We welcome back Susanne Simpson, Executive Producer of the PBS drama series MASTERPIECE and MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! for a preview of new and continuing dramas with a special focus on WORLD ON FIRE, now in its second season on PBS MASTERPIECE.  

Created by Peter Bowker, WORLD ON FIRE is an adrenalized, emotionally gripping, and resonant World War II drama that follows the intertwining fates of ordinary people in multiple countries as they grapple with the effects of war on their everyday lives. Season 2 picks up in late 1940, taking viewers from the war-torn streets of Britain deep into Nazi Germany, the resistance within occupied France, and the brutal sands of the North African desert—where troops struggle to adapt to a very different kind of combat.

0:08 Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

1:12 - WORLD ON FIRE Synopsis

5:02 - Susanne Simpson MASTERPIECE season 2023-2024 highlights

6:49 - NOLLY w/Helena Bonham Carter

8:56 - Telling the story of World War 2 through individual lives

15:09 - WORLD ON FIRE production, writer and scholar

18:51 - Producing a global multilingual series

22:58 - Strong and Interesting Women in WORLD ON FIRE

27:12 - Marga's Story and Nazi Germany's Lebensborn Program

35:35 - Watch and Stream WORLD ON FIRE

35:56 - Like, Share, Subscribe this podcast

37:30 - Disclaimer

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Download the TRANSCRIPT for Episode 41

PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

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Episode 40 features a conversation with ROBERT HOFLER, author of "The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen" (Citadel Press, 2023) about the behind-the-scenes stories about the inspiration and making of the iconic 1973 film THE WAY WE WERE (Columbia Pictures) directed by Sydney Pollack featuring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, and based on the novel by Arthur Laurents.

Our conversation with Robert Hofler coincides with the 50th anniversary of the film’s release, and focuses on its relevance today.

Podcast notes: (1) There are SPOILERS in this conversation - a warning for persons who’ve never seen THE WAY WE WERE. (2) Robert Hofler quotes Barbra Streisand who used the Yiddish word, “schtuped” (twice approx. 1:02:06) — a word some consider vulgar — to describe a love scene in the film. (3) After our recording, we learned that the deleted scenes from THE WAY WE WERE mentioned in this podcast will be available in a special 4K Blu-Ray 50th Anniversary package from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

TIMESTAMPS

0:08 Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

1:21 “The Way They Were” Book Synopsis

2:27 “The Way We Were” film's impact

4:37 Intro to Robert Hofler, author

5:34 “The Way We Were,” a controversial film

9:45 Arthur Laurents, “The Way We Were” creator

23:32 Impact of “The Way We Were” on Romance Genre

35:24 Break

36:02 Challenges and Changes Making “The Way We Were”

43:34 Window to Hollywood Blacklists/Mirror of 1970s

48:12 Film and Politics

59:36 “The Way We Were” Relevance Today

1:09:06 Time Travel

1:11:05 Watching “The Way We Were”

1:11:42 Where to purchase “The Way They Were” book

1:12:59 Disclaimer

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Episode 40 Transcript

PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

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In episode 39, we talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist Kai Bird about the Christopher Nolan film OPPENHEIMER, based on the 2005 biography "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" co-authored by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. The conversation focuses on the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer's formation and struggles before, during and after the top-secret Manhattan Project. In 1943, Oppenheimer assembled the greatest scientific minds of the time in Los Alamos, New Mexico to create the first atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project achieved that goal with the successful detonation of the atomic bomb, known as the Trinity Test. That success would change the course of history and humanity for all time.

CONTENT NOTE (LANGUAGE): at 53:15, the speaker quotes from President Harry Truman's 1945 handwritten diary (discovered by historians in the 1970s) where Truman writes about a cable from the "Jap Emperor."

