Telling grim slavery tales

"Slavery and the Making of America" is an epic tale told one small piece at a time. The four-hour PBS series, which airs tonight and Feb. 16 from 8-10 p.m. on Ch. 7, looks at 400 years of history from the perspective of individual slaves.

"We want viewers to see the enslaved as human beings first and enslaved people second," said producer Dante J. James. "We felt that it was really important to show full-fledged human beings — show their faces, show their emotions, show their reactions and show them in the light of the dignified human beings that they were."

From its origins in 1619 to its continuing influence on America in the 21st century, the documentary puts a face — many faces — on slavery. "We tried to tell stories that were less well-known," said executive producer William R. Grant. "The slavery that we were taught in school is a little, tiny swipe of the history of slavery. We wanted to reflect the whole arc of slavery."

And, in doing so, the program makes the point "to all Americans that slavery isn't just part of the African-American story," said James Horton, the historian who authored the companion book to the documentary. "It isn't just part of the Southern story. Slavery is part of the American story. What America became, it became in large part because it had to suffer with this great inconsistency of saying to the world, 'We are a nation believing in freedom and holding slaves.' How do you deal with that?"

THE BEST SHOW you're probably not watching (judging by the ratings) is "Jack & Bobby," which is about as good as anything on TV right now.

It's a fine family drama about a thoroughly nontraditional family. It's a show that's not afraid to tackle tough issues — sometimes several at a time. And it's a program that takes on heightened importance because we know that younger brother Bobby (Logan Lerman) is going to be elected president of the United States in 2040, while older brother Jack (Matthew Long) is going to die young sometime before that.

The characters in "Jack & Bobby" aren't perfect. Far from it. Several of them make massive mistakes in tonight's episode (8 p.m., Ch. 30): Grace (Christine Lahti), the boys' free-spirited mother, in her relationship with a grad student; Jack in his reaction to finding out about it; and Courtney (Jessica Pare) — the future first lady — in her relationship with a new boyfriend.

There are things here that are going to unsettle everyone from the gun lobby to animal-rights activists to those battling over the day-after pill to parents of teenage girls who don't want them to become sexually active. But "Jack & Bobby" doesn't preach; it raises issues without taking sides.

Liberals and conservatives alike can find things to set them off if they want to be set off. But parents who watch this show with their kids might find some moments that will lead to meaningful discussions.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com