PBS Fall Programming

Season Launches with The Roosevelts September 14

By: PBS - May 08, 2014

Launching the fall season on PBS.

 

PBS announces an expansive fall primetime lineup that launches with the premiere of Ken Burns’s seven-part series THE ROOSEVELTS: AN INTIMATE HISTORY, introduces HOW WE GOT TO NOW, a new “Think Wednesday” series hosted by the popular American science author and media theorist Steven Johnson, and presents the compelling new documentary THE PILGRIMS from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. Fall also marks the second seasons of the popular series FINDING YOUR ROOTS with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and MAKERS, as well as expanded entries from the PBS Arts Fall Festival, which features new specials, including LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER’s “Sweeney Todd” starring Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel, and “The Nance” starring Nathan Lane.

THE ROOSEVELTS kicks off PBS’ fall season Sunday, September 14, with an epic seven-night premiere. The 14-hour documentary airs nightly at 8 p.m. through Saturday, September 20 with a repeat at 10 p.m., and for the first time on television weaves the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics. (See an embeddable clip here).

“The PBS fall schedule is remarkable for its variety and quality – from an epic, binge-worthy serving of Ken Burns’s new documentary THE ROOSEVELTS – to a star-studded lineup of drama and performance. We’re incredibly proud of the strength of our line-up and our commitment to bring viewers the best content available in history, science, drama, documentary, the arts and performance and much more,” said Beth Hoppe, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming.

Sunday nights feature the best of British drama and intriguing documentaries on historical icons, and this fall season is no exception. Star-studded dramas come to MASTERPIECE, including “Death Comes to Pemberley,” an adaptation of P.D. James’ witty and inventive continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, starring Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) and Anna Maxwell Martin (“Bleak House”) on October 26 and November 2. Bill Nighy (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) reprises his role as MI5 spy Johnny Worricker — first seen in 2011’s acclaimed “Page Eight” — in two new “Worricker” stories: “Turks & Caicos” and “Salting the Battlefield” on November 9 and 16, respectively. Joining Nighy are top-tier costars Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes.

On Mondays, audience favorite ANTIQUES ROADSHOW premieres six new episodes for the fall season, beginning September 22, traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee, and Jacksonville, Florida, to uncover valuable treasures such as Muhammad Ali’s training shoes and Robert E. Lee’s Richmond map. POV explores the art of politics in “Koch” on September 22, recalling the life and times of New York City’s former mayor Ed Koch that is as boisterous and unconventional as the man himself. INDEPENDENT LENS returns with a roster of new documentaries, among them “Twin Sisters,” the fascinating story of Chinese foundling twins who are adopted by two sets of parents and grow up halfway across the world from each other — one in California and the other in Norway. When the girls are finally reunited eight years later, they not only look and act alike, but are connected by an unmistakable and inextricable bond.

Tuesday nights are devoted to exploring the personal histories and ancestries of pioneers who helped shape modern society, including the return of FINDING YOUR ROOTS with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on September 23, in which the Harvard scholar and cultural critic helps famous people identify relatives hidden for generations. This second season features 30 guests, including actor/director Ben Affleck, journalist Anderson Cooper, tennis great Billie Jean King, author Stephen King and rapper Nas. As Thanksgiving nears, filmmaker Ric Burns’ THE PILGRIMS: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, premiering November 25, explores the converging forces, circumstances, personalities and events that propelled a group of English men and women across the Atlantic in 1620. Six new documentaries from MAKERS begin September 30 and feature groundbreaking American women in different spheres of influence, including war, comedy, space, business, Hollywood and politics. AMERICAN MASTERS spotlights notable Baby Boomers September 23 with THE BOOMER LIST, from acclaimed filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and BING CROSBY, a profile of the most popular and influential multi-media star of the first half of the 20^th century from Emmy-winning director Robert Trachtenberg, on December 26.

“Think Wednesday,” PBS’ primetime lineup of television’s best nature, science and technology programming, returns with new episodes of acclaimed series NATURE and NOVA in the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. hours respectively, and new specials debuting at 10 p.m. NOVA debuts “Acid Ocean” (w.t.) October 1 and NATURE premieres “Animal Misfits” October 22. Premiering October 15 is the new six-episode series HOW WE GOT TO NOW WITH STEVEN JOHNSON, which tells the stories behind remarkable ideas that made modern life possible. (See an embeddable clip here). Also joining the “Think Wednesday” lineup is LIFE ON THE REEF, a fresh view of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, beginning September 24.

