Documentary
Jonathan Meades Explores architecture and the British psyche once again in this series.


In the first episode of a five-part series, Jonathan Meades revisits the places his father (a biscuit rep) took him to as a child, in order to shed some light on his abiding obsession with buildings and places.

Jonathan Meades ponders the effects of the expensive craze of city regeneration and using 'landmark' buildings to get it.

Jonathan Meades investigates the short and lustrous career of that most mysterious of High Victorian architects, Cuthbert Brodrick. Briefly the most celebrated architect in Britain after designing Leeds Town Hall, he went on to spend almost half a century of willed obscurity in Paris

Jonathan Meades tells the story of Letchworth, the first British garden city. A social experiment, its legacy is Britain's ubiquitous, banal sprawl. Yet it all started so charmingly with naked dew-bathers, vegetarian mystics and sandal-makers roaming through Hertfordshire clay fields.

Jonathan Meades visits Stowe - the greatest of Enlightenment landscapes, an enclosed world of the utmost pomp. Its gardens, lakes, woods and, above all, follies are to be interpreted by those with a grasp of the classics to which they refer.

Himself

Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans—all were part of the Japanese “renaissance”; a period between the 16th and 19th Centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.

Host Peter Barakan delves into various aspects of Japanese culture; exploring practices, history, and modern innovations in such areas as ramen, rice, sushi, geisha, bonsai, and so much more. Local experts discuss their passions at fascinating length, and American Japanophile Matt Alt experiences the food, practices, and cultures in each episode in depth. Viewers will finish each half hour episode with a new understanding of an area of Japanese life through demonstrative videos and explanations, all delivered respectfully and true to the Japanese way of life.

This monthly half-hour series is the work of Akron producer Blue Green, who says, “The goal of the show is to shine a spotlight on all of the good things that Akron has to offer.” Green noted that the city of Akron is a wonderful place in which to live, work, stay and play, but he feels “to truly be a great city, we need our own Akron-based news and local television programming.” Each show consists of four stories, including segments on dining, arts and culture, history, business, and movers and shakers.