3.13.26 Replacing Churchill on Britain’s currency, The Count of Monte Cristo television series, and Three Dog Night’s Chuck Negron

Summary

The World and Everything In It

Episode Summary: March 13, 2026

Main Theme:
This episode explores pressing cultural issues and news stories from a Christian worldview, covering shifting media narratives after a failed terror plot in New York, the symbolism of replacing Winston Churchill on Britain’s currency, loneliness and the changing structure of American families, an extraordinary act of forgiveness in Georgia, a new “Count of Monte Cristo” TV adaptation, and the redemptive arc of Three Dog Night’s Chuck Negron.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Culture Friday – Media Narratives & Critical Theory

[07:22–10:13]

• Discussion begins with the media’s framing of a failed terror attack in New York, perpetrated by two men inspired by ISIS.
• Nick Eicher recounts a controversial CNN social media post that downplayed the seriousness and ideology of the attack, portraying the suspects as ordinary teenagers whose lives were changed by an accident.
• John Stonestreet critiques this as an example of how current media narratives, influenced by critical theory, often struggle to recognize and describe acts of evil:
  • “It's a bizarre sort of thing...critical theory is inadequate in explaining good and evil. The thing about a worldview, it's got to be big enough for the world.”
    (John Stonestreet, 09:41)
• Stonestreet points out the dangers of reducing complex events to fit preferred narratives, diminishing the gravity of real-world evil.

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2. Britain’s Currency: Removing Churchill?

[10:13–12:35]

• The Bank of England is reportedly considering swapping historical figures like Winston Churchill for images of British wildlife on the £5 note.
• Nick Eicher observes that Churchill’s significance far outweighs that of “small woodland mammals.”
• John Stonestreet places this in the context of cultural amnesia and “historical correctionism”:
  • “What's wrong with Great Britain goes well beyond what they choose to put on their currency.”
  • He alludes to a corresponding lack of robust historical education and pride, referencing the “Proud of Us” campaign as a counter-example:
    • “If you have all that history in place...But they don't. And that's the problem.”
      (John Stonestreet, 12:26)
• This reflects a broader issue—a culture that discards its heroes risks losing its sense of collective identity and positive heritage.

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3. Loneliness and the Changing Family in America

[12:35–15:16]

• Myrna Brown highlights new research: 4 in 10 Americans over 45 report loneliness, a number rising alongside growing rates of people living alone, especially the elderly.
• The study also notes increased voluntary childlessness among women under 45, driven by low fertility and longer life spans.
• John Stonestreet draws parallels to Japan, where social isolation has led to recent phenomena like “hiring family” for holidays. He underscores the biblical perspective that humans are not meant to be alone:
  • “You do not have a society that is strong...if you do not have a strong family culture. It’s that we’re not meant to be alone.”
    (John Stonestreet, 14:17)
• He warns of serious, cascading cultural consequences if fertility continues to plummet and social bonds continue to weaken.

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4. A Georgia Teacher and Extraordinary Forgiveness

[15:16–17:32]

• A tragic story: a teacher dies in an accident after confronting teens pulling a prank; his widow publicly asks that the boys not be prosecuted.
• Myrna Brown: “When people hear a response like that today, it almost sounds extraordinary, doesn’t it?”
• John Stonestreet frames such forgiveness as a distinctly Christian response:
  • “It’s forgiveness...It has no place in Wokeism, it has no place in progressivism, it has no place in Marxism. It’s at the center of a Christian worldview...It’s always remarkable, but it’s really remarkable in a culture that doesn’t have any room for it.”
    (John Stonestreet, 16:11–17:03)
• He predicts acts of forgiveness will increasingly stand out as counter-cultural, winsome, and powerful.

