Tuesday, November 30, 2010

When you only need a one-way ticket...

Do we have the right to end our lives if life itself becomes unbearable, or when we enter the late stages of painful, terminal illness? The questions, debated for centuries, have only grown more pressing in recent years as medical technology has allowed us to live longer lives, and several U.S. states have legalized physician-assisted suicide. Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Zaritsky offers a revealing look at a couple facing the most difficult decision of their lives -- and lets us see for ourselves as one Chicago native makes the trip to Switzerland for what will become the last day of his life...FRONTLINE ...9pm

Monday, November 29, 2010

Made it through the football frenzy eat-a-thon, now it's time to settle in for some good old fashioned TV watching.

Thanksgiving down, Christmas to come...And if you missed the original broadcast of The President's Photographer, PBS is doing an encore showing tonight.
Meet Pete Souza, who's never very far behind President Obama. As the President's chief White House photographer, Souza is the President's shadow. Now, National Geographic will follow Souza inside the Obama White House--aboard Air Force One, backstage at the State of the Union, and into the heart of the West Wing. It's a behind-the-scenes look at the everyday grit of the American presidency and a chance to see what it's like to cover the most powerful man in the world, for history...8pm

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The camera is his ticket to ride...

Pete Souza is never far behind President Obama. As the President's chief White House photographer, Souza is the President's shadow. Now, National Geographic will follow Souza inside the Obama White House--aboard Air Force One, backstage at the State of the Union, and into the heart of the West Wing. It's a behind-the-scenes look at the everyday grit of the American presidency and a chance to see what it's like to cover the most powerful man in the world, for history...7pm

Also coming up this weekend: in their debut AUSTIN CITY LIMITS appearance, influential superstars R.E.M. take the stage in support of their latest acclaimed record, Accelerate...Saturday at 10...

And Great Performances stages an all-star tribute to Stephen Sondheim by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra...Sunday at 8pm

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

When you're confronted with the prospect of "pulling the plug,"...can you do it?

How far would you go to sustain the life of someone you love, or your own? In this film, FRONTLINE gains access to the ICU of one of New York's biggest hospitals to examine the complicated reality of today's modern, medicalized death. Here, we find doctors and nurses struggling to guide families through the maze of end-of-life choices they now confront: whether to pull feeding and breathing tubes, when to perform expensive surgeries and therapies or to call for hospice. The film also offers an unusually intimate portrait of patients facing the prospect of dying in ways that they might never have wanted or imagined...9pm

Monday, November 22, 2010

A few weeks ago, John Lennon would have been 70-years old...

December 8 of this year he's been dead for 30 years. Yet, his art still haunts us. It still speaks to millions of people. This film confirms Lennon as an American artist. It is, essentially, a classic immigrant tale: Lennon and Ono left London in 1971 in search of freedom, both artistic and personal. We hear Lennon's song New York City and follow into their life -- their commitment to peace and political activism, their struggles to remain in America and, of course, the greatest music from that period and the concert footage from Lennon's first two albums, Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. With unprecedented and exclusive cooperation from Yoko Ono, access to never-before-seen material from the Lennon archives and conversations with those closest to him -- Ono, Elton John, the photographer Bob Gruen, Ringo Starr -- AMERICAN MASTERS tells John Lennon's story as it has never been told before -- and as it will never be told again...8pm

Friday, November 19, 2010

Got to be good looking 'cause he's so hard to see...

Coming up on the 30th anniversary of his death, the drama "Lennon Naked," focuses on the turbulent period of change in John Lennon's professional and personal life, following the unexpected death of Beatles manager Brian Epstein in 1967 premieres Sunday. This new era is marked by Lennon's extraordinary relationship with Yoko Ono and his disillusionment with Britain, ultimately causing Lennon to pursue a new life in New York City...MASTERPIECE CONTEMPORARY...Sunday at 8pm

Thursday, November 18, 2010

What do you do when Morley Safer is at your door...

you get ready to "explain" yourself. Morley Safer began his 39th season with 60 Minutes in September 2009, a run that seems almost impossibly long until you learn that his work with CBS spans six decades.? Learn more about his fascinating past, his run-in with LBJ and his new connection to Texas...on Texas Monthly Talks...9pm

Tonight's Face to Face features Ellen squaring off with Nick Nevarez, Jr., an attorney who specializes in immigration law and their discussion of the illegal alien issue in Texas...8pm

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

In 2009 the wrecks of five ancient Roman ships were found in pristine condition...

