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March 1999 Shows
MONDAY, MARCH 1
RENAISSANCE IN REVIEW
In 1860, Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt designated the period of
history from 1350-1650—when the resuscitation of Greco-Roman cultures
sparked a social, cultural, economic, religious and political re-birth
in Western Europe—as the "Renaissance." Modern historians view
the period as the "early modern era"—to signify the beginning
of centuries of progress in Western history rather than a re-birth. From
Da Vinci to Ronsard to Guttenberg to Shakespeare to Ferdinand II; from
humanism, to national government to the printing press to New World exploration;
and in Italy, France, Germany, England and Spain; what can be said about
the Renaissance could take a lifetime. But we will try to do it in two
hours, tonight and among our panelists will be Carla Zecher, the
newly appointed director of the Renaissance Center at the Newberry Library.
TUESDAY, MARCH 2
NEWS REVIEW
Despite the desperation of 24-hour cable channels to fill the scandal
void, national news still gets made, every day. So now, three weeks after
President Clinton stood before the country to apologize, again, for his
misdeeds, personal and political, the discussion returns to the "real"
issues of the day—Social Security, the economy, education, foreign relations
and the 2000 presidential race—and whether the pols, putting aside the
polls, will face the music and dance. Our usual panel of top-notch news
chasers will tease out the real news you can use, tonight.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3
WAITING FOR…A GOOD TIP?
If the curmudgeons are right, restaurant service is not what it used
to be. Snarky waiters want to be your best friend but can’t pronounce
the specials of the day; they re-fill your glass of water every five seconds;
or perhaps they hover anxiously as you take your first bite. But what
do those in the service industry say about their customers who tip poorly,
grouse at them when the sauce is too runny or demand special treatment?
Find out tonight, as four of Chicago’s most weathered and garrulous waiters
and waitresses sidle up to the table and fill us in on the frustrations,
delights and enervating experiences of the waiting life.
THURSDAY, MARCH 4
BOOKS OF MY LIFE
A good book can be the source of great inspiration. It does more than
satisfy the intellect, it nourishes the soul. Imagine what influence Zola
had on Dreiser or Dreiser on Steinbeck. Which political career was built
on the foundation of Machiavelli’s The Prince? How many novelists
cite Great Expectations as their muse? Tonight’s special program
examines a very personal question: What are the significant books of your
life? Milt addresses that question to a panel of wise and literate Chicagoans,
including Herman Sinaiko, Professor of English at University of
Chicago, to learn how the books in one’s life shape the personality, the
profession and the raisons d’etre.
FRIDAY, MARCH 5
MIMICS AND VOICES
All it takes is a good set of pipes, a healthy sense of humor, a keen
ear and improvisational talents to succeed as a mimic or a voiceover talent,
but only a handful of folks exist who really do justice to the characters
they create and become. And they are tonight’s featured guests, for a
rousing round robin edition of Extension 720, with four mimics who can
imitate and mock just about anyone, including, perhaps, the host himself!
MONDAY, MARCH 8
THE ENGINEERING OF PURCHASE
Ours is an increasingly sophisticated world of consumerism and consumption.
And no one knows it better than the research and development folks, the
marketing and advertising execs, the retail designers, and the shopkeepers,
store managers and sales agents. From the music played over the store’s
sound system, to the architecture of its space, to the advertising campaigns,
the retailing of product is a huge business that feeds upon the foibles
and insecurities of human psychology. Tonight’s panel of savvy consultants
will reveal some of the secrets of the retail trade, so tune in for a
mind-expanding session on everything you wanted to know about how THEY
control you when you shop.
TUESDAY, MARCH 9
WGN: BEHIND THE TALK
Turning your knob to Bob, being a Girlfriend, catching up with Mr.
President or checking out the 50,000 Watt Love Pump are things a radio
fan can do only when he or she listens to WGN Radio. So what’s it like
to host a talk show on the biggest radio station in town? On tonight’s
very special program, we turn the tables on three of WGN’s most popular
hosts, including John Williams and Spike O’Dell as they
chat with Milt on the art of broadcasting and the science of how they
do what they do.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10
FIREFIGHTERS
The scream of the fire engine siren is one of the most chilling sounds
in the noisy city soundscape—all activity freezes to allow the trucks
safe and expedient passage. But what actually happens at the site of the
fire is something only a few people can talk about. Barbara Duffy,
one of the first women to join the Milwaukee Fire Department is one such
person. Tonight, she and two members of the Chicago Fire Department will
describe their white-knuckle experiences battling one of nature’s most
elemental forces.
THURSDAY, MARCH 11
RUSSIAN LITERATURE
Pushkin, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pasternak, and Solzhenitsyn
are just a few of the Russian luminaries in the pantheon of great world
literature. What distinguishes Russian literature from the rest of the
Western canon? And what, if anything, do these authors have in common?
The distinct Byzantine influence? An abiding deep concern for moral and
religious problems? This evening, our scholars, including Northwestern
University Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature Irwin Weil,
read from, analyze and enjoy the lyrical, imaginative and diverse range
of Russian literature.
FRIDAY, MARCH 12
We’ve left tonight’s program open to discuss a number of very important
issues. We just don’t know what they are—yet.
MONDAY MARCH 15
Happy Canberra Day, mate! On one of the more obscure holidays celebrated
in America, we’re planning something that will delight, inform and surprise.
Tune in at the usual time for a program still under development.