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5. Television: PBS Adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo

[21:27–26:30]

• Steve Lemkeman reviews PBS’s new eight-episode miniseries adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
• The production is praised for fidelity to the original plot, impressive design, and strong performances, particularly Jeremy Irons as the Abbe Faria.
• The story centers on betrayal, patience, and revenge:
  • “I was robbed of 15 years of my life. The only woman I ever loved was taken from me and now I want revenge.”
    (Count of Monte Cristo, 22:55)
• The series diverges from the novel’s Christian themes—replacing providence and grace with an impersonal force of destiny and a focus on self-executed justice.
  • “In the show, Monte Cristo explicitly states that he does not believe in Providence in the religious sense...”
    (Steve Lemkeman, 25:04)
• The reviewer finds the lack of ultimate forgiveness and the downplaying of Christian hope less satisfying:
  • “By contrast, the final words that Dumas penned...reflect his hero’s ultimate submission to divine providence: ‘Wait and hope.’”
    (Steve Lemkeman, 26:27)

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6. Music Feature: Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night

[27:19–34:17]

• Arsenio Orteza remembers Chuck Negron, frontman of Three Dog Night, who passed at 83.
• Negron’s life is a tale of talent, turmoil, and ultimately redemption:
  • Early life marked by abandonment and lost faith: “He called [daycare] a child’s hell and prayed to God for help, but no help seemed to come...that moment was when he lost his faith.”
    (Arsenio Orteza, 28:24–28:38)
  • With the band, he becomes the voice of their biggest hits—like “Joy to the World.”
  • Addiction takes its toll: “At the peak of my addiction,...I spent $2,000 a day on heroin and bought other drugs too.”
    (Arsenio Orteza, 32:24)
  • Recovery comes through faith and prayer:
    • “I got down on my knees and I prayed to die...When I woke up, I knew that God had done for me what I could not do for myself...the obsession was gone.”
      (Chuck Negron, 33:29–33:55)
  • Negron’s later years are marked by restored faith and service, defying Fitzgerald’s adage that “there are no second acts.”

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Notable Quotes

• On Media Narratives:

  • “Critical theory is inadequate in explaining good and evil.”
    (John Stonestreet, 09:41)

• On Cultural Memory & Heritage:

  • “What’s wrong with Great Britain goes well beyond what they choose to put on their currency.”
    (John Stonestreet, 11:11)

• On Social Isolation:

  • “We're not meant to be alone.”
    (John Stonestreet, 14:17)

• On Forgiveness:

  • “It’s at the center of a Christian worldview…forgiveness is actually something that is possible and can bring about great good.”
    (John Stonestreet, 16:11–17:03)

• On The Count of Monte Cristo:

  • “In the book, Monte Cristo...comes to realize the need to forgive others as he himself stands in need of forgiveness.”
    (Steve Lemkeman, 25:21)

• On Chuck Negron’s Redemption:

  • “When I woke up, I knew that God had done for me what I could not do for myself. And the obsession was gone.”
    (Chuck Negron via Arsenio Orteza, 33:48–33:55)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Headlines and Culture Friday Introduction: [00:53–07:11]
• Media Narratives, Culture Analysis (with John Stonestreet): [07:22–17:38]
• Count of Monte Cristo Series Review: [21:27–26:30]
• Chuck Negron Music Feature: [27:19–34:17]

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Memorable Moments

• The widow’s grace in Georgia offers a living example of forgiveness, standing out as “increasingly astonishing” in our society (16:03–17:32).
• The analysis of Britain’s shift from Churchill on banknotes as symbolic of deeper cultural malaise (10:13–12:35).
• Chuck Negron’s honest account of addiction and recovery, demonstrating the possibility of redemption and faith rekindled (33:23–33:55).

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This episode blends headline news with thoughtful cultural critique, compelling stories of faith and forgiveness, and rich works from literature and music—making it essential listening for those interested in the intersection of faith and public life.

Transcript

[Myrna Brown]

Good morning. Today on Culture Friday, media narratives after a failed terror plot. And Britain's Fiverr with no Churchill.

[Nick Eicher]

Right. John Stonestreet is standing by with that and more. Also today, a literary classic adapted for TV I was a rogue for 15

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

years of my life and now I want revenge.

[Nick Eicher]

And world music critic Arsenalio Ortezza on Three Dog Night. Frontman Chuck Neg.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Foreign.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Friday, March 13th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Icker.

