- 7 hours ago
Alexander Armstrong Across America Season 1 Episode 1
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01This year, the good old US of A is celebrating its 250th birthday.
00:07So what better moment?
00:08Take it past.
00:09Feel the views of the nation.
00:12Wow, look at it. It's beautiful.
00:14No other country has shaped the world quite like the United States of America.
00:20Over the years, our transatlantic cousins have told us what to watch, how to think, and what to eat.
00:27And for the most part, we've gobbled it up.
00:31This is where the hard edge of brash capitalism comes face to face with raw human desire.
00:37But as the US celebrates a landmark year and welcomes the beautiful game,
00:45I'll be getting to grips with the real America.
00:48Does everybody around here carry a gun?
00:51Yes, definitely a majority.
00:53Sampling some of its best.
00:55We are a country built off the resilience of so many.
00:59Some of its worst.
01:00What have I ever browsed in the United States?
01:02You think?
01:03Oh, yeah.
01:04And delving into some of its quirkier corners.
01:06The most bonkers thing I've ever done.
01:12No, I've never looked up through a drain.
01:14I've never seen it from this side.
01:17Python!
01:18Yeah!
01:21Speed, speed, speed, speed, speed.
01:23Yeah!
01:25This time, I let off some steam.
01:28We here!
01:30And get into a spot of bother on the wrong side of town.
01:34Now I'm really going to snap.
01:35Yeah!
01:35So, forget the big apple.
01:37I'm starting my adventure on the mean streets of Philadelphia.
01:40Well, this is where we found ourselves.
01:42The city where it all began.
01:5312 score years and 10 ago, on July the 4th, 1776, a group of men inside this building signed a
02:01piece of paper that would change the world.
02:03It signalled a brand new country, founded on such bold and radical principles as all men are created equal.
02:12There must be freedom of speech.
02:14The government is answerable to the people.
02:18This is Philadelphia today.
02:21Towering buildings of glass, concrete and steel.
02:24Symbols of industry, success, wealth and power.
02:30This is the shiny top end of modern America.
02:34But Philly became what it is from 150 years of hard, gritty work.
02:39The spirit, you might say, immortalised by Rocky himself.
02:43It's a big, tough city with a big, tough sandwich to its name.
02:47The famous Philly cheesesteak.
02:50And so, the first thing I'm going to do is get my hands on one of those.
02:55Yeah, nothing. Start with the sandwich, then work up.
03:00Yeah, what can I get for you?
03:01Um, please may I have a Philly cheesesteak?
03:04Well, you're already in Philly, so there's no need to say Philly cheesesteak.
03:09But yes, you can have a cheesesteak.
03:11Okay, do you want American, provolone, Cheez Whiz or Cooper Sharp?
03:15Um, these are, what are these?
03:16Your choice of cheese.
03:18It's your first cheesesteak.
03:19Yeah.
03:19Okay, I can have American. American is traditional.
03:22That's what you're getting.
03:22I'll have American, thank you.
03:23Good.
03:24Okay, so please may I have a large cheesesteak with American?
03:29Yes.
03:30Good.
03:30Yes, good. Okay.
03:31Is that everything?
03:31No, do you want onions on it?
03:33Yes, I can do that one.
03:34Yes, we can do fried onions.
03:35Pickles and peppers come on the side, do not ask for ketchup either.
03:38I'm not going to put ketchup on it.
03:39Okay, fair enough.
03:39Good.
03:41This man-sized sandwich dates back to the 1930s, when Italian-American Pat Olivieri realised his fellow Philadelphians needed something
03:51bigger and altogether more satisfying than a simple hot dog.
03:57Crikey, O'Reilly.
03:58I mean, look at that.
04:00It's enormous.
04:01And that is actual steak.
04:03Um, I've got a choice of various things I can put on it.
04:07Salt and pepper, tomato ketchup, which I won't be using, I promise.
04:11You better not.
04:11I'm going to dive straight in.
04:15Mmm.
04:17Mmm.
04:20Mmm.
04:21Mmm.
04:23Mmm.
04:23Mmm.
04:23If I may say, a manly slice of food, this.
04:27I mean, I'm feeling terrifically butch.
04:30Can you tell?
04:33Mmm.
04:34Mmm.
04:35Mmm.
04:36Mmm.
04:36To get thoroughly to grips with the place, I think we've got to look back in time a bit.
04:40Heavy manufacturing helped build this city.
04:43But, like much of America's industrial heartland, it's been in decline since World War II.
