Friday, June 29, 2012

A stunning mix of Mariachi, Talent, and Teenagers...

This documentary presents a year in the life of the champion mariachi ensemble at Zapata High School on the Rio Grande in South Texas. As they compete and perform with astonishing musical virtuosity, these teens, and the music they make, will inspire, surprise, and bring you to your feet.
MARIACHI HIGH...Friday at 8pm

A Guatemalan court recently charged former dictator Efrai-n Rios Montt with genocide for his brutal war against the country's Mayan people in the 1980s -- and Pamela Yates' 1983 documentary, "When the Mountains Tremble," provided key evidence for bringing the indictment. "Granito:How to Nail a Dictator" tells the story of how a film, aiding a new generation of human rights activists, became a granito -- a tiny grain of sand -- that helped tip the scales of justice...POV...Saturday at 11pm 

3, 2, 1 FIREWORKS takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Washington, D.C. July 4th celebration, featuring one of the largest and most colorful fireworks displays in the world. Shot in high-definition and opening in China, we see every step of fireworks production...Sunday at 4pm

Before Inspector Lewis, there was Inspector Morse, and before Inspector Morse, there was the rookie Constable Morse, fed up with police work and ready to nip his career in the bud by handing in his resignation. That is, until a murder turned up that only he could solve...MASTERPIECE MYSTERY presents ENDEAVOR....Sunday at 8pm

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Roy Orbison thought his songwriting was on the right track...


Evan Smith sits down with Chris Isaak, who has built successful careers as both a musician and an actor, performing for more than 25 years. His most recent album, Beyond the Sun, pays tribute to a lifelong obsession: the artists and music of Sun Studios in Memphis. In tonight's conversation on OVERHEARD, Isaak talks - and sings - about acting, music and more...8pm

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Who knew being a white stallion was so complicated...

The returning saga of Cloud, the wild, white stallion finds us back in the Arrowhead Mountains of Montana. As he rules the mountains, gathering mares and expanding his reign, the story turns to his two sons. Bolder and Flint, each following a different path, gathering mares or hanging with the bachelor stallions...young guns roaming the mountains. But a change is coming...who will rise to challenge the mighty Cloud? NATURE - CLOUD: CHALLENGE OF THE STALLIONS...7pm

In this miniseries conclusion, NOVA examines how a simple instrument, the telescope, has fundamentally changed our understanding of our place in the universe. Now a new generation of ever-larger telescopes is poised to reveal answers to longstanding questions...HUNTING THE EDGE OF SPACE: THE EVER EXPANDING UNIVERSE...8pm 

Then, Mark and Joy brave the baking desert to dissect a camel...INSIDE NATURE'S GIANTS...9pm

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Dr. Livingstone, I presume...

By 1861, Britain is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. David Livingstone's explorations of the African interior fascinate the British public. Disraeli and Gladstone battle for control of the British government and debate the course of the empire. The purchase of the Suez Canal solidifies British presence in the Middle East, then is threatened by a holy war in the Sudan. Diamond deposits in southern Africa bode well for British control in the region. However, as Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, the empire is on the verge of its darkest hours...Parts 3 & 4 of QUEEN VICTORIA'S EMPIRE...a fascinating look at a world long forgotten...7pm

Monday, June 25, 2012

2 carriages...1 for the Queen, and 1 for the Crown Jewels...

For the dramatic ritual that opens Parliament, the queen's coachmen don full livery, and two of her horse-drawn carriages parade through the streets. Tonight's episode of MONARCHY: THE ROYAL FAMILY AT WORK leads viewers through the elaborate state opening of Parliament...from the secret removal of the crown jewels from their Tower of London vault, to the moment when the House of Commons slams the door in the face of the queen's representative, to the eventual conclusion when the rowdy Commons stand before their queen..."HEADS OF STATE"...9pm

Friday, June 22, 2012

MAD MEN & THE WIRE...the heavy hitters speak in Austin...

Attention political junkies...the highly anticipated face off between former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst will be carried LIVE tonight at 8pm...beaming in from KERA in Dallas to PBS stations around the state and streamed live...Friday at 8pm

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS brings it home with Texan songwriters Lyle Lovett and Bob Schneider...Saturday at 10pm

This week's POV introduces us to Yeshi, recognized from birth as the reincarnation of a famed Buddhist master...following the story for 20 years, filmmaker Jennifer Fox distills a decades-long drama into a universal story about love, transformation and destiny...
MY REINCARNATION...Saturday at 11pm 

Historical and modern day relevance in television dramas is discussed by the creative minds behind the shows MAD MEN, THE WIRE, and TREME...David Simon and Matthew Weiner on the show about film from the Austin Film Festival...ON STORY...Sunday at 5pm

THE WAGES OF SPIN is a fascinating account of the evolution of AMERICAN BANDSTAND and the creation of a true mogul...Dick Clark. Pulling no punches, the documentary takes on the highly-controversial subject of payola scandals, and Clark's testimony before congress. Chubby Checker, Connie Francis, Fabian, and members of The Beach Boys remember the scene...Sunday 9:30pm 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

How did LBJ get Jackie K. to smooth out the transition?

