Non-Fiction Television
Posted: Sep 23rd 2004, 12:35 am
What non-fiction TV programming are you guys into?
Sports: I'm not much of a jock but I usually catch a few NFL games every year, plus the recaps on ESPN. Then there's Robot Wars (UK that is, the American version sucks arse), and of course women's figure skating (with the emphsais on the women's figures ).
Biographical: I'm not much of a fan-boy either, but if it's someone I like I'll try to tune in.
Historical/Military: As a kid I ate this stuff up, but there's only so much you can learn about the Crimean War or the Flying Flapjack before it starts to get stale. The Civil War and Liberty! series on PBS were refreshing, however (and Donna Murphy as Abigail Adams didn't hurt either ).
Science/Technical: Always a favorite of mine. TechTV, PBS, and the various Discovery spinoffs have some good offerings here. I recall one special a few years back in which several great scientists sat around a table and just talked for hours about all sorts of things, with no particular goal in mind; it was surprisingly good.
Philosophical/Debate: This area is tricky; many such programs degenerate into shouting matches or only skim the surface of deep issues. The Ethics in Amewrica series is getting old, but still holds a lot of weight. I wish there were more series like it, but the contemporary audiences may not have the attenton span to support such endeavors...
Feel free to add your own categories and discuss.
Sports: I'm not much of a jock but I usually catch a few NFL games every year, plus the recaps on ESPN. Then there's Robot Wars (UK that is, the American version sucks arse), and of course women's figure skating (with the emphsais on the women's figures ).
Biographical: I'm not much of a fan-boy either, but if it's someone I like I'll try to tune in.
Historical/Military: As a kid I ate this stuff up, but there's only so much you can learn about the Crimean War or the Flying Flapjack before it starts to get stale. The Civil War and Liberty! series on PBS were refreshing, however (and Donna Murphy as Abigail Adams didn't hurt either ).
Science/Technical: Always a favorite of mine. TechTV, PBS, and the various Discovery spinoffs have some good offerings here. I recall one special a few years back in which several great scientists sat around a table and just talked for hours about all sorts of things, with no particular goal in mind; it was surprisingly good.
Philosophical/Debate: This area is tricky; many such programs degenerate into shouting matches or only skim the surface of deep issues. The Ethics in Amewrica series is getting old, but still holds a lot of weight. I wish there were more series like it, but the contemporary audiences may not have the attenton span to support such endeavors...
Feel free to add your own categories and discuss.