the Arctic in Alaska Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 8, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 10: “Nature,” “Nails,” “Nova,” more

1) “Nature,” 8 p.m., PBS. The Big Bend National Park (shown here) sprawls over 800,000 acres of West Texas, including 118 miles alomg the Mexican border. Much of it is desert, which may explain why this is one of our least-visited parks. Filmmakers, however, got great footage – towering bluebonnet flowers … beavers cavorting in the Rio Grande … a bear climbing a tree to steal a woodpecker’s cache … and, especially, bighorn sheep: In 1973, seven of them were brought in; now more than 1,000 roam the park. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 8, 2021
News and Quick Comments

Pandemic sent PBS in fresh directions

For PBS, the pandemic created a global dilemma.
This is a network that sprawls across continents and genres. COVID has had endless effects, from delayed dramas to masked puppeteers, solo concerts by Renee Fleming (shown here) and others, and an “Antiques Roadshow” without the roadshow.
Still, PBS has an ambitious schedule, partly because documentaries have been less affected. Coming up are two masterful ones – Henry Louis Gates’ “The Black Church” (Feb. 16-17) and Ken Burns’ “Hemingway” (April 5-7), plus some ongoing series.
“I think the most important series that we have on our air is ‘Frontline,’” Paula Kerger, the network president, told the Television Critics Association. “When you look at what’s happening to investigative journalism in this country, ‘Frontline’ (10 p.m. Tuesdays) is one of the last standing.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 8, 2021
News and Quick Comments

Zucker soared with CNN … after crashing with NBC

Jeff Zucker is following a plan embraced by politicians and poker players: Quit while you’re ahead.
Zucker announced Thursday that this will be his final year as president of CNN. Earlier, he soared as producer of “Today” … crashed as president of NBC … then bounced back. CNN has had strong ratings, forceful reporting … and lots of weekend programming — including two on Sunday (Feb. 14): “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” (shown here) and “Lincoln: Divided We Stand.”
Both extremes – the CNN highs, the NBC lows –revolved around Donald Trump. Many things do. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 8, 2021