[Kent Covington]

Good morning.

[Myrna Brown]

Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

[Kent Covington]

The FBI says an attack on a Michigan synagogue Thursday was a, quote, targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into a major synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was reportedly fatally shot by security. Oakland County, Michigan Sheriff Michael Bouchard told

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

reporters a car came to the facility, breached the facility by driving into it, was engaged by security. We believe there is one individual deceased in the vehicle. It's been complicated because there was some fire, to say the least with that vehicle.

[Kent Covington]

In the minutes following the attack, smoke billowed from the synagogue. The sheriff said one security officer was hit by the vehicle and knocked unconscious but did not suffer life threatening injuries. Additionally, 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation. And the sheriff added that none of the synagogue's staff or teachers nor the 140 children at its early childhood center were injured and the attacker was the only person killed. President Trump addressed the attack from the White House.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Before we begin, I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in Detroit, Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue.

[Kent Covington]

He called it a quote, terrible thing. Iran's new supreme leader issued a defiant public statement on Thursday. World's Benjamin Iker reports.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

56 year old Ayatollah Mohtaba Khamenei has taken the place of his late father, Ali Khamenei. Israel suspects he was wounded in the opening salvo of the conflict and notably he did not appear on camera.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Instead, his statement was read by a

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

state TV news anchor. He said Iran would keep up its

[John Stonestreet]

attacks on its Gulf Arab neighbors and continue to effectively shut down the Strait

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

of Hormuz as leverage against the United States and Israel. And and he vowed revenge for the airstrikes within Iran thus far. Whether the regime will have the ability

[John Stonestreet]

to back up those threats going forward

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

remains to be seen. The Trump administration says it has already severely degraded Iran's ability to wage war

[Kent Covington]

for World I'm Benjamin Eicher Officials assured California residents on Thursday that there is no imminent threat to the state from Iran. That comes after ABC News reported that the FBI had warned California that Iran had aspired to send drones to the west coast in retaliation for the conflict. Governor Gavin Newsom remarked, we are aware

[Nick Eicher]

of that information and we transfer that information in real time to our local partners. Drone issues have been always top of mind.

[Kent Covington]

But he added that there was no specific threat at that time. The FBI later released text of the alert which noted that the information was based on unverified information and the White House now says that no such threat from Iran to our homeland exists. The Energy department says the US will begin releasing 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That comes as the ongoing conflict with Iran is causing fuel prices to spike. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says they are looking to reverse 47 years of uncertainty within the region. And he adds that ultimately the payoff will be more than worth the temporary price hikes.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

The benefit at the other side of a much better Middle east ultimately in

[Kent Covington]

the long term a much more secure

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

supply of energy for the world. World it's worth the short term disruption for this simply enormous long term gain

[Kent Covington]

we will get the Energy Department's announcement follows word this week that 32 nations planned a coordinated record release of 400 million barrels of oil. The United nations has released findings of an investigation into Russia's deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children. The lead investigator says the findings are clear.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

The scale and the scope of these

[John Stonestreet]

crimes have led the commission to conclude that Russian authorities have reported and forcibly

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

transferred children as a crime against humanity.

[Kent Covington]

Ukraine says close to 20,000 children have been illegally sent to Russia and close Russian ally Belarus. Many face military training and are sent back to fight against their countrymen. Meanwhile in Bucharest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Romania's president shook hands after signing a new defense corporation. That deal calls for joint drone production in Romania. US Senators headed home for the weekend without agreeing on a path forward for funding. The Department of Homeland Security. World's Harrison Waters has more from the Capitol.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Senate Democrats on Thursday floated a proposal to pay airport security agents while debate over changes to immigration enforcement policy continues. Nevada Senator Jackie Rosen let's not have

[Myrna Brown]

TSA officers in the middle of this fight.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

