‘Mrs. America,’ ‘The Plot Against America’ worthy of quarantine binging
Television continues to help as most of the popular camps at home during the coronavirus quarantine.
Hating to sound like a myna bird, the two best shows that debuted during the corona era remain the fifth season of AMC’s “Better Call Saul” and the third of Netflix’s “Ozark.”
Those programs stand out for the intensity of their writing, the intricacy of their plots, and outstanding acting, particularly by the female leads, Rhea Seehorn (“Saul”) and Laura Linney (“Ozark”).
Luckily, there are others worth binging or catching up with as they continue airing new episodes in serial fashion.
“Mrs. America,” an FX show streamed on Hulu, is particularly impressive. It purports to tell the story of Phyllis Schlafly, who was influential and frequently unpopular as a conservative activist who campaigned against the still-unpassed Equal Rights Amendment and legislation regarding gay rights.
What’s admirable about “Mrs. America” is it tells Schlafly’s story fairly. While her politics received a lot of sneers from the 60s to the 80s, and would be loudly excoriated today, Hulu plays all straight down the line, resisting the common Hollywood penchant to denigrate, ridicule, or judge figures that don’t tow the current politically correct line.
If anything, Schlafly comes off better than some of her adversaries because her shrewdness, intelligence, unflappability, and ability to communicate are emphasized. These traits show how she could compete with louder, better funded, better organized advocates from the opposite side, several of whom are portrayed as not having the poise, control, or grace Schlafly could muster.
Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, and Flo Kennedy are all represented on “Mrs. America” and all have an episode devoted to them, but none of them seem to have the magnitude or generate the class Schlafly does.
The irony is Schlafly may win most of the battles waged in past decades while much the liberationists wanted are coming to light today, including genderneutral rest rooms. The program is also astute in the way it goes about showing conflicts, egos, betrayals, and splinters within a movement.
“Mrs. America” also benefits from uniformly outstanding acting, led by Cate Blanchett’s cool, assured take on Schlafly — Blanchett gets my vote for the best actress working today — and given additional heft from Tracey Ullman’s raw Friedan, Margo Martindale’s canny Abzug, and Uzo Aduba’s remarkable Chisholm.
Other shows worth watching all the way through are Amazon Prime’s “The Plot Against America,” which posits a word in which America stays neutral and is even friendly towards Germany during World War II,” PBS’s “World on Fire,” which concentrates as much on domestic life in London and other capitals, also during World War II,” and Prime’s “Little Fires Everywhere,” which brings popular Celeste Ng novel to life, and Epix’s “Belgravia,” in which “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes interests us in an intrigue between noble and middle class families in the early Victorian era.
Once upon a time, I thought both “The Plot Against America” and “World on Fire” were too interested in being episodic and melodramatic to have genuine passion or elicit much are about what happens to its characters, but developments in later episodes, particular a story line involving an orphaned child on “Plot,” changed my name.
One thing about “World on Fire,” Julia Brown is impressive when she acts the lead role of Lois Bennett, but, forgive me, I resort to the mute button any time she sings. Whoever did the sorry jazz arrangements of standard tunes, should have their hearing tested. Dreadful.
Roberts, Wyeth will be missed
Two doyennes of the region’s cultural and educational scene, both age 98, died last week, each with a legacy of achievements that made their lives significant and fulfilling.
Suzanne Roberts was a remarkable force of nature, always interesting, always upbeat, and always thinking of what she could do to make life better for people who did not have her privilege.
Even Suzanne did not always have her privilege. When Comcast, the company her husband, Ralph Roberts, founded, became the outstanding giant of the cable industry, the Robertses became wealthy and important in global communications.
Success and prosperity erased people’s memories of the many years, measured in decades, it took for cable to make its mark. Ralph Roberts was there from the beginning, an entrepreneur who endured many a lean time before his ideas, technological skill, and business savvy made him, and Comcast, an undisputed leader in its field.
Suzanne was with him all the way. In addition to helping Ralph, she forged her own path in several arenas. Her name on the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, home to the Philadelphia Theatre Company, is testament to her role as a philanthropist who gave generously to the arts, particularly theater.
