FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2009
CONTACT:
Meg Fullwood
214-740-9377
mfullwood@kera.org
KERA BRINGS NEW CHILDREN'S SHOWS, PROGRAMS ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND KEN BURNS' SPECTACULAR SERIES "THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA" IN SEPTEMBER
DALLAS/FORT WORTH –Fall programming in September on KERA-TV includes a new children’s television program lineup, important coverage of our changing economy and a special selection of programs leading up to the national broadcast of Ken Burns’ six-part series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.
Catch the new Dinosaur Train from the creators at The Jim Henson Company about a curious dinosaur who learns about prehistoric creatures in his adventures on the Dinosaur Train. The Electric Company has been updated for a new generation of viewers and debuts on Labor Day. The sweet animated series Angelina Ballerina comes to the schedule and the perennial favorite Sesame Street moves to a new time. A new show for moms and their families: Hannah Help Me documents the life-skills transformation of overwhelmed moms and offers tips on balancing family and career.
KERA’s continuing initiative on the economy brings you weekly radio reports about the changing economy in North Texas and national television programs to help navigate the recession. Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times was produced by Sesame Workshop and is hosted by Al Roker, Deborah Roberts, Elmo and friends. PBS Special Report on Health Care Reform is an unprecedented collaboration between The NewsHour, NOW on PBS and Tavis Smiley with analysis and information about healthcare reform. KERA also brings you a rebroadcast of The Economy: Facing the Mortgage Crisis. Hosted by KERA’s Sam Baker and Shelly Kofler, the program takes a look at the impact of the recession on North Texans.
Beautiful programs about the national parks bring the wide open spaces into your living room. Don’t miss a special four-part series about the Great Lodges of the National Parks, and programs about the Great State of Texas including the KERA production Legacies of the Land: A Tale of Texas and Ghost Town: 24 Hours in Terlingua. That all leads up to the broadcast of Ken Burns’ six-part series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. Six years in the making, the series is beautifully filmed on location in the national parks and tells the story of those whose devotion to the land created a park system unparalleled in the world.
RADIO
The Economy
Mondays during Morning Edition
Get survival tips and weekly updates on unemployment and foreclosures as part of KERA’s ongoing coverage of the North Texas economy.
Radio Lab – Pop Music
Friday, September 4 at 8:00 p.m.
Why do some songs stick in our heads? How does a songwriter create a song from nothing? This week on Radio Lab, stories about musical hallucinations, songs that transcend language and the return of the Elvis of Afghanistan.
Radio Lab – Yellow Fluff & Other Curious Encounters
Friday, September 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Radio Lab investigates the pursuit of knowledge with a tour of characters and their stories of love and loss in the name of science.
CHILDRENS’ TELEVISION PROGRAMMING
Angelina Ballerina
Sunday, September 6 at 8:00 a.m.
A new animated series about a fictional mouse based on a series of children’s books by author Katherine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig.
Dinosaur Train Marathon
Monday, September 7 at 9:00 a.m.
Monday, September 7 at 1:00 p.m.
This new series from The Jim Henson Company for children ages 3 to 6 features a curious dinosaur who, with his family, takes the Dinosaur Train to meet and have adventures with other dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. The program helps kids apply scientific thinking as they discover new types of dinosaur species, compare and contrast dinosaurs to today's creatures and embrace the living sciences of paleontology and natural science.
Dinosaur Train (regular time slot)
Weekdays at 10:30 a.m.
Dinosaur Train can be seen weekdays at 10:30 a.m. in its regular time slot.
Sesame Street
Monday, September 7 at 11 a.m.
For nearly 40 years, Sesame Street has combined education and entertainment through research-based curriculum. This perennial television favorite for children and their parents moves to a new time on KERA-TV.
Electric Company Marathon
Monday, September 7 at 3:00 p.m.
The Electric Company is a group of friends from a New York neighborhood bound by a love for language and sworn to do the right thing.
