This American Television Show

Last night, I had the opportunity to view the pilot of the new This American Life TV show. Because I'm friendly with a few high-level WBEZ donors, I got invited to the show's first public screening. Before and afterward, Ira Glass, the host, asked and answered questions, told stories about filming and generally rambled on about the whole process of making a TV show out of a radio program. It was fascinating, actually. I didn't discover This American Life until a few years ago and I'm hardly a die-hard weekly listener, but I'm always captivated when I stumble across it on Friday evenings. It's just such a good idea for a radio show, and there really seems no end to the compelling stories out there that are dying to be told.

I recommend checking out the Staff Favorites at the website. You can download whole shows and listen for free. And if you're lucky enough to get Showtime, you'll eventually be able to watch the TV version of the show. I'm not sure if it's a little better or not quite as good as the radio version. Obviously things are gained and lost when you move from one format to the other....

In any case, if you haven't stumbled across TAL yet, I suggest you give it a try. Listening to the show never fails to brighten up the day of this literature student, who often forgets that most everyone is in some way still moved by a great story.