The site hosts more than 80 videos, most of them stelÂlar, which means you could end up killing the whole day. Don’t say we didÂn’t w‑w-w-arn you (sorÂry).
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
There was a good deal of time-travÂel in the ABC hit series Lost, one of the more ambiÂtious and popÂuÂlar shows of the past decade. But neiÂther Jack, Sawyer, HurÂley, nor any of our othÂer beloved 21st cenÂtuÂry castÂaways ever went back to the year 1969. If they had, and if they’d had access to a TV, they might have found themÂselves watchÂing a show about — themÂselves.
Well, sort of. The New PeoÂple ran on FriÂday nights on ABC from SepÂtemÂber 1969 through JanÂuÂary 1970 (It lastÂed only 17 episodes). We’ll take a shot at sumÂmaÂrizÂing the genÂerÂal premise, which might ring a couÂple of bells:
A plane crashÂes on a remote island in the PacifÂic, leavÂing its motÂley group of surÂvivors strandÂed and fightÂing about what to do next.… As they explore their new home, they find an entire town, fulÂly stocked with proÂviÂsions and weapons, but creepÂiÂly empÂty. Soon the surÂvivors disÂcovÂer that this island was once set up .…to be an AtomÂic EnerÂgy ComÂmisÂsion testÂing site!
No Lost fan can live withÂout a conÂspirÂaÂcy theÂoÂry, but we’re pretÂty sure there was nothÂing fishy in the comÂmonÂalÂiÂties, and in the end, are we not all chilÂdren of GilliÂgan? FurÂtherÂmore, there’s a good deal more to the plot, which includes racial conÂflict, adoÂlesÂcent angst (the surÂvivors are all colÂlege stuÂdents), and a healthy dose of Lord of the Flies-style chaos. Full episodes are not online, but at TVobÂscuÂriÂties you can find a wealth of relatÂed conÂtent, clips, links to reviews, and even the theme song, with lyrics.
Also, be sure to check out the episode guide, which realÂly does intrigue. NumÂber 12, for examÂple:
The Pied Piper of Pot. StepÂpenÂwolf thinks his felÂlow islanders are too uptight, so he grows potent marÂiÂjuaÂna that threatÂens to send the stuÂdents into a harÂrowÂing, one-way trip.
The New PeoÂple was proÂduced by Aaron Spelling, who went on to bring us CharÂlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, and BevÂerÂly Hills 90210, among many, many othÂers. But we’re not sure if he ever did come up with anothÂer charÂacÂter as comÂpelling as StepÂpenÂwolf.
(Thanks to Bryan Thomas)
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
A while back, W. Daniel Hillis made the case that The Wire may rise to the levÂel of – if not surÂpass – TolÂstoy’s War & Peace. WritÂing for the Edge.org, Hillis went so far as to say:
As much as I liked War and Peace, I probÂaÂbly got more out of The Wire. And why should that be surÂprisÂing? More human effort can be put into a teleÂviÂsion series than a novÂel and more time is spent conÂsumÂing it. If both are exeÂcutÂed to their highÂest stanÂdards, with equal care, skill and insight, we might well expect less from the book.
If we can menÂtion The Wire in the same breath as TolÂstoy, then why not anothÂer giant of nineÂteenth cenÂtuÂry litÂerÂaÂture, Charles DickÂens? Yes, The Wire has been called “DickÂenÂsian” too, and this week the HoodÂed UtilÂiÂtarÂiÂan has re-imagÂinedThe Wire as a seriÂalÂized VicÂtoÂriÂan novÂel. The premise? ImagÂine The Wire writÂten in 60 installÂments over the course of six years, startÂing in 1846, by HorÂaÂtio BuckÂlesÂby Ogden, a DickÂens conÂtemÂpoÂrary who wrote with a “nuance and attenÂtion to detail that DickÂens nevÂer achieved.” Each installÂment ran 30 pages and sold for one shilling apiece.