The arts remain a cornerstone of PBS primetime on Fridays. The PBS Arts Fall Festival, entering its fourth season, has become a Friday night tradition that will now expand to an 11-week footprint in the PBS Fall schedule. Included this year is the start of LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER’s40^th anniversary season with “‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ In Concert With the New York Philharmonic,” starring Emma Thompson as Stephen Sondheim’s conniving piemaker and Bryn Terfel as the barber, on September 26; AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS, a celebration of the seminal music series with special performances from some of the biggest stars in the show’s 40-year history, on October 3; THE GERSHWINS’® PORGY AND BESS ^SM FROM SAN FRANCISCO OPERA (by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin) starring bass-baritone Eric Owens as Porgy and soprano Laquita Mitchell as Besson October 17; MICHAEL FEINSTEIN AT THE RAINBOW ROOM, celebrating the reopening of the historic restaurant and nightclub known for hosting the elite and influential, on October 31; THE HITMAKERS (w.t.), an up-close look at the music industry’s resilience in the digital age, on November 14; an encore presentation of GREAT PERFORMANCES “Cats” on November 21; and much more, including LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER’s “The Nance,” a heartbreaking drama starring Nathan Lane (produced by Lincoln Center Theater) as a gay burlesque performer in the dangerous world of 1930s New York. PBS’ acclaimed public affairs shows WASHINGTON WEEK WITH GWEN IFILL and CHARLIE ROSE – THE WEEK return to kick off the weekend and the arts on Friday nights. Monday-Friday, the PBS NewsHour offers in-depth stories on the top news events.

Below is a chronological look at PBS’ fall primetime programming:

THIS SEPTEMBER ON PBS:

THE ROOSEVELTS: AN INTIMATE HISTORY

Ken Burns’s seven-part, 14-hour documentary weaves the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics. The series marks the first time their individual stories have been woven into a single narrative.  Sunday-Saturday, September 14-20, 8:00 p.m. ET, encores at 10:00 p.m. ET

Episode One

Young Theodore Roosevelt transforms himself into a vigorous champion of the strenuous life and later becomes the youngest president in American history at 42. Franklin Delano Roosevelt follows his older cousin’s career and begins to think he might one day follow in his footsteps. Sunday, September 14, 8:00 p.m. ET

Episode Two

President Theodore Roosevelt battles corporate greed, builds the Panama Canal and preserves American wilderness. FDR marries Eleanor Roosevelt, the daughter of Theodore’s brother, Elliott, and they begin a family. Offered a chance to run for the New York State senate, Franklin jumps at the chance. Monday, September 15, 8:00 p.m. ET

Episode Three

Theodore Roosevelt leads a Progressive crusade that splits his own party, undertakes an expedition into the South American jungle, campaigns for American entry into WWI – and pays a terrible personal price. Franklin masters wartime Washington as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, while Eleanor engages in war work. Teddy’s death provides Franklin with a golden opportunity. Tuesday, September 16, 8:00 p.m. ET

 Episode Four

Franklin Roosevelt runs for vice president in 1920. Stricken with polio, he spends seven years struggling without success to walk again, while Eleanor builds a personal and political life of her own. FDR returns to politics in 1928 and, as governor of New York, acts with such vigor and imagination during the first years of the Great Depression that the Democrats nominate him for president in 1932. Wednesday, September 17, 8:00 p.m. ET

Episode Five

Aimed at ending the Depression, FDR’s sweeping New Deal restores the people’s self-confidence and transforms the relationship between them and their government. Eleanor rejects the traditional role of first lady and becomes a sometimes controversial political force. As the decade ends, FDR questions whether to run for an unprecedented third term and how to deal with the rise of Hitler. Thursday, September 18, 8:00 p.m. ET

