Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein

History with David Rubenstein is one of the finest TV shows ever produced. It's so good I save the episodes and periodically watch them over and over. But his latest project is a great disappointment. Why?

Rubenstein doesn't seem to stick to a topic. The episode on the Golden Gate Bridge turns out to be mostly about cars, trains, and sustainable transportation. The episode about Fenway Park is more a collection of plays from the past than it is about ball parks, much less Fenway.

Then there are the omissions (something that is hard to believe given Rubenstein's background). The episode about the Golden Gate that turns partially into an episode about the car doesn't seem to know that the interstate highway system was developed by Eisenhower because he was so impressed with the German system. And no, the US wasn't the first to develop this system - Hitler did it.

There's more, but I think you have the idea. This is a deeply flawed series, which is so sad because the idea itself is wonderful.

I still like to learn things, but it is getting harder to find straight up unbiased history on television. This series appeared to cover a few topics that I am not familiar with. The Hollywood sign, the Gadsden Flag and the origin of the cowboy are all strictly American historical topics just like the titles promise. Episodes start off with a little background and history but quickly take an over the cliff turn to the left. The self flagellating David Rubinstein must inquire of most of his expert interviewees about the intrinsic racism within the topic concerning the past, present and future. Any more detailed and in depth history is shoved to the rear in pursuit of what I do not know. This is PBS, so I guess I should have known I would be disappointed. Why can't I get an hour of straight up history without bias and advocacy journalism polluting everything.

I enjoyed this series-some episodes more than others. Most brought together nicely various elements I had gleaned from other sources. Some (particularly "The Gadsden Flag" and "Stone Mountain") offered completely new information for me. Granted, I didn't always agree with the commentary, but I've always found history to be somewhat "subjective". Afterall, "facts" are "data"...and data tends to be "interpreted". (For instance, you may learn the Statue of Liberty was a "gift" to America from France-the motivations behind that gesture may be debatable.) I found the series enjoyable, informative, and sometimes even thought-provoking.