Subway: the Empire Beneath New York's Streets

Hosted by A&E's affable Jack Perkins, this episode of Time Capsule offers an entertaining history of the New York City subway system through the use of clever, eye-popping iconographic animation, some computer-generated shots, and classic newsreel footage. Tired of the massive horse traffic jams on New York streets at the turn of the century, visionaries began dreaming up new transportation schemes. Unfortunately, Boss Tweed's corrupt local government favored the horse-drawn taxi (because of generous kickbacks). One entrepreneur got around the Boss by requesting permission to build a pneumatic postal tube (which kind of grew in diameter--to the size of a subway car), while another did so by building the elevated railroad over the congested city streets. Eventually, Tweed's empire diminished and engineer William Barkley Parson's 9-mile subway system was built. Today, that system covers some 238 miles, employs the seventh largest police force in the country, and has a Lost Property Office with enough goodies--including such items as prosthetic limbs ("oh, no! I left my leg on the subway!")--to stock a small department store. a fun ride. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)