Episode Six

FDR shatters the third-term tradition, struggles to prepare the country to enter World War II and after Pearl Harbor, helps set the course toward Allied victory. Meanwhile, Eleanor struggles to keep New Deal reforms alive in wartime and travels the Pacific to comfort wounded servicemen. FDR runs for a fourth term. Friday, September 19, 8:00 p.m. ET

Episode Seven

Frail and failing but determined to see the war through to victory, FDR wins re-election and begins planning for a peaceful postwar world, but a cerebral hemorrhage kills him at 63. After his death, Eleanor proves herself a shrewd politician and a skilled negotiator, as well as a champion of civil rights, civil liberties and the United Nations. When she dies in 1962, she is widely mourned. Saturday, September 20, 8:00 p.m. ET

MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! “Miss Marple”

Acclaimed British actress Julia McKenzie (“Cranford”) returns as spinster sleuth Miss Marple in three new episodes of the popular Agatha Christie’s “Miss Marple”series – “A Caribbean Mystery,” “Greenshaw’s Folly” and “Endless Night.” A coproduction of ITV Studios and MASTERPIECE, in association with Agatha Christie Limited. Sundays, September 21 and September 28

POV “Koch”

New York City mayors have a world stage on which to strut, and they have made legendary use of it. Yet few have matched the bravado, combativeness and egocentricity that Ed Koch brought to the office during his three terms from 1978 to 1989. As Neil Barsky’s “Koch” recounts, Koch was more than the blunt, funny man New Yorkers either loved or hated. The former mayor was politically active to the end (he died in 2013) — still winning the affection of many New Yorkers while driving others to distraction. Tuesday, September 22, 10:00-11:30 p.m. ET

THE BOOMER LIST: AMERICAN MASTERS

Take a comprehensive look at 19 iconic baby boomers — one born each year of the boom, 1946-1964.  In intimate interviews by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, the film’s subjects, including Billy Joel and Amy Tan, illuminate the important movements and changes that shaped the world during the baby boom years. Topics include the environment; arts and entertainment; science; civil, LGBT and women’s rights; law; politics; public service; sports; the military; and technology.  Tuesday, September 23, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

FINDING YOUR ROOTS, Season 2

From AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES (2006) through the first season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS(2012), Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has been helping people identify relatives hidden for generations. Professor Gates employs a team of genealogists and the world’s leading geneticists to uncover the origins of a diverse group of 30 guests, including Ben Affleck, Jessica Alba, Anderson Cooper, Valerie Jarrett, Billie Jean King, Stephen King and musician Nas. Each of the 10 episodes will feature three guests bound together by an intimate, sometimes hidden, link, as Gates treks through layers of ancestral history, uncovers secrets and surprises, and shares life-altering discoveries. Tuesdays, September 23-November 25, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

LIFE ON THE REEF

The Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, is a rich and complex natural ecosystem, home to a stunning array of animals. The reef’s human residents work to find that critical balance between their needs and those of an ever-diminishing natural world. This series presents a unique and fresh angle on Australia’s greatest natural icon: the Great Barrier Reef seen through the eyes of those who live, work and play in this natural wonderland. Wednesdays, September 24-October 8, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET

LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER “‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ In Concert With the New York Philharmonic” – PBS Arts Fall Festival

The New York Philharmonic’s acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim’s iconic musical thriller, staged in March 2014 to a sold out crowd at Avery Fisher Hall, tells the story of the eponymous barber who, with his romantically inclined landlady, Mrs. Lovett the piemaker, seeks vengeance on what he considers a merciless world. The remarkable cast features bass-baritone Bryn Terfel in the title role and Academy Award-winning actress Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett, with Christian Borle, and more. Audra McDonald serves as host. Friday, September 26, 9:00-11:30 p.m. ET

 MAKERS

Six new documentaries in the MAKERS project feature groundbreaking American women in different spheres of influence: war, comedy, space, business, Hollywood and politics. Each program will profile prominent women and relate their struggles, triumphs and contributions as they reshaped and transformed the landscape of their chosen vocations. Tuesdays, September 30-November 4, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET; order TBD

• “Women in War” looks at American women’s increasing participation in war — from Vietnam to the present — as nurses, soldiers, journalists, diplomats and spies. Among those featured are Linda Bray, the first woman to lead troops into battle, former spy Valerie Plame Wilson and correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

• “Women in Space” traces the history of women pioneers in the U.S. space program. The episode includes an interview with Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot a spacecraft. The program includes interviews with spacecraft pilot Eileen Collins, astronaut Mae Jemison and Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station.