Electric Company (regular time slot)
Weekdays at 5:00 p.m.
Electric Company can be seen weekdays at 5:00 p.m. in its new time slot.
Hannah Help Me
Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 a.m.
Hannah Help Me documents the life-skills transformation of overwhelmed moms. Part life coach, part drill sergeant, Hannah Keeley – mother of seven - helps moms change their behavior instead of focusing on the conditions that have been created.
THE ECONOMY – TELEVISION PROGRAMMING
Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times
Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 p.m.
From Sesame Workshop, this family special features documentaries about real-life families dealing with uncertain economic times. The program is hosted by Al Roker, Deborah Roberts, Elmo and his friends.
Your Life, Your Money
Wednesday, September 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Sound financial advice presented in a simple and straight-forward style, the program follows the real-life stories of young people navigating economic challenges. Donald Faison of Scrubs fame hosts.
The Economy: Facing the Mortgage Crisis
Wednesday, September 9 at 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 13 at 2:00 p.m.
The Economy: Facing the Mortgage Crisis takes a look at the impact unemployment and the recession are having on the lives of North Texans. KERA’s Sam Baker and Shelley Kofler host. A rebroadcast of the KERA July special.
Retirement Revolution
Tuesday, September 15 at 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Paula Zahn, the program brings experts together to analyze financial issues often faced by retirees and demonstrates ways to embrace richer, healthier retirement years.
PBS Special Report on Health Care Reform
Sunday, September 27 at 9:30 a.m.
An unprecedented collaboration between the producers of The NewsHour, NOW on PBS and Tavis Smiley, this 90-minute program provides analysis, discussion, insight and engagement on health care reform. The NewsHour team will look at the economics of health care reform and NOW on PBS correspondents will look at how health care reform may change the way we live. Tavis Smiley will investigate childhood obesity, particularly within communities of color, and look at how changing from a “sickness” model of care to a “wellness” model may offer new incentives to keep people healthy.
TELEVISION
PBS NEWSHOUR
Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00 p.m.
The daily PBS NewsHour broadcast moves to a dual anchor format this fall. Jim Lehrer shares the anchor desk with senior correspondents Gwen Ifill, Judy Woodruff and Jeffrey Brown. Correspondents Ray Suarez and Margaret Warner focus on “out of studio” reporting.
NOVA – Is There Life on Mars?
Tuesday, September 1 at 7:00 p.m.
The discovery of frozen water invigorates the search for life on the Red Planet.
NOVA scienceNOW
Tuesday, September 1 at 8:00 p.m.
NOVA looks at stories on the forefront of science, technology and medicine presented in a magazine format show. Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
WWII Behind Closed Doors – Stalin, the Nazis and the West – Part 2 and 3
Tuesday, September 1 at 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 2 at 9:00 p.m.
The final episodes of the series examine the relationship of the Western Allies with Stalin in determining the future of Poland and why the Allies collapsed and dissolved into the Cold War.
American Masters – Trumbo
Wednesday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Adapted from his son Christopher’s 2003 play, the program is based on the remarkable letters Dalton Trumbo wrote during the devastation wrought by the ‘Red Scare’ during the mid-20th century.
Great Lodges of the National Parks – Grand Lodges
Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m.
This four-part series looks at the grand lodges of the National Parks including Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite.
MI-5
Thursdays at 9:00 p.m.
A new season of MI-5 gets underway tonight. Tune in for action-packed drama with the clandestine British security service and the people who make up the team.
Inside: Speed Week
Thursday, September 3 at 10:00 p.m.
Hot-rodders converge on the salt flats of Bonneville with the intent of moving as fast as their wheels will allow. Inside investigates the science, action and challenges of producing this mega-event.
Mark Twain Tonight
Saturday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Hal Holbrook portrays Mark Twain in this one-man play and dramatic recitation of Twain’s writings.
