Top Picks: 4th of July on PBS, letters to Harry Potter, jazz masters, and more
PBS presents their annual "A Capitol Fourth" concert, Harry Potter's fan mail, Sony celebrates 40 years of jazz, and more recommendations.
Campaigning presidentially
The Making of the President: The 1960s is a compelling DVD collection of three documentaries based on the bestselling books by presidential historian Theodore White. Covering the 1960, '64, and '68 campaigns, the original Emmy Award-winning films aired on CBS, ABC, and A&E. Available from Athena on July 5.
Pianists, on Your marks
On a Personal Note is a poignant documentary about the New York Piano Competition, a five-day, no-elimination contest for 14-to-18-year-olds. The up-close filmmaking takes viewers inside a rarefied universe of aspiring classical performers and helps general audiences understand the mystery, the music, and the magic of serious piano performance. It is available on DVD but will also debut on New York's WLIW Saturday, July 9.
Celebrate the fourth
Join host Jimmy Smits; performers Steve Martin, Josh Grobin, Matthew Morrison, Little Richard, the National Symphony Orchestra; and more from the West Lawn of the nation's capitol on the Fourth of July as PBS presents its top-rated annual bash, A Capitol Fourth. The show, featuring some of the nation's most spectacular fireworks, will air live in HD from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Potter heads
