Admit it: you hardly ever watch PBS. I hardly ever do. But I’m still glad it’s there. It wouldn’t be if the Bush administration and the New York Times had their way. Citing the channel’s perceived liberal bias, the Republicans have tried to kill PBS for ages, as with the recent move to gut the channel’s federal funding, which the administration has proposed doing for each of the last eight years. The Times‘ argument isn’t that the channel is too liberal but rather too redundant. Maybe 40 years ago, when there were only three other networks, PBS was necessary, the argument goes. But now, with cable, there are plenty of other places to find the things that PBS is known for: fine arts programming, sober and objective news coverage, quality children’s shows, and science and nature programs. To which I say: have you actually watched cable recently?
Let’s examine these points, shall we? Where, exactly, would cable’s fine arts programming be found? A&E? Bravo? Maybe once, but now, it’s all-reality-TV-all-the-time on those channels. Sober and objective news coverage? On the shrill cable news channels? Or the networks? As for children’s shows: yes, other channels do have programs every bit as educational and entertaining as Sesame Street (pictured), but how many of them air uninterrupted by toy and cereal ads? As for science and nature programs… okay, I’ll spot you the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.
Still, there’s the argument that by providing all these things for free, PBS serves a public good. After all, there are still some people out there who don’t get cable at all. (Hi, Mom!) Plus, there are still long-form shows on PBS that no one else would be enterprising or patient enough to do at a cable or broadcast network. Without PBS, there’s no Martin Scorsese/Bob Dylan miniseries, none of Ken Burns’ sprawling documentaries on the Civil War or jazz or baseball, no Masterpiece Theatre, no investigative reporting on NOW, no Great Performances — and yes, no Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. PBS is far from perfect, but I’m not ready for there to be a void on my channel rotation where I could have seen all these shows.
How about you, PopWatchers? Think PBS has outlived its usefulness? Or is there a PBS show you’re not ready to part with?
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PBS definetly hasn’t outlived its usefulness. I used to watch PBS all the time growing up. Their documentary series such as NOVA and American Experience are first class and bear in mind the fact that I’m not even American! I think TVOntario and CBC could take some lessons from PBS.
Are you kidding? Tonight PBS is airing the Broadway revival of “Company”!
Ask me again tomorrow.
PBS absolutely has not outlived it’s usefulness. What about all the small children out there still connecting with all the great lessons from Elmo and Sesame Street? Or any of the other PBSKids show. And I know I’m not alone in watching Masterpiece Theatre. PBS still subscribes to enriching our lives and keeping us culturally aware. It would be a shame to see PBS go. It better not!
I still watch PBS – love Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives. Also, my 3 yr-old son has no interest in any of the nonsense on the Disney Channel or any other “kid” shows, but LOVES Sesame Street, Curious George, Thomas the Tank Engine, and SuperWhy – all are only on PBS (at least where we live). Uninterrupted by screaming commercials – it’s such a great escape! Please don’t take it away!
I grew up on PBS: Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers. It’s a great channel for kids. And now I am addicted to Masterpiece Theater and find PBS just as useful as an adult. There’s got to be a place where people can go to get intelligent programming and cable is definitely not the answer.
The new “Masterpiece” notwithstanding, PBS is still essential. POV and Frontline give voice to issues heard nowhere else. The NYTimes is on crack.
i love Frontline, American Experience, Antiques Roadshow…..oh and NOVA…..keep it….
oh and Independent Lense- the documentary program…
I do not think that PBS has lost its “usefullness” but I do find fault with the argument regarding PBS’ lack of advertising with the children’s programming. At the end of each show there are several minutes of “thanks to the sponsors…Chuck E Cheese, etc” I then get the “mom, can we go to Chuck E Cheese???” (uh, no). This is something that even Disney channel does not do during the preschool shows.