MOVIE 13 – The Magnificent Ambersons
Saturday, September 5 at 8:30 p.m.
The young, handsome and wild Eugene Morgan wants to marry the upper-class Isabel Amberson but she chooses the dull and steady Wilbur Minafer instead. Their only child George grows up to be a spoiled brat. After Wilbur dies, Eugene returns and marries Isabel, only to fight efforts by relatives to sabotage the marriage. Directed by Orson Welles.
One-Star Theatre – Enemy from Space
Sunday, September 6 at 1:00 a.m.
Dr. Quatermass directs an important scientific base and builds nuclear rockets for the colonization of the Moon. Meteorites fall in a nearby village that leads to the discovery of a base under military control. Quartermass finds the factory is run by aliens with plans to conquer the Earth by controlling the brains of humans.
Now on PBS
Sunday, September 6 at 12:30 p.m.
The Emmy Award-winning PBS newsmagazine moves to a new time on KERA.
Hosted by David Brancaccio.
Masterpiece Mystery! Inspector Lewis II: Music to Die For
Sunday, September 6 at 8:00 p.m.
Kevin Whately returns as Inspector Lewis teamed with his cool, cerebral partner Detective Sergeant Hathaway to investigate murder and mayhem in Oxford, England.
History Detectives
Monday, September 7 at 8:00 p.m.
A new season of History Detectives explores the complexities of mysteries that connect folklore, family legends and interesting objects.
Sgt. Fitch: The Legacy of Sarg Records
Monday, September 7 at 9:00 p.m.
Explore the creation and influence of Sarg Records, a small independent label out of Austin, Texas that played an important role in launching the careers of some of today’s rock ‘n roll and country music legends.
Time Team America – Special Edition
Tuesday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Time Team America's British cousins unveil English treasures at an excavation site in Jamestown, Virginia and find buried secrets beneath famous residences in Britain in this two-hour special.
P.O.V. – The English Surgeon
Tuesday, September 8 at 10:00 p.m.
Dr. Henry Marsh is one of England's foremost brain surgeons. Surprisingly modest, he rides an old bike to work and worries about the potential damage of delicate surgery. The stakes are increased when he takes his skills to less developed countries. A new series from P.O.V.
Wide Angle – Time for School 3 – Part 1
Wednesday, September 9 at 10:00 p.m.
This award-winning documentary series follows seven children over a 12-year period in their struggle to get a basic education.
Great Lodges of the National Parks – Canyon Lodges
Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m.
The second episode of this four-part series travels to El Tovar, the first of the railroad lodges in the canyon lands, Zion Park, the first lodge in the Union Pacific "Loop Tour" concept, Bryce Canyon where expansion projects began almost as soon as the lodge opened and Grand Canyon, the crowning achievement of the "Loop Tour" which burned 4 years after it opened and rose from the ashes.
Globe Trekker – Western Canada
Thursday, September 10 at 8:00 p.m.
Zay visits the huge landmass of western Canada which is home to 9 million people.
His adventures begin in Saskatchewan with stops in Calgary, Jasper National Park and Whistler before winding up in the Yukon.
Inside: Miami International Airport
Thursday, September 10 at 10:00 p.m.
Inside takes a behind-the-scenes look at one of America’s busiest airports.
Walking with Dinosaurs – The Making of the Live Experience- Tune in for Tickets!
Saturday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Special effects experts take viewers on a behind-the-scenes journey to create life-sized walking dinosaurs for the Walking with Dinosaurs - The Live Experience arena show. From concept to creation, we follow the building process and meet the people behind it.
Roy Orbison: In Dreams – Barbara Orbison in the KERA studios
Saturday, September 12 at 8:00 p.m.
From his rockabilly start in 1950s Memphis to his symphonic 1960s pop masterpieces and 1980s comeback, Roy Orbison's recordings still rank as some of American music's finest. In Dreams marks his 70th anniversary with special interviews with Roy and his admirers. Barbara Orbison joins us in the studio.
