Smallscreen News

PBS full programming listings for March 21-April 17 2010

By April MacIntyre Mar 19, 2010, 3:19 GMT

The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards-Arrivals held at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on January 23rd. Joan Allen Fame Pictures, Inc - Santa Monica, CA, USA - +1 (310) 395-0500

PBS PRIMETIME PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS WEEK OF MARCH 21-APRIL 17, 2010

On-Air Picks of the Week:

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010

3/21, 8:00-9:00 PM:

NATURE “What Females Want and Males Will Do” (#2510) (R) (OB: 4/13/08) (TV-PG) (HD)

Wildlife experts use cutting-edge technology and risky field study to discover what makes winners and losers in the animal dating game.

3/21, 9:00-11:00 PM:

JERUSALEM: CENTER OF THE WORLD (R) (OB: 4/1/09) (TV-PG) (HD)

Hosted by Ray Suarez, this program explores the history of Jerusalem.

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2010

3/22, 8:00-9:00 PM:

Rpts. 3/25, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Baltimore” (Hour Three) (#1203) (R) (OB: 1/21/08) (TV-G) (HD)

A bench crafted by master woodworker George Nakashima; a unique two-sided painting by B.J.O. Nordfelt; and a 1798 violin, accompanied by a bow.

3/22, 9:00-10:00 PM:

Rpts. 3/19/10, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET

THE LOBOTOMIST: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (#2002) (R) (OB: 1/21/08) (TV-14) (HD)

The lobotomy, which began as an operation of last resort, was soon being performed at some 50 state asylums, often with devastating results. This program tells the gripping tale of medical intervention gone awry.

Producer: WGBH Boston

3/22, 10:00-11:00 PM:

AMERICAN MASTERS “John James Audubon: Dawn From Nature” (#2004) (R) (OB: 7/25/07) (TV-PG) (HD)

The dramatic, contradictory story of the creator of The Birds of America, the monumental collection of 435 life-sized portraits of every bird then known in the United States.

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010

3/23, 8:00-9:00 PM:

NOVA “Cracking the Maya Code” (#3508) (R) (OB: 4/8/08) (TV-PG) (HD)

This is a definitive look back at how a handful of pioneers deciphered the intricate system of hieroglyphs developed by the Maya. 

3/23, 9:00-10:00 PM:

FRONTLINE “Close to Home” (#2803) (R) (OB: 10/27/09) (EXEMPT) (HD)

FRONTLINE chronicles how the middle class is faring in the recession by focusing on the stories of the owner, employees and patrons of a New York City salon.

3/23, 10:00-11:00 PM:

-NEW-

INDEPENDENT LENS “Lost Souls (Animas Perdidas)” (#1117) (TV-PG) (HD-Upconverted)

Explores national identity, the lives of immigrants and what happens after deportees are sent to a homeland they no longer consider home.

In 1999, filmmaker Monika Navarro’s uncles were deported from the United States to Mexico, forced to leave the only country they knew and, as servicemen, had pledged to protect. Set against the backdrop of increased attention to the U.S.-Mexican border, “Lost Souls” explores national identity, the lives of immigrants and what happens after deportees are sent to a homeland they no longer consider home. By Monika Navarro.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2010

3/24, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

GREAT PERFORMANCES “Dance in America: NY Export: Opus Jazz” (#3508) (TV-G) (HD)

A new production of choreographer Jerome Robbins’ 1958 “ballet in sneakers,” NY Export: Opus Jazz, filmed in the five boroughs of New York City.

A “ballet in sneakers” choreographed by the legendary Jerome Robbins in 1958, NY Export: Opus Jazz was a breakout success in its day, complete with a world tour and a broadcast on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Set to an evocative jazz score by Robert Prince with original abstract urban sets designed by Ben Shahn, the five movements blend ballet, jazz and ballroom with Latin, African and American rhythms to create a style that remains expressive, sensual and contemporary. Yet Opus Jazz has been infrequently performed by ballet companies since its debut and never adapted for film. Co-conceived and produced by New York City Ballet principal dancers Ellen Bar and Sean Suozzi, this new film production takes the overlooked Robbins’ masterpiece off the stage and places it into the landscapes that inspired it, filmed on locations all over the five boroughs of New York City.

The 16 emblematic characters are city kids drawn together by their youth, their energy and their hunger for life, but this Opus Jazz takes them out of the 50s and into today; although fashions and skylines change, the experience of being young in New York belongs to every generation. Completing the program is background material on the original Robbins production, as well as interviews with the cast and creators on the process of recreating the work for a new era.