They don't deserve it. We all agree their salaries should be

[Myrna Brown]

funded, so let's fund it.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

But Republicans objected to bailing TSA out while other departments continue operating without funds. Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno let's fund the whole department. Let's get this over with. In fact, I would even offer let's fund it until Monday. Several proposals to pass short term funding bills failed to pass, while the full DHS appropriations bill again failed to clear the 60 vote threshold needed to end debate and move to a final vote. Many Homeland Security employees are set to miss their first full paycheck this weekend as a partial government shutdown heads into week five. Reporting for world I'm Harrison Waters in Washington.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Kent Covington. Straight ahead, John Stonestreet is here for Culture Friday. Plus, Arsenio Ortezza with the remembrance of a 70s hitmaker. This is the WORLD and Everything in It.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Friday, March 13th. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the WORLD and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Icker. It's Culture Friday. John Stonestreet joins us now. John is president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint Podcast. John, good morning.

[John Stonestreet]

Good morning.

[Nick Eicher]

All right. Well, let's begin in New York. John. Police say that two young men drove from Pennsylvania into the city and tossed homemade bombs into a protest crowd outside Gracie Mansion. That, of course, the official residents of the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani. Investigators said that the two were inspired by ISIS and that they hoped to carry out a major terror attack. Thankfully, that failed. No one was hurt, but the media reaction quickly became part of the story. CNN posted the following summary on social media later having to delete it after heavy criticism. And after I read it, you'll figure out why this is what it said. Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could have been a normal day, enjoying the city during the abnormally warm weather. But in less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti Muslim protest. Quote, end quote. It's deleted. You can't find it anymore except for those who clipped it and hung onto it. John, you know, when something like this happens, what does it say about the moral framework our culture uses to interpret events, particularly when clear acts of evil just don't fit the narrative?

[John Stonestreet]

Well, it's just another example that you wouldn't believe if you didn't see it yourself. But we also saw, for example, just the other night on CNN on Abby Phillips show where she also just falsely reported that this was a terrorist attack that had targeted mom Donnie, which of course there was no evidence of, no one had ever suggested, certainly was not something that was said by the young men that were arrested here. And this is kind of treated in a sense as if whatever happened to these boys, these, these boys kind of stumbled into Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, you know, as they were taking a stroll through Central Park. It's a. It's a bizarre sort of thing. And I don't know that we need more evidence of the critical theory mood that has infected so much of American elitism, especially when it comes to the media, but also how inadequate critical theory is in explaining good and evil. The thing about a worldview, it's. It's got to be big enough for the world. In other words, it can't reduce the world down. It's got to be big enough for the things that you actually experience in the world. I mean, listen, you talk about intersectionality. This story has intersectionality written all over it. But it would be a funny example if it weren't dealing with something so serious.

[Nick Eicher]

All right, John. Well, here's another symbolism story, this one from overseas. The bank of England is considering redesigning its banknotes. One proposal would replace historical figures like Winston Churchill with images of wildlife typically found in Britain. Things like hedgehogs and badgers. Now, Churchill. Churchill's portrait on the five pound note commemorates Britain's leadership during World War II, its resistance to Nazi Germany. Churchill, of course, led Britain in its darkest hour. And I dare say he seems more significant to the uk with all due respect to these fine creatures, he seems more significant than small woodland mammals. Let's just say it that way, John. When a nation moves away from honoring figures who shaped its history, even in something symbolic like this, what does it tell you?

[John Stonestreet]

