WVIZ/PBS Monthly Program Highlights

All programs and times subject to change.

November 2009

In NATURE “Born Wild: The First Days of Life” (Sun 11/1, 8-9pm), you will experience the most important moment in an animal’s life: birth.  It emerges from dark safety to find anxious parents clucking or mewing. The first hours are some of the most dangerous. The strongest emotions animals feel are between parent and child. This film follows the birth and first day, from marmoset to moose, to elephant and gorilla. It is a film of miniature drama and huge spectacle, and comes to some surprising conclusions about ourselves.

MASTERPIECE CONTEMPORARY presents “Place of Execution” (Sun 11/1 and 11/8, 9-1030pm).  In 1963 a 13-year-old girl vanished without a trace. More than 40 years later, questions surrounding her disappearance and the hunt for the killer resurface when high-profile TV journalist Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson, Infamous; Truly, Madly, Deeply) begins to unravel the mystery. Also starring Greg Wise (Cranford). Based on the novel by Val McDermid.

Bill Cosby is this year’s recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.  BILL COSBY: THE MARK TWAIN PRIZE (Weds 11/4, 8-930pm) features a stellar list of performers who honor Cosby.  As a comic writer, actor, live performer and commentator, Cosby has been the gold standard for 40 years. And his special rapport with children has graced everything from PBS children’s shows to Jello commercials.

In JOHN FOGERTY: LIVE BY REQUEST (Sat 11/7, 9-11pm), the Grammy-winning rock legend will perform music requested by the show’s viewers.  LIVE BY REQUEST will fully engage viewers across multiple media platforms for the first time via live interactive video requests, call-in requests and text, email and social network requests.

NATURE “Black Mamba” (Sun 11/8, 8-9pm) examines one of Africa’s most dangerous and feared snakes, known for being very aggressive when disturbed.  Rearing up with its head four feet above the ground, it strikes with deadly precision, delivering venom that is packed with three different kinds of toxins and is ten times more deadly than needed to kill an adult human.

HOW THE BEATLES ROCKED THE KREMLIN (Mon 11/9, 10-11pm) tells the unknown story of how the Beatles inspired a revolution that helped to destroy the Communist system.  Featuring a bizarre collection of Beatles tribute bands, the film tracks down the stories of how the Cold War was won with music as much as with nuclear missiles.

P.O.V. “The Way we Get By” (Weds 11/11, 9-10:30pm) is an intimate look at a group of senior citizens that has made history by greeting approximately 800,000 American troops at a tiny airport in Bangor, Maine.  This inspirational and surprising story shatters the stereotypes of today’s senior citizens as the greeters redefine the meaning of community.

GEARING UP (Sun 11/15, 4-5pm) documents the four-month-long national robotics competition, one in which students must combine quick wits, hard work and strategic thinking in order to succeed. Cameras follow each robotics team from the moment officials announce game details (a highly guarded secret) through a six-week “build” period and finally through the regional competitions.  Along the way, team members and mentors narrate their personal stories, allowing viewers to share in their struggles, growth and progress towards their educational, personal and competition goals.

JIM THORPE: WORLD’S GREATEST ATHLETE (Mon 11/16, 10-11pm) chronicles the sports superstar’s remarkable life (1887-1953) - from his boyhood in Oklahoma and his gold-medal wins at the 1912 Summer Olympics to his subsequent fall from grace and later, his advocacy of American Indian rights and self-sufficiency. The one-hour biography recounts these events, and others, through in-depth interviews with Thorpe’s surviving children, dramatic re-creations, and archival stills and film.

In SECRETS OF SHANGRI-LA (Weds 11/18, 8-9pm), explorers and archaeologists climb into unexplored cave complexes in the high, remote Himalaya.  They find priceless 14th-century wall paintings, ancient human remains and a centuries-old hidden library of sacred texts that may reveal some secrets about Shangri-la.