3/24, 9:00 PM-12:00 AM:

-NEW-

GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” (#405) (TV-PG) (HD)

Joseph Calleja stars in the title role, with Anna Netrebko as Antonia and Alan Held as the demonic four villains in Jacques Offenbach’s fictionalized take on the life and loves of the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann.

Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher (Lincoln Center Theater’s South Pacific) directs this new production, returning after the triumph of his Met Barber of Seville. Jacques Offenbach’s fictionalized take on the life and loves of the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann is a fascinating psychological journey. Met music director James Levine conducts Joseph Calleja in the tour-de-force title role. Anna Netrebko is the tragic Antonia and Alan Held sings the demonic four villains.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010

3/25, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR (#825) (TV-G) (HD)

THIS OLD HOUSE: Roxbury Project, Part 9 of 10 • ASK THIS OLD HOUSE: Repairing newel posts; cutting rigid pipes

With just one week left in Roxbury, tile contractor Angelo McRae shows Kevin how to install meshed white subway tiles with a rail cap for the kitchen backsplash. Kevin visits the Washington, DC, project house to meet the family that moved in and see how the last venture in non-profit development turned out. Then, general contractor Tom Silva lends a hand to lead carpenter Colin Paterson, who is customizing and installing the stair treads and newel post for the new stairs.

In the second half of the hour, Tom Silva helps a homeowner repair a wobbly newel post at the bottom of a staircase. Then, up in the loft, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin several methods for cutting rigid pipes and flexible tubing. Next, landscape contractor Roger Cook visits an expert to learn how to reproduce plants from cuttings and by grafting.

3/25, 9:00-10:00 PM:

Rpt. of 3/22, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Baltimore” (Hour Three) (#1203) (R) (OB: 1/21/08) (TV-G) (HD) 

A bench crafted by master woodworker George Nakashima; a unique two-sided painting by B.J.O. Nordfelt; and a 1798 violin, accompanied by a bow.

3/25, 10:00-11:30 PM:

THE POWDER AND THE GLORY (R) (OB: 3/23/09) (TV-G) (HD-Upconverted)

In a legendary 50-year rivalry, Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein changed the cosmetics industry. Jane Alexander narrates.

FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2010

3/26, 8:00-8:30 PM:

-NEW-

WASHINGTON WEEK WITH GWEN IFILL AND NATIONAL JOURNAL (#4938) (EXEMPT)

WASHINGTON WEEK, PBS’ longest-running public affairs series, features Washington’s top journalists analyzing the week’s top news stories and their effect on the lives of all Americans. Gwen Ifill hosts.

3/26, 8:30-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

NOW ON PBS (#613) (EXEMPT)

PBS’ Emmy Award-winning weekly newsmagazine NOW ON PBS, hosted by David Brancaccio, engages viewers by probing the most important issues facing democracy.

3/26, 9:00-10:00 PM:

-NEW-

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL (#1348) (EXEMPT)

Veteran journalist Bill Moyers hosts this weekly public affairs series.

3/26, 10:00-11:00 PM:

TIME TEAM AMERICA “Range Creek, Utah” (#103) (R) (OB: 7/29/09) (TV-G) (HD)

The team heads to the picturesque canyons of Utah to determine what went wrong for the Fremont people.

SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010

3/27, 9:00-10:00 PM:

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Ben Harper and Relentless7” (#3502) (R) (OB: 10/10/09) (TV-PG) (HD)

Ben Harper debuts his new band, Relentless7.

WEEK OF MARCH 28-APRIL 3, 2010

In this week’s highlights:

On-Air Picks of the Week:

On Sunday, British soldier-hero Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) comes out of retirement in MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “Sharpe’s Challenge.” FRONTLINE, which arrived in Haiti within days of the earthquake, bears witness to the disaster in “The Quake” on Tuesday. On Wednesday, TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS delves into one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest speeches, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” delivered exactly one year before the date of his assassination.

New and Encore Programs This Week on the PBS Video Portal:

The four-part series FACES OF AMERICA with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. is now available in its entirety on the PBS Video Portal.

SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2010

3/28, 8:00-9:00 PM:

NATURE “Clever Monkeys” (#2602) (R) (OB: 11/9/08) (TV-PG) (HD)

Who are the cleverest monkeys? And how much of human experience do they really share?

3/28, 9:00-11:00 PM:

-NEW-

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “Sharpe’s Challenge” (#4007) (TV-PG) (HD)

British soldier-hero Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) comes out of retirement to quash a rebellion in British India and rescue his old friend Patrick Harper. Laura Linney hosts.

