WATERMARK

Those of us who are attached to The Charlie Rose Show
have suffered some anxiety over the past couple of months, now relieved
by his return.* I wonder if I was alone in watching the show even more
regularly in his absence — clinging to what is threatened?

As
he recovered from heart surgery, many stepped in to sit on his side of
the table. If I were in Charlie’s circle of friends, I would advise him
to take advantage of this. He could do three shows a week and have
others do the rest, as they have so capably done this past few weeks.
This would give him time to do what — he says — he has learned he
must: rest, and have more balance in his life — but maintain for us
what we so value in his work.

For me, that is several things,
small and large. I value the quietness of this show — the set, a
simple wood table and chairs, and darkness around — and the
conversation, which includes much listening and actual responsiveness,
one person to the other. The substitute hosts stayed on the path
Charlie has devised — depth, and surprising turns.

This show is not about talking points.
The discussions are nearly always thoughtful, intelligent, civil, and
sometimes amusing. I often find myself thinking about what I’ve heard,
and learned, for some time afterward; and I’ve discovered that it’s not
unusual for me to learn the most from a topic or guest in whom I
thought I had no interest.

There is, of course, an on the other hand:
too many white men in suits; behaving better than they do elsewhere,
but still. And not that white men in suits can’t provide some visual
interest — this show, Brian Grazer interviews Malcolm Gladwell, had me mesmerized. I had to watch it twice, to get past the hair duel to the content:

I recommend that Charlie broaden (heh)
and deepen his show with a selection of guests who represent a wider
constituency. More women, for instance, of all colors, and not all
beautiful. Not that he isn’t better than most at this, but there is
still much room for improvement — and that improvement would be, I
think, consistent with his values.

Which is why I can recommend this program to you, with very few reservations. Check your PBS station for times.

*From Wikipedia: On March 29, 2006, after experiencing shortness of breath in Syria, Charlie Rose was flown to Paris and underwent surgery for mitral valve repair in the Georges-Pompidou European Hospital.
The surgery was performed under the supervision of Dr. Alain
Carpentier, a pioneer of the mitral valve repair procedure. Rose
returned on June 12, 2006 with Bill Moyers and Yvette Vega (the show’s executive producer) and discussed Rose’s surgery and recuperation.