How history programs are changing.

[Willi Z.]

I watched "WWII in Color; the Mediterranean and North Africa" tonight and the color fottage was amazing. The episode covered all of North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. I usually watch these programs for the footage because the narration is usually rubbage. But tonight I paid attention. They did not mention the fall of Tobruk, Kasserine Pass, or Monte Cassino. I was amazed. The program just completely skipped over those battles. I thought about how much I miss the "World at War".

[DennyB]

I was watching the History Channel a couple of nights ago and while it was talking about WWI German aircraft, it showed footage of a ME-109 in flight.

[Darrell]

.... and people complain about Red Tails?

[William A. Bell]

How history programs are changing

Willi is right. World at War was the best.

Best regards,
Bill

[james m]

I was watching the History Channel a couple of nights ago and while it was talking about WWI German aircraft, it showed footage of a ME-109 in flight.

If you think they get it wrong just on TV ask any high school or college student what they know about WW II. The dumbing down of history has been going on for over a generation.
When the scene comes up in Animal House where John Belushi blames the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the Germans most younger people don't know what's so funny.
Jim

[Josh Cowell]

If you think they get it wrong just on TV ask any high school or college student what they know about WW II. The dumbing down of history has been going on for over a generation.
When the scene comes up in Animal House where John Belushi blames the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the Germans most younger people don't know what's so funny.
Jim

The greatest conflict in the world and only a few generations later and no one knows the facts. Incredible. and yes, Willi Zahn is absolutely correct. The World at war is the best.
PS. I love your Fringe William Bell reference. I love Fringe.
In fact I'm watching it now on iTunes, cos I'm not in the US.

[Douglas Jr.]

Unfortunately, for most of the people WWII is a subject that it simply doesn't matter at all. It has nothing to do with cultural or social background: I've noticed that for the majority of the younger generation what hapened at that time (or whatever age actually) simply was/is not important. Only TODAY and TOMORROW really catch their attention.

For us, who are constantly immersed on collecting field and discussing military history this is an heresy, but, is hard to admitt, that is how it goes.

About History Channel: I gave up of watching it. It seems that they are more interested in producing stuff about aliens, alligators, taxidermy and other "reality shows".

Douglas.

[Napalm]

If you think they get it wrong just on TV ask any high school or college student what they know about WW II. The dumbing down of history has been going on for over a generation.
When the scene comes up in Animal House where John Belushi blames the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the Germans most younger people don't know what's so funny.
Jim

I would wager that if you asked a class of American high schoolers to point out Berlin on a map that most would point to Indonesia or someplace....At least here in Ireland Geography is upheld as an important subject...

[Robert Shoaf]

I guess that we should be somewhat thankful for The History Channel, and The Military Channel, but they are far from reliable sources of information, and seem to be more or less"history light", for the attention deficit generation.
Just yesterday, while channel surfing, I came upon a Military Channel program on the B-29 group that dropped the atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. Yes, they had interviews with the CO, Col. Tibbetts, and his navigator, but the selection of film was often incorrect, showing what was obviously Chinese footage as Japan, and when describing the first A-bomb test, showed film of Marines in trenches during a A-bomb test obviously from the 1950's.
This incorrect, and or lazy film footage is endemic with the "history" channels; perhaps I am just a nitpicky old curmudgeon! However, you do not often see this in the excellent "The World at War", as mentioned previously. Thankfully, I have a complete DVD set. You can't beat Olivier's wonderful narration, either.

Bob Shoaf

[carroll]

I talked to a 20 something recently who though WW1 and WW2 were started by Hitler.

[peleliuexplorer]

How can they not mention Cassino? One of the most epic and stubbornly contested battles in Italy! Shame on them...

-Eric

[Michael Fay]

bad joke

in academia,
the History Channel is a very bad joke: it is all about how ancient aliens instigated human history.

[MauserKar98k]

in academia,
the History Channel is a very bad joke: it is all about how ancient aliens instigated human history.

Yep. The History Channel is synonymous for joke in the History department of my college; a mere mention of the name generates chuckles and scoffs from students and professors alike.

[james m]

Yep. The History Channel is synonymous for joke in the History department of my college; a mere mention of the name generates chuckles and scoffs from students and professors alike.

Probably the same group who ooh and aah over tripe like "Dancing With the Stars".
Now watching that's a real mind improving experience!
Jim

[Mil-Archive]

in academia,
the History Channel is a very bad joke: it is all about how ancient aliens instigated human history.

I agree that is the way it is now but I don't think it was always like that.

'World at War' is one of the best.

Another good one was the Bob Carruthers 'Weapons of War' series, they are being rerun on Discovery History at the moment.

The 1hr episodes each on Army Group North, Army Group South and Army Group Centre were reasonable enough. Stephen Walsh from Sandhurst and Professor John Erickson are far more knowledgable than 99% of the other ww2 documentary content on tv at the moment.