In 1817, soldier-adventurer Richard Sharpe comes out of retirement to quash a rebellion in British India and rescue his old friend Patrick Harper. Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings) returns as the swashbuckling hero of this long-running series, based on the best-selling novels of Bernard Cornwell, with Daragh O’Malley as Harper. The duo’s exploits put them at the center of a blood-thirsty insurgency, led by a psychopathic former English officer. “Top Chef” Padma Lakshmi guest stars as Madhuvanthi, a beautiful schemer who is out to seduce Sharpe. Laura Linney hosts.

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

3/29, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Denver” (Hour Three) (#1410) (R) (TV-G) (HD)

A poster of the famous Wright Flyer airplane; a first edition copy of William Faulkner’s Sartoris; and an heirloom collection of jewelry that includes a diamond ring crafted by “Jeweler to the Stars” Paul Flato.

Host Mark L. Walberg meets appraiser Kathleen Bailey at Denver’s Kirkland Art Museum to view its collection of wild-looking Art Deco glassware known as Ruba Rombic. Highlights include a poster of the famous Wright Flyer airplane, made by the owner’s great-grandfather, marking the Wright Brothers’ triumphant return to Dayton, Ohio, in 1909; a first edition copy of William Faulkner’s Sartoris, inscribed to the owner’s father, one of Faulkner’s cousins; and an heirloom collection of jewelry that includes a fabulous diamond ring, crafted by “Jeweler to the Stars” Paul Flato, and valued at $215,000 to $270,000.

3/29, 9:00-11:00 PM:

VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (#2002) (R) (OB: 5/2/05) (TV-PG, V) (HD-Upconverted)

This two-hour documentary examines the final year of World War II in the Pacific.

TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010

3/30, 8:00-9:00 PM:

NOVA “Rat Attack” (#3707) (R) (OB: 2/24/09) (TV-PG) (HD)

The half-century bloom of a bamboo species leads to an explosion in the rat population in the Indian state of Mizoram.

3/30, 9:00-10:00 PM:

-NEW-

FRONTLINE “The Quake” (#2814) (EXEMPT) (HD)

Following one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history, FRONTLINE  bears witness to the disaster in Haiti and the ill-coordinated relief efforts.

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was leveled by one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history. Those responsible for handling the catastrophe, including the Haitian state and the United Nations, were crippled by the magnitude of the disaster and struggled to respond. In the confused aftermath, survivors were left without food, water or shelter.

FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith and his team arrived in Port-au-Prince within days, and in this powerful report, bear witness to the disaster and the ill-coordinated relief efforts in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Drawing on interviews with key officials and humanitarian experts from Port-au-Prince to New York, “The Quake” asks, can the world do better? And how?

3/30, 10:00-11:00 PM:

-NEW-

INDEPENDENT LENS “Whatever It Takes” (#1118) (TV-PG) (HD)

The struggles and triumphs of the first year of an innovative public high school in New York City’s South Bronx.

This film chronicles the struggles and triumphs of the first year of the Bronx Center for Science & Mathematics, an innovative public high school in New York City’s South Bronx. This deeply emotional, character-driven documentary focuses on the school’s dynamic rookie principal and a spunky ninth-grade girl with big dreams but even bigger obstacles.

The personal stories of the school’s students and staff call to mind larger themes of school reform and the need for educators, parents and policy makers to prioritize the transformation of the public school system so that all children can receive a quality education. Grittily realistic, yet ultimately triumphant, “Whatever It Takes” paints a compelling picture of cutting-edge ideas and dedicated individuals, united in their vision to restore hope to a broken community. By Christopher Wong.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010

3/31, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS “MLK: A Call to Conscience” (#102) (TV-G) (HD)

The second of Tavis Smiley special reports delves into one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest speeches, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” which Dr. King delivered on April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City. The speech, delivered exactly one year before the date of his assassination, is considered pivotal but often under-appreciated. King challenged the morality of the Vietnam conflict and urged a national discussion about the role of America in the world. Smiley examines the context of Dr. King’s words on liberty, responsibility and freedom against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights and an increasingly unpopular war, and examines the implications of his words today, particularly in light of President Obama’s decision to increase U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

3/31, 9:00-10:00 PM:

-NEW-

AMERICAN MASTERS “I.M. Pei: Building China Modern” (#2301) (R) (TV-G) (HD-Upconverted)

Film follows noted architect I.M. Pei he designs a modern museum to house the antiquities of Suzhou in his native China.

Noted architect I.M. Pei, who left his native China in the 1930s, was invited to design a modern museum to house the antiquities of Suzhou, where he grew up. This film follows his seven-and-a-half-year personal and architectural journey from west to east, a literal coming home — a realization of Pei’s lifelong dream, but also his biggest challenge and a work that he defines as “my biography.” The program includes commentary from local residents, design specialists, Suzhou officials and a stellar array of architects, designers and scholars commenting on Pei’s life and work.