04:49In the 19th century, the city's fortunes were built on coal, steel, iron and the railroads.
04:56It achieved industrial powerhouse status.
05:00Hundreds of steel ships and an incredible 70,000 steam locomotives were built in this city.
05:08I'm not fleeing Philadelphia just yet.
05:10I'll be back.
05:11But I'm travelling 60 miles west to hop on board one of the city's finest creations.
05:22By the 1840s, rail tracks were reaching across America.
05:29The steam train had become part of the American story.
05:38Look at this fabulous train.
05:40Oh, by the way, yes, it's a dressing up thing.
05:44Chartered in 1832, the Strasbourg is the oldest continuously operating railroad in the country.
05:52I don't really know what kind of figure I'm cutting, but I'm feeling quite Lee Van Cleef.
06:02There's the whistle of Colin.
06:08Tritone there for musicians.
06:10It's nice.
06:11We're travelling at...
06:13I think I could probably run at this speed.
06:16Yeah, running speed.
06:17But, um, it's a lot less exhausting than running.
06:19Good morning. How are you today?
06:21Ah, I'm very well indeed. How very good to see you.
06:23Good to have you.
06:25I'm suddenly filled with dread.
06:27You're asking for a ticket.
06:29You want to see my ticket?
06:30It would normally be nice to have a ticket.
06:33But most people ask if I don't have a ticket, do you throw me off the train?
06:37And I always tell them, no, we don't do that. We're much nicer.
06:40Oh, that's nice.
06:40We take you up front and leave you shovel coal, especially on a hot summer day.
06:45It's fun to watch you do that.
06:49It's a shame.
06:50But here goes with some double, maybe even triple, denim.
06:55We're going to give you a trash course.
06:57OK.
06:58Just two people operate this monster of a train.
07:01The driver...
07:04Austin Zander.
07:05And Dave here, the fireman, stokes the firebox to keep the pressure up.
07:11What are you, you're going to have to tell me what I have to do?
07:13OK, I'll say get to the front and I'll say get to the back.
07:17The front is the farthest away from you.
07:20You throw it.
07:21The back is the closest to you.
07:23It takes years to master.
07:25OK.
07:25You're not going to do it in one day.
07:27OK.
07:28We're going to work together.
07:29I think we probably are.
07:33This particular locomotive, number 89, was built in 1910 in, yup, Philadelphia.
07:39She uses a ton of coal.
07:45Literally one ton per hour.
07:51It's hot, dirty work keeping this beast stoked, but steam trains like this were key in turning the country into
07:59an industrial superpower.
08:03OK.
08:05Very good.
08:12Are you ever tempted maybe just to put a little, a little casserole pot in there?
08:17There's some nice, you could cook something overnight.
08:19I have made some delicious eggs and steaks and enchiladas and bacon.
08:24Ah.
08:25It tastes better on this than anything else.
08:26Of course it does.
08:27You know?
08:27Listen, David, thank you very, very nice indeed.
08:29Pleasure.
08:29It's been terrific.
08:30I've really enjoyed it.
08:37That was enormous fun.
08:38It's beautiful.
08:39All these taps and brass levers.
08:40There'll be moments where David would just lean in and go...
08:43There's one thing.
08:44Coink, coink.
08:49Wee-hia!
08:50And then it all works.
08:52Beautiful.
08:54Next.
08:55Back in Philly, you'll find me messing about in boats.
08:58And in a sketchy part of town, a case of mistaken identity...
09:02They think you're a cop, so...
09:04...leads to an unconventional Philly greeting.
09:07OK, all right.
09:11Now I'm really gonna snap.
09:24I'm in Philadelphia, on a mission to understand where America came from...
09:29...and where it might be going.
09:32In order to achieve this, I need to uncover the stories of this great city.
09:38The man who founded this city.
09:40The one whose family gave its name to the state.
09:42And whose magnificent statue stands on top of this city hall.
09:47William Penn was a Quaker.
09:49Guided by a philosophy of equality, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
09:56In one of the defining chapters of American history, this philosophy helped Philadelphia stand apart.
10:03And during the darkest years of the Atlantic slave trade, the liberal attitudes of this city offered hope to many
10:10souls searching for freedom and recognition.
10:14Hi.
10:15Good morning.
10:17I'm meeting Morgan Taylor, who has access to an extraordinary archive, documenting the lives of hundreds of enslaved people.
10:25And the secret network that helped them escape to freedom.
10:29Morgan, this is...this is wonderful.
