Inside PBS Blog
Insights into PBS programming and personalities
Who am I? Why am I here?
"Who am I? Why am I here?"
Admiral James Stockdale, Oct. 13, 1992
Hi everyone. My name is Chris Baker and I'm now blogging at PBS Engage, helping to take you inside the world of public media.
As PBS's director of executive communications, I write and edit presentations, newsletters and other materials.
I joined PBS in 2005 after almost a decade as a newspaper reporter, including five years covering national and local media in Washington, D.C.
My goal is to use this blog to pull back the curtain on PBS, introducing you to key on-air, online and behind-the-scenes players and showing you how our content is created and distributed.
Think of me as your guy on the inside. I want to use my PBS connections and past experience as a reporter to provide you with a deeper understanding -- and appreciation -- for public media.
Do you have suggestions for me? What burning questions would you like answered on this blog? What issues, ideas and themes would you like to see explored?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. I look forward to reading them and using your feedback to shape this blog in the days and weeks to come.
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I think part of the problem is the negativity on both sides of the aisle and I think that is...
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Carrier - Aboard the USS Nimitz
I'm not sure this is the correct place to ask this question and/or make this suggestion, and I apologize if it's not!
I've been watching the PBS - Carrier - and I am enjoying the series tremendously.
I've a few questions and comments about the series and wonder if it's possible to start a discussion on the series in the hopes that someone can answer the questions and review the comments.
If this is not the right place for this type of dialog, is there an area on PBS for discussing the series?
I've searched and searched and have not found anything.
Thank you.
Carrier
Hi Joan. Thanks for your comment.
Glad to hear you're enjoying "Carrier." Let's talk about it!
What do you like about the show? Have you watched all eight hours so far? Has it changed your views of the military or the war?
I also encourage you to check out the "Carrier" site at http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/ and its "Share Your Story" feature at http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/share_your_story.htm.
Thanks again.
Carrier
This program was amazing! It was compelling to watch, rich with so many stories and events, so well filmed and edited, and surprisingly free in showing crew members expressing questions and doubts about the mission of the war itself, as well as exploring the issue of gays in the military. I found so many of the people and their stories very engaging, and, as someone who knows very little about the military, I enjoyed getting to see how the carrier works, with all of the individuals and teams working so hard on their separate functions, and how it all fits together. The program was dynamic and exciting, and many of the personal stories were very poignant.
I have a question about the music. Although I saw on the Carrier website the music credits listed for each episode, I couldn't find the information about the main series song (played during all opening credits).
Carrier - Aboard the USS Nimitz
Thank you for replying.
I've watched all eight parts of the series twice thanks to the converter box.
Seeing the crew and hearing their stories is compelling as it helps place a face with those who are in the military.
It's enlightening to understand the reasons why young people volunteered to serve and it has helped improve my opinion of military life.
Some of the young volunteers chose the military to improve their lives, and it seems to provide confidence and pride, and teaches discipline.
One of the questions that plague me concern the young woman who was 'allegedly' raped by the seaman and she chose to admit to being drunk and that the sex was consensual to save him.
It appeared obvious to me that several of their superiors doubted her story in saving the seaman from court marshal, and yet they placed the two together for muster.
She was clearly distraught over the situation and having to see the man.
I hoped that the filmmakers would have shown her later or that there would've been a write-up about her in the crew portion of the website.
I would like to know if she continued her career in the Navy or if she left when her enlistment was complete.
Another question that concerns me is when the seaman went overboard and how they searched for him for 100 hours.
Did the crew hold a memorial of any kind, at the very least a moment of silence, for the missing seaman?
I believe his name is Bobby Mackeral (?) and was he ever recovered or is he listed as missing?
The series has not changed my mind about the war, but I have gained a new respect for those who are serving.
I look forward to seeing the final two hours of the series and wish to thank PBS for airing such an important and educational documentary.
Break Up
I was dismayed and touched by the young sailor's reaction. I live in Florida, and a lot of my daughter's friends have had their salaries garnished for child support. To me this dignifies the father and allows responsibility. Perhaps thier home state would provide visitation for the father or grandparents. I am a paralegal student and am always looking at things differently. I am still concerned about the care of the child. The girl was quite dewey-eyed in her decision. She doesn't know about the 1 am feedings, the high temps, of the first few years of life. One needs a good insurance company to provide for an infant, such as CHAMPUS.
I was overwhelmed by the saddness. So many of my daughter's friends have never met their fathers. I thought it was as tragic as it appeared.
The more the 'Carrier'
Glad to see we've got a nice conversation about "Carrier" going.
I'll try to find answers to the questions raised here about the show's opening theme and the fate of the crew member who went overboard.
In the meantime, let's talk more about the stories featured in the series. Lots of folks have said they found them moving and enlightening. My question: Whose story did you enjoy most?
Leave your comments here. Let's keep our conversation going!
Carrier - Aboard the USS Nimitz
I enjoyed all the stories of the crew, but was especially moved by Chris, I think that is his name, the young man who was going to be a father with the very young woman Tanya.
It was heartbreaking at the end when Tanya broke up with him.
I also enjoyed the segments about the pilots and their interplay with each other and the crew.
It was a nail-biter watching the pilots trying to land the aircraft during the swelling storm and I cheered when they were all back safely on board.