Each one fully laden with exotic goods with much of the cargo remaining exactly as the ancient Roman crews had loaded it, suggesting that these ships had not capsized but had gone to the bottom of the sea intact and upright. What happened to these ancient ships? What were they carrying and why had they traveled to this remote, rocky Italian island in the first place? "Lost Ships of Rome" follows the team as they explore the sites in detail, salvage artifacts and piece together the history of the ships and why they were lost 2,000 years ago...SECRETS OF THE DEAD...7PM

Tonight is the final 2 hours of CIRCUS...from the same film makers who produced CARRIER, it's been a fascinating look behind the curtain into the mysterious yet practical world of the traveling circus...In the homestretch everyone is happy that the end is in sight, though many are uncertain about their job prospects when the season ends in July. CIRCUS...8pm

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Stonehenge may be the best-known and most mysterious relic of prehistory...

Every year, a million visitors are drawn to the Salisbury Plain, in southern England, to gaze upon a mysterious circle of stones. During the 20th century, excavations revealed that the structure was built in stages and that it dates back some 5,000 years, to the late Stone Age. The meaning of the monument, however, was anyone's guess -- until recently. Now investigations inside and around Stonehenge have kicked off a dramatic new era of discovery and debate. Who built Stonehenge? What was its purpose? How did prehistoric people quarry, transport, sculpt and erect the giant stones? NOVA:THE SECRETS OF STONEHENGE attempts to answer the questions...7pm

Monday, November 15, 2010

W's pitch hits home, and is felt around the world...

As America reels from the horror of the 9/11 attacks, baseball provides solace, and in an incredible World Series, gives the country something to cheer about. As the rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox reaches the boiling point, long-suffering Boston fans rejoice in their first World Series victory in 86 years, while Giants and Cubs fans endure devastating losses. Barry Bonds demolishes Mark McGwire's home-run record and sets his sights on Henry Aaron's revered all time mark. The game is more popular than ever, but revelations about steroids cast a shadow on many of the era's greatest stars and their historic accomplishments...Ken Burns' THE TENTH INNING...8pm

Friday, November 12, 2010

sometimes we need to be knocked up side the head...

Private Felix Longoria fought and died while fighting the Japanese during World War II. But when his body was sent back his small hometown in Texas, the only funeral parlor there refused to hold a wake for the Mexican American GI because "the whites would not like it." The incident would ripple outward, launching the career of Lyndon B. Johnson, landing the undertaker in a mental institution, engendering hostile recriminations for the next 50 years, and launching the Mexican American civil rights movement...Saturday night on INDEPENDENT LENS: THE LONGORIA AFFAIR...11pm

Thursday, November 11, 2010

No one is sure how deep a hole we're in, but it's time to start digging...

Another regular session of the Texas legislature is around the corner and a budget shortfall is certain...Best case scenarios range from a low of $18 to a high of $25 billion....the largest deficit in the state's history. So before State Senator, Kel Seliger, heads to Austin to figure out how in the world we can educate our students, take care of our most vulnerable, build highways, protect our citizens and still balance the budget, we have asked him to talk with us Face to Face...8pm

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

What happens when a clown takes on cancer...

