'FATHERS' OFFERS FASCINATING LESSON.Byline: David Kronke TV Critic So who were the jokers who came up with this Electoral College electoral college, in U.S. government, the body of electors that chooses the president and vice president. The Constitution, in Article 2, Section 1, provides: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, nonsense? The History Channel doesn't answer that precise question, but its miniseries documentary ``The Founding Fathers'' is a smart and engaging program jogging your memory of civics civics, branch of learning that treats of the relationship between citizens and their society and state, originally called civil government. With the large immigration into the United States in the latter half of the 19th cent. classes in school. Narrated by Edward Herrmann (currently seen on the WB's ``Gilmore Girls''), written by Melissa Jo Peltier and Max M. Fletcher, and produced by Valley production company MPH, ``The Founding Fathers'' essentially and effectively mimics the Ken Burns school of documentary filmmaking: lots of handsome archival art, elliptical el·lip·tic or el·lip·ti·cal adj. 1. Of, relating to, or having the shape of an ellipse. 2. Containing or characterized by ellipsis. 3. a. footage re-enacting moments from the era, actors (including Brian Dennehy, Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr. (born February 17 1925) is a Tony Award-winning American actor. Biography Early life Holbrook was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Aileen (née Davenport), a vaudeville dancer, and Harold Rowe Holbrook, Sr. , James Woods and, um, Burt Reynolds Burt Reynolds (born February 11, 1936) is an Oscar-nominated Emmy Award-winning American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Paul Crewe in the original version of The Longest Yard, Bo 'Bandit' Darville in ) bringing the words of historical figures to life, and contemporary historians discussing the personal side of those figures as much as they do their famous actions. Hence, we have historian Marvin Kitman marveling that the statesmen who created America were ``stone-plastered all during the founding of the country - I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how they all stood up.'' Historian Carol Berkin notes, ``In another era, John Adams would have needed Prozac.'' And Joseph Ellis, describing Thomas Jefferson's writing the Declaration of Independence, suggests, ``I think he pulls an all-nighter.'' ``The Founding Fathers'' focuses on their unlikely alliances - the rumpled, rebellion-minded Samuel Adams and the urbane, wealthy John Hancock; the beleaguered be·lea·guer tr.v. be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers 1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems. 2. To surround with troops; besiege. but brave George Washington and an illegitimate orphan from the West Indies who was also brilliant and arrogant, Alexander Hamilton; the dashing Hamilton (who kicked off the nation's propensity for sex scandals) and the nerdy James Madison. It shows how messy things could get in forging the new country (Patrick Henry was virulently opposed to the Constitution; Thomas Paine became so loathed that even Quakers denied him a burial). In all, fascinating stuff that illuminates the sacrifice, courage and, sometimes, just dumb luck that went into creating our country and its revolutionarily fair political system. Even if they did concoct con·coct tr.v. con·coct·ed, con·coct·ing, con·cocts 1. To prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking. 2. that dopey electoral college. ``THE FOUNDING FATHERS'' What: Documentary about those behind our country's origin. The stars: Narrated by Edward Herrmann; voices include Brian Dennehy, Beau Bridges, Hal Holbrook, James Woods, Burt Reynolds, Randy Travis. Where: The History Channel. When: 9 p.m. today through Thursday. Our rating: Three stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: ``The Founding Fathers,'' airing on the History Channel tonight through Thursday, examines the sacrifice, courage and plain dumb luck that went into creating our country and its political system. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion