December
2005 Shows
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THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 1ST
THE STATE OF EDITORIAL CARTOONS
Political cartoons and caricatures have been a part of American
politics and media for hundreds of years. The drawings of Thomas
Nast and the cartoons of Puck magazine played an important role
in the political debates, controversies and scandals of their
time. Tonight, we will be discussing the state of editorial cartooning
today with two people who practice this delicate—and perhaps
dying—craft: SCOTT NYCHAY of the Northwest Herald
and DICK LOCHER, former editorial cartoonist for the Chicago
Tribune.
FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 2ND
STEVE ALLEN AND LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
Steve Allen hosted the original Tonight Show from 1954 to 1957,
a three-year tenure in which he pioneered the talk-show genre
and introduced classic routines still in use today, including
his famous “man-on-the street” comedy bit. Tonight
we will be examining the life and legacy of Steve Allen with J.
FRED MACDONALD, president of MacDonald and Associates historical
film and broadcasting archive, and BEN ALBA, author of the new
book 
Inventing
Late Night: Steve Allen and the Original Tonight Show,
as well as playing some excerpts from Allen’s tenure on
NBC.
MONDAY,
DECEMBER 5TH
GREAT LAKES MARITIME HISTORY
“The lake it is said, never gives up her dead / When the
skies of November turn gloomy.” So begins the epic song
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which chronicles
the sad story of the twenty-nine men who died in a storm on Lake
Superior in 1975. That famous incident, however, is only one of
the many maritime disasters that have occurred on the five inland
seas. Tonight, we explore the long and storied history of shipping
on the Great Lakes, including some of the tragic shipwrecks that
have occurred in Lake Michigan and beyond. Our guests include
JIM JARECKI, president of the Underwater Archaeological Society
of Chicago, DAVID YOUNG, former transportation editor for the
Chicago Tribune and author of 
Chicago
Maritime: An Illustrated History, and MICHAEL SCHUMACHER,
author of the new book 
Mighty
Fitz: The Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER 6TH
A LOOK INSIDE THE BLOGOSPHERE
Blogs, more formally known as web-logs, are one of the innovations
of the internet era that have revolutionized American media and
culture. Bloggers have exposed journalistic gaffes and given us
an on-the-ground perspective from such diverse locales as Iraq
and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Tonight we welcome
three prominent Chicago bloggers (who all happen to be academics)
who will discuss their forays into blogging, examine blogs as
a cultural phenomenon, and relate how their blogs have influenced
their life and our world. Our guests will be DAN DREZNER, professor
of political science at the University of Chicago who blogs at
his own website, ESZTER
HARGITTAI, professor of communications at Northwestern University
and one of the bloggers at Crooked
Timber, and SEAN CARROLL, professor of physics at the University
of Chicago and one of the founding members of the physics blog
Cosmic Variance.
WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 7TH
AN ACTOR’S LIFE
John Gielgud once defined acting as “half shame, half glory.
Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.”
We will be verifying the accuracy of that definition with renowned
theatre, television and film actor MICHAEL YORK, who returns to
the program tonight to discuss his latest book 
Are
My Blinkers Showing?: Adventures in Filmmaking in the New Russia.
And of course we will feature some sound clips of his famous performances.
THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 8TH
Due to the severe weather, Extension 720's Restaurants
of the Year program was postponed. Instead, Milt and Dave Kaplan
hosted a special edition of the program focused on the snow and
the plane crash at Midway airport.
FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 9TH
THE ECONOMY OF PRESTIGE
What is the real value of winning a National Book Award? Do winners
of the Booker Prize immediately ascend to the cultural heights?
Why does winning an Oscar immediately confer a sense of superiority?
