Arts & Entertainment
In ‘Chicago Works,’ Geoffrey Baer Shares Behind-the-Scenes Look at Jobs That Keep the City Running
Chicago is known, famously, as “the city that works.”
The latest WTTW special from Geoffrey Baer, “Chicago Works,” brings to the forefront the often unseen work that helps keep the city running — from how the United Center transforms its basketball court into an ice hockey rink to how holiday packages arrive at your front door.
“I really expected: We’re going to show up with a film crew, and these people are busy, and they were just going to say, ‘Get out of our way, you’re bothering us,’” Baer said. “They were so excited to share their work with us because people don’t often get to see the work that they do and they’re proud of the work that they do.”
Among the jobs featured in the special are bridge operators controlling downtown bridges over the Chicago River; manual scoreboard operators at Wrigley Field; gold leaf sign painters helping keep the uniquely Chicago lost art alive; wig makers and prop masters at the Lyric Opera; dispatchers at a Metra control facility in the South Loop remotely operating thousands of switches and signals; and wholesale produce vendor workers fulfilling orders from grocery stores and restaurants in the early morning hours.
Baer’s previous programs include “Touring Chicago’s Lakefront,” “Chicago Mysteries,” “The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago,” “Chicago by ‘L’” and “The Chicago River Tour.”
“Chicago Works” premieres Tuesday on WTTW and streaming on the PBS app. Bonus content and the full program can also be found at wttw.com/chicagoworks.
