The Story of India

It's been almost fifty years since the Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Newton Minnow, first described broadcast television as a "vast wasteland." Sadly, the medium remains in a vegetative state interrupted by occasional blips of consciousness. I'm pleased to report that I found one last night strictly by accident after watching the Steelers beat up the Chargers - by default, most sports qualify as blips in my home.

The program, a six-part series, is entitled, The Story of India. It is a joint production of PBS and BBC, a marriage that has given us several past landmarks in television. As stated in the program notes, Western television has presented the stories of all the great civilizations, except India. It is an odd exception because India is the planet's most enduring civilization, spanning more than 10,000 years. If you're curious about the world's largest democracy and how it got to be, check it out.