Roy Orbison & Friends – A Black and White Night – Barbara Orbison in the KERA studios
Saturday, September 12 at 9:30 p.m.
Roy Orbison is joined by friends Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and others to perform some of his classics including Oh Pretty Woman, Only the Lonely and Blue Bayou.
Paving the Way: The National Park-to-Park Highway – See America First & Welcome Home
Sunday, September 13 at 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
This two-part series explores the Park-to-Park Highway, a 5,000-mile drive that brought Americans to the national parks before gas stations and paved roads existed.
Nature – The Good, the Bad and the Grizzly
Sunday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m.
This episode of Nature takes a look at the remarkable story of recovery and controversy surrounding the grizzly bear’s conservation success story.
Masterpiece Mystery! Inspector Lewis II: Life Born of Fire
Sunday, September 13 at 8:00 p.m.
A serial killer is targeting a religious group. As Lewis investigates, he is surprised to find Hathaway's personal connections to the group.
A Class Apart: American Experience
Monday, September 14 at 9:00 p.m.
A landmark civil rights case emerges from a small-town Texas murder in this story about the Mexican American lawyers who took Hernandez v. Texas to the Supreme Court and challenged Jim Crow-style discrimination.
Live from Lincoln Center – New York Philharmonic Opening Night Gala Concert
Wednesday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m.
This award-winning series brings the world’s greatest artists to home viewers. The new season opens with the New York Philharmonic Opening Night Gala.
American Masters – Orozco: Man of Fire
Wednesday, September 16 at 9:00 p.m.
Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) lived a life filled with drama, adversity, and triumph and emerged with an aesthetic and moral vision unparalleled in twentieth century painting. A KERA co-production.
Wide Angle – Time for School 3, Part 2
Wednesday, September 16 at 10:00 p.m.
This 12-year documentary project follows children in seven countries who are struggling to get a basic education. The program began filming in 2002 and returns in 2009 to visit children in Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya and Romania.
Great Lodges of the National Parks – Glacier Lodges
Thursday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Visit Glacier Park Lodge located at the foot of three glaciers in Glacier National Park and Sperry Chalet, originally part of a chain of remote hostels, but only two have survived the onslaught of time.
Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen
Saturday, September 19 at 11:00 a.m.
Uncover the best of America’s home cooking with recipes developed through in-depth kitchen testing in this new television series.
Mexico: One Plate at a Time
Saturday, September 19 at 4:00 p.m.
Discover the flavors of the Yucatan, investigate the use of chilies and learn how to pit grill a pig in a new season of this popular television cooking program.
Lidia’s Italy III
Saturday, September 19 at 4:30 p.m.
Lidia’s Italy III begins a new season with a celebration of the land she calls home. Lidia travels to the source of Italy’s delicious food products and is joined by family, friends and guest chefs to prepare recipes discovered along the way.
Avec Eric
Saturday, September 19 at 5:30 p.m.
Life is a journey. Some people take photos. Some write books. Others cook. Travel to new destinations, meet people and cook familiar and new foods in this new series.
Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians
Saturday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m.
A nostalgic series that features the legendary band leader and his orchestra, the program uses archival footage and opens and closes with anecdotes and little-known facts presented by Al Pierson, leader of the Guy Lombardo Orchestra.
Movie 13 – Stand and Deliver
Saturday, September 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Jaime Escalante is a mathematics teacher who adopts unconventional teaching methods to try to turn gang members into some of the country’s top algebra and calculus students.
One-Star Theatre – Horrors of Spider Island
Sunday, September 20 at 1:00 a.m.
A troupe of beautiful dancers is stranded on a deserted island. Their carefree life is interrupted when a radioactive spider bites their manager and turns him into a wild-eyed, furry-faced monster with three fangs and a passion for strangling.
