This American Life
February 24th, 2007
Over the last few months I've become addicted to the podcast of This American Life, a documentary series broadcast on America's National Public Radio network. A typical episode will present two or three stories tied together by a loose thematic link. For example, here's the synopsis from an episode broadcast earlier this month:
Houses of Ill Repute
2/2
Episode 325An old man in Brooklyn invites some homeless prostitutes into his house on a cold winter night. They never leave. Plus other stories about houses, such as the United States Congress, where the inhabitants don't always act as they should.
Prologue. Ira talks to Randall Bell, who specializes in assessing how tragedy affects real estate. He's found that the market is much quicker to forgive and forget a scandal than the neighbors are. (3 minutes)
Act One. It's Not a Crack House, It's a Crack Home. Joe had lived alone in his big house in Brooklyn for decades. Then one night he saw a few people – prostitutes, actually – shivering outside in the cold, and he opened up his home to them. Pretty soon his upper floors were completely trashed. His house became overrun by the neighborhood's roughest characters, and somehow, he couldn't do anything about it. Maherin Gangat reports the story. (26 minutes)
Act Two. The Crisco Kid. When David Wilcox was eighteen, he set about looking for an apartment in Houston. He had no credit and very little money, but he was determined to move away from home. He finally found a place in the only apartment complex he could afford. After a few disturbing encounters with neighbors – plus a tornado – he began to realize maybe he needed to think again. (14 minutes)
Song: "Stranglehold," Ted Nugent
Act Three. Bully's Pulpit. There's probably no house more famous for the bad behavior of its denizens than the U.S. House of Representatives. For twelve years, Democrats squirmed under the heel of the Republican majority. Since the 2006 elections though, they're giving back a bit of what they got, while the new GOP minority complains in a very familiar way. It's the age-old, unwinnable fight: "Who started it?" Producer Alex Blumberg talks to both sides. (13 minutes)
Song: "U Started It," Gwen Stefani
The show has been running for more than a decade now, and it's about to make the transition to television with a six week run on the Showtime network in the US starting next month. Judging by the trailer and this interview with the TV show's producers the TV incarnation of the show looks to be true to the humane, non-judgemental spirit of the radio show.
I hope someone picks the TV version up over here; perhaps More4 could find a nice mid-evening slot for the show, right where they currently put imports like 30 Days.
[Interview with the show's producers via Fimoculous]
February 25th, 2007 at 06:18
Exactly! I have been listening to public radio here in the U.S. for years. This American Life, like so many other shows produced for public radio, is simply amazing. Many times I have found myself sitting in my driveway at home or in parking lots around town, unable to shut off the radio and get out of the car. I was convinced for the longest time that This American Life was fiction – it is certainly stranger than fiction. Ira Glass' canny ability to wring every drop of irony from a story is unique in media.
This is the first I have heard about the TV show. If it is anywhere close to the quality of the radio show…well, I hope Showtime has better sense than the other networks here in the States, where quality often seems to lead to cancellation :(