Hurray for Koppel on Iran

Quote of the day:
“Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to use earplugs?”
--Spike Milligan

Dateline of the day:
“Bio, Mass.”
--On a story by Sam Ness in the November 27, 2006 Weekly World News about the danger of aliens disguised as vegetables invading salad bars and produce departments.

Quote of the day no. 2:
“My analogy [of 24/7 news] is its rather like standing two feet away from a railroad track and watching the trains go by. And, boy, you’re close and it’s exciting and there’s a lot of energy and you really feel as though you’re on top of it, but you can’t for the life of you see what’s going on.”
--Ted Koppel

Ted Koppel’s Discovery channel special “Iran: The Most Dangerous Nation?” should be must-see TV. It is a superbly rational look inside a country that some of our leaders are demonizing. Much of the documentary was filmed before last summer’s Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Insightful interviews with government and religious leaders are interspersed with the comments of academics (who often disagree with each other) and ordinary Iranians. There are many beautiful sights in the program, and some unsettling ones. In a way, this is also a travelog. I had a real sense of what it would be like to visit this fascinating, ancient culture.

With all our posturing and endless chatter about Iran, this show is an amazing and humanizing gust of fresh air. Just in time for the holidays, too. It’s compelling TV and well worth your time. Check the Discovery schedule, and plan to watch it--you’ll be glad you did.

For highlights of the show, including interviews and a slideshow, go to http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/koppel/highlights/highlights.html and look for “Most Dangerous Nation” at the left of the screen.