10:31Anyone who's familiar with ancient societies, these libraries will know the smell of this building.
10:38You can smell the history of each of the pages.
10:41The older the book, the deeper it gets.
10:43It's really magical to be here.
10:45It feels like time traveling.
10:46In front of me here is the 1838 Abolition Society Census.
10:50Yeah.
10:51A census that was created by the free black and brown and indigenous population here in our city.
10:57There's about 20,000 by 1838.
11:00And they wanted to say who they were and what their occupations were and how they were contributing to what
11:06is becoming the United States.
11:07You can see how many children were in the house, who was of schooling age.
11:11And my favorite question is how were you freed?
11:15Something old paid. Is that right? Paid?
11:19At 71 years old.
11:21I see.
11:22They saved up so much money.
11:24At 71 they paid.
11:26And they were able to go to their enslaver and say, I can buy my own freedom.
11:30I wonder how significant that was.
11:33I mean, was there a sense of growing conscience and shame?
11:37There was.
11:38This one says, Master got religious and set me free.
11:42Perhaps maybe they realized slavery wasn't right with Christianity.
11:47For many who couldn't buy their freedom, escape was an option, but a dangerous one.
11:53Many fled via something known as the Underground Railroad.
11:56Not a railway at all, but a clandestine network of safe houses and secret routes.
12:03Luckily for us, one man, William Still, risked his life by making detailed records of the names, journeys and stories
12:11of thousands of those who he helped escape.
12:14And this, my friend, is William Still's personal journal turned in by his daughter.
12:21You can see in his vigilance, he wanted to document how people escaped.
12:27Yeah.
12:27But in fleeing, many lost contact with their families.
12:32And this book became a vital tool in helping reunite those torn apart.
12:37Sarah A. Dunnigan.
12:39Mm-hmm.
12:40Arrived from Delaware.
12:42Said she was...
12:45Much abused.
12:48By flogging.
12:49Mm-hmm.
12:50This is at the hands of George Churchman.
12:52Yes.
12:52She's 18 years old.
12:54Crikey.
12:55Jane Johnson is a big story.
12:58Her enslaver was supposed to set her free.
13:02Yeah.
13:02He had violated the laws.
13:03Yeah.
13:04And he was going to hop on a boat so he wouldn't get caught.
13:09And William Still hopped onto the boat and tussled with Jane Johnson's enslaver until he set her and her child
13:18free.
13:18Mm-hmm.
13:19That's like having the Godfather emerge from the shadows.
13:22Isn't that extraordinary?
13:23And that...
13:23He becomes action hero as well.
13:25Yes.
13:25Heavens above.
13:27This book contains tales of horror and heroism and paints a visceral picture of a hugely pivotal time in American
13:35history.
13:38One that still must have repercussions today.
13:42As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, the context of the Underground Railroad and this community that you've got to know
13:53so well through its history, what is your take on modern America?
13:59Mine's a bit of a hot take.
14:01Mm-hmm.
14:01It comes straight from a historian who also comes from these people historically.
14:07The amazing thing about the United States, more than I think people realize, is that we are a country that
14:16is built off the resilience of so many who never make it into history.
14:20So, yes, it is a very uncomfortable time, but the ancestors I'm looking at had it much worse.
14:28We are only getting a small glimmer of what they had to deal with.
14:38Despite its problems, America is still the richest country on the planet.
14:45But just a few miles from central Philadelphia lies evidence that the American dream remains out of reach for many.
14:53I'm meeting up with Sarah Laurel, who's going to take me to an area she knows well, right in the
14:58crosshairs of one of the gravest problems facing the U.S. today.
15:02Nice to meet you.
15:03It's nice to meet you, too.
15:04Look at those nails!
15:06We do our best.
15:07You do your best and more.
15:10That's above and beyond.
15:11Look at all those rings as well.
15:13I'm going to keep on the right side of you.
15:15Are you Philly born and bred?
15:16Yes.
15:17I went to St Monica's around the corner.
15:20We're headed to Kensington.
15:21And we are heading to Kensington.
15:23And what's your story?
15:27I worked for a pretty well-known hotel chain, got carpal tunnel in my right hand, got prescribed opiates, and
15:36then years later ended up homeless in Kensington.
15:40Okay, I'm just going to stop and we're going to drill down into some pieces of that.
15:44Okay.
15:46Today, a devastating drug crisis is gripping parts of America.
15:51For decades, powerful painkillers were aggressively promoted as a solution to medical and social problems.
