Pittsburgh A To Z (Documentary)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C Main Program: B
One of the odder installments in the WQED/Rick Sebak
Pittsburgh History Series is Pittsburgh A To Z, produced in 2001. It assumes more knowledge than usual on the
part of the viewer about the famous city in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas,
so we recommend it after you have watched a few of the other shows in the
series, reviewed elsewhere on this site.
Once you start watching, though, it is quickly as entertaining as all
the other remarkable installments in this series.
It would be too much of a spoiler to identify which item
goes with which letter, but we will talk about a few of the highlights. Without sounding like a kids show or like
alliteration is contagious, Evergreen Hamlet has mid-19th
Century homes that were considered experimental for the time. American Bantam built the first Jeep
in 1941, a model, which has changed hands a few times since. “Jeep” stands for “general Purpose” and its
use over 60 years later as a recreational vehicle spells success. Mancini’s is a bakery that makes some
of the best Italian Bread you will ever eat, no kidding. Zambelli remains one of the most
famous fireworks companies in the world, but that is just the tip of the
iceberg.
The show runs about 100 minutes and only begins to uncover
the history of one of the oldest cities in the United States. The many things not covered here will be as
long as this series continues.
The 1.33 X 1 image is nicely shot, clean NTSC footage with
great old film clips and memorabilia throughout. The Dolby Digital 2.0 is simple, effective, and clearer than
usual stereo. Extras include previews
for this show, other Pittsburgh shows, some of Sebak’s amazing national shows
and six alternate choices for the letter P as it does stand for
Pittsburgh after all. They are from
other shows also out on DVD, and once you catch one of them, you will want to
see them all.
- Nicholas Sheffo
