Based on the TV rankings for cable networks that air shows on connections to the past, many TV viewers are fans of history. That being the case, Fox Business Network’s "Strange Inheritance" is offering a connection to JFK that history buffs should not miss on tonight.
A special edition of the reality show will air on President’s Day called "JFK Letters." Host Jamie Colby travels to Boston to speak with the heirs of a series of letters from a young Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, written to the mother of a sailor killed on his navy vessel, PT-109. The letters contain never-revealed details of PT-190’s deadly encounter with a Japanese destroyer, and the heirs have to decide whether to sell them or to keep the remarkable heirlooms.
Whereas President Kennedy was connected to and commanded the PT-109 that was in the Pacific Theater, there’s a good possibility that the family which inherited the letters will face a heavy financial decision in terms of keeping and insuring or selling the documents. As historic collectibles go, items from the second World War are pretty desirable on their own. Ones which penned by JFK? Likely even more valuable.
Many in Wisconsin may have known the late Cliff Robertson, the actor who played JFK in "PT 109," the 1963 film based on the crew's experience. At Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh, I had the opportunity to talk about the film and the story he helped tell. Robertson mentioned coming across items Kennedy had during the war while he was doing research for the role. Those items, even back then, were considered to be highly-valued artifacts. It will be interesting to see on Monday what the letters drafted by JFK are actually worth.
The episode airs at 8 p.m. on Fox Business Network.
WHERE ENTERTAINMENT HAS GONE: Ever wish you could have more celebrity news? Ever wish it could be read to you by a hologram? Well my friends, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim has the perfect show for you.
The second season of "Hot Package" is set to air at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27.
Yep, more clips of the best A-list folks doing stupid things … that is if you think such C-list people like Mark McGrath, Heidi Fleiss, Fabio, Kenneth Anger and Corey Feldman are still A-list celebs.
"Host Derrick Beckles bravely forges the way in becoming the first and only entertainment program to feature a hologram co-host; and exclusive one-on-one interviews, behind-the-scenes at award ceremony coverage and breaking updates from Hollywood insider Jeff Deane Turner round out this never-to-be-missed series," according to the people at Adult Swim, who green-lit the show to sell more advertising.
"Hot Package" actually looks like it is worth checking out. But with celebrity information on a fake news show … consider the source, I always say.
SWEEPS UPDATE: While February may be a smaller sweeps month for area television stations (May is bigger), the races have still been pretty tight for different newscasts throughout each day. WITI-TV Fox 6 continues to grow its audience in the morning news. Comparing numbers year-over-year from February 2014 to last week in 2015, WITI grew from a 5.0 household rating in 2014, to 5.7 this year.
As far as the average times between 4:30 and 9 a.m. each day, the other news stations in Milwaukee have been flat or have decreased in viewership. WISN-TV Ch. 12 is flat at 4.5 year-over-year, WTMJ-TV Ch. 4 dropped from 3.2 to a 1.9 for a 41 percent loss. WDJT-TV CBS 58 went from a 1.4 to a 1.1, a loss of 21 percent.
Media is bombarding us everywhere.
Instead of sheltering his brain from the onslaught, Steve embraces the news stories, entertainment, billboards, blogs, talk shows and everything in between.
The former writer, editor and producer in TV, radio, Web and newspapers, will be talking about what media does in our community and how it shapes who we are and what we do.