We will be discussing all of these awards and more tonight with
JAMES ENGLISH, professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania
and author of the new book 
The
Economy of Prestige: Prizes, Awards, and the Circulation of Cultural
Value, which explores the true value of prizes in literature
and the arts.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 12TH
THE SECULARIZATION OF THE HOLIDAYS
Instead of "Merry Christmas," many people now
say "Happy Holidays." To avoid lawsuits, children in
public schools sing secular holiday songs instead of Christmas-themed
carols. Does the increasing secularization of Christmas in public
life signal the final triumph of political correctness? Or is
it simply one way that we are striving to protect people of all
religious persuasions? We will be debating these issues tonight
with JOHN MAUCK of Mauck & Baker Attorneys at Law, who specializes
in religious law, LARRY GREENFIELD, executive minister of the
American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago and a member of the
ACLU of Illinois' board of directors, MICHAEL BATES, a political
columnist for the Oak Lawn Reporter, and MELANIE MARON,
assistant director of the American Jewish Committee in Chicago.
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER 13TH
MASTERING WORLD POLITICS
Theodore Roosevelt’s approach to foreign policy was to “speak
softly and carry a big stick.” In today’s modern political
landscape, however, it is perhaps more advisable to wield soft
power in lieu of a large weapon. Tonight, we will be exploring
the philosophy and practical application of the “soft power”
approach to American foreign policy with its creator JOSEPH S.
NYE, dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
and author of the book 
Soft
Power: The Means to Success in World Politics.
WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 14TH
THE PROS AND CONS OF URBAN SPRAWL
Urban sprawl is an indisputable part of American life today. From
the endless sea of strip malls that spring up on the outskirts
of cities to the increasing size of the McMansions that are built
around them, the face of the American city is defined by this
type of growth. But does this growth represent the negative side
of our insatiable desire for bigger and better buildings or is
it a natural consequence of and urbanization process that has
been going on for centuries? We will be debating this issue after
tonight’s 7:00 p.m. Northwestern basketball game with a
panel of guests: JOHN McCARRON, former urban affairs writer for
the Chicago Tribune, RUTH KNACK, editor of Planning
magazine (the official publication of the American Planning Association)
and ROBERT BRUEGMANN, professor of art history, architecture and
urban planning at the University of Illinois Chicago and author
of the new book 
Sprawl:
A Compact History.
THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 15TH
TOMMY DORSEY AND THE BIG BAND ERA
Famed jazz trombonist Tommy Dorsey played with the likes of Bunny
Berigan, Sy Oliver and jumpstarted the career of a young Frank
Sinatra. His hits included Well, Get It!, Yes, Indeed, and Sy
Oliver’s arrangment of Swanee River. Tonight, we will be
discussing the life and celebrating the jazz stylings of this
great bandleader, as well as documenting his place in the pantheon
of other stars in the big band world with PETER LEVINSON, entertainment
industry veteran and author of the new book 
Tommy
Dorsey: His Life and Times. Tune in to hear some great
tunes from the Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington,
Kay Kyser and more.
FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 16TH
INSIDE AN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL
It was once said that “the tragedy of education is played
in two scenes—incompetent pupils facing competent teachers
and incompetent teachers facing competent pupils.” Tonight,
we will go inside one American high school to witness such tragedies
in the classroom and to explore the small triumphs that teachers,
students and administrators nevertheless manage to achieve every
day. Taking us on this journey is JOANNE JACOBS, noted education
journalist and influential blogger, whose new book (
Our
School: The Inspiring Story of a Principal, His Students, and
the School That Changed Their Lives) describes the day-to-day
activities of Downtown College Prep in San Jose, California.
MONDAY,
DECEMBER 19TH
TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE: THE LIVES OF TWINS
What makes twins so special? What is it about their bond that
it can remain intact over different continents, through different
lives, despite different families? Tonight, we will explore the
inner lives of famous—and infamous—twins with NANCY
SEGAL, distinguished professor in Humanities and Social Sciences
and Director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University,
Fullerton and author of the new book 
Indivisible
by Two: Lives of Extraordinary Twins.