TIME STAMPS

0:08 Podcast Intro

1:18 Oppenheimer Film and American Prometheus Biography

4:38 Kia Bird Biography and Books

6:15 Kia Bird reacts to OPPENHEIMER

8:28 A film faithful to the book

12:16 OPPENHEIMER as boost to American Prometheus

14:04 Bird and Sherwin Writing American Prometheus: A Great Collaboration 

23:28 Synthesizing Quantum Physics OR Oppenheimer, "Not A Nerdy Scientist"

28:45 BREAK

29:22 Ethical Culture School: Philosophy and Science

32:53 Ethics of atomic bomb development for WW2

42:57 Decision to drop atomic bomb on Japan

50:20 Atomic bomb impacts on Los Alamos communities

52:36 Women, Science, and Oppenheimer

57:25 Oppenheimer as Mirror of the Present: Nuclear Weapons, McCarthyism, Arguing History

1:02:00 Lightning Round: Figuring Out My Own Time

1:05:16 Where to find OPPENHEIMER film and American Prometheus

1:06: 38 Subscribe, Share, Like Historical Drama w/The Boston Sisters

1:107:10 Disclaimer

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Download the TRANSCRIPT for Episode 39

Re transcripts:  PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

STAY ENGAGED with HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS®

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In Episode 39 we talk about the impact of fandom with JULIET CREESE and MONI SENGUPTA from the Sanditon Sisterhood Strategy Group. SANDITON was supposed to be gone for good when ITV in the U.K. canceled the series in its first season and before its U.S. premiere on PBS MASTERPIECE in 2020. But the Sanditon Sisterhood Strategy Group with the fandom were determined not to let this series, inspired by Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, come to a sad ending. The Sanditon Sisterhood #SaveSanditon campaign helped restore SANDITON for two additional seasons. The 3rd season brought the story to its conclusion. Did SANDITON fans get the Jane Austen-ending they were hoping for?

TIME STAMPS

34:25 Taking Fans Behind the Scenes of SANDITON

45:10 Learning Lessons/Making Friends

48:34 Breach Beach Sand Art Campaign

50:22 Series Endings (Spoiler Alert)

58:04 Working Class Stories in Austen

59:37 Sanditon Sisterhood Charities

1:01:36 Continuing Friendships

1:05:15 Sanditon Sisterhood Social Media

1:07:46 What Jane Austen Novel Would You Be a Character In?

1:11:34 Which 3 items would you put in a Time Capsule?

1:15:55 Watching SANDITON & Pocast Credits

1:16:27 Disclaimer

Re transcripts:  PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

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“If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?” 

This is our 2nd TIME TRAVEL Bonus episode. We picked 5 guest responses to our time travel question from the 2nd season of the podcast. Go back in time with: 

Time Stamps

0:08 Intro

0:49 Time Travel Lightning Round

2:34 Nahir Ortaño Gracia/Middle Ages, A Time of Possibility

6:50 Pearl Mackie/Civil Rights Movement, A Time of Power

9:20 Julien Ledford/18th Century Musicologist

11:24 Gayle Wald/To See the Blues Queens On Stage For Real

13:57 John Valadez/Going Into the Great Unknown

19:03 Audience/Tell Us Where You Would Time Travel

19:38 How to Contact

20:46 Disclaimer

TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK - PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

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In Episode 37, the Boston Sisters (Michon and Taquiena) wrap up their second podcast season with 5 great Book/Film recommendations for Summer reading and watch lists. Film and series adaptations premiere this fall through 2024, with a few titles available for streaming now!

Scroll to the end of this podcast description for the transcript link.

0:08 Intro to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

0:47 Page to Screen Podcast Synopsis

2:38 “Daisy Jones & the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

13:11 “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee

23:45 Page vs Screen

25:08 “Killers of the Flower” Moon by David Grann

31:40 “The Color Purple” musical adapted from novel by Alice Walker

39:33 Representation Controversies in “The Color Purple”

41:58 “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles

52:00 For More Book Information for Affiliate Bookstore Purchases

54:11 Disclaimer

PODCAST NOTES: The Boston Sisters were born and live in Washington, DC. We like to acknowledge persons from our hometown which include Taraji P. Henson, and Corey Hawkins in our discussion about THE COLOR PURPLE. Henson is an alum of Howard University (like Taquiena), and  Hawkins is an alum of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts (like Michon).