15:59And the place we're heading to, Kensington, a district of Philadelphia, has become an open market where addicts can freely
16:06buy drugs to feed their dependency.
16:11The carpal tunnel thing, was that just, was that like a repetitive strain thing or where did that come from?
16:18Um, yeah, I was on a laptop.
16:20I was a director of sales.
16:22Yeah.
16:22For this hotel chain?
16:24For this hotel chain.
16:25Everything's going great?
16:26Yeah, I thought it was great.
16:27I had little suits and a cute little apartment.
16:30Yeah.
16:31And I thought everything was going lovely.
16:33The pain started.
16:34The doctor gave me a pain pill.
16:36It made me feel like Superwoman.
16:39I had energy.
16:40I cleaned the house.
16:41I did my work.
16:42And I thought I was on top of the world.
16:44So you're, everything's going well.
16:46You're functioning.
16:47It's all terrific.
16:49Then what?
16:50Then I started, the pill started making me kind of tired.
16:53And then I told the doctor and he gave me Adderall.
16:55So what's that?
16:57Generic prescription is amphetamines.
16:58And then I couldn't sleep at night.
17:00And then I got on Klonopens, which is a benzo.
17:03Okay.
17:03Which is like the perfect cocktail.
17:06Now, looking back, I know that I had erratic behavior.
17:09Yeah.
17:10I was, my personal relationships were suffering.
17:13Yeah.
17:13My priority became the drugs.
17:15I was the last one to figure out that I had a problem.
17:19It's a sad fact that in the US, 80% of people who use heroin
17:24first misused prescription opioids.
17:29I don't think that I made a conscious decision.
17:32I think it happened very organically where I became very dependent.
17:37I left the job because I couldn't be high all the time and enjoy my high.
17:44And, um, started working in a strip club.
17:48Crikey.
17:49And what were you doing at the strip club?
17:54Uh, stripping.
17:55Oh, I see.
17:56So, right.
17:56You were, you were, I, you were, yeah, you were in front of house.
17:59Sorry.
17:59I was entertaining.
18:00There was a lot of chaos in my life at that point.
18:02Yeah.
18:02Then I discovered Kensington and the open air drug market.
18:07And I was sinking into a state of oblivion and.
18:11Wow.
18:12And I just chased it.
18:15What rescued you?
18:16What saved you?
18:18Well, I went out a second story window and I was in the ICU and I had to get metal
18:22put into my legs to learn to walk again.
18:24And by the time that happened, I realized that I had been sober for 90 days and I just kept
18:30going.
18:32Are you content with where you are now?
18:36I'm proud.
18:39Yeah.
18:40I mean, that's a hell of a turnaround.
18:42Yeah, I think.
18:44I mean, what a, what an extraordinary journey.
18:47A lot of us don't get the opportunity.
18:49Sure.
18:51Sarah did turn her life around.
18:54Eight years ago, she started a charity called Savage Sisters that provides essential support for hundreds of addicts on the
19:01streets of Kensington.
19:04And rehab facilities for those in recovery.
19:07Okay.
19:08Because there are people just comatose.
19:10It takes a little bit of getting used to, doesn't it?
19:13Or perhaps for, for, for those who aren't familiar.
19:16Yeah.
19:18Sarah's taking me into the depths of Kensington.
19:21We're going to meet up with the Savage Sisters outreach truck.
19:25She wants me to meet some people who, like her, have their own story.
19:33On the way, our vehicle, driving slowly, starts to attract attention.
19:42You're going to have to pull over and let him pass because everybody's going to snap.
19:46Yeah, because now they, I think they think you're a cop, so.
19:49Oh, I see.
19:50Right you are.
19:51Okay.
19:52Go.
19:58Now I'm really going to snap.
20:00Why would you throw that at my window?
20:04I'm going to run back there.
20:12Um.
20:15Well, this is, uh, this is where we find ourselves.
20:19The various things have been chucked at our car.
20:22We think that we were police.
20:35I'm in Kensington, Philadelphia, trying to get an understanding of the drugs problem in America.
20:41Our car's just been bottled, and Sarah, my local guide, has gone off to challenge the culprits.
20:50I was quite keen just to drive on at that point.
20:53But, uh, Sarah is cut from a different shop, so she has got out and she's gone to give them
20:58what for.
21:03I'm pretty sure she knows how to handle herself.
21:05She knows what she's doing on these streets.
21:08Quite well, here she comes.
21:09Here she comes.
21:12Well, hop aboard.
