Death by Lightning is a Netflix limited series that dramatizes one of the strangest and most tragic chapters in American political history: the assassination of President James A. Garfield. Adapted from Candice Millard's acclaimed nonfiction book Destiny of the Republic, the four-part drama was created by Mike Makowsky and executive produced by a team that includes David Benioff and D. B. Weiss of Game of Thrones fame.
Michael Shannon stars as Garfield, the reluctant, principled Ohioan swept into the presidency in 1880 almost against his will, while Matthew Macfadyen plays Charles Guiteau, the delusional, chronically failed office-seeker who came to believe he was destined to kill the president. The series braids their two lives together, tracing Garfield's improbable ascent and Guiteau's descent into fatal grandiosity, before turning to the grim aftermath in which the president's own doctors may have done more harm than the assassin's bullet. Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham, and Bradley Whitford round out the ensemble.
Critics praised the series for its dark wit, its detailed period craft, and the performances of its two leads, with Macfadyen's twitchy, tragicomic Guiteau drawing particular attention. Both a political tragedy and a mordant character study, it revives a largely forgotten American story for a modern audience. Death by Lightning is streaming on Netflix.
There is an increasing curiosity regarding our past today. Our grandparents left us some clues, like leaving a trail of bread crumbs they only make us want to learn more about where we come from and why we may act or look the way we do. Our genes are what the study of genealogy is all about and with the assistance of our trusty computer, some software designed to track down our past, and some help from experts in the trade our past is easier than ever to trace back. The television show Who Do You Think You Are? is about following the leads as presented to celebrities participating on the show. They are able to go and view the very records either on the internet or actually visiting the various record keeping facilities in public libraries or county birth and death records and gathering facts about their ancestors. We can each do the same tracking of our roots with help from the internet and some genealogy web sites and it is a fun past time that many enjoy. Who knows? You may have a pirate or a politician in your family tree.
It is a television program that is always entertaining and dramatic but never boring. Cops is a long running documentary style television series that follows the activities of law enforcement personnel from marshals, constables, sheriffs, and beat cops as they go about their daily duties. Their job is making the world a better place for the rest of us by cleaning up criminals and making our streets safer. A typical episode of Cops is a half hour broken up into three segments which can be thought provoking or filled with action. We see the "seedy" side of life and those who find out that crime does not pay when they head off to jail. There is no narrator and no music to entertain, just the cold hard facts of life on the streets of big cities everywhere. Episodes have been shot in many foreign countries and they all have the good versus evil theme no matter where they are. Each episode begins with the "Bad Boys" theme and ends with a police voice stating "I've got them at gunpoint!" It is reality programming at its best.
The Tudors TV Show is a period costume series that is set during the Renaissance dynasty and the life of King Henry VIII. It follows the final years of the great figure and the controversy surrounding his women and choices. Everything he does is in hopes of finally having an heir to his throne, however, that proves a not so easy task. King Henry VIII will do almost anything to ensure his legacy lives on, but will it be enough. The Tudors TV Show will keep you entertained and give you a lesson on the best years of English history.
If your interests run to exciting battles among fierce samurai and shogun warriors or the calming exotic and beautiful geisha in a historic period of time the PBS program titled Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire will most definitely be appealing. Going back to the sixteenth century in which Japan is seen to be a warlike society that is ruled by daimyo warlords and the violence committed by samurai warriors is a daily occurrence. In 1543 Portuguese merchants, who were the first Europeans to arrive in Japan, found themselves to be welcome as they set about converting that nation to Christianity. At the same time a low ranked daimyo family member was born and became a samurai called Tokugawa Ieyasu. He is held as a hostage during much of his childhood and when finally released takes claim on his family domain. Empires come and go but this one lasts for almost 250 years before peace and prosperity take the place of violent rulers who claim control over the lives of many. Once the isolation of this great country is overthrown they begin to prosper and modernize their way of life.
Empires: Martin Luther part of the PBS series Great Religions Take a fascinating look back into the history surrounding popular religions and you will find much written about Martin Luther and Frederick the Wise. Frederick was thought to be all powerful in terms of religious leaders of his era and he perceived Martin Luther as being a useful kind of weapon to be used against the papacy as well as the church. Luther was revered for his teachings and strong held beliefs. Among Martin Luther's serious flaws were the fact he was a violent man who tended to inflame nobles, commoners, and kings with his diatribes against Old Faith ideals and some New Faith members as well as Jews. It became well established however that once he captured their ear he could find supporters who only pleaded to him that he tone down his rhetoric and his rage. Luther studied the bible extensively and learned much then passed on what he had learned to all that would listen. Much has been written about Martin Luther and some inaccuracies are always to be expected. This well narrated program shows him as a man of faith but somewhat flawed in character.
Apparently, the Medici were first among the finer Italian families to perfect the subtle art of offering deals people could not refuse. "The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance" happily works the double entendre in its title through all its nuances and ramifications. In its less sinister interpretations, "The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance" gives ample testimony to the family's lavish patronage and promotion of the arts and sciences, dragging Europe kicking and screaming out of "the dark ages." The Medici revolutionized banking, commerce, diplomacy, and empire building. It was in that empire-building thing that the term "godfathers" took-on its more sinister connotations. In just four hours of spectacular footage shot on 16mm film, the PBS filmmakers quicken Paul Strathern's best-selling book, creating a suspense thriller out of reliable historical data. In its promotional materials, PBS mastered understatement, suggesting "Travel back in time to see the real human stories behind the European Renaissance and the family that bankrolled it." Had it been HBO, the same thought would have read something like, "Witness the sinister intrigues, the stone-cold violence, and the intensely sexual illicit relationships that drove the first Italian crime family to prominence." Even that description would fall a little short of the super salaciousness built into the story of how "the Medici family would rise to rule Europe"¦ Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power."
Illustrious names behind this documentary style miniseries include the narrator Keith David and voices of F. Murray Abraham, Rene Auberjonois, and Derek Jacobi. Human history was changed by the Jewish faith and Israelites according to the thesis of this program. While slaughtered and persecuted for many years because they believed in one god (the popular belief then was in multiple gods) the Kingdom of David remained solvent and united as they concentrated on making sure their traditions and history records were passed down. With strictly held moral values and Jewish laws they persevered. Much of the filming took place on the exact grounds on which original events occurred. Episodes of the well received television program Empires: Kingdom of David have included "The End of Days", "By the Rivers of Babylon", and "The Book and the Sword" and each of which notably covered a specific period in Jewish history. The Kingdom of David is part of a documentary series from Public Broadcasting with the title of Empires.