Well, the question, what's wrong with Great Britain? Goes well beyond what they choose to put on their currency. I mean, this is the same week that we heard that Britain was also going to name an anti Muslim czar. So that, you know, somebody to be in charge of stamping out anti Muslim rhetoric and anti Muslim hate in the nation. I haven't been able to find, you know, anything here about whether, you know, the intention of removing Churchill is, you know, some sort of historical correctionism or, you know, kind of the argument is the same as tearing down monuments. It is weird to replace them with hedgehogs and badgers. But I do think there's a group of Brits that are trying to solve this problem. They're telling a group of stories. And those Wallace and Gromit claymation style videos called proudofus.uk if you haven't seen it, it's pretty cool. Where they're going back and saying, hey, Brits, we should be proud of our heritage because, you know, we fought the Nazis. We should be proud because we ended slavery. We should be proud because, you know, in the name of educating illiterate children who were chained to machines in the Industrial Revolution, the guy who invented Sunday school taught 250,000 kids how to read the Bible. I mean, these are amazing stories in British history. And you don't have as big of a problem, you know, kind of just with one little step of saying, hey, let's get a new dollar bill if you have all that history in place. But they don't. And that's the problem.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, John, I want to turn your attention to an Institute for Family Studies report published this week on the rates of loneliness rising, affecting 4 out of 10Americans age 45 and older. Now, that's a 5% uptick since 2018. The report also points to a prediction that the number of Americans living alone in their 80s and in their 90s will soon skyrocket, doubling from 6% of all households in 2018 to 12% in the year 2028. Now, what seems to be driving this new data on increased loneliness? Research that suggests women below the age of 45 who voluntarily decide to remain childless. So it's low fertility rates and rising life expectancy. Any surprises there?

[John Stonestreet]

No. I mean, we've seen this script play out in Asia, especially in Japan, where the birth rate has been so low for so long that we started getting these strange reports of older women committing petty crimes so that they could go to prison so that they could have somebody to talk to. Or the growing industry of hiring yourself out as a family member for holiday celebrations. Kind of a gig economy of Uber meets, you know, the fertility crisis. These are the things that we've seen in other parts of the world for a while, and you're gonna see it here as well. And I tell you, the Institute for Family Studies deserves an awful lot of credit for pointing this out relentlessly. The fact of the matter is, you do not have a society that is strong, that is resilient, has a future. If you do not have a strong family culture, it's because of things like this. It's that we're not meant to be alone. We are built as image bearers to help one another to build the kind of world that we were intended to do. And God instituted marriage and put procreation in that context so that the children would be protected. Just think of your own experience kind of growing up in a large family we abandoned, you know, millions and millions more Americans growing up where they're reaching a part of their life and they don't have grandchildren. And the math just doesn't work out. You cannot cultivate the kind of people you need to be in the long term this way. And that's. I think we're seeing that, and I think we'll continue to realize that there are even more areas that remain to be studied that will become obvious in the future if the fertility rate continues in this downward direction.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, John, one more story caught my attention this week. A high school teacher in Georgia died after a group of teenagers showed up at his house late at night to pull a prank, throwing toilet paper in the trees. He went outside to catch them, slipped in the street, and in the chaos that followed, the teens trying to drive away accidentally ran over him. But what's remarkable is what his widow said afterward. She's publicly asked prosecutors not to charge the boys, saying her husband loved those students and wouldn't want their lives destroyed over what she believes was a terrible accident. John, when people hear a response like that today, it almost sounds extraordinary, doesn't it?

[John Stonestreet]

Well, I think increasingly this is yet another example of a distinctive of Christianity that will set it apart when lived out from our society. It's at the center of a Christian worldview, and it has no place in Wokeism, it has no place in progressivism, it has no place in Marxism. It's forgiveness. And at the center of the Christian worldview is this great exchange that God takes your sin and gives you in Christ his righteousness. It's a swap. Doesn't mean it's easy, doesn't mean it lessens the tragedy one bit. But there is an understanding of the world that comes out of a Christian framing that the world's not as it's supposed to be and that forgiveness is actually something that is possible and can bring about great good. I think that's why people continue to be so astounded by it, because the more Christianity is pushed to the margins of society, the more this will seem remarkable. It's always remarkable, but it's really remarkable in a culture that doesn't have any room for it anywhere else. And I think it's going to be a Christian distinctive. I think it's going to be bizarre to the watching world. It's going to be increasingly astonishing. It's going to be compelling because a world with forgiveness is certainly better than a world without forgiveness. Right. But this is another example, and this list of stories is kind of stacking up here.

[Nick Eicher]

John Stonestreet is president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint Podcast. John, thank you very much.

[John Stonestreet]

Thank you both.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Dort Discovery Days, an academic summer camp for sixth through

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

eighth graders to grow in their faith and build friendships. Dort.

