As the BBC America original crime drama COPPER shows, 1860s New York was full of random and unspeakable violence. And this murder, which took place in what is now the posh Manhattan neighborhood of Sutton Place, was exactly that.
James Smith, William Rabitaille and a small group of men and women had been picnicking in Jones’ Wood, a popular spot (on what’s now the Upper East Side) for the working-class to drink beer, wave flags, play music and participate in other activities that were banned in Central Park. Smith and his group left by taking a boat on the East River—and they decided to take the oars from another boat. A fatal decision.
Watching Copper, you’d think that New York in the 1860s was all about brass-knuckle brawls in bordellos, opium-fueled sex romps, and chasing criminals with names like Buzzy Burke through seedy Five Points. But there was a lighter side—in an era where finding the next cat with eyebrows wasn’t so easy, P.T. Barnum was the public’s point of entry to the world of the bizarre and extraordinary. Yes, the same man behind the famous circus…
Last season on Copper, we got a good look at the way 1860s New Yorkers lived. We discovered their fashion, pastimes, slang, and gruesome water cooler talk. Lately, New Yorkers have been spending their time loving—and hating—Citi Bike and everything it brings to the table. But that obsession with the bicycle dates all the way back to its invention in the 19th century and, later, the Golden Age of Bicycles. Those early bikes were…
Sipping a cocktail may be about enjoying the moment, but shouldn’t you pause to appreciate its origins once in a while? America has a storied past when it comes to mixed drinks, but we owe a lot of the classics to Jerry Thomas, our very first mixologist. He was also the first to write down his recipes, publishing The Bar-Tender’s Guide in 1862 and giving us sugar- or salt-rimmed drinks, dramatic flaming cocktails, and…
While today’s news are filled with shocking crimes with awful details, they are as random and senseless as the ones of the 19th century. Starting on Sunday, June 23, BBC America’s critically-acclaimed original crime drama, COPPER, returns, set in the tumultuous year of 1865 with Detective Kevin Corcoran examining the evil that lurks in Five Points and beyond. Today, through June 24, we’re giving you a chance to exercise your skills of detection and win an iPad Mini and a copy of Gotham at War: New York City, 1860-1865. Five runners-up will receive COPPER’s first season on DVD.
Finding himself in South Central L.A. in the early ’90s, working as a janitor and seeking sobriety through volunteer work, Donal Logue wasn’t really thinking of acting. He’d been in a couple TV movies before moving to California, sure, but the hopelessness of the Hollywood scene had put him in a bad enough place that a turkey sandwich at the end of the day was a blessing.
As a kid, did you dream of Penny’s computer book from Inspector Gadget—and now you’ve got an iPad? Or wish you could just ask questions aloud or make commands and have them happen—and now you’re pining for Google Glass? Or hope for a day when you could send a “fax from the beach”—and you can actually just send an email from your smartphone? In many ways, the unthinkable is actually becoming the reality, as…
Pet cloning is a pretty controversial practice, requiring $50,000 – $150,000, dozens of dogs living in questionable laboratory care, and—some say—the naiveté of heartbroken pet owners missing their loved ones. But it’s an amazing feat of science and, hey, isn’t it impressive that there have been enough pet clones that we can even have a “best of” list? Plenty have chosen to to fork over the funds and gotten little facsimiles of their faithful…
This weekend, BBC America’s brand new Supernatural Saturday block kicks off with Doctor Who, The Nerdist and the new original series, ORPHAN BLACK. To get in the mood, here are some of the most “what just happened” moments we all had when watching these supernatural television and film. (Warning: There are spoilers!) THE MATRIX: The 1999 film from the Wachowskis shattered the science-fiction and action genres, taking audiences and the main character, Neo, down…
In BBC America’s brand new Supernatural Saturday series ORPHAN BLACK, street-smart Sarah thinks her problems will be solved by assuming a rich woman’s identity. But as these real-life characters show—and as Sarah soon finds out—your past always catches up with you: CLARK ROCKEFELLER This average man with the above-average name might still be living his assumed life if he hadn’t kidnapped his daughter from his ex-wife in 2008. Soon, the FBI, Coast Guard and…
