What comes to your mind when you think “PBS?” Classical music concerts? Jim Lehrer? Sesame Street? Chances are, you generally look to PBS for the good, clean, reputable and (gasp) educational option in televised entertainment. But do you ever tune in to PBS for ground-breaking, risk-taking, innovative programming? If not, you might soon start.
On Friday night at 9 p.m., PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will air the fourth episode of a creative new series called Life 360. As its title suggests, the show attempts to survey aspects of life from a fresh variety of angles. The series is divided into 13 one-hour-long programs, each of which explores some universal theme in life, such as “voice,” “bridges,” “junk” and “milestones.” The idea is to underscore the commonalities in human experience.
In addition, the show boasts a “dynamic mix” of storytelling methods, from documentary-style interviews, to musical guests, to dramatic monologues. Independent filmmakers contribute to the series as well, and comedians and musicians offer a sort of cabaret of talent.
Life 360, according to the show’s host, Nightline’s Michel Martin, “will explore issues and ironies, challenges and comforts, dilemmas and desires that we can all relate to, from the multiple perspectives of different stories and different modes of storytelling … Life is always surprising, and that’s what we want to capture in Life 360.”
Zena Barakat (MSB ‘02) works part-time on Life 360. She agrees that the project is unique. “It doesn’t fit into any mold, and the stories don’t fit anywhere else on TV,” Barakat said. “It’s like the perfect evening out?it’s thoughtful, it’s funny.”
Did PBS bite off more than it can chew? Maybe yes, if the unpolished quality of the episode slated to run this Friday is any indication. Entitled “Food,” the episode attempts to show how food is “the stuff of life and much more.” Instead, it shows how PBS can still get away with airing high school film class-quality material. Fortunately, much like real food, the episode is saved from its shoddy packaging by its good content.
First, ABC News correspondent Robert Krulwich brings the cameras (and his somewhat irritating commentaries) into the kitchen of one of New York City’s most exclusive restaurants. This sequence offers an interesting look into the work and life of one of the most competitive chefs in the country. Furthermore, the footage of his toiling assistants (somewhat reminiscent of Iron Chef) gives the viewers an appreciation for the hard work and precision that go into preparing meals at prestigious restaurants.
True, a jumpy camera makes it difficult to concentrate on the interviewees. True, Krulwich’s dry sense of humor during his voice-over (“Look at this, it’s like the Oscars or something!”) is an unwelcome distraction. And true, the impromptu sequence in which a studio DJ scratches to a choppy montage of restaurant footage borders on absurd. But again, the content of the piece overcomes these setbacks.
Following the intensity of the restaurant business, stage performer Carmen Pelaez takes viewers away from New York to her home in Miami’s Little Havana for a more relaxed look at Cuban food culture. Although her narration is sometimes loud and obnoxious, not to mention riddled with clich?s, her interviews yield some interesting insights and bring the cameras to some pleasant, off-the-beaten-path Cuban-American restaurants and dining rooms.
Next, blues singer Diane Reeves provides an entirely random musical interlude back in the studio. If you want to look for a logical connection between her and the food theme, don’t bother, because it’s not there. Reeves proves that she is a very gifted singer, but her stage presence is less than engaging, and the studio audience, which is awkwardly scattered around the set at empty dinner tables, seems unsure of how to respond.
The best segment in the program, “Dumpster Diving,” tracks a night in the life of young eco-radicals who obtain most of their food from the garbage of bagel joints, sushi bars and health food stores. Convinced that no one should have to work or pay for food, or any staple of existence, these dedicated young people also distribute some of their best dumpster findings to the homeless. The skilled camerawork together with the originality of the subject matter prove that documentaries can still be fresh and engaging.
After an abrupt transition, comedian Margaret Cho offers a mediocre performance in which she deals with the very important issue of eating disorders. Discussing the unhealthy attitude toward food she learned from her mother, Cho tries unsuccessfully to insert humor into her monologue with such uninspired lines as, “You know you have an eating disorder when you eat dessert at McDonald’s.”
Despite the distraction of rapidly alternating camera angles, which the producers probably thought was artistic, Cho gets her message across?for many people, “food is still illicit, something to be feared, not enjoyed.” After nearly an hour of watching how food brings people together, its ability to rip people apart inside is a point well taken.
Life 360 is clearly an experiment. It is neither a news program, nor a variety show, nor a TLC-style documentary. It is something altogether new, and it is this newness which will both attract and alienate audiences. Despite some slow moments and rough edges, Life 360 promises to be both enriching and entertaining on the whole. After all, isn’t that combination what PBS does best?