21:13Sorry about that.
21:14Don't you worry.
21:14What happened?
21:15Nothing.
21:16Everybody wants to act brand new.
21:17Like, did you do that?
21:18They're like, oh, it looked like the feds?
21:19You do look like a cop, though.
21:21Who, me?
21:21This car.
21:22No, the car.
21:23It's a tinted truck.
21:24So it does look shady, but it's me, bro.
21:27Like, don't do that.
21:28Yeah.
21:28So anyway.
21:29They all, when they see you, they all feel a little bit...
21:32They weren't going to come out and give you any trouble.
21:34I mean, I serve the community.
21:37Yeah.
21:37If you want to get smart, get smart to my face.
21:39Don't throw a bottle at the car like you're a tough guy.
21:42No, no, no, no.
21:42Get tough to my face.
21:44So this is a kind of tough love, then, that we get from Savage Sister.
21:48It's exactly what it says on the tin, as they say.
21:50No, that is not how we serve our friends.
21:53Our friends do not do that.
21:55Right.
21:55That is...
21:57That's the Philly special for you.
22:00The mean streets of Philly are certainly delivering,
22:03and I'm extremely glad I'm with Sarah.
22:08She's an astonishing character.
22:10To have escaped such a horrific situation,
22:12she's now showing incredible courage by helping others.
22:16As we're about to see when we arrive at the Savage Sister's truck.
22:24There's a camera with us, just so you know.
22:29So, like, if you want to cover your face,
22:31go ahead and cover your face.
22:31They're just doing what Savage does out here in Kensington.
22:35Vito!
22:36We got a big star up in here.
22:40Get him a good side.
22:41Get his good side.
22:43This is your good side.
22:46How are you doing?
22:47I'm good.
22:48How are you doing?
22:48Nice to meet you. I'm Alexander.
22:50And you get help from these guys, Savage Sisters.
22:52Yes, I did.
22:58Over the past 20 years,
23:00America's opioid epidemic has claimed more than 900,000 lives.
23:09I mean, a lot of countries have drug problems.
23:12It's probably fairly universal.
23:14But I think the...
23:17I don't know, the openness and the scale of the problem here
23:21is...
23:23..is really striking.
23:25And it's, boy, it's just so sad.
23:28The latest drug to hit the streets of Kensington is called Trank,
23:32a lethal concoction of xylothene,
23:35a strong veterinary sedative mixed with fentanyl.
23:38It's cheap and extremely addictive.
23:44We're doing, um, outreach for our friends,
23:47giving out harm reduction supplies,
23:49snacks, water, wound care kits.
23:53Yeah.
23:53And checking in on them,
23:54seeing if they need any kind of support.
23:57Hanging out with them.
23:58It's nice to have that interaction
23:59that they don't have to do anything.
24:01They just show up and they get love.
24:04I feel a little embarrassed about my reluctance to come here.
24:07These are all individuals,
24:09each with their own stories.
24:11How are you doing?
24:12Nice to have you.
24:12I've been kicked out of the showstop.
24:13I'm a big rapper.
24:14I'm so keen.
24:16I mean, and it hurt me to see how people
24:17are going through what they're going through
24:18because I've been through it.
24:19I've been through the abscesses with the leads.
24:21I've been through the walk in this street.
24:22I've been through all of it.
24:23And it hurt.
24:25How do you wake up one day and say,
24:26I want to get out with drugs?
24:28I mean, you understand.
24:29Talk to a person, you don't know what they're going through.
24:30When my sister died, I went down there crazy
24:33to start getting high.
24:35You know what I'm saying?
24:35It can happen to anybody.
24:36We're still in your genes.
24:37We're still people.
24:38And I want everybody to stop judging people.
24:40Darren, help us.
24:42Help one another.
24:43You sit around the ground, don't record them.
24:44Pick them up.
24:45Am I right, y'all?
24:46Yeah.
24:46Savages come here every day.
24:48They always go.
24:49You love them.
24:49You know what I mean?
24:50Because at the end of the day,
24:50they don't turn their back.
24:51They make sure people eat.
24:53They give people clothes.
24:54They give you a conversation.
24:55All that.
24:56And we need that.
24:57What's your name?
24:59Alexander.
25:00Alexander.
25:00Alexander.
25:00Alexander.
25:01Alexander.
25:02Alexander.
25:02Alexander.
25:04Great.
25:05Good luck.
25:08What an extraordinary eye-opener.
25:11The tragedy of it.
