Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
jennafan
Broadway Star Joined: 6/15/06
#1Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/13/09 at 9:31pm
Ok, is there anyone on the West Coast who has found out which PBS station is playing "Chess"?
I have like 3 PBS stations, but none of them are playing it.
I did a search on TVGuide.com and PBS.com WITH my zip code and the closest station playing it is KLRN, which is San Antonio, TX.
I'm in California.. I can't figure out what's going on.
jennafan
Broadway Star Joined: 6/15/06
#2re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/15/09 at 7:03pmi'm in Florida. and i've got it on PBS at 3am.
#3re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/16/09 at 4:00pmIt's on in San Diego tomorrow (6/17) at 8pm on KPBS channel 11 and 711 in HD with Cox as the cable provider. Updated On: 6/16/09 at 04:00 PM
#4re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/16/09 at 4:07pmI believe the SF and San Jose PBS stations are broadcasting it on Thursday evening.
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#5re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/16/09 at 5:26pm
Thursday in LA it's a Josh Grobin concert :P
I WANT CHESS IN LA!!!!
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
jennafan
Broadway Star Joined: 6/15/06
#6re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/17/09 at 10:01pm
I officially hate PBS.. I can't find CHESS playing anywhere in the LA area.. I know I'm not alone cause people are complaining on the PBS website about not being able to see it in SoCal.
WTF!!!
CurtisTaylorJr2
Leading Actor Joined: 3/17/06
#7re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/18/09 at 12:55amI've got three PBS Channels, KCET, KLCS and KOCE. None of them are airing it.
#8re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/18/09 at 1:30amI'm also having the same problem. I was really looking forward to it too. A shame. I'm up in Northern California (Bay Area).
"You have two kinds of shows on Broadway – revivals and the same kind of musicals over and over again, all spectacles. You get your tickets for The Lion King a year in advance, and essentially a family... pass on to their children the idea that that's what the theater is – a spectacular musical you see once a year, a stage version of a movie. It has nothing to do with theater at all. It has to do with seeing what is familiar.... I don't think the theatre will die per se, but it's never going to be what it was.... It's a tourist attraction." Stephen Sondheim
#9re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/18/09 at 4:07pm
If you're in the Bay Area, not sure how you couldn't find it. Channel 9 is broadcasting this tonight (Thursday) at 8pm.
The Sacramento station, channel 6, broadcasted it last evening (Wednesday) at 9pm.
As for L.A., you would think they would show it since the area is entertainment-centric.
#10re: Chess on PBS -- West Coast? (Charter)
Posted: 6/19/09 at 5:06pm
Los Angeles has the worst, most irresponsible Public Television stations in the country. They rarely, if ever, broadcast anything day and date with the national PBS feed. KCET is the worst of all; they hold back everything of any interest to broadcast during their too frequent pledge drives and as in the case of the boring, no talent tribute to producer David Foster, the program was broadcast at least 25 times over a period of 2 months. The Orange County PBS station, KOCE runs almost exclusively seminars by phony life change gurus and very little actual PBS programming. The Dish Network & Directv used to carry the national PBS feed but the LA PBS affiliates threatened to not allow them to carry their local PBS stations if they did not black out the national PBS feed. I would have said "good riddance" and kept the superior national feed. When it comes to PBS, Los Angeles is a cultural wasteland.
"I long-ago realized that this country is a nation of
morons, when it comes to knowledge of anything outside, or beyond, pop culture." Steve Slezak
Updated On: 6/19/09 at 05:06 PM
ZiggyCringe
Leading Actor Joined: 5/16/05
#11Watched this today...
Posted: 6/19/09 at 6:26pm
I'm sorry, Chess lovers.
This is one of the most misconceived musicals EVER.
I watched the PBS concert today.
Tim Rice came out at the beginning, and said "This is the best version of this show EVER".
This show will never make it on stage.
Here's why.
There are NO characters in this show. Ostensibly, there are Freddie, Anatoly, and Florence.
In this version of the show, it opens with "The Story of Chess," then goes into "Merano."
"The Story of Chess" is a better opener than "Merano," but Tim Rice has chosen to go with BOTH openings. "Merano" is a stupid song, talking about how Italy and Germany have a hoo hah. How does this propel the story forward? It doesn't. It takes away. And, oh, right, there IS no story yet.
After much ado, none of which tells us anything about character or advances the plot, this happens.
The Arbiter sings his song, which is a big dance number. THEN, the cheerleaders run out, and do another dance number. THEN, there is a reprise of "Merano," a dumb number which we didn't need to begin with. THEN, the chess match starts, which is represented by a dream ballet. WTF? This is 20 minutes of flash, none of which has to do with any major character in the show, nor which advances the (tenuous) plot.
Where is the tension? Who are the characters?
It's literally 55 minutes into the show before we get to "Nobody's Side," which is the first actual character-oriented number in the show. (And a great song). It's way too little, to late.
I'm sorry, Mr. Rice. You should know better. Look back to the Evita blueprint.
#12Watched this today...
Posted: 6/19/09 at 10:46pm
I live in L.A. too! 
I guess I'll just have to rent the DVD when it comes out...
#13Watched this today...
Posted: 7/2/09 at 12:46am
I couldn't agree more I finally got around to watching it and yes, Tim Rice, you missed the mark, big time.
It was so over blown and boring. Idina Menzel, was not the best choice for Florence. This version got so caught up with the political background that it forgot it is supposed to be a love story/triangle.
The revamped US version that played on Bway was better. The best version I've seen of this show was at Papermill Playhouse in NJ directed by Rob Marshall in 1992. He really focused the show on the main characters and the love story.
There is a good story and score there, but get it away from Tim Rice and let someone who knows what they are doing re-work it.
#14Watched this today...
Posted: 7/2/09 at 3:50am
"The Story of Chess" is a better opener than "Merano," but Tim Rice has chosen to go with BOTH openings. "Merano" is a stupid song, talking about how Italy and Germany have a hoo hah. How does this propel the story forward? It doesn't. It takes away. And, oh, right, there IS no story yet.
After much ado, none of which tells us anything about character or advances the plot ...[there]... is 20 minutes of flash, none of which has to do with any major character in the show, nor which advances the (tenuous) plot.
Where is the tension? Who are the characters?
I admit I've not sent the PBS broadcast so I don't know if they've cut anything, but I was at the RAH for the concert. I agree that the show does have two opening where one would do (I would favour 'The Story of Chess' with maybe just a verse of 'Merano' to lead into the opening scene proper) and that a muddled and weak book has always been the problem with the show.
However you seem to have missed the entire section setting up the character of the American ('What a scene, what a joy' and 'The Press Conference'), hints at Florence's history ("Hungary, 1956 and all that"), the conversation between Molokov and the Russian setting up the tension between 'the party line' and him just wanting to play chess, as well as his back story ('Where I want to be'). All before the 20 minutes of flash 
Updated On: 7/2/09 at 03:50 AM
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