3/31, 10:00-11:30 PM:

-NEW-

THE STREET STOPS HERE (TV-G) (HD)

Portrait of high school basketball coach Bob Hurley Sr. and his lifelong commitment to improve the lives of inner city kids and save the high school that gives them hope.

THE STREET STOPS HERE is a portrait of the nation’s best high school basketball coach, Bob Hurley Sr., and his career-long struggle to inspire and motivate those around him in order to keep the doors of an inner-city Catholic school open. This is a story about teenagers fighting their way out of the ’hood, armed with little more than a basketball and the hard wisdom of a fierce, demanding coach. For 35 years, Hurley has led St. Anthony his way. He’s an uncompromising teacher who demands perfection from kids who’ve known little discipline growing up on the streets of Jersey City. His methodical yet volatile style works miracles. He’s tallied 900-plus victories for a school that’s won 24 state championships. Hurley’s sent to college all but two of the hundreds of players he’s coached, a feat that truly shows what matters most to him.

This season, Hurley faces challenges that will test his resolve. The most talented senior class he’s ever assembled, with six seniors headed to Division One schools, is about to graduate without having won a state championship — something that’s never happened to one of his teams.

Even worse, a financial crisis threatens to close the high school to which he’s dedicated his life. Intimate and inspiring, THE STREET STOPS HERE is the story of a man’s lifelong commitment to improve the lives of inner city kids and save the high school that gives them hope.

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2010

4/1, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR (#826) (TV-G) (HD)

4/1, 9:00-11:00 PM:

EYES ON THE PRIZE: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (#1901) (R) (OB: 1/21/87) (TV-PG, L, V) (HD-Upconverted)

The groundbreaking documentary series examining America’s civil rights years returns to public television as part of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. Covering the period from the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi, and the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott through school desegregation, the march from Selma to Montgomery and the Voting Rights Act, “Eyes on the Prize” is considered the definitive history of this formative time in the nation’s life. Narrated by Julian Bond, the acclaimed six-hour production includes interviews with key figures of the movement, stirring music from Bernice Johnson Reagon (founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock) and rare archival footage of the struggle to make America be America for all her people.

“Awakenings 1954-1956”/“Fighting Back 1957-1962”

      “Awakenings 1954-1956”

      Individual acts of courage inspire black Southerners to fight for their rights. 

“Fighting Back 1957-1962”

States’ rights loyalists and federal authorities collide in the battle to integrate schools.

FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2010

4/2, 8:00-8:30 PM:

-NEW-

WASHINGTON WEEK WITH GWEN IFILL AND NATIONAL JOURNAL (#4939) (EXEMPT)

WASHINGTON WEEK, PBS’ longest-running public affairs series, features Washington’s top journalists analyzing the week’s top news stories and their effect on the lives of all Americans. Gwen Ifill hosts

4/2, 8:30-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

NOW ON PBS (#614) (EXEMPT)

PBS’ Emmy Award-winning weekly newsmagazine NOW ON PBS, hosted by David Brancaccio, engages viewers by probing the most important issues facing democracy.

4/2, 9:00-10:00 PM:

-NEW-

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL (#1349) (EXEMPT)

Veteran journalist Bill Moyers hosts this weekly public affairs series.

4/2, 10:00-11:00 PM:

TIME TEAM AMERICA “Fort James, South Dakota” (#105) (R) (OB: 8/5/09) (TV-G) (HD)

Search for a stone fortress built by the U.S. Cavalry to protect frontier settlers in the Wild West.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2010

4/3, 9:00-10:00 PM:

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Wilco” (#3305) (R) (OB: 11/3/07) (TV-PG) (HD)

The ever-evolving Wilco returns to AUSTIN CITY LIMITS.

WEEK OF APRIL 4-10, 2010

On-Air Picks of the Week:

PBS dedicates Wednesday night to exploring the worlds fourth-largest religion, Buddhism. Award-winning producer David Grubin presents an all-new two-hour documentary, THE BUDDHA, on Wednesday. Narrated by Richard Gere, the program includes interviews with the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist scholars. Also on Wednesday is INDEPENDENT LENS “Unmistaken Child” which follows a Tibetan disciple in search of the reincarnation of his late master. On Sunday, NATURE takes a look at “how animals work” in the first episode of a two-part miniseries, “Moment of Impact: Hunters & Herds.”