• “Women in Comedy” tracks the rise of women in the world of comedy, from the “dangerous” comedy of 70s sitcoms like “Maude”to the groundbreaking women of the 1980s American comedy club boom to today’s multifaceted landscape. Contemporary comics, including Chelsea Handler, Mo’Nique, Sarah Silverman, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch and Kathy Griffin, talk about women in this competitive environment.

• “Women in Business” tells the story of the exceptional women who have taken the world of business by storm. Told by female business leaders themselves, this is a candid exploration of what it takes to make it and a celebration of the extraordinary individuals who, over the course of 50 years, have proven that a woman’s place is wherever she believes it to be. Some of the featured business leaders include Cathy Hughes, Martha Stewart and Sheryl Sandberg.

• “Women in Hollywood” showcases the women of showbiz, from the earliest pioneers to present-day power players, as they influence the creation of one of the country’s biggest commodities: entertainment. Audiences hear from Jane Fonda, Shonda Rhimes, Lena Dunham and Glenn Close.

• “Women in Politics” profiles women in public office who were “firsts” in their fields. From the first woman elected to Congress in 1916 to a young woman running for Detroit City Council in 2013, the documentary explores the challenges confronting American women in politics. Represented are leaders in Washington, including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI).

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW premieres six new episodes from two of its tour cities and four specials this fall. In Knoxville, Tennessee, and Jacksonville, Florida, ROADSHOW uncovers hidden treasures. The specials include two new “Junk in the Trunk” episodes, featuring never-before-seen appraisals from each of the season 18 cities; “The Boomer Years,” highlighting items from the 1940s, 50s and 60s; and “Manor House Treasures,” which looks at objects and antiques befitting the estates in period dramas such as “Downton Abbey” and “Upstairs Downstairs.” Mondays, continuing series, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET.

·         “Knoxville” – September 22, 29 and October 6

·         “Jacksonville” – October 13, 20, and 27

·         “Junk in the Trunk 4” – December 1 and 15

·         “The Boomer Years” – December 22

·         “Manor House Treasures” – December 29

 THIS OCTOBER ON PBS:

 NOVA “Acid Ocean” (w.t.)

As human activity leads to soaring carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, the world’s oceans are turning increasingly acidic. This shifting chemistry threatens the survival of coral reefs and the entire marine food chain. Will sea creatures be able to adapt to the rapidly changing conditions? NOVA traces the work of leading researchers around the globe as they strive to understand one of the least publicized yet potentially most disastrous impacts of climate change. Wednesday, October 1, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

 AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS − PBS Arts Fall Festival

A star-studded special celebrating the trailblazing music series’ 40^th anniversary. With guest hosts Jeff Bridges, Matthew McConaughey and Sheryl Crow, the two-hour broadcast features memorable moments from the show’s remarkable run, anchored by some of the brightest stars in the show’s history returning to the Austin City Limits stage for incredible performances. Highlights include legends Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Clark Jr., Lyle Lovett, Alabama Shakes, Buddy Guy and more performing in celebration of Austin City Limits’ legacy as an American music institution over the last four decades. Friday, October 3, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

 MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! “Inspector Lewis, Season 7”

Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox return for a seventh season of the beloved Inspector Lewis series. Hathawayhas been promoted toInspector after an extended break from the force, and Lewis is enjoying retired life until he’s asked to team up with his old colleague again. With their partnership renewed under altered circumstances, the duo continues to solve crime in the seemingly perfect academic haven of Oxford. A coproduction of ITV Studios and MASTERPIECE. Sundays, October 5-19, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET

 HOW WE GOT TO NOW WITH STEVEN JOHNSON

Join best-selling author Steven Johnson to hear the stories behind remarkable ideas that made modern life possible, the unsung heroes who brought them about and the unexpected and bizarre consequences each of these innovations triggered. Wednesdays, October 15, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET and October 22-November 12, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET; order TBD

• “Cold” − Examine the effects of cold mastery on food, politics, Hollywood, human migration and more. 