J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972), mentioned in our discussion about KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, was also born in DC and graduated in 1913 from the then segregated (for white students only) Central High School known today as Cardozo. 

We mention Billy Taylor and Charles Kuralt in our conversation about “The Color Purple” author Alice Walker. The Sisterfire music festival was produced by DC-based Roadwork Productions. Michon was doing PR for the festival and invited jazz composer, performer and then CBS “Sunday Morning” television correspondent Billy Taylor (1921-2010) to feature one of the festival’s performing groups on the CBS magazine show. Taylor’s colleague, CBS “Sunday Morning” host, journalist and author Charles Kuralt (1934-1997), was seen at the festival that year. Alice Walker was also at the festival.

TRANSCRIPT LINK

Re transcripts:  PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

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Professor of French and French Studies (University of the South) JULIAN LEDFORD brings to life the historical Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George who is dramatized in the film CHEVALIER by Kelvin Harrison Junior in the title role. CHEVALIER highlights Joseph Bologne’s improbable rise in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer, horseman, and fencer. Saint-George is bestowed the title of Chevalier by the French Royal Court and is a favorite of Marie Antoinette Ledford shines the light on the many accomplishments and provides the social and cultural context in which Chevalier de Saint-George was acclaimed, including his transcendence of France’s racial codes in the 18th century.

Julian Ledford, Assistant Professor of French and French Studies at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Professor Ledford specializes in early-modern French and Francophone literature with a particular focus on Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George, and 18th-century women writers' contributions to discussions on masculinities. 

Professor Ledford’s additional research interests include ethnic, racial, and sexual alterity in the early 18th century; French Baroque opera; and second language teaching and learning. Professor Ledford’s article  “Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-George and the Problem With Black Mozart” appeared in the Journal of Black Studies in 2019.  

TRANSCRIPT

TIMESTAMPS

0:08 - Intro to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters (Podcast Intro)

1:27 - CHEVALIER Film synopsis

3:46 - Julian Ledford Introduction

4:45 - Discovering Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George

11:39 - The Problem with “Black Mozart”

18:22 - Saint-George’s Musical Contemporaries

23:32 - The Magnetism of Saint-George

29:08 - Break

29:39 - Africans and Black Codes in 18th Century France

35:33 - Saint-George and “Black Excellence”

41:58 - Saint-George’s Contributions to Classical Music

43:57 - Student Reactions to CHEVALIER

47:36 - “Ernestine,” Saint-George’s First Opera 

50:10 - Impact of the CHEVALIER Film

52: 55 - Lightning Round: Becoming Saint-George's Musicologist, Historian, Documenter

Jamaican Flag, Music Note, Compass

57:30 - Where to Watch CHEVALIER Online (CHEVALIER available for streaming June 2023)

57:57 - Connect with Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

59:25 - Podcast Credits and Disclaimers

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In episode 35 we’re talking with actor PEARL MACKIE (THE DIPLOMAT, DOCTOR WHO) about the PBS MASTERPIECE mini series TOM JONES. Pearl Mackie plays Honour Newton, the worldly-wise trusted lady’s maid of Sophia Western (Sophie Wilde) in a 4-part reimagining of Henry Fielding’s comic novel, "The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling," published in 1749. We discuss the dynamics of Honour and Sophia’s relationship, the challenge of riding a horse while wearing a corset, and living as two Black women from different social standings in mid-18th century England.

