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
Carried Away
This weekend sees the debut of Carrier, a major public television event. Airing over five nights from Sunday, April 27 through Thursday, May 1, Carrier brings you face-to-face with the young crew members of the nuclear naval vessel, the U.S.S. Nimitz. The miniseries was shot aboard the aircraft carrier during a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and back.
While there's plenty of military hardware on view, the real story of Carrier is the people who serve aboard this floating community, from fresh-scrubbed sailors to elite fighter pilots. You'll hear, in their own words, their thoughts about duty, family, patriotism and their mission to Iraq.
What's daily life like aboard such a massive vessel? What rites of passage do these young men and women face, and how do they deal with the pressures of modern warfare?
The people you'll meet are thoughtful, noble, heroic and, most of all, human. The film doesn't shy away from less-than-ideal aspects of life at sea. Alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct occur, and you'll learn about the consequences for inappropriate behavior aboard the Nimitz.
The premiere airings of Carrier follow PBS' "big footprint" scheduling strategy: maximizing the impact of a major project by airing it over several consecutive nights. Their previous experience with this approach has shown that more viewers are likely to see the later episodes of a multi-part series than would be the case if it was scheduled over several weeks' time.
However, we realize that ten hours in a single week is a big commitment, and so we'll offer several opportunities for you to view the series. Carrier will air from 8:00 to 10:00 pm each night, with a repeat broadcast immediately following each episode from 10:00 pm to midnight. There will also be multiple overnight broadcasts for night-owls and VCR/DVR owners.
And if you like your Carrier in more digestible chunks, it'll air as an hourly, once-a-week series Wednesdays at 9:00 pm Central beginning June 18.
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