25:13I mean, that's the hard thing.
25:14You do see the extraordinary power of what Sarah delivers here.
25:18By coming here to the streets, as you see,
25:20is actually she provides really, really important human contact
25:25for the people here.
25:26And it's interesting how they come alive when they, when she,
25:29when she comes to them and they see her.
25:32You know, and your eyes are opened to some real,
25:35some real characters.
25:36You guys are good, right?
25:51Philadelphia is a multifaceted city.
25:54It isn't just wrestling with today's problems.
25:57It's also helping to shape future generations.
26:05Now, rowing isn't a thing you would necessarily associate
26:08with Philadelphia, but that is where I am going right now.
26:11I'm going to join the Crescent Boat Club,
26:14which was founded in the 1870s on the Schuylkill River.
26:22The beautiful Boathouse Row is regarded as a symbol of civic pride.
26:26And it turns out Philly is actually one of American rowing's spiritual homes.
26:43Hiya. This is fun. Keep talking.
26:47You're all rowers?
26:49Yes.
26:49Oh, that's a firm answer.
26:51Look how everyone here rows.
26:53Tell me about Philadelphia. What do I need to know?
26:56Is it a great place?
26:57Yes.
26:58Of course you're going to say.
26:59Best place in America.
27:01Now, tell me what's brilliant about Philadelphia.
27:04Well, it's just such a beautiful mesh of cultures and history.
27:08There's art, there's music.
27:09It's a wonderful social scene, an incredible place.
27:11And it's beautiful this time of year, especially.
27:13What's the great appeal of rowing? Why rowing?
27:16Nothing compares to, like, waking up early and, like, going out
27:19and the river's, like, completely flat and you get to watch the sunrise.
27:22I think it's about being on the water, going out on a boat.
27:25Yeah.
27:25You don't really get that many opportunities doing that.
27:32Now, it has been a while, I'll admit, but I used to row quite a bit when I was at
27:37school.
27:38I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but I wasn't too shabby.
27:44Come on, lads.
27:47My old club captain used to say that rowing requires an unusual combination of skills,
27:56endurance, teamwork, precision and resilience.
28:00There's no hiding in a boat.
28:04It's all coming back to me. It's like all those things, isn't it?
28:08It's like riding a bike.
28:11Not only are these girls talented rowers, who'll almost certainly put me to shame,
28:16they're also part of America's future workforce.
28:20Among them are aspiring doctors, neuroscientists, physicists and engineers.
28:30Spending time with them, it's not hard to see why America continues to be a world leader
28:35in science and innovation.
28:50Oh, come on. Look at this. I've still got it.
28:58But the cox is suddenly upping the pace.
29:00Jeez.
29:05We find our set again here. Even hands, straight.
29:16Come on, Armstrong. Hold it together.
29:29I knew I shouldn't have had that cheesesteak.
29:44That was really lovely. 40 years since I've been in a boat.
29:47And actually there are some things that came back to me.
29:51Little things like the movement of the boat and the discipline of the catch, as we call it,
29:56when they all goes in and just waiting at that lovely little hiatus when it all comes together.
30:02The other thing I remembered, of course, is blisters.
30:05That's a big part of the rower's life.
30:09I think it was pretty good. I think we got some good speed out there.
30:13I mean, he seemed to be, like, a bit confused at first, but, I mean, it picked us up real
30:16fast and he saved all policy.
30:18So, yeah, he was able to keep up, so that was good.
30:22Ah, yeah.
30:25Ah, yes, it'll be that way.
30:34Next, we're off to rural Pennsylvania, one of the most secretive and misunderstood parts of America.
30:55I feel like I've already seen a lot of modern America in Philadelphia,
30:59but now I'm heading out into rural Pennsylvania to experience another side of the state.
31:07The Susquehanna is one of the largest rivers in the east, and for millennia it shaped this region.
31:14First used by Native American tribes and trappers, then riverboats to transport anthracite coal,
31:20before railways followed its natural route north and south.
31:25Today, more than 200 bridges span the river,
31:30and I'm following its banks to visit the site of one of America's most shocking episodes.
31:57This is Three Mile Island, and the inspiration, I suspect, behind Homer Simpson's workplace.
32:03But it's infamous for a nuclear disaster that very nearly happened here in 1979.
32:09At 4am on March 28th, a combination of mechanical failure and human error caused Unit 2 reactor to overheat.
32:28Coolant leaked away, and part of the reactor core began to melt.
32:33This triggered panic and led to thousands of people being evacuated from the area.