TUESDAY, MARCH 16
AFTER THE COLLAPSE
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union at the end of the last decade,
Russian leadership has foundered in the face of real reform and democratic
procedure, or so argues Dimitri K. Simes, author of After the
Collapse: Russia Seeks Its Place as a Great Power (Simon and Schuster).
Simes was an advisor to Nixon and is now the president of The Nixon Center,
a prominent Washington foreign policy think tank. He asserts that Russia
will eventually re-gain power on the world stage, and that this may lead
to serious conflicts with the United States. Simes asserts himself tonight,
with a panel of foreign policy experts, on the topic of mother Russia
and her future.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17
IRISH HISTORY AND CULTURE
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we turn our attention to the remarkably
rich and textured history and culture of Ireland and the Irish. Tonight’s
guests, including Larry McCaffrey, professor of history at Loyola
University, will address, among many other topics, Thomas Cahill’s provocative
thesis of a few years ago that the Irish "saved" civilization
by preserving Western texts and then transmitting them throughout medieval
Europe. Don’t miss tonight’s celebration, which may even include selected
musical passages to make you get up and jig!
THURSDAY, MARCH 18
ANDREW CUNANAN
In her new book, Vulgar Favors : Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace
and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History (Delacorte Press),
Maureen Orth, a veteran Vanity Fair contributing editor and
investigative journalist exposes the ugly goings-on behind the Gianni
Versace murder. She joins us tonight to provide answers to all those lingering
questions and unsolved mysteries of the case—why didn’t the police capture
him earlier? Why did he kill Chicago real estate magnate Lee Miglin? And,
ultimately, how does our media-saturated, celebrity-obsessed age feed
the malignant imagination of someone like Andrew Cunanan?
FRIDAY, MARCH 19
We’re working on a very special program for tonight. Stay tuned for
further details.
MONDAY, MARCH 22
THE LAST MAN IN THE MOON
Astronaut Eugene Cernan has finally written his memoir, The
Last Man on the Moon (St. Martin’s Press), which recounts his
spacewalk around the world, his lunar landings, his commandeering of Apollo
17 and the risks he took in order to do it all. Stay tuned for his extraordinary
story, tonight.
TUESDAY, MARCH 23
INSIDE THE CLINTON WHITE HOUSE
He may have titled his political memoir All Too Human (Little,
Brown) but consummate Clinton insider-turned-critic George Stephanapolous,
has already been immortalized several times over: In D.A. Pennebaker’s
docudrama, "The War Room," as the idealistic young aide,
Henry, in Joe Klein’s novel, "Primary Colors," and of
course, in the annals of history as the senior advisor to the only elected
President in history to be impeached. At the ripe-old age of 37, this
experienced operator has seen more action than most do in a lifetime,
and has, perhaps temporarily, retired to a life of political punditry
and professorhood. Tonight, he offers his thoughts and opinions on the
Clinton White House 1992-1999 and on ambivalence-arousing careers like
his own.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24
QUARTERLY BOOK REVIEW
Spring is in the air, but technically, this is the winter edition
of our quarterly book review program. So just before the winds of April
whisk you away to warmer climes, bunker down with Penelope Mesic, Alan
Gitelson and Daniel Tucker, as they review the season’s most
appealing fiction and non-fiction titles, including Jim Lehrer’s novel
Purple Dots, Barbara Leaming’s commentary on Marilyn Monroe,
Abner Doubleday’s reminiscences and Martin Amis’ latest short story collection.
THURSDAY, MARCH 25
THE BUSINESS OF GUNS IN AMERICA
(This program was postponed from an earlier date.)
According to Tom Diaz, one-time NRA member and author of Making
a Killing: The Business of Guns in America (The New Press),
the real story behind the contentious gun control debate is the systematic
increase in lethality by gun manufacturers, and its clever targeting of
women and minorities as new consumers. He joins tonight’s panel of gun
control activists and policy experts to address gun violence in our society.
FRIDAY, MARCH 26
FROM THE ARCHIVES
(Please note that Extension 720 is on from 10-11 pm tonight.)
Extension 720 is partially preempted tonight, as Kathy and Judy broadcast
live from the first annual Girlfriends Convention at the Chicago Hilton
Towers. Tune in at 10 pm for a previously recorded, very special interview
from the Extension 720 vault.
MONDAY, MARCH 29
DOMINIQUE LAPIERRE
For every hard-edged and cynical journalist, there stand a few who
use their influence to change history. Dominique LaPierre is one
such unique soul. His best known work is not his journalistic dispatches
to his home office at the Paris Match, but The City of Joy,
a book about slum life in Calcutta, India. (And he donates half of all
of his royalties to humanitarian causes in India.) In A Thousand Sons:
Witness to History (Warner Books), he reminisces about his
adventurous and fulfilling life in the journalistic milieu and reflects
on his humanitarian work in India and elsewhere. LaPierre shares these
reflections tonight, in a one-on-one interview with Milt.
TUESDAY, MARCH 30
NO HEROES
Throughout his long career, FBI agent Danny Coulson has encountered
Black Liberation Army police assassins, white supremacists, the Branch
Davidians at Waco, and the militia groups at Ruby Ridge and Oklahoma City.
He has stood face-to-face with some of America’s deadliest criminals and
has the inside track on the controversies surrounding these cases. His
new book is No Heroes: Inside the FBI’s Secret Counter-Terror Force
(Pocket Books) but there’s nothing secret about tonight, as
Coulson leads us on a tour of the highly classified world of the FBI.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31
PASSOVER TAPES
Milt is taking the night off to celebrate Passover, so we will play
some great taped interviews!
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