The HoodÂed UtilÂiÂtarÂiÂan hasÂn’t actuÂalÂly printÂed these 60 installÂments (because they don’t actuÂalÂly exist). But they have proÂduced a few wonÂderÂful mock pages, and writÂten a faux piece of litÂerÂary critÂiÂcism to accomÂpaÂny them. A great job by Joy DelyrÂia and Sean Michael RobinÂson.
ElizÂaÂbeth TayÂlor, a star for sevÂen decades, died earÂliÂer today of conÂgesÂtive heart failÂure. She was 79 years old. To pay quick tribÂute, we’re highÂlightÂing TayÂlor’s 1954 appearÂance on “What’s My Line?,” the longest-runÂning game show in AmerÂiÂcan teleÂviÂsion hisÂtoÂry (1950 — 1967). A good way to rememÂber TayÂlor – havÂing a litÂtle fun in her prime.
The film menÂtioned at the end of the scene – The Last Time I Saw Paris stars – also hapÂpens to be availÂable at the InterÂnet Archive for free. Enjoy
A quick news bulÂletin: Japan was struck by a masÂsive 8.9 earthÂquake today, folÂlowed by some devÂasÂtatÂing tsunamis (see clip below). Al Jazeera is proÂvidÂing live covÂerÂage (in EngÂlish) on the web. Start watchÂing here. Or find anothÂer live stream from NHK in Japan. What’s more, The Wall Street JourÂnal has a live blog dedÂiÂcatÂed to the earthÂquake, and Google has set up a peoÂple findÂer for those livÂing in the counÂtry. Our best wishÂes to the peoÂple of Japan…
We take you back to anothÂer era when fundÂing for pubÂlic broadÂcastÂing was in doubt – to 1969, when Richard Nixon planned to cut PBS’ fundÂing from $20 milÂlion to $10 milÂlion. Here Fred Rogers, the genÂtle creÂator of MisÂter Rogers’ NeighÂborÂhood, gets six short minÂutes before SenÂaÂtor John PasÂtore, the chairÂman of the SubÂcomÂmitÂtee on ComÂmuÂniÂcaÂtions, and makes his pitch for pubÂlicly-fundÂed eduÂcaÂtionÂal teleÂviÂsion. In those 360 secÂonds, Rogers gets the gruff senÂaÂtor to do a comÂplete 180 – to end up sayÂing “It looks like you just earned the 20 milÂlion dolÂlars.” And, indeed, it turned out just that way. Those were the days…
Mad Men brings us back to a bygone era, the earÂly 60s, when alcoÂhol flowed freely throughÂout the workÂing day. (Watch this monÂtage to get up to speed.) An act of hisÂtorÂiÂcal reviÂsionÂism, many might think. But, apparÂentÂly not so. AccordÂing to a piece in The New York Times, the show basiÂcalÂly gets it right. AlcoÂhol was as comÂmon in offices as office supÂplies. And then we have this: Gay Talese, the bestÂselling author and jourÂnalÂist, rememÂberÂing the Times newsÂroom durÂing the same era – a crew bareÂly fit to pubÂlish the news that’s fit to print.
Bruce Lee’s actÂing career began on teleÂviÂsion in 1966, when he landÂed a part in The Green HorÂnet. (Watch his amazÂing audiÂtion here). But it took anothÂer five years before he gave his first (and only) teleÂviÂsion interÂview. For 25 minÂutes in DecemÂber 1971, the marÂtial arts star sat down with Pierre Berton, a CanaÂdiÂan jourÂnalÂist, in Hong Kong. And their conÂverÂsaÂtion covÂered a fair amount of ground – Lee’s sucÂcess starÂring in ManÂdarin films .… despite only speakÂing CanÂtonese; his difÂfiÂculÂty develÂopÂing a career in a counÂtry still hosÂtile toward ChiÂna; and his work trainÂing othÂer HolÂlyÂwood stars in the marÂtial arts. Berton probÂaÂbly nevÂer scored many points for his interÂviewÂing style. But Berton is not the point here. It’s all about Lee. via BrainÂPickÂings
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