·         “Time” − Learn how time tinkerers advanced navigation, technology, travel and the way we work.

• “Light” − Learn howpioneers of light have changed genetic make-up, sleeping patterns, architecture and more.

• “Clean” − Hear how safe drinking water, iPhones, sewers and subways are due to the efforts of “clean” heroes.

• “Glass” − Uncover a link between art, science, astronomy, disease prevention and global communication: glass.

• “Sound” − Examine the impact of sound on work, race relations, medicine and the radical alteration of cities.

 THE GERSHWINS’® PORGY AND BESS ^SM FROM SAN FRANCISCO OPERA (by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin) − PBS Arts Fall Festival

This production of Porgy and Bess^SM from San Francisco Opera stars bass-baritone Eric Owens as Porgy and soprano Laquita Mitchell as Bess in the turbulent story of a disabled man, the headstrong woman he loves and the community that sustains them both. John DeMain conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in this American musical theater staple about an African-American community on Catfish Row in coastal South Carolina. Porgy and Bess is based on the play by Dubose and Dorothy Heyward, with music, including the celebrated “Summertime,” by George Gershwin. Friday, October 17, 9:00p.m. -12:00 a.m. (Oct. 18) ET

 NATURE “Animal Misfits” 

Alongside the fastest, strongest, smartest animals are nature’s misfits — odd, bizarre and unlikely creatures that seem-ill equipped for survival. Left at the starting line in the race for life, these are the apparent losers in the story of evolution, yet somehow they manage to cling to life and in some cases even thrive. Wednesday, October 22, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

 MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! “Death Comes to Pemberley”

An adaptation of P.D. James’ witty and inventive continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice picks up the story six years after the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy. As preparations are being made for a ball at their Pemberley home, the discovery of a corpse brings an abrupt and shocking halt to the proceedings — and a threat to all that the Darcys hold dear. A co-production of ORIGIN PICTURES and MASTERPIECE. Sundays, October 26-November 2, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET

 NOVA “WWI Top Gun” (w.t.)

When World War I began in 1914, the air forces of the opposing nations consisted of handfuls of rickety biplanes from which pilots occasionally took pot shots at one another with rifles. By 1918, the fighter had become an efficient killing machine with a growing strategic impact on the outcome of the war. With the help of a unique collection of meticulously recreated flying replicas, NOVA traces the story of the designers, engineers, and brave pilots caught up in the race to dominate the skies over the western front. Wednesday, October 29, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

 MICHAEL FEINSTEIN AT THE RAINBOW ROOM – PBS Arts Fall Festival

Join Michael Feinstein, “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” as he commemorates the reopening of the historic Rainbow Room, a legendary Manhattan hotspot. The special includes performances and features choreographed dancers and talented musicians selected from the Big Apple’s finest artists. Friday, October 31, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

 THIS NOVEMBER ON PBS:

NATURE “Searching for Velcro” (w.t.) 

Sloths, once largely ignored, have become a hot topic of scientific researchers. Sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers are also springing up, as development often displaces the gentle creatures. Filmed in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, this is a story of friendship between a journalist and the sloth she named Velcro and a network of people working to learn more about sloths in order to protect them. Wednesday, November 5, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

MASTERPIECE “Worricker: Turks & Caicos”

Bill Nighy reprises his role as MI5 spy Johnny Worricker in a follow-up to the acclaimed “Page Eight” (MASTERPIECE, 2011). Worricker, who has just left his job at MI5, escapes to the distant islands of Turks & Caicos, where an order from the CIA puts him back to work. The top-tier cast also includes Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes. Written and directed by David Hare. A Carnival Films/Heydey Films/Beagle Pug/MASTERPIECE co-production in association with NBC Universal for the BBC. Sunday, November 9, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

NOVA “Emperor’s Ghost Army”

To defend himself in the afterlife, the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was buried in a vast mausoleum accompanied by around 9,000 life-sized terracotta statues. With exclusive access to groundbreaking new research, NOVA investigates the secrets of how and why the astonishing figures were made and the technology behind the still lethal and highly-advanced crossbows, spears, and swords carried by the clay warriors. Wednesday, November 12, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

 NATURE “Penguin Post Office” (w.t.)

