Man vs. History
Man vs History was a show that originally debuted on the History channel that aired in 2021. Master storyteller and historian Bil Lepp looks at a variety of American historical legends from Houdini’s ability to get out of a straight jacket by supposedly dislocating his shoulder to Ben Franklin supposedly inventing the first swim fins. The episodes all have loose themes such as being centered on iconic stunts or folk tale legends. Lepp interviews experts and even recreates some of the events himself to determine how true the legends are. You can stream all eight episodes using only 4 of your monthly 60 Kanopy tickets. It is rated PG so may not be appropriate for some younger children, but older kids and teens may enjoy watching it along with their parents. I especially enjoyed hearing about some stories based locally such as the Hamilton/Burr duel that took place in nearby Weehawken.
The Great American Recipe
The Great American Recipe returned to PBS for season 3 last year. You can have 5 days to binge the 8 episodes for 5 of your Kanopy monthly tickets. This season Alejandra Ramos returns as host but Tiffany Derry is now joined by Francis Lam, host of public radio’s “The Splendid Table,” and Timothy Hollingsworth, an award winning chef, as judges. The show highlights the regional and ethnic diversity of the American culinary scene with this season’s contestants including those who have Italian, Mexican, Chinese and West African heritage. One contestant from Alaska discusses foraging for ingredients during one of the challenges. This is definitely a program for those who prefer their reality shows low stakes and friendly such as The Great British Baking Show. No one is voted off, though there are constructive critiques of some recipes that were less successful. The show ends with a top 3 and one winner declared, but unlike previous seasons there is no mention of a cookbook; never fear though if you want to create any of the dishes you can find the recipes online. The previous two seasons are also available to borrow from Kanopy and the show has been renewed for a fourth season on PBS.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 