Plot: What’s it about?
1968 was a unique time in American history, as the Civil Rights Movement soldiered on, the conflict in Vietnam continued, the space race shot into orbit, and all kinds of other social and political issues boiled over. In 1968, we’re taken on a guided tour of the important events and people of that year. Our host is Tom Brokaw, who was a young reporter himself in 1968 and he would go on to write his own book about the 60s and the experiences of the era. Brokaw interviews various key players from 1968, while we’re taken from month to month, to visit some of the year’s most crucial moments. The program also compares and contrasts 1968’s America with our modern nation, to see what has changed and what remains the same. So join Tom Brokaw as he takes us back to 1968, a year loaded with historical events and people.
I have to admit, I am addicted to The History Channel. I have spent countless afternoons planted on the couch, learning about all kinds of subjects. As much as I enjoy The History Channel, I didn’t enjoy 1968. This feature length look at the year 1968 offers a month by month exploration, guided by Tom Brokaw. Brokaw is a decent host, but I found the format of 1968 leaving a lot to be desired. The program derails off the monthly topics to go off on tangents and not always coherent ones, as if the show itself sampled some narcotics from 1968, to better connect. 1968 has its moments, including some solid interviews and looks at important events, but this is not up to The History Channel’s usual watermark. I wanted to be educated and entertained, but 1968 failed on both counts, so I can’t recommend this release.
Video: How does it look?
1968 is presented in 1.78:1 non anamorphic widescreen. I have stated before that anamorphic enhancement should be standard at this point, but sadly, The History Channel seems to disagree. Aside from that, the transfer is decent, but doesn’t impress. This show uses a lot of stock footage and as such, the quality varies from scene to scene. You can’t complain about that however, as the footage is crucial to the content and regardless of quality, needs to be seen. The new interviews look the best, but by and large, this show looks solid.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio sounds as it should, basic and effective. I do think the decision not to include much music from the era hurts the program, as the music from the 60s is so ingrained with the period. The “re-envisioned” tunes we have instead sound pretty lame, but the focus is on the content, not the music. The interviews sound clear and the stock footage sounds ok, some scenes better than others, of course. So not great, but acceptable.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes additional interviews, plus bonus clips of Brokaw’s observations on the 60s culture.