[Kent Covington]

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[John Stonestreet]

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[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Go pcci.

[Kent Covington]

Edu World.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

And from Ambassadors Impact Network.

[Kent Covington]

Their report shows how Christian entrepreneurs advance the gospel through business. Ambassadorsimpact.com reports.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Friday, March 13th. Thank you for turning World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Myrna Brown.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Well, the deadline for our next World Journalism Institute is coming up really quickly. It's our college course. It's set to take place in May, the 14th through the 30th. It's at Dort University up in beautiful Northwest Iowa, Sioux Center, Iowa. It's a two week intensive and it allows students to learn firsthand how to approach journalism professionally and biblically. Now, just about everyone at World has gone through this program at some point. I am grandfathered. That's a perfect name for me. I'm grandfathered in because I'm a grandfather and I'm old enough to predate wji. So I'm just a teacher. But we do have WJI grads on our podcast. They write for our online and print products and they make church horrific television on our student news program, World Watch. But there are also many graduates who work for other outlets, including this talented young journalist.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Hi, my name is Michaela estruth.

[Myrna Brown]

I attended WJI in 2022 and WGI

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

really formed a lot of my journalism skills, from radio to how to stand

[Myrna Brown]

in front of a camera, how to

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

speak to the camera, and also especially

[John Stonestreet]

writing, especially efficiency in writing, how to

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

turn a story over quickly with an accurate lead and write sources especially with a Christian worldview. That's what I do today. I write for a Christian publication and WJI strengthened those skills of how to report without forcing your Christian worldview, but

[Myrna Brown]

to cover the stories that no one

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

else is covering and to talk to

[Myrna Brown]

the Christian leaders and thinkers that no

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

one else will talk to or to just offer both perspectives for your Christian audience. So I highly recommend wji. It was a great experience and I love the work that they do.

[Myrna Brown]

Thank you, Micaela. So if you are a college student or no one who's interested in journalism, now's the time to get to work on the application for this year's program. Generous donors allow us to offer full scholarships for those who are accepted, so that means no charge to students. Room and board is covered as well, but it is highly competitive and slots are limited. The deadline for applications is Monday, March 23, and it is a long application, so don't wait. You can apply online at WJI World. Again. That's WJI World.

[Nick Eicher]

Look forward to seeing you up there, Myrna. We'll have a good time teaching the students well. Coming next on the World and everything in at A classic tale of betrayal and revenge the Count of Monte Cristo is one of literature's most enduring revenge stories. Well now PBS brings a new adaptation to viewers in the form form of an eight episode miniseries. Here is world reviewer Steve lemkman.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Alexandre Dumas 19th century novel the Count of Monte Cristo is one of history's most popular. It's been adapted dozens of times across stages, airwaves and screens. PBS new eight episode series is a fairly faithful representation of the classic tale of one man's quest for justice in a world that has left him for dead. Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I fear I have forsaken God. This adaptation begins boldly in media res with viewers introduced to the Count of Monte Cristo with a torturous confession made by its titular character. I wish to avenge myself for a grave injury that befell me. What was done to you, my son? I was robbed of 15 years of my life. The only woman I ever loved was taken from me in that time. And now I want revenge. Edmond Dants is a young sailor betrayed on the eve of his wedding and branded a political traitor, exiled in the middle of the night to the notorious French island prison, the Chateau d'. If. There he'd spend 15 years in misery. When he returns to society, he's the mysteriously wealthy Count of Monte Cristo and he's determined to seek revenge on those who stole the best years of his life. God cannot grant me justice and providence, and surely I must achieve it by my own means.

[Nick Eicher]

Promise me in God's name and the

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

name of his son, that you will never do these things that you're contemplating. You must forgive my son, for without forgiveness you'll never find love again. The PBS adaptation succeeds on many fronts. The production design is fantastic. From Dante's castle prison to the treasure hunt on the island of Monte Cristo, to the illustrious opera house and mansions where the Count plots his vengeance. Jeremy Irons makes for an excellent, charismatic Abbe Faria. He lifts the despondent Dante's spirit and elevates his mind while he is imprisoned, teaching him to contemplate the glory of the treasure he may find upon his escape.