PBS is still the best place to see costume dramas, like the recent Jane Austen series, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I recall fondly, and miniseries like Bleak House and Middlemarch. If you like costume dramas and literary adaptations, as I do, there’s pretty much nowhere else to find them anymore.
No surprise that the Bush administration of non-readers and anti-intellectuals would keep trying to shut down PBS. They probably still haven’t gotten over the “Tales of the City” miniseries 15 years ago.
Has anyone seen the awesome series “African American Lives”? Where else would we get something like that? PBS is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL, for all of the reasons that Gary outlines.
I watched the first of a 4 part series, Killer Waves, which sounds like it should have been on SpikeTV – but it was riveting and can’t until next week’s show…and where else would you get 4 hours of scholarly tv on the MORMONS! Thank goodness for American Experience, Frontline and Masterpiece/Mystery. No commercials (if you don’t count the stuff at beginning and end)…and food for your brain.
Frontline and Nova are two of the best programs on the air. SAVE PBS!
To Clair: Yes, the Louis Gates specials are fascinating – whether you are black, white, brown or red, yellow or GREEN.
I’ve watched Masterpiece Theatre my whole life (yes even as a little kid). And I vastly prefer Jim Lehrer to any of the cable news channels. And even though I don’t have any kids, when I do have some, I would much rather that they be able to watch Sesame Street and Mr Rogers (which I believe is still shown in reruns) than have them watch Hannah Montana, and whatever other crap is on the cable kids stations.
I cancelled my cable a long time. Talk about a waste of my time. It’s all commercials that I don’t want. AMC – the movies that they think are “classics,” gimme a break! VH1 and Mtv – where are the videos?
For me, Masterpiece Theater is worth checking out. And musical shows like Austin City Limits for those great talents you haven’t seen in awhile. Other than that, PBS is off the radar.
If nothing else, at the absolute minimum, those who don’t receive Turner Classic Movies as part of their cable package, can enjoy classic films every Saturday night at 9pm on PBS. That alone is worth the channel!
DO NOT take away my Masterpiece Theatre!
I used to watch PBS when I was little. “Sesame Street”, “Mr. Rogers”, “Electric Company”. Now my 3 year old son watches “Curious George”, “Super Why”, “Bob the Builder”, and “Thomas and Friends”. We absolutley need PBS. Kids need educational shows that teach lessons that they will need in the future. I don’t let me son watch a lot of TV, but when he does, I am glad to know PBS is there.
My local PBS station has community outreach programs for people of all ages. With city funding they educate not only on TV, but through workshops and seminars. It is one of the major mouthpieces for education and school readiness.
Simon Schama’s Power of Art
(That is all I have to say).
PBS will never outlive its usefulness. Where will I go to get my BBC comedy fix uninterrupted by commercials. Where will I go for my best in British dramas if Masterpiece Theatre were to go away. How will I enjoy great Broadway performances if Great Performances were to go away and how will I ever introduce my niece to the wonders of Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch if Sesame Street were to disappear. Let PBS live forever.
I watch PBS almost every day. If it were gone, I would miss it terribly. Where else can you get a combination of local interest shows and things from around the world? I also agree with Anne’s observation that PBS has commercial-free children’s programming.
PBS forever! Its very existence says something good about our society. Without it, we are poorer.
I definitely want to keep PBS around, but I will just add that we watch Sesame Street on the Sprout channel.
We actually watch PBS now more than ever. All of my son’s favorites are on PBS and they have had more interesting programming on recently than any of the cable networks.
Their argument is great for those that have cable, and really an expensive cable package at that. For those of us that dont want or cant afford cable PBS is very important. It’s free educational programming and TV needs all of the good programming it can get! Long live PBS!!
I’m a little disturbed that this would even be debated. PBS is essential. Informed does not equal liberal.
And Anne, take the kids to Chuck E Cheese you meannie
PBS is just as necessary as the others. There’s plenty it offers that other broadcasters don’t — plus, it’s commercial-free which gives it a definite advantage over all the commercial and infomercial-filled networks.