Season 1

1991 · 15 episodes

Episodes

1Leonard Jeffries; The Jeffries Controversy; David Grubin; Remembering Miles DavisCharlie talks to City College professor Leonard Jeffries about a controversial speech he delivered on July 20, 1991. Journalists Jerry Nachman, Utrice Leid, and Sam Roberts debate Professor Jeffries's contentious ideas. David Grubin discusses his four-hour PBS documentary about former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, "LBJ: The American Experience." Charlie remembers jazz musician Miles Davis with performance clips of the legendary trumpeter.
2C. Everett Koop; Condoms in Schools; Wendy WassersteinDr. C. Everett Koop, former U.S. surgeon general, discusses the AIDS epidemic in America. A conversation about the effect of condom distribution in American schools. Wendy Wasserstein on her career as a playwright.
3Crown Heights Riot; Conversation about Prejudice; Alan DershowitzNew York City Councilman Noach Dear and Colin Moore, attorney for the Cato family, debate the events surrounding the accidental death of Gavin Cato and subsequent murder of Yankel Rosenbaum. We continue with a clip of Bill Moyer's "Beyond Hate" and a conversation with some New Yorkers that struggle with racism and antisemitism on a daily basis. Attorney Alan Dershowitz on his memoir about growing up in Brooklyn, "Chutzpah."
4Calvin Trillin; Governor James Florio; Nadine Gordimer; Generation XCalvin Trillin on his new book, "American Stories." Governor James Florio of New Jersey explains his state's tax policies. In an interview with Bill Moyers, author Nadine Gordimer on race and politics in South Africa. A discussion with Douglas Coupland, Robin Adler, and Manuel Villafania about the twenty-something age group called Generation X.
5Dan Rather; Deforestation in BorneoDan Rather talks about his memoir, "I Remember." Thom Henley of The Endangered Peoples Project, Monica Whelan of Rainforest Action, and tribesmen Mutang Tuo and Mutang Urud discuss the destruction of the rain forests of Borneo by foreign logging companies.
6Shifting Media Landscape; Tommy Tune; Mauricio ObregonJournalists James Ledbetter, Nancy Collins, and Kevin Goldman discuss the shifting power in news and broadcast media. Choreographer Tommy Tune on his career in dance. Mauricio Obregon on the myths surrounding explorer and colonizer Christopher Columbus.
7Shelby Steele; Clarence Thomas Hearing; David HalberstamShelby Steele talks about his book of essays, "The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America." Attorneys Judith Vladeck and Gloria E.A. Toote debate the legal issues in the Clarence Thomas sexual harassment case. David Halberstam on Major League Baseball and his 1989 book, "Summer of '49."
8Clarence Thomas Hearings; Terrence McNally; The LiberatorsR. W. Apple of the New York Times comments on the current state of the Clarence Thomas hearings and the sexual harassment charges against him. The conversation about Clarence Thomas continues with former representative Bella Abzug, attorney Lynn Hecht Schafran, and journalist Tony Brown. Terrence McNally discusses his film "Frankie and Johnny," starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino. Holocaust survivors Abe Chapnick and David Yager and soldiers E. J. McConnell and Walter Woodson reflect on the day the camps were liberated.
9Senator Bill Bradley; Cornel WestSenator Bill Bradley talks about the state of politics in the United States. Cornel West on race and the sexual harassment charges against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
10Anita Hill v. Clarence Thomas; Tibet and China; John FeinsteinA discussion of Anita Hill's testimony in the sexual harassment case against Judge Clarence Thomas with journalists Sheryl McCarthy and Jonathan Alter. Richard Gere and Lodi Gyari on the influx of Chinese settlers into Tibet. John Feinstein talks about his book, "Hard Courts: Real Life on the Professional Tennis Tours."
11Catharine MacKinnon; Clarence Thomas Controversy; Marsha NormanProfessor Catharine MacKinnon, an expert on sexual harassment and pornography, comments on the Clarence Thomas hearing and the "collusion" of the judiciary committee. NYC Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman and a panel of experts debate fact-finding procedures relating to Anita Hill's accusation of sexual harassment against Judge Clarence Thomas. Playwright Marsha Norman on her musical stage adaption of "The Secret Garden."
12Clarence Thomas Confirmed; Thomas HearingsHarriet Michel, formerly of the New York Urban League, and radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh debate Clarence Thomas's confirmation to the Supreme Court. Attorneys review the cross-examination of witnesses during the Thomas hearings.
13Gov. Mario Cuomo; Cuomo for President?Governor Mario Cuomo discusses whether he will run for president in the '92 elections. Journalists Sam Roberts, Deborah Orin, Lee Miringoff, Michael Kramer, and Floyd Weintraub offer their opinions on whether Cuomo will run.
14Jimmy Breslin; New York ChefsPulitzer Prize-winning author Jimmy Breslin discusses his new book, "Damon Runyon: A Life." New York chefs Daniel Boulud, Andre Soltner, David Bouley, Anne Rosenzweig, and Mark Strausman share their passion for food.
15Rick Smith; Son of Sam Law; Paul TaylorJournalist Rick Smith updates Charlie on the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev's future role in politics with Yeltsin in power, and what might happen to the remnants of the old Soviet cache of nuclear weapons and the KGB. Sen. Emanuel Gold and a diverse panel of experts debate the constitutionality of the "Son of Sam" law, which prohibits criminals from profiting from their stories. After a clip from Paul Taylor's "Made in America: Speaking in Tongues," the choreographer reflects on his career and how life has changed since the '70s.