[John Stonestreet]

You know, when we get out of here, we're going to be very rich men and you will be living among other rich men.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

So we're going to have to eat

[John Stonestreet]

with very, very wealthy people. For that you have to learn two things. You have to learn patience, because these meals go on forever and ever and ever. And you're going to have to learn table manners. So you put the napkin around your

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

neck and you tuck it into your shirt. The chemistry between Dantes and his fiance Mercedes suffers in comparison to the 2002 film adaptation. But the series makes up for it by asking all the right questions about who was responsible for Dante's fate and who should suffer the consequences. The Count of Monte Cristo exercises incredible fortitude and patience, suffering the friendship of those who had cast him aside so that he might better lead his foes into the traps they have set for themselves with their various misdeeds. Fans of Dumas novel will be disappointed in the show's departure from a Christian conception of Providence. In the book, Monte Cristo sees himself as an avenging angel of God's wrath, but one who also comes to realize the need to forgive others as he himself stands in need of forgiveness. In the show, Monte Cristo explicitly states that he does not believe in Providence in the religious sense, but rather in an impersonal force of destiny that will ensure justice. And if it doesn't, then mankind must force it to do so. You don't believe God can take care of that? No. When he's questioned about how he could consider himself the instrument of such a force, he merely storms off without reply. True to form, there is no grace offered to any of the major perpetrators of injustice. And the finale's vague nod toward the healing power of love is underwhelming. There was a priest, a wise old man. He said to me, if you want planning revenge, dig your own grave first. He was right.

[Myrna Brown]

Love can heal.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

By contrast, the final words that Dumas penned for Monte Cristo reflect his hero's ultimate submission to divine providence. He writes, never forget that until the day comes when God will deign to reveal the future to man. All human wisdom is contained in these words. Wait and hope. I'm Steve Lemkeman.

[Nick Eicher]

Good morning. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio. I'm Nick Iker.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Well, finally today, the enduring music and tumultuous life of Three Dog Night singer Chuck Negron.

[Nick Eicher]

In the late 1960s and early 70s, Three Dog Night was one of the most popular rock and roll groups in the country. It had three lead vocalists, but Negron was was the voice of the majority of its hits.

[Myrna Brown]

Negron passed away last month at the age of 83. World's music critic Arsenio Arteza says by the time of his death, Negron had become as well known for overcoming addiction as he had for his contributions to the soundtrack of a generation.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Chuck Negron had an unhappy childhood. In 1946, when he was just four, his father walked out on him, his mom and his sister, leaving Negron with a feeling of abandonment that haunted him most of his life. A year later, his mother found work as an oil company secretary and Negron and his sister became the original latchkey kids. He skipped a lot of school and fell behind academically. Eventually, his mother placed him full time in a Bronx daycare. He called it a child's hell and prayed to God for help, but no help seemed to come. He wrote that that moment was when he lost his faith. When someone loses faith in something, he often places it in something else. For Negron, that something else was basketball, which he played well enough in high school to receive offers of college scholarships. While playing at a junior college in California, he discovered his second something else.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

I Dream. I dream of an Angel.

[Benjamin Eicher]

I Dream of an angel was one of three songs that Negron, using the name Chuck Rondell, recorded with a combo called the Sorenson brothers in 1963. A year later, he accepted a solo offer from Columbia Records.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

I used to be your best friend now that's all come to an end all fair and love and war. You love her so Whoa, whoa, I love her more.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Columbia intended to groom him to be the next Johnny Mathis, a role Negron rejected. For a while, he vacillated between basketball and music. Then at a Hollywood Hills party in 1965, he met another fledgling singer, Danny Hutton. Two years later, Hutton and Negron joined by a third vocalist. Corey Wells began recording under the name Redwood with none other than the Beach Boys. Brian Wilson producing. Time to Get Alone was one of two songs that Wilson recorded recorded with Redwood, a group he intended to sign to the Beach Boys. Brother Records. The Beach Boys, however, wanted Wilson's Redwood material for themselves. So instead of signing with Brother Records, the Trio signed with ABC's Dunhill Records and became Three Dog Night. The group's first single. Nobody featured Wells on lead vocals and failed to break the Hot 100. Its second single, Try a Little Tenderness cracked the top 30, but it was their third single, which featured Negron's voice, that became a top five hit and the group's first million seller.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

That you'll ever do.

