PBS National Parks starts tonight 9/27

[kevinmac]

8:00 PM PBS and affiliate stations
Check affiliates for their schedules

It is also online following each episode the next day

http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

 

[Mark Schaefer]

There had been an earlier short thread here. However, this is a more appropriate forum location.

As it was raining much of the afternoon today here in the Hudson Valley, I caught the first episode this afternoon on WNET out of metro New York City. After a general overview and history the episode dealt mainly with Yosemite and Yellowstone. I will be watching it again at 8pm -- it is that good. My station is also replaying each episode at 1am. And they are replaying all of the episodes again next weekend during the day (although hopefully the weather will be fall foliage hike worthy both of those days). I expect most PBS stations will have repeats scheduled.

I also have pre-ordered the DVD set from Amazon at their discounted price. The DVDs are scheduled to ship on Tuesday Oct 6.

 

[Tom Rankin]

We saw it last night, very good. Not only the images, but the quotes from Muir and others, and the commentary.

 

[Roxi]

The history behind how they came into being and the people involved was/is fascinating. I'm very thankful that Muir and others were in the right place at the right time to make it happen. It could have easily gone the other way and we would not have the national parks that we do.

 

[Maddy]

I LOVED it. Watched it twice.

 

[una_dogger]

Excellent way to pass a rainy weekend...the corners of my eyes have been wet with tears of pride as I've watched a few episodes...its a great country we live in and the Natl Parks System really is our "best idea". The historical perspectives, the people who made them possible, and the scenery are all just incredible.

 

[Jason Berard]

I've really enjoyed watching these! As people above have said, all the "characters" are amazing. Both the human characters, and the landscape itself.

In my volunteer work with the Appalachian Trail, I have heard employees of the Forest Service and the Park Service joke about the innate tension between the two agencies. It was nice to get a historic view of this tension. I guess it goes all the way back to Gifford Pinchot and John Muir.

 

[Adk_dib]

John Muir was a amazing man. I am going to ave to buy one of his books.

 

[Puck]

I was very interested in the assimilation of historical sites, battlefields, monuments etc into the Park Service. How a group or nation memorializes its past is a way an identity is constructed for the future. So as we, as a nation, agree on the signficance of the Washington Monument, Gettysberg battlefield, Acadia or Yosemite we will move forward with a collective set of ideals and values. One can gain a sense of value for nature and wildness at these parks but it is not limited to these parks. It can be applied to setting aside common property as green space at the town level. We need to move forward with a clear set of goals about land use. We have more values then just determing revenues.

 

[Chip]

John Muir was a amazing man. I am going to ave to buy one of his books.

you might want to check out The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley. I haven't read it yet (it's 960 pages ) but it's supposed to be a great history of the era.

 

[Stan]

There is little I watch on television, thus explaining my cultural deprivation, but I made a point to watch this entire series. We have enjoyed several of the National Parks, especially in recent years on long road trips which encompass a whole region of the country. My trip planning always begins with the National Parks in an area and grows from there.

The visuals were good but, overall, I was disappointed in the series. It dwelled far too much on the political history of the parks. I do have some modest interest in that topic and it offers some valuable lessons. However, I am far more interested in the history of the explorations of the parks, the fascinating geological history of the areas which goes back hundreds of millions and billions of years, the unique features of parks, and ... why not ... a teaser on some of the backcountry and seasonal recreational opportunities.

It is a shame to me that this series, like our lives, has become dominated by politicization of everything, and the discourse in turn overwhelmed by the animosities of the extremes. That is not the glory of the parks. Their glory is in what they are and the fact that they are there, true statements of our democracy and this beautiful planet we live on.

 

[BlackBuffalo]

I agree Stan.
The politics over and over again in a 12 hour series was tough to endure.
I liked the history, but I would have enjoyed 12 hours of tourism videos more.

 

[Puck]

Well it is Ken Burns...remeber his baseball series? it was loaded with social history ie race, labor etc.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I think Ken Burns may be reminding us not to get complacent re: the existence of our National Parks. Newt Gingrich and the Contract on America came rather close to selling them off just a few short years ago.

We shouldn't assume our National Parks/Forests/Monuments will always be in the public domain.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I think Ken Burns may be reminding us not to get complacent re: the existence of our National Parks. Newt Gingrich and the Contract on America came rather close to selling them off just a few short years ago.

We shouldn't assume our National Parks/Forests/Monuments will always be in the public domain.

Come now, Kevin, the Federal Government has never been the best steward of anything. Look at all the toxic waste dumps and uber-polluted sites that used to be former military installations. The Federal Government does not own the land, thus they have no interest in protecting it.

Tim

 

[ajtiv]

IMO Better the Federal Government protecting the parks than a private company wiping out the spaces we love the most for a buck.

The only concern we have is how do we manage overuse from the millions who visit ever year.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Tim -

Am not biting tonight. If I really thought you were serious I might consider it, but you'd have to produce a cogent argument first.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Tim -

Am not biting tonight. If I really thought you were serious I might consider it, but you'd have to produce a cogent argument first.

Why should I? You certainly didn't - you took a pot-shot at Newt Gingrich.

Tim

 

[ajtiv]

This thread will be closed pretty quickly; but I think the Contract with America was about reducing government and budget, not necessarily a bad thing. The problem was part of the deals being struck was to lease national park lands to mining, lumber and ranching companies.
Money always interferes with great ideas.

The take away: Never take for grated the National Parks will always be there They will always need our protection from those who want to make money off of the beautiful land we have in this country.

 

[WhiteMTHike]

The visuals were good but, overall, I was disappointed in the series. It dwelled far too much on the political history of the parks. I do have some modest interest in that topic and it offers some valuable lessons. However, I am far more interested in the history of the explorations of the parks, the fascinating geological history of the areas which goes back hundreds of millions and billions of years, the unique features of parks, and ... why not ... a teaser on some of the backcountry and seasonal recreational opportunities.

I agree 100%. I only watched the first two episodes and like Stan, I would have loved to have seen more of the visuals. A little bit on the hiking trails in the parks would have been nice as well.