OETA: Great Enough to Brag About

It’s brag time. And it’s not just brag time for me. It’s brag time for all of us. We are going to brag about OETA, our state’s fabulous educational, and free, television. No cable bill here! Our OETA is the top public TV station in the country. Wow. According to a recent article published Jan. 28 and written by Courtney Hamar on OETA and OneNet, quality broadcast services have landed OETA in the number one spot for public television stations in the nation. With an estimated 1.8 million viewers each week, OETA has found itself in the number one or two spot numerous times. That may be because of me, cause I tune into OETA 24/7.

OK. We admit it. “Downton Abbey,” the British sort-of soap opera about the trials and tribulations of an upper-crust family in the early 1900s, has boosted ratings all around the world. And is now my favorite TV show of all time. I don’ know why. I have discussed this Downton Abbey obsession with numerous other fans. We still don’t know why we love this show. I suspect it may be in the genes. Darling Daughter has traced part of our family back to the 1700s in Scotland. I suspect we got run out of the country for some reason, but it’s in our genes to wonder about what might have been.

Downton Abbey isn’t the only OETA show I watch. OETA has so many good dramas and other offerings I have almost given up commercial TV entirely. In my case it all started with Antiques Roadshow. And all those antiques I wish I had bought or my family had hoarded in the attic. Then I went on to Nature, Nova, The History Detectives. Oh my. It’s all that stuff I should have learned in college. My newest educational favorite? “Shakespeare Uncovered.” For all of those who waded through those Shakespeare plays and sonnets, without learning a thing (that would be me) because we were stymied by the language, “Shakespeare Uncovered” is the way to go. I like it so much, I bought it. At last, I understand Shakespeare. I also bought “Downton Abbey,” the fabulous “Sherlock” which features my newest heartthrob Benedict Cumberbatch. (What WERE his parents thinking?) Bene, as I prefer to call him, has been a bit surprised by his new status as a heartthrob. But he’s handling it well, in a career that is burgeoning and has led to an Oscar nomination this year.

Yes. I support public TV. Also bought Ken Burns’ “Civil War” series. Want to learn U.S. history? Watch Ken Burns’ “Civil War.” It makes me cry. “The Roosevelts” was fascinating. Teddy R. deserves our admiration even more than I thought. Next up? “The Address,” about memorizing the Gettysburg Address. Uh. Tried that in high school. Was not successful. But hey, I’ll give it another shot.

Other new stuff:  “Grantchester,” about a conflicted clergyman, who just happens to be really good looking. What is it with all these British shows anyway? “Earth:  A New Wild” relates us to our environment. We better care cause if Nature can’t live here neither can we.

Whatever I want, OETA has. The most trusted news shows, the best cooking shows, the best travel shows, and another of my favorites, our own “Oklahoma Gardening” from OSU. This show inspires this new gardener totally. I realized recently I have nearly given up on commercial TV. I still watch the news, and “The Big Bang Theory” and “Person of Interest” and “Litton’s Weekend Adventure,” of all things. This block of shows, about critters and travel and exploration, was probably designed for kids, and resembles OETA programming a lot, and I love it.

At the beginning here, I made a mistake. OETA is free, but not really. OETA must hold semi-annual fundraising pledge drives to survive. This winter’s drive runs from Feb. 26 through March 15, and features some more good stuff, including Celtic Woman, Peter, Paul and Mary, 50s Pop, Rock Rewind, Motown 25, (yes, I’m showing my age) and other goodies. Please keep our best TV going. Not mine. Ours. Give a bit, and keep OETA on the air. And tune it. You’ll love it.