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER 20TH
THE HISTORY OF GREEKTOWN
Tonight on Extension 720, we celebrate one of Chicago's
greatest neighborhoods--Greektown--with an in-depth exploration
of its history, culture and inhabitants. Our guests include HARRY
MARK PETRAKIS, the noted novelist and chronicler of life in Greektown,
FATHER DEMETRI KANTZAVELOS, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Diocese
of Chicago, and ALEXA GANAKOS, executive editor of GreekCircle
magazine and author of the new book 
Greektown
Chicago: Its History, Its Recipes.
WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 21ST
A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE'S LIFE
Baseball hall-of-famer Bob Gibson once said that "when
I was playing I never wished I was doing anything else. I think
being a professional athlete is the finest thing a man can do."
But what is the life of a professional athlete off the playing
field? Tonight, we will find out with three guests from three
different sports: former Chicago Bull NORM VAN LIER, former Chicago
Cub RANDY HUNDLEY, and former Chicago Bear (and current WGN Radio
sportscaster) GLEN KOZLOWSKI.
THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 22ND
THE YEAR IN CHICAGO
It's been an interesting year for local politics, from
the scandals that still continue to plague--but never quite touch--Mayor
Daley to the trial of former Illinois Governor George Ryan. Tonight,
we will be discussing the year in Chicago politics with a panel
of experts, including WGN Radio's political analyst PAUL GREEN,
JIM WEBB, the Chicago Tribune's Illinois political editor,
and DICK SIMPSON, professor of political science at the University
of Illinois Chicago and a former Chicago alderman.
FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 23RD
HOLIDAY TAPES
After tonight's 7:00 p.m. Northwestern basketball game,
we will be featuring some recently recorded interviews, including
DR. JEROME KASSIRER, former editor of the New England Journal
of Medicine, discussing his new book 
On
the Take: How Medicine's Complicity with Big Business Can Endanger
Your Health.
MONDAY,
DECEMBER 26TH
THE BOOKS OF THE YEAR
Some wonderful books have been published in 2005, and
some books that we'd like to forget. Tonight, we will be discussing
some of the literary highlights and lowlights of this past year
with three close friends of the program, including RON GROSSMAN,
esteemed features writer for the Chicago Tribune, and
SUSAN HARRIS, former head of Northwestern University Press and
managing editor of Words Without Borders.
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER 27TH
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
The past twelve months have seen some major world and
domestic events: the inauguration of President George W. Bush,
the death of Pope John Paul II, the terrorist bombings in London,
and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Tonight, we will be
examining the major news events of this year with a panel of top
journalists from the Chicago Tribune. Our guests will
be managing editor JIM O'SHEA, foreign editor KERRY LUFT and public
editor DON WYCLIFF.
WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 28TH
THE YEAR AT WGN
As 2005 draws to a close, we once again welcome into the studio
three of WGN Radio’s favorite on-air personalities to discuss
the events of the past year as only they can. Be sure to tune
in as STEVE COCHRAN, DAVE KAPLAN and JOHN WILLIAMS discuss the
year in broadcasting and the many changes that have happened here
at 720 WGN over the past twelve months.
THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 29TH
A NIGHT WITH OUR LISTENERS
As we do every year, we open up the phone lines to hear our listeners’
opinions on the events of the past year and their predictions
for what is to come in 2006. Be sure to get your phone calls and
e-mails in early, as this is one of our most popular programs
of the year.
FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 30TH
THE BEST OF EXTENSION 720 2005
On the penultimate night of 2005, we take a look back at some
of the highlights of Extension 720 during the past twelve months.
Producer MAGGIE BERNDT will host a compilation of some of most
thought-provoking and amusing programs, including visits from
such eminent and varied personages as Francis Cardinal George,
Robert MacNeil, Sir Martin Gilbert, E.O. Wilson, and more.
Archive
of previous show topics:
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2002
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2005
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