We Kept Our Stick on the Ice
Some people said that we couldn’t do it…some said that we shouldn’t do it. But we did it for 18 years.
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
So Long to a Late Night World of Love
By the time this article is posted, David Letterman’s final Late Show broadcast will have already occurred, but as I write this, it’s still a couple of days off. There have been approximately one godzillion tributes to Letterman in the weeks leading up to his retirement, but I couldn't let the event pass without offering a few words of my own.
Burying Your Roots
It's something that I hate to see: a major PBS personality in the headlines for what seems to have been a breach of the trust that viewers and stations alike place upon such figures of authority. Was the omission of actor Ben Affleck's slave-holding ancestor from an episode of Finding Your Roots an editorial judgement or an ethical failure? We shouldn't have to wonder.
I May Be Overthinking Things
Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby are getting new digs in the upcoming season of Sesame Street. Now I can cross "Where does Cookie Monster live?" off my List of Things I Worry Too Much About.
The Legacy of Downton Abbey
Next year, the doors of Downton Abbey will close for good. But we've all been left an inheritance!
Sundays Will Be Timey-Wimey
The good news is that PBS has heard your concerns about editing British dramas to fit neatly into an hour. That's also the bad news.
The History of Britcoms on WILL-TV (Part Two)
Earlier this month, I set the WABAC Machine to the mid '70s and the introduction of British TV comedy to WILL-TV. In this installment, we'll trade Mr. Peabody's trusty time machine for a DeLorean as we go back to the '80s!
The History of Britcoms on WILL-TV (Part One)
As we approach our 16th annual Great Britcom Vote event on Saturday, March 7, I’m digging into our archives to suss out the early history of British comedy on WILL-TV. Which such series was the first to air in Central Illinois?
This Acorn Falls a Little Bit Further from the Tree
It seems as if everyone wants to be a TV network these days. In the past two years, popular web-based content distributors such as Netflix, Amazon and Yahoo have become content producers as well, with original TV series such as House of Cards and Transparent. Then there’s Acorn Media, a DVD distributor that has become both an entertainment portal and now a production company. Whether or not this acorn grows into an towering oak, it’s already having an impact on what you see on WILL-TV.
Public TV Challenged by Indie Filmmakers
An impassioned conversation has been taking place between filmmakers and public television officials over the treatment of independent films in the national PBS schedule. In my view, it’s one that speaks to the soul of our shared enterprise as broadcasters operating in the public interest.