Join the circus at their first performance stop in Virginia, where dramatic last-minute changes to the show, lackluster ticket sales and a cancer diagnosis ratchet up the pressure...then experience winter in New York, which means packed stands under the big top and misery on the back lot -- as the weather wrecks havoc on the tent, the trailers and the health of the company and crew...that's tonight on my new favorite documentary series CIRCUS...8pm

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

If you stare at me long enough, eventually you'll get what you want...

or so says my dog...and he's right. Dogs have been domesticated for longer than any other animal on the planet and we've developed a unique relationship with our furry friends. We treat our pets like a part of the family and we feel that they can understand us in a way other animals cannot. Now, new research is revealing what dog lovers have suspected all along: dogs have an uncanny ability to read and respond to human emotions. How did this incredible relationship between humans and dogs come to be? And how can dogs, so closely related to fearsome wild wolves, behave so differently? It's all in the genes. Tonight on NOVA "Dogs Decoded" investigates new discoveries in genetics that are illuminating the origin of dogs -- with revealing implications for the evolution of human culture as well...7pm

Monday, November 8, 2010

Sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chase the asterisk & home run record...

it's the first of Ken Burn's 2 part THE TENTH INNING series...1994 and the national pastime faces its worst crisis in 70 years when a bitter and prolonged strike forces the cancellation of the World Series, infuriating fans dismayed by the athletes and teams they once worshipped. Baseball has to rebuild. Cal Ripken Jr. sets an amazing record of consecutive games played, helping rekindle the country's love of the game. Barry Bonds, son of the great right fielder Bobby Bonds, signs the most lucrative contract to date in baseball history and thrills San Francisco fans. Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux pitch the Atlanta Braves to the pinnacle. Dazzlingly talented Latino players make an indelible mark on the game. The Yankees, led by manager Joe Torre, return to glory after two decades of disappointment...TOP OF THE TENTH...8pm

Friday, November 5, 2010

He's a wild & crazy banjo pickin' guy...

Bluegrass is swinging through the night with Steve Martin and Sarah Jarosz on Saturday's AUSTIN CITY LIMITS. Comedian Martin picks up his banjo with the Steep Canyon Rangers for new tunes in the old tradition. Young Texan Jarosz rewrites the bluegrass rules with her original songs and style...Saturday at 10pm

Sunday brings another chance to catch the 1st installment of CIRCUS...Go behind the scenes and meet the fascinating, wildly diverse Big Apple Circus family -- the clowns and the wire-walkers, the front office staff and the rough-and-tumble ring crew -- as they gear up for their annual 350-performance tour...Sunday at 2pm

And SHERLOCK returns again in a thrilling contemporary version of the Victorian-era whodunits, as the go-to consulting detective in 21st-century London...Sunday at 8pm

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Six men and a flag pole, and the nation was mesmerized...

It's among the most famous images ever taken of the American military.Almost everyone knows the photograph..but until James Bradley wrote the book, Flags of Our Fathers, not many really knew the story behind it -- the story of the flag raisers in the World War II battle of Iwo Jima. Bradley's father, John, was one of the six men immortalized that February day in 1945; however, it was something the elder Bradley would never talk about and so after his father died, James set out to find out why he had been so silent...this week on Face to Face...8pm

Set your DVR for the rebroadcast of last night's premiere of CIRCUS...the behind the scenes look at life under the big top on a very personal level. Think you can walk the wire, fly the trapeze, or walk the dog for laughs and love from the audience? They're just people like me and you, but what a cool job to have! 1am tonight.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The tomb was discovered filled with lavish jewels and treasure almost by accident in 1939...

One of the most startling discoveries inside the tomb was the sarcophagus in which the body was held: It was made of silver with exquisite detail and craftsmanship. No other silver sarcophagus has ever been found and it is now recognized by many experts as one of the most exquisite artifacts of ancient Egypt ever to be found.
The elaborate tribute within the tomb suggested it was the burial site of someone very important, and an investigation reveals political intrigue, a lost city and a leader who united a country in turmoil and became the Silver Pharaoh...SECRETS OF THE DEAD...7PM

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

On election day, FRONTLINE goes behind closed doors at the White House...

in Congress and the boardrooms of the giant health-care lobby to examine the political battles and costly compromises that defined Barack Obama's healthcare reform 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 expose of the realities of American politics, the power of special interest groups and the role of money in policy making...OBAMA'S DEAL...9pm

Monday, November 1, 2010

Ah November...and there's election fever in the air...

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW throws its hat in the ring with this special edition, a salute to the presidential election and the keepsakes of political battles long past...it's enough to make you want to go vote! ANTIQUES ROADSHOW...7pm