On an island in Antarctica, there’s a post office surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery and 4,000 penguins. Every summer, as staff put stamps on postcards, around them gentoo penguins rush to raise and protect their young. The gentoo chicks have to contend with excited tourists and visitors as they struggle to survive. Leopard seals and killer whales prowl the water for penguins, just yards from the post office. Wednesday, November 12, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

 THE HITMAKERS (w.t) – PBS Arts Fall Festival

Hitmakers is an up-close look at the music industry’s resilience in the digital age.  Groundbreaking artists.  Music label mavericks.  Game changing managers.  These crucial components have shaped the music business over the past 100 years, changing pop culture in the process.  Today’s recording artists are challenging the paradigm, taking control of their careers and record labels large and small must innovate to thrive.  Hitmakers will be entertaining and thoughtful, while its unsurpassed music soundtrack will be unforgettable. Friday, November 14, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

 MASTERPIECE “Worricker: Salting the Battlefield”

The Worricker trilogy concludes with Johnny (Bill Nighy) and Margot (Helena Bonham Carter) managing to stay ahead of an international dragnet all across Europe. British Prime Minister Alec Beasley (Ralph Fiennes) and old MI5 colleague Jill Tankard (Judy Davis) desperately want Johnny back— but for different reasons. Who will win this frenzied game of spy versus spy? Written and directed by David Hare. A Carnival Films/Heydey Films/Beagle Pug/MASTERPIECE co-production in association with NBC Universal for the BBC. Sunday, November 16, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

NATURE “Invasion of the Killer Whales”(w.t.) 

A remarkable story is unfolding in the Arctic. As the ice shrinks, polar bears are struggling to survive in a fast-melting world. They are great hunters on ice, but their home ground is vanishing and they are not adapted to hunting in the water. In the last few years, scientists have noted an ever-growing number of killer whales in Arctic waters in the summer months, attracted by the growing expanse of open water. They attack the same prey animals as the polar bears: seals, narwhal, belugas and bowhead whales. Wednesday, November 19, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

 NOVA “Landslide” (w.t.)

In less than two minutes in March, a one-square-mile field of debris slammed into the Washington state community of Oso, killing 41 and destroying nearly 50 homes. Drawing on analysis of other recent landslides around the world, geologists are investigating what triggered the deadliest U.S. landslide in decades and whether climate change is increasing the risk of similar disasters around the globe.  Wednesday, November 19, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

 GREAT PERFORMANCES “Cats!” – PBS Arts Fall Festival

One of musical theater’s greatest blockbusters returns to GREAT PERFORMANCES for a special encore presentation. In its nearly 18-year run on Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats reigned as the longest-running musical. The many musical highlights include Elaine Paige’s return to her original role as Grizabella, the faded “glamour cat” who sings the show-stopping “Memory.” Friday, November 21, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

 THE MARK TWAIN PRIZE

This special will celebrate this year’s recipient of The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. From the stage of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, some of the biggest names in comedy will salute the 16^th recipient of the prize, which recognizes the humorists who have had an impact on American society. Sunday, November 23, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET

THE PILGRIMS: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Acclaimed filmmaker Ric Burns explores the converging forces, circumstances, personalities and events that propelled a group of English men and women west across the Atlantic in 1620. With distinct and often riveting personal histories, passionate religious beliefs and the will to survive — even through violent means — this narrative reveals the real history of our nation’s beginnings. Tuesday, November 25, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

THIS DECEMBER ON PBS:

NOVA “First Man on the Moon”

When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, he won instant fame. Yet this accomplished engineer and test pilot was so determined to stay out of the limelight that few know the personal story of how his rare combination of talent, luck and experience led to his successful command of Apollo 11.  NOVA presents an intimate portrait of an unassuming American hero through interviews with Armstrong’s family and friends. Wednesday, December 3, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

 BING CROSBY: AMERICAN MASTERS

For more than three decades, through radio, film and records, Bing Crosby reigned supreme. The first true multi-media star, he won the Oscar for 1944’s Going My Way, recorded nearly 400 hit singles — an achievement no one has come close to matching, and played a pivotal role in the development of the postwar recording industry. Thirty-seven years after his death, he remains the most recorded performer in history. Friday, December 26, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

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