Historian Mark Updegrove sits down with Evan Smith to talk about his work, three books about the American presidency, including the recently-published Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency. His insights into the Johnson presidency are intriguing...including the events following JFK's assassination in Dallas and the changing of the guard with Jackie Kennedy aboard Air Force One.
OVERHEARD WITH EVAN SMITH...8pm  

Rosanne Cash and Brandi Carlile are featured on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS...7pm

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

"Sail, spear and a half ton of muscle flashing in the sun..."

Marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish...some of the most sought after trophies in the world, are observed in high definition by Emmy award-winning filmmaker and biologist Rick Rosenthal as he studies their environment and behavior...all the while searching for an elusive thousand-pound "grander."  NATURE: SUPERFISH...7pm

Then NOVA examines how what began as a curiosity -- two spectacle lenses held a foot apart -- ultimately revolutionized human thought across science, philosophy and religion. The history of the telescope is explained, dramatizing the innovations in technology and science, leading up to today's colossal instruments housed in space-age cathedrals or orbiting high above the Earth...NOVA:HUNTING THE EDGE OF SPACE...8pm 


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Remember when there wasn't the internet? Really?

This 4 part epic doc about the Queen's empire will answer all questions and satisfy all curiosities concerning the history of the Victorian Age...QUEEN VICTORIA'S EMPIRE...7pm


FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin (Growing up Online) teams up with one of the leading thinkers of the digital age, Douglas Rushkoff (The Persuaders, Merchants of Cool), to continue to explore life on the virtual frontier...reporting on everything from love affairs blossoming in virtual worlds, to the thoroughly wired classrooms of the future, to military bases where the Air Force is fighting a new form of digital warfare...discover the critical ways that technology is transforming us, and what we may be learning about ourselves in the process...
FRONTLINE:DIGITAL NATION...9pm

Monday, June 18, 2012

Yes Virginia...there is an ANTIQUES ROADSHOW...

Get ready for some believe-it-or-not ROADSHOW moments, including the original 1897 "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," letter to the New York Sun, which was appraised at $20,000 to $30,000...see how it's increased in value...ANTIQUES ROADSHOW...7pm

"Headquarters" goes beyond the palace gates for a rare glimpse inside the 650 rooms of Buckingham Palace as they prepare for a state visit. The queen's guests will stay in Buckingham Palace's 11 royal suites, where meticulous footmen will valet for them, unpacking and pressing each item of clothing and attending to their every need. Look deep inside the nerve center of the British monarchy in this ongoing series MONARCH: THE ROYAL FAMILY AT WORK...9pm

Friday, June 15, 2012

We wanted Canada? Really?

Three-time Grammy Award-winner Harry Connick Jr. hits Broadway with a 20-piece swing band and a 10-piece string section, knocking out songs like "It Had to Be You," "Some Enchanted Evening," and "Sweet Georgia Brown"...GREAT PERFORMANCES...8pm

Roseanne Cash and Brandi Carlile take the Austin City Limits stage, and Independent Lens features a look at the early days of AIDS in San Francisco...beginning Saturday at 10pm

Sunday afternoon we rebroadcast the WAR OF 1812, an in-depth documentary about the war with our northern neighbor, a fascinating look at the times and how we're seeing the results of those events even to this day...Sunday at 2pm

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin', into the future...

Yeah baby - The Steve Miller Band is featured on Austin City Limits tonight...
time to fly like an eagle! ACL at 7pm

"Bernie" is at the theater, and the director Richard Linklater sits down with Evan Smith to talk about his  newest feature...Shirley MacLaine, Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey star in a dark comedy about a small-town mortician and a shocking true crime. Linklater talks about why he chooses to make one film rather than another, and he talks about the changes in the industry since he made Slacker. OVERHEARD WITH EVAN SMITH...8pm

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Ninja ants and flying snakes...oh my!


MOMENT OF IMPACT...that's when animals of astounding ability connect with each other and the world around them...NATURE presents tonight's conclusion as we look at how "animals work"...
From ninja ants to flying snakes, our  cameras dive underwater, sail through trees and penetrate fur, feathers, skin and bone to reveal the science of some amazing animal engineering hidden deep in the jungle. NATURE presents MOMENT OF IMPACT: JUNGLE...7pm



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Like father, like son...

In this FRONTLINE and ITVS joint production, journalist Dave Iverson sets off on a personal journey to explore the scientific, ethical, and political debate that surrounds Parkinson's, a disease affecting both his father and brother...a disease at the center of the ongoing controversy over embryonic stem cell research. Iverson talks to scientists on the cutting edge of new cures and therapies...and he has conversations with fellow Parkinson's sufferers like actor Michael J. Fox and writer Michael Kinsley.
FRONTLINE...9pm

Monday, June 11, 2012

Tell me a little more about Queen Elizabeth and her horse...

