Civilian Conservation Corps

I love PBS documentaries and have watched a ton of them through Netflix in recent weeks. Because I have seen so many (especially from "The American Experience"), I can see which ones rise above or fall below the quality standards this network has set--and it's usually, very, very, very high. So, because "Civilian Conservation Corps" was such a sub-par show, it really stands out from the rest. Now this isn't to say it's bad--it just isn't nearly as good as a typical PBS show.

There are two main problems with this particular show. First, the number of interviewees who worked for the CCC is very small (five, I think) and you wonder why they didn't talk with more folks. Surely there are a lot more workers who could tell their stories. Second, the show didn't offer much in the way of dissent concerning the CCC. Now I am not saying the CCC was a bad thing, but some did feel that way in FDR's time. Also, today in particular, the idea of government spending our way out of an economic disaster is even more controversial. Yet, according to the film, this is a GREAT thing and there really wasn't any controversy. Could this be because the show had a political agenda (particularly following the huge spending bills just passed by Congress in 2009)? Or was it just an oversight? The lack of a critical examination bothered me--though the show still is well worth seeing.