32:38We were talking about an accident that would result in a death that tens of thousands of people would cause
32:44hundreds of thousands of cancers.
32:46All this happened at a time when nuclear power was hugely contentious, and seen by many as an unnecessary evil.
32:53The reactor automatically shut down seconds after the initial problem was detected.
32:59Disaster was averted, and the amount of nuclear contamination released into the atmosphere was relatively small.
33:07A meticulous clean-up was started that would take over ten years to complete.
33:15But that's not the end of the Three Mile Island story.
33:19There were two nuclear reactors here.
33:21One was decommissioned after that little mishap in 1979, and the other operated on without incident until 2019.
33:31But Microsoft, now in 2026, in conjunction with Constellation Energy, is recommissioning the nuclear reactor to provide the vast amounts
33:42of electrical energy required for AI and its data centers.
33:46But it's not just Microsoft.
33:48Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, are all now entering into long-term power purchase agreements, PPAs, in order to guarantee the
33:58power that an AI future requires.
34:02It used to be oil that shaped US industrial deals.
34:06Now it's electricity, locked in long-term and advanced by the biggest tech firms on the planet, all trying to
34:14secure power for an AI future.
34:21My next stop is surprisingly well-braced for the AI revolution that we are all hurtling towards.
34:31I'm now heading into a part of Pennsylvania that, to me, feels almost frozen in aspic.
34:37In the 16th and 17th centuries, this area drew in Europeans, who'd all had enough of all the religious wars
34:45and persecution of their homelands.
34:47And for them, the new world represented a clean staff.
34:51And they came in their droves from the Rhine Valley, from parts of Switzerland to Germany.
34:56And their descendants are still here.
34:59And I think their culture endures in part because they have kept themselves at a distance from the rest of
35:05America.
35:07Over 300,000 people identify as Pennsylvania Dutch.
35:13The best known groups among them are the Amish and the Mennonites, famous for their strict religious beliefs and rejection
35:20of many aspects of modern life.
35:23Most Pennsylvania Dutch families, however, are less extreme.
35:33Erika and Pete Gustafsson have invited me into their home to show me a little of how they choose to
35:39live.
35:39This is my husband, Pete.
35:41How do you do?
35:42Nice to meet you.
35:42Excellent.
35:43My family.
35:44I'm Freya.
35:44Freya, how do you do?
35:45Hi, I'm Adelaide.
35:46Adelaide, how do you do?
35:48And Tilly.
35:48And Tilly.
35:49Well, please, come through.
35:50Thank you very much.
35:51This is our kitchen.
35:51I follow you.
35:52You lead on.
35:53What sort of age is this house?
35:55The main part we're standing in now is built 1790, 1794.
35:59Please come and sit down.
36:01I'm going to bring this pie ready.
36:02This is part of my heritage.
36:04Shufai pie.
36:05What goes into a shufai pie?
36:07Mostly molasses, and then the top is flour and sugar, and despite the amount of lard in it,
36:16we consider molasses to be a tonic, so you can feel good about eating it.
36:21As well as making delicious pies, the family grow much of their own food, limit their reliance on technology
36:28and to preserve their language.
36:30They all sing together in a folk band called the Shuflaes, like the pie.
36:35So we sing in this dialect that is from our culture.
36:40So we've had this language since the late 17th century.
36:44And when you say Dutch, you mean this is Deutsch, isn't it?
36:46This is a sort of...
36:47Yeah, it is a type of German, yes.
36:49Right, it's Deutsch rather than Netherlandish.
36:51Yes, exactly.
36:52We haven't lost our identity.
36:54We've still remained who we are while we're still all Americans as well.
36:58I'm very proud to be so.
37:00We do, as a family, have some choices that we've made regarding technology.
37:06We don't have a television, maybe you noticed.
37:08None of us have a smartphone, so we don't use iPhones or anything like that, including the children or tablets.
37:16That's it.
37:17Is that why your children are so nice?
37:19Yeah!
37:20Perfect.
37:20They have to, because they participate.
37:22Well, what do you get?
37:23Concerns about dopamine addiction, shrinking attention spans and loneliness,
37:27are leading many of us to rethink our growing dependence on technology.
37:33I think we may all have something to learn from the Gustavsons.
37:36Growing up, not being accustomed to using, you know, AI or a lot of technology to get by.
37:42We can focus on the, you know, human things that we do that bring us satisfaction and joy.
37:49It frees you up for a lot of other, I personally think, more valuable things.