New and Encore Programs This Week on the PBS Video Portal:

The PBS Video Portal’s SXSW page is now live! Find it at http://video.pbs.org/sxsw/.
Over the next two weeks more content will be added to the site, including more AUSTIN CITY LIMITS episodes, episodes/trailers for INDEPENDENT LENS and POV, and interviews with musicians, filmmakers and interactive innovators who are attending SXSW. On Sunday, April 13, join the live concert on http://video.pbs.org/live, featuring The Band of Skulls & Nicole Atkins from the AUSTIN CITY LIMITS studios at KLRU, starting at 10:30 p.m. ET.

SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2010

4/4, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

NATURE “Moment of Impact: Hunters & Herds” (#2709) (TV-PG) (HD)

Focuses on savannahs and grasslands, where the planet’s largest concentrations of herd animals come up against some of nature’s most successful hunters.

This episode focuses on savannahs and grasslands, where the planet’s largest concentrations of herd animals come up against some of nature’s most successful hunters. In Africa’s Serengeti, wildebeest, built like marathon runners, are under constant attack from lions, born sprinters.

Both are speedy. But as long as the wildebeest maintain a 50-yard safety zone when lions are near, their risk of becoming lunch is greatly reduced. In California’s grasslands, ground squirrels face a regular battle with rattlesnakes that hunt using heat-detecting organs located on the sides of their heads.

The squirrels have developed a surprising defensive strategy of deception. When faced with a venomous viper, instead of running away, the squirrel stays put and flicks its tail to increase its heat profile, fooling the snake into believing it’s larger than it actually is. Other animals explored in this episode are the giraffe, with its miraculously long neck, and the elephant and its multifunctional trunk.

4/4, 9:00-11:00 PM:

-NEW-

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “Sharpe’s Peril” (#4008) (TV-PG) (HD)

The thrilling adventures of Colonel Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) continue as he leads a ragtag party on a march across India, with the murderous army of an opium lord in hot pursuit. Laura Linney hosts.

The thrilling adventures of Colonel Richard Sharpe continue as he leads a ragtag party of civilians and soldiers on a march across India, with the murderous army of an opium lord in hot pursuit. Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) stars as Sharpe, with Daragh O’Malley as his comrade-in-arms, Sergeant Major Patrick Harper, in this latest installment of the series based on Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling novels. Laura Linney hosts.

MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2010

4/5, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Denver” (Hour Two) (#1411) (TV-G) (HD)

A Dodger’s game-used jersey, worn by pitcher Don Drysdale; an heirloom 17th-century Massachusetts armchair; and an heirloom 1817 needlework family portrait. Mark L. Walberg hosts.

In Denver, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW host Mark L. Walberg and appraiser Peter Shemonsky visit the unclaimed property office of the Colorado State Treasurer and discover some orphaned gems. Program highlights include a Dodger’s game-used jersey, worn by pitching ace Don Drysdale in 1966; an heirloom 17th-century Massachusetts armchair; and an heirloom 1817 schoolgirl needlework family portrait, valued at $50,000 to $70,000 

4/5, 9:00-11:00 PM:

THE MORMONS (#101) (R) (OB: 4/30/07) (TV-PG) (HD-Upconverted)

This film explores the story of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through interviews with leaders and members of the church, with leading writers and historians and with supporters and critics of the Mormon faith.

TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2010

4/6, 8:00-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

NOVA “Hunting the Edge of Space: The Mystery of the Milky Way” (#3708) (TV-G) (HD)

Three centuries of engineering have produced telescopes far beyond Galileo’s simple spyglass; these telescopes are revealing the solar system in detail Galileo could only dream of.

Three centuries of engineering have produced telescopes far beyond Galileo’s simple spyglass. Perched on mountaintops, orbiting the Earth, and even circling other planets, these telescopes are revealing the solar system in detail Galileo could only dream of. This episode brings viewers up close with today’s most powerful telescopes and embarks on a stunning journey to the planets and moons now being imaged as never before.

4/6, 9:00-11:00 PM:

THE MORMONS (#102) (R) (OB: 4/30/07) (TV-PG,) (HD-Upconverted)

This film explores the story of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through interviews with leaders and members of the church, with leading writers and historians and with supporters and critics of the Mormon faith.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010

4/7, 8:00-10:00 PM:

-NEW-

THE BUDDHA (TV-G) (HD)

The story of the life of the Buddha, an Indian sage who gained enlightenment as he sat under a fig tree. Richard Gere narrates.

Two and a half millennia ago, a new religion was born in northern India, generated from the ideas of a single man, the Buddha, a mysterious Indian sage who famously gained enlightenment while he sat under a large, shapely fig tree. The Buddha never claimed to be God or his emissary on earth. He said only that he was a human being who, in a world of unavoidable pain and suffering, had found a kind of serenity that others could find, too. This documentary by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin tells the story of his life, a journey especially relevant in our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. Richard Gere narrates.