[Benjamin Eicher]

The group's next single also went top five. Negron sang that one, too.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

How can people be so hardly? How can people be so cruel?

[Benjamin Eicher]

The image of Negron as the lead singer of a group that was supposed to have three was beginning to form. Welles would eventually sing lead on eight of the band's hits, One More Than Negotiate. And a number of the hits found Wells, Negron and Hutton sharing leads. But Negron sang lead on five of the band's top tens. And he sang lead on what would become the group's biggest and best known hit of all.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Jeremiah was a bullfrog was a good friend of mine I never understood a single word he said But I helped him. A drinking.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Billboard named Joy to the world, the number one record of 1971. But the no holds barred rock and roll lifestyle was taking a heavy toll on the band in general and Negron in particular. He'd already developed a fondness for cocaine and alcohol, and at the band's early 70s peak, he started using heroin. In typical heroin user fashion, he became a full blown addict. In his autobiography, Three Dog Nightmare, he recounts in excruciating detail the years and the almost unimaginable amounts of money that he wasted, nearly destroying himself. At the peak of my addiction, he wrote, I spent $2,000 a day on heroin and bought other drugs too. He was in and out of over 30 rehab facilities and at one point lived in a shack with a fellow addict with whom he shared need. It took nearly two decades for Negron to get the help he needed. In 2017, he told Mike Huckabee that what made that rehab experience different was a visit from a fellow musician who told him that he had no choice but to pray.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

I went in later that day because I was kicking my drugs and I

[Benjamin Eicher]

got down on my knees and I prayed to die.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Please, just let me die all the time. Give me one minute's peace from this relentless withdrawal and sickness. And I sat on the bed and I woke up.

[John Stonestreet]

Four hours later, I fell asleep.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

When there is no sleep, you do not sleep when your body is screaming

[Benjamin Eicher]

for something to calm it down.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

And when I woke up, I knew that God had done for me what I could not do for myself. And the obsession was gone.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Negron had begun finding the faith that he'd lost as a child decades earlier. In the daycare he spent the next 34 years rebuilding his life, his relationships and his career. F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote that there are no second acts in American lives. Chuck Negron proved that with prayer. Sometimes there are.

[Reporter/Correspondent (various field reporters)]

Cause I've been blind, oh, so blind? I wasted time, wasted, wasted all too much time? Walking on a wire high wire? But I must let the show go?

[John Stonestreet]

I must let the show go? I must let the show go on.

[Benjamin Eicher]

I'm Arsenio Orteza.

[Nick Eicher]

All right, Time now to thank the team who contributed to this week's programs. Mary Reichard, David Bonson, Emma Eicher, Abby Young, Cal Thomas, Hunter Baker, Onise Adua, Mary Jackson, Bethel McGrew, Maria Baer, John Stonestreet, Steve Limken, and Arsenio Ortezza. Thanks also to our breaking news crew, Kent Covington, Steve Klosterman, Travis Kercher, Daniel Devine, and Christina Grube. And thanks to the moonlight maestros serving up the program each weekday. Bright and early, Benj Eicher and Carl Peetz. Harrison Waters is Washington producer. Kristin Flavin is features editor. Lindsay Mast is producer. I'm executive producer Nick Iger.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The book of Luke records Jesus saying to one of the Pharisees, do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven. For she loved much, but he who is forgiven little loves little. Verses 44 through 47 of Luke 7. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord this weekend as you gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ in church. And Lord willing, we'll meet you right back here on Monday. Go now in grace and peace.