From another generation, likely YouTube would have some episodes of "Family Affair", the lead character is a civil engineer. I am old enough to know of this show from the late 1960s but likely watched more reruns in the early 70s when I was growing up. Possibly the story connection to Indiana also appealed to me but certainly BIG skyscrapers in NYC was a factor too. Anyhow, I recall more about the non-traditional family and silly circumstances of the children adopted by a single man.
Since I am a civil engineer, evidently that show persuaded me more than Mr Brady the architect on the Brady Bunch. The "weird" family house with multiple levels always struck me, walking up to the front door w/ a few steps inside a house was not familiar to me and then also up and then down into the den where Mr Brady had a drafting table, oh my another generation ago too!
While in college in the late 80s, a popular show was "LA Law" and laments from civil engineers at some ASCE events is a clear recognition, "there should be a show about civil engineering ..." Not all the portrayals about lawyers was positive in that show, for sure.
Building Big on PBS and many other construction related shows as well as documentaries feature civil engineers.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/about.htmlThe show/series titled Extreme Engineering is much about large construction projects.
Bridge on the River Kwai, Academy Award winning movie from the 50s, well before my time, fictional depiction somewhat based on real events of WW II, reading the book is better - more reality as the movie is entertainment not documentary, accurate history portrayals can be emotional for sure considering the workforce used for the bridge construction. The movie focus is POWs, mostly British w/ one American to connect into the US audience likely. The real history is native Thais and Burmese suffered multiple times more than POWs. In the movie British engineers were needed to figure out the bridge construction mostly of timber, in reality Japanese engineers knew what they were doing and construction was w/ a steel bridge, relocated and still in use today even after sections were destroyed by aerial bombing.
More lighthearted, although same area/region of the world, the 80s movie "Volunteers" with Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson who soon after became married; and John Candy - civil engineer! A timber bridge blown up again. This movie is quite unlike my own Peace Corps experience.
------------------------------
David Devine P.E.,L.S.,M.ASCE
Fort Wayne IN
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 11-17-2020 09:35 AM
From: Daniel Bressler
Subject: Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in Movies and TV Shows
Lawyers have Suits
Medical Professionals have Scrubs, Grey Anatomy
Civil Engineers have Prison Break (and perhaps Big Bang Theory)
I wanted to start a lighthearted conversation on the accurate (but mostly inaccurate) portrayals of civil engineers in entertainment media.
------------------------------
Daniel Bressler EIT, A.M.ASCE
Junior Engineer
Brooklyn NY
------------------------------