A local beekeeper is about to generate some national buzz.
Charlie Bee Company, a reality TV show starring New Braunfels beekeeper and bee removal specialist Charlie Agar, is scheduled to debut January 8 on KLRU, Austin’s PBS affiliate. This spring, the series is set to air nationwide on PBS stations.
The eight one-hour episodes of Charlie Bee Company track Agar as he goes about his work along the Austin-San Antonio corridor.
“People are just now beginning to understand how important bees are to the ecosystem, and I’m so excited to share my love for all things bees and beekeeping,” Agar says in a news release. “We had an absolute blast making this show.”
Austin-based Iniosante Studios developed the series. The genesis of the show was a 2017 meeting between Agar and wildlife documentary filmmaker Ashley Scott Davison, executive producer at Iniosante.
“The first time we followed Charlie on one of his bee removals, I got stung more than 20 times,” Davison recalls. “I was literally pulling stingers out of my leg. I knew right there we had a show that people would be glued to.”
Davison and his crew followed Agar for more than a year. Aside from Agar’s exploits, the show includes interviews with university researchers, behind-the-scenes looks at commercial beekeeping operations, and the rescue of a bee hive during a Texas Gulf Coast hurricane.
“What we like about the show is that it’s educational and there is a message about protecting pollinators, but it’s also just downright fun and entertaining,” says David Lauderman, director of programming at KLRU.
To watch a preview of the series, visit the Vimeo website.
Neil Diamond — a member of both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame with 10 No. 1 songs and over 56 million albums sold — is such a music legend that it would be easy to do a straight-up biopic of him. Instead, the new Song Sung Blue — named after Diamond’s 1972 hit song — serves as a shadow Diamond biopic, with his songs showcased through a real-life husband-and-wife tribute act known as Lightning & Thunder.
Based on the 2008 documentary of the same name, the film focuses on Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), who comes up with the idea for a Diamond-centric act when he meets Claire (Kate Hudson). The duo soon grows in popularity locally in Milwaukee, headlining not just restaurants and bars but also some larger venues. As their legend spreads, they even start to get the attention of the media and bigger names outside of Wisconsin.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a good biopic without a little turbulence, and — without spoiling things — Mike and Claire learn that good times never seemed so good when they face more than their fair share of troubles. The couple endures their ups and downs with the help of their combined family, including children Rachel (Ella Anderson) Angelina (King Princess), and Dana (Hudson Henley), as well as a community of fellow tribute acts.
Written and directed by Craig Brewer (Dolemite is My Name), the film’s appeal lies mainly in the irrepressible enthusiasm of Mike, a man born to entertain if ever there was one. Neither his long-dormant alcoholism nor health problems nor location in the Upper Midwest can stop Mike from demonstrating his showmanship skills. Of course, it helps that he’s portrayed by Jackman, who - despite getting a little long in the tooth — gives every performance his all.
What the story can never quite answer, though, is why this particular couple is worth an entire feature film. Sure, they have a somewhat interesting arc, especially when it coincides with a certain early ‘90s grunge band, but otherwise there’s little that separates them from other tribute acts toiling around the country. Brewer struggles to define them outside of their singing lives, and when things get really bad for them, the emotional connection is at a minimum.
Then there’s the aspect of incorporating Diamond’s music, some of which has endured across the decades more than others. Naturally, “Sweet Caroline” gets a notable showcase, but whither “America” or “Heartlight”? The title song is featured the most often, as Mike uses it to celebrate his yearly “sober birthday,” but it’s not a barnburner. Mike also has an obsession with the relatively obscure "Soolaimón," an odd choice both for him and for the movie to include so much.
Jackman and Hudson have good chemistry together, and when the film puts them together in singing scenes, their bond becomes infectious. Each of them has naturally melodic voices as well, lending an extra boost to that part of the film. Supporting actors like Anderson, King Princess, Michael Imperioli, and Fisher Stevens complement them well, but Jim Belushi, playing their promoter, gives a hammy performance that seems to be in a completely different movie.
While it’s unclear who the audience for Song Sung Blue might be other than hardcore Diamond fans, it has just enough crowd-pleasing moments to make for a solid watch. The entertainment factor of the film comes and goes, but Jackman using every ounce of his abilities mostly makes up for any deficiencies.
