Courtesy: PBS
2015 is an important year in America’s history and of the world’s history. That is because this year marks a number of major anniversaries. As of 2015, seventy years have passed since the creation and testing of the atomic bomb. The bomb was first tested on July 16th, 1945. Only weeks later, the bomb would be used not once but twice on Japan before the island nation finally surrendered on August 14th, 1945. In recognition of the anniversaries, PBS released its new documentary The Bomb this past Tuesday. While it is obviously not the first documentary centered on the subject to see the light of day it is still an interesting program nonetheless. That is especially the case for all of the history buffs out there. That is because of the depth of material presented throughout the course of the program. Speaking of that material, there is so much ground covered that the program takes two hours to cover it all. Over the course of that run time, the program’s pacing remains solid from start to finish. It is so solid in fact that no viewer will ever be left feeling lost any point in the program’s run. The program’s solid pacing is just one part of what keeps audiences engaged. The program’s equally solid and clear transitions add even more interest to the program. Each of the noted elements plays its own important part in The Bomb’s overall viewing experience. All three elements combined, they make The Bomb a truly explosive (bad pun fully intended) piece of history from PBS and yet more proof of why PBS is the last bastion of truly worthwhile programming on television today.
PBS’ brand new documentary The Bomb is one of the best of this year’s new documentaries. The main reason that the rather aptly titled program is such a powerful, engaging presentation is the material that makes up its body. From beginning to end, the program focuses not just on the atomic bomb and its influence in World War II but how its creation led to the evolution of nuclear arms in the modern world both good and bad. Viewers discover that the very roots of the atom bomb lie in the discovery by American forces that the Nazis were themselves trying to develop an atom bomb. So that discovery led American forces to begin what would become known as “The Manhattan Project.” Audiences will be interested to learn that “The Manhattan Project” in fact got its name from Manhattan, the NY district where work to begin development of the bomb started. Just as interesting to learn is the fact that apparently Truman did not okay the dropping of the first atomic bomb, though he did sign off on the use of the second bomb. On a related note, audiences will be just as interested to learn that Nagasaki was actually not the first target for the second bomb. It was in reality a backup drop site, but cloud cover on the main site led the Air Force to move to Nagasaki. This is just a small portion of the in-depth information that serves to make The Bomb such an intriguing watch. As already noted, The Bomb shows both the good and bad of the atom bomb and its influence on the evolution of nuclear arms worldwide. One of the most surprising warts that it reveals is the Navy’s obvious irresponsibility in its underwater testing. It spread radiation underwater and even onto the men dispatched to test the ships used as target objects in their testing. Thankfully the revelations from that testing resulted in ownership of the bomb (so to speak) remained with the Air Force after that testing. There’s even an eye-opening note about how the use of the atom bomb even became part of American pop culture after World War II, with restaurants being dubbed “Atomic Cafe” and shows for audiences centered on its use in everyday American life. The program doesn’t end after the end of the “atomic age.” It goes from here to outline the evolution of the atomic bomb into smaller, more mobile nuclear arms in world conflicts. It all ends with a positive yet cautious message that while cooler heads have prevailed ever since the use of the Atom bomb in 1945, its creation has still led to the evolution of mobile nuclear arms and that said arms including the hydrogen bomb still pose potential threats. It warns that as long as the world’s political leaders can keep their fingers off the buttons and their heads together, the world will hopefully never see destruction such as that wrought by the atom bomb, the hydrogen bomb or something (god forbid) far more powerful and destructive. In all the historical information presented throughout The Bomb serves as an excellent tool for any history class just as much as it is an interesting addition to any history buff’s personal DVD library. It is one of the most in-depth and engaging documentaries produced to date on the atom bomb and the evolution of military arms. It is yet more proof of why PBS remains today the last bastion of truly worthwhile programming on television.
The material that makes up the body of The Bomb is in itself more than enough reason for audiences to watch this documentary. While it is hugely important in its own right, it is just one part of the program’s whole that makes it one of the year’s best new documentaries. Its collective run time and pacing show even more why it is such a solid presentation. The Bomb’s full run time is listed at two hours. However, that is likely counting the material the precedes the program and follows it. The reality is that not counting the noted additions, the program comes in at roughly an hour and forty-five minutes to maybe an hour and fifty minutes give or take five minutes. So considering how much material is covered in that span of time, that is saying quite a bit. Thanks to the program’s solid pacing (and the organization of the information within the program), the information shared over the course of that two hours will keep viewers fully engaged. It makes that two-hours pass by without notice. This is, again, especially the case for any military history buff and history buff in general. It is just one more way in which The Bomb proves itself such a solid, engaging program for said audiences. It still is not the last reason that The Bomb shows itself to be so impressive, either. The program’s transitions round out the reasons that The Bomb proves to be such a worthwhile watch.
The material that makes up the body of The Bomb is in itself plenty of reason for viewers to watch this new documentary from PBS. The program’s collective run time and pacing make the program even more engaging for viewers. As important as each noted element is to the whole of the documentary they remain only part of what makes the program whole. Its transitions round out the whole of the program making it complete. The transitions are established clearly from one chapter to the next with the explosion of the atom bomb serving as the transition’s central element. It serves to give a clear end to one chapter and beginning of the next. That transition effect, essentially a wipe, is partnered with the clear labeling of each new segment. The label in question clearly lets audiences know what is going to be discussed in each new segment so as to leave no doubt about what will be discussed. In other words the transitions that are used to advance the program aren’t the standard transitions. Those behind the program’s creation showed that they paid close attention to detail here so as to make the program as clear as possible for viewers. It makes the overall viewing experience that much more engaging for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The narrator even gives clear, concise starting and ending points within each segment, thus making the program that much more engaging for viewers. All of this in mind, the transitions that are used throughout the course of The Bomb’s run round out the presentation’s positives. Together with the program’s deeply interesting information and its collective run time and pacing, all three elements make The Bomb a program that is definitely an explosive success for viewers of all types. It is yet more proof of why PBS remains today the last remaining bastion of truly worthwhile programming on television today.
PBS’ new documentary The Bomb is one of the best of this year’s new documentary offerings. This is thanks in large part to the very amount of information shared throughout the course of the program’s two-hour run time. Speaking of that run time, that run time together with the program’s pacing adds even more interest to the program. The transitions used to advance the presentation round out the program’s positives. The transitions are clear and concise from one to the next right to the program’s end. This ensures that, together with the program’s run time and pacing, and its information viewers will remain fully engaged from beginning to end. In remaining so engaged, said viewers will agree that The Bomb packs quite the punch for any military history buff and history buff in general. The Bomb is available now. It is available exclusively on DVD and can be ordered direct via PBS’ online store at http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=67509846&cp=&sr=1&kw=the+bomb&origkw=The+Bomb&parentPage=search. More information on this and other PBS programs is available online now at:
Website: http://www.pbs.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pbs
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