On Thursday November 19th from 8-10pm, we will air a special night of programming aimed at informing viewers about resources available to assist them during the economic crisis.  FAMILIES STAND TOGETHER: FEELING SECURE IN TOUGH TIMES (8-9pm) features brief documentaries of real-life families and the story of a Muppet family coping with the ups and downs of these uncertain economic times. Hosted by Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, Elmo and his friends, the special offers help, hope, strategies for families, and encourages children to express their feelings and ideas as their families adjust to a new life.  MONEYWISE HOMEOWNER’S EMPOWERMENT SPECIAL follows at 9pm (program description is not available at this time).

AMERICAN MASTERS “Walter Cronkite: Witness to History” (Sat 11/21, 930-11pm) is a rebroadcast of the film chronicling the life of “The Most Trusted Man in America.” Throughout his award-winning career—which began as a field reporter in World War II—Cronkite covered such historic events as the first trip to the moon; the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy; the Watergate scandal; the Vietnam War; the Iran hostage crisis; and John Glenn’s return to space. Through it all, he steadfastly adhered to a credo of fast, accurate and unbiased news reporting.

SEABISCUIT: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (Mon 11/23, 9-10pm) is a film based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand.  Despite his boxy build, stumpy legs, scraggly tail and ungainly gait, Seabiscuit was one of the most remarkable thoroughbred racehorses in history.  His fabulously wealthy owner Charles Howard, his famously silent and stubborn trainer Tom Smith, and the two hard-bitten, gifted jockeys who rode him to glory turned Seabiscuit into a national hero.

As families gather together for the Thanksgiving holiday, we will air parts 1 and 2 of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” as produced by MASTERPIECE CLASSIC (Thurs 11/26, 8-11pm).  Hattie Morahan ("The Golden Compass") plays levelheaded Elinor Dashwood, and Charity Wakefield ("Jane Eyre") is her impulsive sister Marianne. Though poor, they attract a trio of very promising gentlemen: soon-to-be wealthy Edward Ferrars (Dan Stevens, “The Line of Beauty"), heroic Colonel Brandon (David Morrissey, “Meadowlands” and “State of Play") and Byronic John Willoughby (Dominic Cooper, “The History Boys"). This production of “Sense and Sensibility” was adapted by Andrew Davies and directed by John Alexander.

BRAIN FITNESS FRONTIERS (premieres Sat 11/28, 730-9am).  In this program we look once again at the London cab drivers and what happens to their brains once they begin to learn “the Knowledge,” the impact of virtual reality in changing memories and dealing with pain, the ability of the brain to interface with mechanical and electronic instruments in such a way that the brain can control them without any interface by the human body.

ANDRE RIEU LIVE IN DRESDEN: WEDDING AT THE OPERA (premieres Sat 11/28, 430-630pm).  Recorded at the Semper Opera House in 2008, Andre Rieu Live in Dresden is not only a concert, but also a real wedding party, taking place in one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. The charming bride and bridegroom, who are part of the famous “Vienna Debutantes,” are joined by 40 fabulous pairs of dancers from the Elmayer Dance School in Vienna, as well as the sopranos Mirusia Louwerse and Carmen Monarcha.

ED SULLIVAN’S ROCK & ROLL CLASSICS – THE 60’S (premieres Sat 11/28, 8-10pm) presents classic song performances spanning the years 1963-1968.

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE (premieres Sun 11/29, 8-930pm) features rare, one-of-a-kind performances from the induction ceremonies of the Rock Hall of Fame, shot during the last 24 years. The biggest names of rock ‘n’ roll perform in intimate settings, and jam in combinations not seen anywhere else, with exclusive, anything-goes induction speeches by rock royalty, along with behind-the-scenes footage.

WAR OF THE WORLDS LIVE (premieres Mon 11/30, 930-11pm) is a spectacular mix of live music, theatre, multi-media and visual arts on a grand scale.  Recorded at London’s Wembley Stadium using over 23 high definition cameras, Jeff Wayne’s seminal work of progressive/literary rock music was brought to the stage for the first time, playing to sold-out arenas across the United Kingdom.