[Richard T. Eger]

Dear Ed and Dan,

The History Channel perhaps 20 years ago turned out really good WW II histories. They pretty much stuck to historical film footage. There wasn't the dumbed down glitz that we have ended up with today. I've got a lot of those programs on VHS tape. If today they'd stick with historical film footage and spent their time and money on actual research, it would be wonderfully refreshing. There is so much more we know today than what we knew 20 years ago.

As for programs like Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers, I do enjoy them, but they really aren't history and perhaps should be on a separately named channel. Like its "history" cousins of today, IRT tries to build excitement when, in reality, nothing untoward may actually have happened. Still, just seeing the give and take of the participants is fun. Pawn Stars gives mini-history lessons, so you actually learn something. As for American Pickers, it does get rather repetitive, sort of like American Idol - long in the tooth. And no, I'm not a fan of the latter or any of its ilk. As I said, these ought to be on a separate channel.

Regards,
Richard