A few years ago, exasperated by repeated missteps in the customer service of our cable TV company, we got a dish. And with the dish, a digital video recorder. Even in the not-so-long-ago days of video tape, I was a devoted time shifter; recording all kinds of things to watch at my convenience; providing the luxury of no waiting period after a cliff hanger; and keeping several programs which I knew I would enjoy watching more than once.

So it's probably not surprising that I do the same with the DVR - regularly recording The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, which are shown after my bedtime most nights; and also catching whatever Nova and Frontline have to offer.

And it's also probably not surprising that I've found several programs to keep, namely:

Martin Scorcese's lovely period drama THE AGE OF INNOCENCE,

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Two programs about the painter Mark Rothko, whose work touches me in ways I find hard to describe

A recent PBS dramatization of Jane Austen's PERSUASION

A concert film of one of Richard Pryor's standup appearances - I thought he was a genius *

Another PBS broadcast - this one a biography of Luciano Pavarotti

And this afternoon I added another program to keep and return to whenever I please. The relatively young cable network MLB broadcast a 52 year old kinescope of the 1956 World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees with Don Larsen on the mound for the Yankees, pitching a perfect game. Not surprisingly, the picture quality is lousy, but you can see the early days of expanding broadcast techniques for baseball - a photograph of each player's face as he comes to bat for the first time, for example; and some interesting camera work following foul balls and umpires racing down the line to stay close enough to make a good call. Mel Allen is briefly on camera wearing a suit, a shirt and tie, and a hat, believe it or not. Commercials during Allen's patter are limited to pitching the Baseball Encyclopedia. The second half of the game is called by Vin Scully - in his late 20's at the time - but I would recognize his voice anywhere. ** Interspersed at various important milestones of the game, Bob Costas interviews Larsen and Yogi Berra in a very enjoyable conversation as he asks each man to recall what that day was like.

Kind of an eclectic mix of programming, isn't it? If I keeled over tomorrow and a stranger had to dispose of my belongings, I wonder what she/he would think about me?

*Perhaps someone can explain to me why Pryor was a genius and other performers who used the same sort of language (Redd Foxx and Andrew Dice Clay) were only vulgar?

** I had a brush with greatness a few years ago at Coors Field when Scully and I waited for the same elevator and discussed our respective grandchildren. I might write about that someday.