At the Pennsylvania Convention Center, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW experts orchestrate a symphony of appraisals, featuring a stunning collection of Camera Work magazines, published in the early 20th century by renowned American photographer Alfred Stieglitz to promote the idea of photography as art.
Who would have thought...ANTIQUES ROADSHOW...7pm

"The State Visit" follows the elaborate preparations for a visit from the queen. The White House hosts the first and only white-tie dinner of the administration and plans for every contingency, including canine misbehavior, and celebrity photographer Annie Liebovitz plans a formal photo shoot with the queen, although Liebovitz's request to seat Her Majesty on a horse inside the state apartments proves a bit too much. First Lady Laura Bush personally leads a private tour of the White House and the queen's press secretary reveals the challenges of keeping up with her boss. Behind the scenes and at her side from beginning to end, "The State Visit" shows what it takes to plan and execute an official visit from the queen...PART 1 8pm, PART 2 9pm 


Friday, June 8, 2012

The birth of international avant-garde? Paris, of course...

PARIS: THE LUMINOUS YEARS spotlights key figures in the art world's first international avant-garde, including Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Igor Stravinsky...along with Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Josephine Baker and Langston Hughes...and many more, as they recount their stories of why they came to Paris, whom they met, and how being in Paris transformed them and their work...and the world. Friday at 8pm

Thursday, June 7, 2012

The influence of an art critic who didn't criticize...

Tonight our continuing series on local artists premieres the newest episode...artZONE:Volume 5 features classical selections from the West Texas A&M Showcase of Music, a gallery opening in honor of Hunter Ingalls at The Process Art House, and an art club that expands the world of Steam Punk...artZONE...8 pm.

Then TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE shows us camping for beginners...8:30 pm

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

What animal is born at 150 lbs & 6' tall?

From Africa's Serengeti to California's grasslands, some of nature's most dramatic moments with animals are caught...using the latest technologies, HD camera lenses and computer graphics...this two-part series will take us inside the animal to look at the bioengineering of "how animals work."
NATURE: MOMENT OF IMPACT...HUNTERS AND HERDS...7pm


This is the last installment in the groundbreaking NOVA series that began in 1987 and followed seven students starting out at Harvard Medical School. Over the last two decades, NOVA has documented these individuals' trials and tribulations as they struggled to become doctors and has continued to check in on the progress of their medical careers. From divorces, to death, dealing with patients and balancing time at work and at home, NOVA's cameras were there to follow each major milestone in these doctors' lives. Candid, in-depth interviews have given viewers a real sense of what each person has to deal with day in and day out since they made the decision to practice medicine. Now, we return one last time to get an update on the remaining six (one switched careers) and see what kind of doctors -- and people -- they have become...NOVA...8pm 


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Globe Trekker braves the Cadillac Ranch...

The Globe Trekker lands in Austin, where he explores everything from rattlesnake hotdogs to bingo with chickens...then it's the Alamo, the border city of El Paso, and a road trip down Route 66 in a  1960s Mustang, with stops at Palo Duro Canyon and the Big Texan Steak Ranch...can't go through Amarillo without a steak-eating challenge...GLOBE TREKKER: WEST TEXAS...8pm

Shelter Me is a family-friendly film that celebrates the human-animal bond with positive, uplifting stories about shelter pets and their new homes...focusing on success stories like helping our returning War Veterans cope with debilitating injuries; and teaching inmates new life lessons...
SHELTER ME...9pm 

Monday, June 4, 2012

Nothing like the sway & wobble of a wooden coaster...

Remember theme parks before Disneyland? The US had many amusement parks where families gathered for a cool escape on a hot summer day. Parks like Playland in Rye, New York; Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana; and California's Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where vacationers can still reach for the brass ring on the merry-go-round. This special visits them, and also checks out some old wooden roller coasters and other classic rides...GREAT OLD AMUSEMENT PARKS...tonight at 9pm

Friday, June 1, 2012

Considered at once works of art -- and working tools....

loopdiver: The Journey of a Dance explores the creation of an original performance. The half-hour documentary follows company members over a two year period as they struggle with the extreme physical and emotional demands of creating an experimental new work...Friday 9:30

ACL welcomes the cream of underground rock with The National, at they perform songs from their acclaimed record High Violet...Band of Horses highlights its latest LP Infinite Arms...Saturday 10pm 

In HELL AND BACK a soldier jumps back and forth between the fog of war and the realities of home in this stunning documentary, hailed as one of the year's best films...INDEPENDENT LENS, Saturday at 11pm

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEKEND:
VIOLIN MASTERS: TWO GENTLEMEN OF CREMONA...this film examines the amazing confluence of time and talent that occurred in the early years of the 17th century when the two greatest violin makers in history were working within steps of each other in the small Italian town of Cremona. One -- Antonio Stradivari -- is a household name; the other -- Guarneri del Gesu -- is considered a genius equal in every way to Stradivari, yet most outside of the music community have never heard of him. Why is that? Find out...Sunday night, 9:30pm