John and Abigail

Contrary to some popular opinion, there is good television to be found. I don’t spend much time watching the tube, and I’m not always able to see a program when it is broadcast, so, with TiVo, I can record what I want to see for when I have the time to see it.

My current roster of TiVoed programs looks like this: Masterpiece Theatre (PBS), American Experience (PBS), 24, House (which is currently being preempted by American Idol—grrr!), The Simpsons, The Daily Show, and the occasional movie. That doesn’t seem like much of a roster, but that’s about 5-8 hours of programming recorded each week. If I get to sit down to see half of it, I’m doing well.

There are weeks when I don’t get around to watching anything. Then there are weeks when I’ll have marathon veg-outs in front of the TV. When the new season of 24 premiered last week, I still hadn’t watched the last two episodes from last season. So I had a marathon 24 week.

Last night I clicked on American Experience. It was the one about John and Abigail Adams with Simon Russell Beale playing the part of Adams. I didn’t realize it was a two hour program when I sat down. But it was worth it. Beale is fabulous. He made Adams a sympathetic, if narcissistic and brooding character. I think if Adams was here today, I wouldn’t like his politics at all. He seemed to be of the virtually unlimited Presidential power school of thought (Sedition Act). And Jefferson was a sympathetic character, too, but the program touched on a couple of his less than stellar moments with his opposition to Adams while the two were President and Vice-President. We could say he was the original swiftboater in the new Republic. The tension between the two likable characters was perfect and, I imagine, quite true to life. It was a good reminder that two good people can have wildly opposing viewpoints. If we think politics is nasty now, just go back two centuries. Nothing new under the sun, really. If you can catch a repeat of the American Experience program this week, it’s really worth while. Very well done documentary drama and a fascinating portrayal of Abigail Adams, too.

Left to go this week are Masterpiece Theatre (Bleak House) and 24. I’m not sure about the rest. They’ll probably have to wait.
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Just in: The principal just left a taped message on the answering machine...tomorrow is the last day for ordering caps and gowns for graduation. Yikes! It’s a good thing they do these taped messages things or I’d never know what’s going on. His message kind of amused me. He’s not comfortable with the telephone and it’s agonizing to listen to him. He stumbled over his choice of words and finally settled on, “There will be a lady in the cafeteria taking measurements tomorrow.” It sounded awkward. What’s the current consensus on using the word ‘lady’ in this context?