Suzanne Roberts was much more than a benefactor. She was an artist herself. The first time I saw or heard of her, she was in a production of Kaufman and Hart’s “You Can’t Take It with You” at Rose Valley’s Hedgerow Theatre, where Suzanne played an impoverished Russian countess who came to a party and gleefully cooked a batch of blinis for everyone.
Her spirit was contagious. Through subsequent meals, meetings, calls, and interviews, Suzanne told me about her experiences working with learningdisabled children she was able to reach by using theater techniques. Eventually, she did a Comcast program, “Seeking Solutions with Suzanne,” that began as a five-minute filler and grew into a full program on which Suzanne, in her 70s, would accept any challenge and look deeply into how circumstances affected people’s lives. Suzanne earned multiple Emmys for that show.
Suzanne was a motivator who encouraged people to try, if they had to, to dare themselves to explore the new or confront fears and concerns that were holding them back.
Behind the performer was the communicator. Suzanne knew how to break down information and explain it to people in a way that was clear and inspiring.
She did it with warmth. She did it with sincerity. She did it with humor.
She also had standards and realized quickly if people weren’t being serious or courting her only because of her wealth and social standing.
In addition to appearing on stage, Suzanne studied dance and was heard frequently on radio as an actress and an announcer. Because of her way with word, she was recruited by two Philadelphia mayors to frame and deliver civic messages.
Suzanne preferred a full life, and for as long as she could, she made sure her own was at the brim.
She also enjoyed a marriage of more than 70 years to Ralph, who never missed one of Suzanne’s performance, attending even long runs every night.
Betsy Wyeth was muse, model, manager, preserver, and wife to the Pantheon American painter, Andrew Wyeth.
Among her achievements is Chadds Ford’s Brandywine River Museum, in which three generations of Wyeth work is exhibited along with touring shows featuring artists who work in the Wyeth style.
I don’t mean to cheat Wyeth’s memory by dashing off a few sentences after I waxed so rhapsodic about Suzanne Roberts.
The difference is I knew Suzanne, saw her on dozens of occasions, and had hours of conversations with her. I know of Mrs. Wyeth’s work primarily as a journalist that has covered many exhibitions and events at the Brandywine and is aware of the history and contribution of the Wyeths to art and Americana.
TV News done right
Heartwarming stories about people coping with corona quarantine abound, but two aired by Channel 6’s “Action News” stood out.
One, presented by Sarah Bloomquist, featured a Delaware toddler named Bailey who emphatically told her mother, “No soda!” as she blocked her way to the kitchen.
The child wags her finger and not only forbids soda but tells her Mom she should be “drinking water.”
The other spot, from Alicia Vitarelli, shows a young baker from New Jersey, Avner, who showed viewers how to make what he calls “tie-dye cupcakes” by mixing different color batters and creating a rainbow icing.
Both pieces were happy respites from hard news.
NFL did wrong in stopping ‘Jeopardy’
I understand Channel 6 could not control when the NFL was holding the second round of its draft, or that is was airing on its parent network, ABC, but of all shows to pre-empt, why did it have to be the one show I go out of my way to watch at its actual airtime, “Jeopardy?”
There I was, ready to yell out the answers when Peyton Manning appears in lieu of Alex Trebek and starts talking about football.
The disappointment was palpable.
I know the NFL draft garners huge ratings. This year’s first round attracted the most viewers in history. I know that football fans wait for this event all year and that Eagles fans would be eager to see which Jalen the team would select next. I know that the preemption was for one night, nothing compared to what “Wheel of Fortune” fans endure since ABC airs a COVID update at 7:30 p.m. these days.
What I couldn’t fathom was why, on draft night, Channel 6 didn’t make a move it had several times previously and broadcast “Jeopardy” on one of its auxiliary bands, Channel 6.2 or Channel 6.3.
That would have made sense. A crawl at the bottom of the screen could have directed “Jeopardy!” fans to the right station, and all would have been right with world.
By the way “Wheel” fans, Channel 6 does air each episode, at about 1 a.m. following “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” and “Nightline.”