Icons, Nostalgia Make ‘Classics’ Go

Which is the bigger American icon: the father of our country or the queen of the pinups? Judging solely from the amount of time devoted to each figure on tonight’s first installment of “American Classics” (9 p.m., History Channel), the edge goes to Betty Grable.

Sex sells, as this four-part documentary about “the people, places and symbols that stir our passions as Americans” reminds us, from Elvis and Marilyn to Playboy and drive-ins. Even old George is said to have had great gams.

The funny thing is, this show isn’t about sex, per se. It’s about American icons and identity, something very much on people’s minds lately. Although it was produced before Sept. 11, it winds up serving a dual purpose: to convey the real stories behind the symbols and to comfort through nostalgia.

On the first count, the show does an admirable job, providing tidbits about the origins of Uncle Sam, the cowboy myth, brand names and more. It may not go into enough depth to satisfy experts on any one topic, but it could easily serve as a valuable study aid for Trivial Pursuit.

The issue of nostalgia is trickier, because generations differ in their fond remembrances of things past. Here, baby boomers are in control, from the majority of experts quoted to the background music to the choice of Dick Clark as host.

Take tonight’s blues- and zydeco-laden feature on George Washington, in which a professor likens him to Elvis. Or take Wednesday’s transportation-themed Part 2: Yarns about the covered wagon, steam locomotive and Model T are but a prelude to paeans to Corvettes, ’57 Chevys (and their, ahem, roomy seats) and the postwar evolution of Route 66.

The bottom line on “American Classics”? Even if you’re outside the target demographic, you can still get your kicks.