On the Screen & Under the Radar: TV You May Have Missed

By Barry Garron

Once upon a time, in a three-network universe long ago and far away, it was possible to be aware of, if not to watch, just about everything that was on TV. Now it isn't.

Similarly, it's impossible for TV critics, myself included, to review every new show or series. There is neither the time nor the space.

At The Hollywood Reporter, we follow general guidelines to prioritize programs. It's not a perfect solution but, most of the time, it's a fair one. Often, though,I come across programs I itch to write about but, for one reason or another, they are too obscure or too something to fit into The Reporter.

One of my New Year's resolutions--and maybe the only one I carry out--is to use this space to bring these shows some attention. I may like them or I may not, but I think it's worth knowing they are out there. Here are the first two:

"Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil and the Presidency." 9 p.m. Wednesday, PBS. In this presidential year, this two-hour documentary has the distinction of being the first in a long, long list of shows concerned with politics and history. And it's a good place to start.

The film, from Carl Byker, is not just a sterling account of U.S. history but a reminder that, sound bites and 30-second ads notwithstanding, the issues that confront us are not simple and the candidates are not readily compartmentalized.

Jackson, president between 1829 and 1837, is generally regarded as an American hero. Old Hickory outmaneuvered the British in the Battle of New Orleans, extended the vote to working class whites and expanded the country by invading Florida. But, as Byker pointed out, he was also a slave owner who defied the Supreme Court and forced the Cherokees off their land to make it available to settlers.

It would be unfair to judge Jackson by contemporary standards but even by the standards of his time his actions were highly controversial. The program, narrated by Martin Sheen, is followed by a panel of historians who debate Jackson's accomplishments.

"The Freedom Files." Although this show, which started its second season about a month ago, is seen on a handful of U.S. stations, the easiest way to find it is to visit www.aclu.tv.

"Freedom Files" is a series of issue-oriented half-hour programs. This season, topics include the use of torture, the death penalty, efforts to bar illegal immigrants from renting apartments, efforts to require picture IDs to vote, efforts to deny same-sex couples the right to adopt, efforts to spy on citizens for national security, and so on.

The episodes, from Robert Greenwald, invariably tackle important, complex subjects. Regrettably, though, they only provide one side of the issue--the ACLU side.

The problem isn't that the ACLU is wrong, though some may think so. The problem is that by arguing only one side of the issue--and sometimes making opponents look like fools--the ACLU's position has little impact. It's fine for Greenwald to make the case, for example, that cities only hurt themselves when they crack down on illegal immigrants. But until and unless he is willing to consider the arguments against that position and disprove them, he will simply find himself preaching to the choir.