The last part of the series was quite touching when most of the crew reunited with loved ones and hearing their conflicting emotions regarding the ends of their deployments, especially the pilots who loved to fly the military aircraft and how they would miss it, yet they missed their families, too.
Carrier was an informative, in-depth peek into Navy life aboard ship and the sacrifices and hardships of the crew was enlightening.
I have gained even more respect for those who volunteer to serve in the military.
Carrier
I saw all 8 episodes of Carrier, and really enjoyed this series. At first, I was surprised at the direction the program took, as I was expecting it to be more "informational" and less "personal." Yet, the show quickly grew on me. Getting to know these people in the series and experiencing their deployment with them at such an intimate level gave me terrific insight as to what it really means to "serve your country" since I have never been enlisted myself, and had previously only movies and TV shows from which to base and develop conceptions of Military life. I quickly realized that not only are the service men and women "serving," but in a very real way, their families and loved ones are serving as well. Also, I believe it would be an excellent program for potential recruits to watch before enlisting, because of the honest portrayals of military life, which were not glamourized, or based upon pop-culture myth or stereo-types. Instead, viewers are given more realistic perspectives that clearly demonstrate the rigors of physically hard work & grueling daily grind, inherent risks, dangers, and monotony that accompany their tasks, the reality of home-sickness, and other unique major and minor stresses one would be presented with, such as being lower in rank, lack of privacy, personal relationship issues created by length of deployment, and conflicts with shipmates. As crew members often noted, "The military is not for everyone." Most rewarding for me was the family reunions at the end of the series, which I experienced with them at a powerfully emotional level. Through this program I realize even more how much those who served and saw actual combat on top of it (such as during WWII) gave and sacrificed to keep our nation and our allies safe. This program reaches beyond the political issues and ideologies of our war in Iraq, or of any war anywhere. It takes viewers along on a personal journey, from which they will likely emerge with a deeper human understanding and respect for concepts such as freedom, teamwork, honor, sacrifice, and committment. One question: Did anyone else notice that the fella who kept getting into trouble with "racism," and eventually got himself booted out of the Navy, probably had a serious drinking problem (like alcoholism) that could have been at the core of his issues?
Carrier
The guy who was booted out for being a racist admitted he was an alcoholic, I think, along with several other things.
I was really hoping that he would've been willing to work through his issues, as he really wasn't a bad guy, but he seemed to play into negative stereotypes about himself.
I thought that his behavior and comments about himself showed a lack of self-esteem and confidence.
I think he didn't want to adapt to Navy life and the chain of command, so he acted out.
What saddened me most for so many of the young people were their family histories, or lack of family and the abusive circumstances these kids sought escape.
The one aircraft mechanic who was abandoned at a carnival at three years-old was quite sad, since it is clear that he still deals with such deep-seated pain from the rejection by his parents.
Also, the young woman who worked the flight-deck and her story about her family, and her sisters getting pregnant at young ages and her parents and brothers being drug-users, and she didn't know why she chose a different path but was glad that she did.
And then the young woman who worked in air traffic control and how she always prayed to her dead grandmother and she was so proud when she passed the test and became a yeoman.
It was hard to watch some of the young people, when at the end of their deployments, that their families didn't greet them and welcome them home.
All of these young people are commendable for their courage.
carrier series
I am a Canadian viewer who does not agree with war per se. I understand that it is necessary for soldiers to exist and I am thankful there are individuals who believe so strongly that they are willing to risk their lives for others.
This series was absolutely excellent. One of the best documentaries I have seen, especially about this subject.
Thank-you for giving us a "real" reality show. I learned a lot about life aboard a carrier. And my heart went out to all those 5,000 plus personnel as they experienced their varied emotions and personal growth during their 6-month deployment. I think they were very brave to share such personal stories in such an honest way.
This type of production (and I REALLY admired the editing) is what public broadcasting should be about.
We just watched such a series on Discovery Channel in Canada about jet fighter school in Alberta. It was equally honest and educational.
Keep up the good work and please give us more!
Programming for a wider audience
There's seems to be a perception that PBS programs are mostly aimed at people either in the early stage of their lives(Sesame Street, Word Girl, Fetch) or the later stages of their lives (The War, Masterpiece). I think PBS provides outstanding content for these two demographics. And I understand PBS and its affiliate stations have to engage the crowd that provides the most monetary support for the cause(older). But I wonder if PBS is looking to engage Boomers and Gen Xers and widen the viewing audience anytime soon to cultivate the next wave of PBS supporters and advocates. Does PBS view shows like CARRIER and Frontier House as successes in reaching those demos? Can PBS sustain support while providing programming in primetime for 30-40 year olds?
F/A-18 landings with ship motion
I thought the whole series was great and enjoyed it tremendously. However, occasionally there were times that I thought it would have helped to have the pilots and crew discuss some of the more technical aspects of their jobs. This would have given a better insight into some of their everyday concerns. One of those times was when the pilots were having trouble landing their F/A-18's because of large ship motions in hour 7. Their is a system on the ship, the AN/SPN-46 Automatic Carrier Landing System, which is capable of landing the F/A-18 automatically. While this system may not have been certified for use for with very large ship motions, it would have likely made better landings than the pilots under those conditions. I would have liked to have seen comments which at least mentioned this system and say why they did not consider using it.
I'm all for this
I love all the technical stuff when it comes to fighter jets. The show was great but there are so many things that they could've expanded on and made shows out of each.