TV Worth Blogging
by David Thiel, Program Director for WILL-TV
An insider's view of public television programming and the issues that help determine what and how you watch
Arrest of PBS Host Sparks Controversy
As a public television program director, it's not the sort of headline you want to see: a notable PBS host arrested. But when the person in question is Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a prominent African-American scholar, the story becomes larger and stranger. And that was before President Obama weighed in.
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PBS Scores Dozens of Emmy Nominations
This week, PBS was recognized with 67 Emmy nominations by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Twenty-six were for so-called "primetime" programs, with another 41 in news and documentary categories. Top honorees included the Masterpiece presentation of "Little Dorrit" with 11 nods, and the documentary series P.O.V. with ten.
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Molly Sugden Dies
Molly Sugden, best known to WILL-TV viewers as "Mrs. Slocombe" on the long-running British comedy Are You Being Served?, has died at age 86, according to BBC News. She is the second AYBS? cast member to pass away this year, the first being Wendy Richard, who played "Miss Brahms."
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Romance and Intrigue Ignite "Chess"
Romance ignites during the tension of an international chess tournament during the Cold War in the musical Chess. A collaboration between Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the Swedish pop group ABBA and lyricist Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita), Chess in Concert comes to WILL-TV on Wednesday, June 17 at 7:00 pm.
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The Lights Go Out for Analog TV
The age of analog television in the U.S. comes to an official end on Friday, June 12, as outdated transmitters go dark across the country in accord with a federal mandate.
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Stories of Gay Pride in Illinois
On Friday, June 5 at 9:00 pm, WILL-TV will present Out and Proud in Chicago, a history of the Windy City's gay community. Narrated by actress Jane Lynch (whose credits include the films "Role Models" and "Talladega Nights"), the documentary takes viewers through more than a century of trials and triumphs.
Our premiere broadcast will feature live, in-studio appearances by the show's producers Daniel Andries and Alexandra Silets, who will provide behind-the-scenes background.