4/7, 10:00-11:30 PM:

-NEW-

INDEPENDENT LENS “Unmistaken Child” (#1119) (TV-PG) (HD-Upconverted)

A Tibetan disciple’s search for the reincarnation of his late master.

When Lama Konchog, considered the greatest Tibetan mediator of the 20th century, died in 2001, his disciple Tenzin Zopa was unexpectedly appointed to lead the search for the reincarnation of his late master. The ensuing quest transformed Tenzin from a modest servant into a passionate spiritual leader, only to become a disciple again once the child was found.

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010

4/8, 8:00-9:00 PM:

THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR (#801) (R) (OB: 10/8/09) (TV-G) (HD)

THIS OLD HOUSE: Newton Centre Project, Part 1 of 16 • ASK THIS OLD HOUSE: Building campfire pit; installing range hood and microwave oven

4/8, 9:00-11:00 PM:

EYES ON THE PRIZE: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Ain’t Scared of Your Jails 1960-1961/ No Easy Walk 1961-1963” (#1902) (R) (OB: 2/4-2/11/87) (TV-PG, L, V) (HD-Upconverted)

The groundbreaking documentary series examining America’s civil rights years returns to public television as part of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. Covering the period from the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi, and the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott through school desegregation, the march from Selma to Montgomery and the Voting Rights Act, “Eyes on the Prize” is considered the definitive history of this formative time in the nation’s life. Narrated by Julian Bond.

“Ain’t Scared of Your Jails 1960-1961”

Black college students take a leadership role in the civil rights movement. 

“No Easy Walk 1961-1963”

The civil rights movement discovers the power of mass demonstrations.

FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2010

4/9, 8:00-8:30 PM:

-NEW-

WASHINGTON WEEK WITH GWEN IFILL AND NATIONAL JOURNAL (#4940) (EXEMPT)

WASHINGTON WEEK, PBS’ longest-running public affairs series, features Washington’s top journalists analyzing the week’s top news stories and their effect on the lives of all Americans. Gwen Ifill hosts.

Producer: WETA Washington, DC

4/9, 8:30-9:00 PM:

-NEW-

NOW ON PBS (#615) (EXEMPT)

PBS’ Emmy Award-winning weekly newsmagazine NOW ON PBS, hosted by David Brancaccio, engages viewers by probing the most important issues facing democracy.

4/9, 9:00-10:00 PM:

-NEW-

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL (#1350) (EXEMPT)

Veteran journalist Bill Moyers hosts this weekly public affairs series.

4/9, 10:00-11:00 PM:

400 YEARS OF THE TELESCOPE (R) (OB: 4/10/09) (TV-G) (HD)

This visually stunning program chronicles a sweeping journey, from 1609, when Galileo revealed mankind’s place in the galaxy, to today’s thrilling quests to discover new worlds in the universe. Narrated by NOVA’s Neil deGrasse Tyson.

SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2010

4/10, 9:00-10:00 PM:

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Kings of Leon/Roky Erickson” (#3312) (R) (OB: 1/12/08) (TV-PG) (HD)

Nashville band of brothers Kings of Leon rocks the ACL studio. Psychedelic innovator Roky Erickson demonstrates why he’s a Texas rock ‘n’ roll legend 

Producer: KLRU Austin

WEEK OF APRIL 11-17, 2010

Announced today: Alison Stewart and Jon Meacham to Co-Anchor New Series NEED TO KNOW ON PBS. For your convenience, the release is attached and also available on PBS.org.

On-Air Picks of the Week:

In observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sunday, April 11, 2010, PBS presents new programming throughout the week. On Sunday, PBS and MASTERPIECE CLASSIC premiere a new adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

On Monday, April 12, PBS introduces AMONG THE RIGHTEOUS, the story of Muslims who protected Jews during the Holocaust. The following day, Tuesday, April 13, INDEPENDENT LENS “Blessed Is the Match” explores the life of Hannah Senesh, a Jew who left the safety of Palestine in WWII to rescue Jews in her native Hungary. WORSE THAN WAR looks at the dynamics of state-sponsored genocide, from the Holocaust to Rwanda to Darfur, on Wednesday, April 14.

New and Encore Programs This Week on the PBS Video Portal:

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “The Diary of Anne Frank” will premiere on the PBS Video Portal Monday, April 12, 2010, the day after broadcast.

SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2010

4/11, 8:00-9:00 PM:

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NATURE “Moment of Impact: Jungle” (#2710) (TV-PG) (HD)

Looks at the incredible bio-engineering of jungle residents, both on the ground and in the forest canopy.

This episode looks at the incredible bio-engineering of jungle residents, both on the ground and in the forest canopy. Leaf-cutter ants are capable of carrying materials 10 times their weight. Equally impressive, the jaws of trap-jaw ants can produce a bite force 300 times their own body weight — stronger than that of a shark’s. Cuban crocodiles have the unlikely ability to leap up to six feet straight out of the water to catch their prey, while basilisk lizards walk on water, thanks to their wide-webbed feet and unique gaits. No wonder the basilisk is called the “Jesus lizard.” Among many other animal talents explored, “Jungle” also looks at a how ospreys dive for fish and how a bat “swims” through the air.

4/11, 9:00-11:00 PM:

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MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “The Diary of Anne Frank” (#4009) (TV-PG) (HD)

The most accurate-ever adaptation of Anne Frank’s moving account of life hiding from the Nazis stars newcomer Ellie Kendrick (An Education) as a maturing teenager who undergoes an extraordinary ordeal. Laura Linney hosts.

The most accurate-ever adaptation of Anne Frank’s moving account of life hiding from the Nazis stars newcomer Ellie Kendrick (An Education) as a maturing teenager who undergoes an extraordinary ordeal. Iain Glen (“Into the Storm”) stars as Anne’s steadfast father, Tamsin Greig (“Emma”) as her reticent mother and Felicity Jones (“Northanger Abbey”) as her studious older sister. Together with four others, they hide for two years in the back rooms of an Amsterdam business, while Anne records their tense daily life in one of history’s most remarkable memoirs. “The Diary of Anne Frank” airs on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2010. Laura Linney hosts.

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010

4/12, 8:00-9:00 PM:

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ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Denver” (Hour Three) (#1412) (TV-G) (HD)

Two circa 1958 prototype chairs designed by the guest’s father; a salesman’s sample canoe; and a 1941 Martin guitar, played by the guest’s great-uncle. Mark L. Walberg hosts.

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW host Mark L. Walberg and appraiser Suzanne Perrault visit a unique memorial to renowned potter Artus Van Briggle: a building on the Colorado College campus decorated inside and out with Van Briggle tiles. Program highlights include two circa 1958 prototype chairs designed by the guest’s father when he worked for noted modernist George Nelson; a turn-of-the-century salesman’s sample canoe; and a 1941 Martin guitar, played live on the radio by the guest’s great-uncle, “Cowboy Slim,” and valued at $65,000 to $75,000. Mark L. Walberg hosts.

4/12, 9:00-10:00 PM:

THE POLIO CRUSADE: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (#2102) (R) (OB: 2/2/09) (TV-PG) (HD-Upconverted)

The story of the largest public health experiment in American history — the effort to eradicate polio, one of the 20th-century’s most dreaded diseases.

4/12, 10:00-11:00 PM:

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AMONG THE RIGHTEOUS: LOST STORIES FROM THE HOLOCAUST IN ARAB LANDS (TV-PG) (HD)

Did any Arabs save Jews during the Holocaust? Robert Satloff, head of a Washington policy center, sets off on an eight-year journey to find out.

Did any Arabs save Jews during the Holocaust? Seeking a response to the plague of Holocaust denial in the Arab world, Robert Satloff, head of a respected Washington policy center, sets off in the wake of 9/11 on what would become an eight-year journey to find an Arab hero whose story would change the way Arabs view Jews, themselves and their own history. Along the way, Satloff found not only the Arab heroes whom he sought, but a vast, lost history of what happened to the half-million Jews of the Arab lands of North Africa under Nazi, Vichy and Fascist rule.

TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010

4/13, 8:00-9:00 PM:

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NOVA “Hunting the Edge of Space: The Ever Expanding Universe” (#3709) (TV-G) (HD)

From the discovery that the Milky Way is just one galaxy among billions to the stunning revelation that these galaxies are speeding away from each other faster every second, this episode investigates the universe’s distant past — and its future. Now, modern telescopes have added a mysterious new twist to the plot: The vast majority of the stuff of the universe is invisible, tied up in dark matter and dark energy. But what are these mysterious dark forces? A new generation of telescopes is embarking on a mission impossible to see the unseeable and answer one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the cosmos.

4/13, 9:00-10:00 PM:

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FRONTLINE “Obama’s Deal” (#2815) (EXEMPT) (HD)

Healthcare reform was the first big policy deal taken on by the Obama administration. Many say the president has bet the mid-term elections, possibly his presidency, on the outcome. In a new investigation, FRONTLINE goes behind closed doors at the White House, in Congress and the boardrooms of the giant healthcare lobby to examine the political battles and costly compromises that defined Barack Obama’s endeavor.