TRANSCRIPT

TIMESTAMPS: 0:08 Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters generic intro; 1:14 Episode Synopsis; 1:41 TOM JONES Synopsis; 2:15 PEARL MACKIE bio/credits; 3:38 Playing Honour Newton, Lady’s Maid; 8:42 Corsets and Horses; 12:40 Honour and Sophia in TOM JONES; 13:52 Black Women in Historical Drama; 20:41 Honour Assesses Tom Jones’s Character; 24:47 Podcast Break; 25:18 Listening to Actors; 30:47 Black Women Actors and Maid Roles; 41:28 Inclusive Casting in Historical Drama; 45:10 Lighting Round Questions; 45:31 Time Travel (1960S Civil Rights and Medieval Shield Maidens); 45:49 Pearl Mackie’s Time Capsule (Spice Girls, Tamagotchi, and Blow-Up Chairs) ; 48:00 Where to Watch TOM JONES; 49:17 Podcast Closing Credits; 50:18 Disclaimer

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In episode 34 Peabody award-winning documentary filmmaker JOHN VALADEZ joins us for a conversation about THE HEAD OF JOAQUÍN MURRIETA, the Amazon Prime Western action drama series that shares the same title as Valadez’s 2017 PBS documentary. In his film Valadez believes he has the actual head of Joaquín Murrieta, the legendary Mexican outlaw who blazed a trail of revenge across California until he was caught and decapitated in 1853. Valadez talks about the violent untold stories of the Gold Rush years after the U.S. Mexico war which serves as the backdrop for the 8-part drama featuring Juan Manuel Bernal as a mischievous Joaquín Murrieta. Viewer Note: The Amazon Prime 8-part series, THE HEAD OF JOAQUIN MURRIETA, is rated 18+ for violence, language, nudity. The series is in Spanish (original language) with subtitles (set for language). English track is available

A link to John Valadez's PBS documentary "The Head of Joaquin Murrieta" is available on the HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS podcast webpage (for a limited time). Go to the link for Episode 34.

TRANSCRIPT for Episode 34

TIMESTAMPS

0:08 Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters podcast open; 1:17 Introducing John Valadez, documentary filmmaker; 3:13 The Head of Joaquin Murrieta synopsis; 4:39 Joaquin Murrieta, Icon of Chicano Pride; 6:07 The Mexican American Story in U.S. History; 8:29 Mexican Americans and Race; 10:18 Myths vs History of the American West; 17:02 What's Missing in School History Classes; 19:28 U.S. History from Multiple Perspectives; 25:28 History -- Darn Good Stories; 26:47 BREAK; 27:57 Mexican American Lynchings History; 32:45 Creating A New American Story (or America Was Never White); 37:54 History and Documentary Filmmaking (or Teaching History in Documentary Filmmaking); 49:26 Lightning Round: Visiting the Future, Talking to Ancestors, Film Time Capsule; 50:15 Traveling to the Future; 50:38 Talking to Ancestors; 53:56 John Valadez's Time Capsule; 56:31 Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters Close, Credits and Disclaimer

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In Part 2 of our SANDITON Wrap-Up!, we talk about Georgiana Lambe, the heiress from Antigua who, in season 3, must defend and secure her inheritance as well as her reputation. Joining us in this conversation is SHARON D. JOHNSON, depth psychologist and story consultant to SANDITON. 

Georgiana has been on a dedicated search for her mother, who was an enslaved African woman sold away by Georgiana’s father, a white wealthy sugar planter separating mother and daughter. The heiress’s search comes to an end in season 3, and Georgiana’s longings for her mother shed new light on where her true love resides. 

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT
Timestamps:

0:08 Podcast Opening; 1:16 Georgiana Lambe; 3:13 Court Battle for Georgiana's Inheritance; 5:59 Georgiana's Quest -- to Find Mother; 12:01 Mrs. Wheatley and Family Connections; 16:29 Introduction to Agnes Harmon; 17:52 Daughter and Mother Healing; 32:48 What's Next for Sharon D. Johnson; 35:14 Where to watch SANDITON; 35:34 Stay Connected to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

Link to Part 1/Episode 32 (Marriage, Friendship, and Love) of our SANDITON Wrap Up!

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