Tuesday, March 20, 2007

From WBEZ in Chicago, er, Showtime Presents...

Slate has a four-minute preview of the Showtime version of "This American Life." Looks like the incomparable Chris Ware is responsible for the animation of this segment.

While I find it interesting that they are trying a televised version of the brilliant NPR weekend hit, I'm never going to get Showtime, so I won't see it, and, really, an immeasurable amount of the show's appeal for me is the fact that it is an aural (only) experience. It allows your imagination to fill in the blanks, and also allows you to be driving, doing work or just sitting on the couch enjoying what is an all but extinct experience—truly listening to the radio.

Here's a link to the radio show's website, where you can listen to all of the broadcasts once they're a week old... I promise you won't be disappointed.

UPDATE: Preview from a collaborative DVD by Ware and TAL host Ira Glass.

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