From early positive efforts, through the bitter battles with the Tea Party, the elation of apparent success at Christmas, to the crushing failure in the Massachusetts senatorial election, FRONTLINE follows the story and reveals the first in-depth look at how the Obama administration operates. In “Obama’s Deal,” FRONTLINE veteran producer Michael Kirk (“Bush’s War,” “Dreams of Obama,” “Inside the Meltdown,” “The Warning”) provides a sobering exposé of the realities of American politics, the power of special interest groups and the role of money in policy-making.

4/13, 10:00-11:00 PM:

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INDEPENDENT LENS “Blessed Is the Match” (#1120) (TV-PG) (HD)

Narrated by Joan Allen, this is the first documentary feature about Hannah Senesh, the World War II-era poet and diarist who became a paratrooper, resistance fighter and modern-day Joan of Arc. Safe in Palestine in 1944, Senesh joined a mission to rescue Jews in her native Hungary. It was the only military rescue mission for Jews during the Holocaust. Senesh parachuted behind enemy lines, was captured, tortured and ultimately executed by the Nazis. Her mother, Catherine, witnessed the entire ordeal — first as a prisoner with Hannah and later as her advocate, braving the bombed-out streets of Budapest in a desperate attempt to save her daughter. By Roberta Grossman.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010

4/14, 8:00-9:00 PM:

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WHEN FAMILIES GRIEVE (TV-G) (HD)

Katie Couric and the Sesame Street Muppets present families’ personal stories about coping with the death of a parent and strategies that have helped these families move forward.

4/14, 9:00-11:00 PM:

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WORSE THAN WAR (TV-MA, V) (HD)

Based on Daniel Goldhagen’s book of the same title, this is an exploration of the nature of genocide, ethnic cleansing and large-scale mass murder in our time. Goldhagen speaks with victims, perpetrators, witnesses, religious leaders, politicians, diplomats, historians, humanitarian aid workers and journalists.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010

4/15, 9:00-11:00 PM:

THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR (#802) (R) (OB: 10/15/09) (TV-G) (HD)

THIS OLD HOUSE: Newton Centre Project, Part 2 of 16 • ASK THIS OLD HOUSE: Installing home intercom system; energy-efficient fireplace

4/15, 9:00-11:00 PM:

EYES ON THE PRIZE: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Mississippi: Is This America? 1963-1964/Bridge to Freedom 1965” (#1903) (R) (OB: 2/18-25/87) (TV-PG, L, V) (HD-Upconverted)

The groundbreaking documentary series examining America’s civil rights years returns to public television as part of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. Covering the period from the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi, and the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott through school desegregation, the march from Selma to Montgomery and the Voting Rights Act, “Eyes on the Prize” is considered the definitive history of this formative time in the nation’s life. Narrated by Julian Bond. 

“Mississippi: Is This America? 1963-1964”

Mississippi’s grass-roots civil rights movement becomes an American concern.

“Bridge to Freedom 1965”

A decade of lessons is applied in the climactic and bloody march from Selma to Montgomery,   Alabama.

FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010

4/16, 8:00-8:30 PM:

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WASHINGTON WEEK WITH GWEN IFILL AND NATIONAL JOURNAL (#4941) (EXEMPT)

WASHINGTON WEEK, PBS’ longest-running public affairs series, features Washington’s top journalists analyzing the week’s top news stories and their effect on the lives of all Americans. Gwen Ifill hosts.

4/16, 8:30-9:00 PM:

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NOW ON PBS (#616) (EXEMPT)

PBS’ Emmy Award-winning weekly newsmagazine NOW ON PBS, hosted by David Brancaccio, engages viewers by probing the most important issues facing democracy.

4/16, 9:00-10:00 PM:

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BILL MOYERS JOURNAL (#1351) (EXEMPT)

Veteran journalist Bill Moyers hosts this weekly public affairs series.

4/16, 10:00-11:00 PM:

HOUSE OF LIFE: THE OLD JEWISH CEMETERY IN PRAGUE (R) (OB: 4/6/09) (TV-PG) (HD-Upconverted)

Interviews with curators, historians, rabbis, guides and conservationists devoted to the preservation of Prague’s Old Jewish Cemetery. 

Producer: The Music Project for Television, Inc.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010

4/17, 9:00-10:00 PM:

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “My Morning Jacket” (#3405) (R) (OB: 10/6/07) (TV-PG) (HD)

Kentucky’s indie rock heroes My Morning Jacket return to the ACL stage.