37:54So, we make music together.
37:55You make music together?
37:56Yeah.
37:57I imagine this table, you sit around this table and you eat and chat long into the night with flickering
38:02candles.
38:03Everything.
38:04He's got his peg.
38:05Yeah.
38:05I know, I know.
38:06You've been here, haven't you?
38:07I'm picturing how lovely it would be.
38:09We would love if you would sing with us.
38:13I should be doing this.
38:14With the shoe flies.
38:16With the shoe flies, yes.
38:17Wouldn't that be great?
38:17I think you would be a great addition.
38:19I've heard, you have a beautiful voice.
38:22Well, thank you very much indeed.
38:23So, tell me, how are you with German?
38:25I mean, listen, I've sung quite a lot of Bach.
38:28Okay.
38:28And Schutz.
38:29Within the Dutch traditions, you've got songs about the farm, you've got songs about church, you've got songs about absolute
38:35silliness,
38:36and then you have songs that follow the days of the week.
38:38In order to keep the household in order, you did this on this day, this on this day, this on
38:42this day, and then you repeat again.
38:43Courting on Saturday.
38:44Courting on Saturday.
38:46Very nice, yes.
38:46And of course, you're going to church on Sunday, so don't forget.
38:48And church on Sunday.
38:48That's not a chore.
38:49Neither is courting if you're doing it right.
38:51Right.
38:53Exactly.
38:53So, we thought if you were up for it, you could grab the Fry Dog.
38:58Okay.
38:58Yeah.
39:04Acho that was Cookie deterrent.
39:09Doch, we had to keep it to the Markusabup.
39:12But weancoux westening there to be a snake.
39:16Okay, we'll see you.
39:18In light, when you're in your car and keep it that's the ghost.
39:19How can I get enough to talk to you?
39:22Enjoy your car and keep it all with your driving.
39:22How can we do that together?ettreettreä½™will
39:24what's the hard thing We have to keep it
39:26away. Let's help stop it
39:27yet.
39:38The Shoo-Flies and I are off to a Pennsylvania Dutch gig
39:41in the depths of the country.
40:03We're going to invite Xander to come up with us, sing this one with us.
40:09He's going to be great.
40:10Our guy, Frydog.
40:11Man Friday.
40:12Yes.
40:13There we are.
40:14Thank you very much.
40:16We gave him a crash course in Pennsylvania Dutch today.
40:18It was all of, I don't know, five minutes.
40:21Yeah, it's going to be great.
40:22All right.
40:23It's fine.
40:24It's fine.
40:25All right.
40:26OK.
40:27Marvellous.
40:28Good luck.
40:31All right.
40:32One two three.
40:41Sunday comes the kakerein.
40:44Jule he, Jule ha,
40:47Now is with the whole night out here.
40:50Bei unserer kakerein.
40:55Monday comes the way.
40:58Jule he, Jule ha,
41:00Now it's more an ganzer dog debate
41:03Bei uns et granscha' lei
41:06WÄR ÜLLE Llack eissenle yole i
41:12found way a bunch of dove h kingdoms
41:18Good moment
41:21Freida kulte blockadei
41:23jula hi jula
41:26Now it's more an ganzer dog debate
41:37There's often talk of the American spirit or the American way.
41:41But if there's anything I've learnt over the last few days,
41:44it's that there are a lot of American ways.
41:47It's Sarah and her tough love.
41:49It's the family looking for alternatives to what modern America has to offer.
41:54It's even the Philly cheesesteak lady.
41:56And it's Morgan preserving the stories of those who risked everything in the pursuit of freedom.
42:05Next time, I'm heading to one of the wildest states.
42:11Does everybody around here carry a gun?
42:14Yes.
42:15Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, where people still like to do things their own way.
42:20We're going to have uprisings in the United States.
42:22And I'd join in with and I ain't going to lie about it.
42:24Join me as I discover West Virginia.
42:26I feel like the flagship of the fleet being welcomed back into harbour.
42:32We're going to have a lot of people.
42:33We're going to have a lot of people.
42:46We're going to have a lot of people.
42:49We're going to have a lot of people.
42:49We're going to have a lot of people.
42:49We're going to have a lot of people.
42:50We're going to have a lot of people.
42:50We're going to have a lot of people.
42:51We're going to have a lot of people.
42:51We're going to have a lot of people.
42:52We're going to have a lot of people.
42:53We're going to have a lot of people.
42:55We're going to have a lot of people.
42:59You
Comments