Note by Note: The Making of Steinway
Sunday, September 20 at 1:00 p.m.
This independent documentary follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano from forest floor to concert hall and explores the relationship between the musician and the instrument.
Great Performances – Vienna Philharmonic Summer Concert 2009
Sunday, September 20 at 2:00 p.m.
The world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic presents an open-air concert at the magnificent gardens of Austria's Imperial Schoenbrunn Palace in this new program by Great Performances.
American Masters – Hollywood Chinese
Sunday, September 20 at 3:30 p.m.
From the sexed-up Suzie Wong to the kung fu fighting Bruce Lee, American Masters tackles issues of race and representation in Hollywood Chinese. The film features a treasure trove of clips and personal accounts from the movie industry’s most accomplished Chinese and Chinese American talent.
Masterpiece Mystery! Inspector Lewis II: The Great and the Good
Sunday, September 20 at 8:00 p.m.
Lewis and Hathaway investigate the case of a teenager found dazed and drugged in a field. Lewis is determined to crack the case but finds his own status as a social outsider may be clouding his judgment in his investigation of Oxford's most prestigious social circles.
History Detectives
Monday, September 21 at 8:00 p.m.
History Detectives concludes with this final episode for the season. Tune in to explore historical mysteries, facts and myths with experts in architecture, popular culture, sociology, archeology, genealogy and other fields.
P.O.V. – Bronx Princess
Tuesday, September 22 at 10:00 p.m.
This coming of age story follows a Bronx-bred teenager and daughter of Ghanaian parents. She rebels against her mother and flees to her father in Ghana only to come in conflict with her father’s traditional African values.
Great Lodges of the National Parks II –Part 1: Death Valley, the Northwest, and Hawaii and Part 2: Alaska and the Rockies
Wednesday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Great Lodges visits Death Valley’s Furnace Creek Inn, Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic National Forest of the Pacific Northwest and Volcano House at Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park. The series returns in Part 2 with trips to Stanley Hotel at Rocky Mountain National Park, Jackson Lake Lodge at the foot of Grand Teton and on to Alaska to visit Glacier Bay Lodge and Camp Denali on North America’s highest peak.
Wallace Stegner
Wednesday, September 23 at 9:00 p.m.
Coined the phrase “America’s Best Idea”
Wallace Stegner was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and non-fiction author of religion, nature and the western landscape. He was first to refer to the national parks as “the best idea we ever had.”
Wild River: The Colorado
Wednesday, September 23 at 10:00 p.m.
Explore the Colorado River from its headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park to the rapids of the Grand Canyon and enjoy the scenery of the Arches and Zion National Parks along the way.
Great Lodges of the National Parks – Lodges of the Pacific Northwest
Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m.
The final episode of Great Lodges takes us to Paradise Inn in the Pacific Northwest and the Timberline Oregon Caves both restored to full beauty after suffering environmental damage.
Globe Trekker – Globe Trekker Food Hour – Mexico
Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m.
This culinary adventure in Mexico introduces viewers to the markets and chilies of Mexico City, the tequila of Oaxaca, the chocolate of Puebla and the fresh flavors of the Caribbean coast.
Inside: Rolling Stones in Rio
Thursday, September 24 at 10:00 p.m.
Inside takes viewers behind the scenes for a look at the extreme challenges of producing the Rolling Stones concert in Rio de Janeiro and controlling the crowd of some 1.5 million people.
CEO
Friday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Host Lee Cullum talks with John Scott, President and CEO of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
Movie 13: One, Two, Three
Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 p.m.
C.R. MacNamara oversees the Coca-Cola branch in Germany and is vying for a position in London when his daughter travels to Europe, falls in love and marries a Communist. When he learns his boss is coming to Europe for a visit, MacNamara is faced with the challenge of converting the new husband to Capitalism so he can present him as a fine young man and get his post in London.
One-Star Theatre – Eeqah
Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 a.m.
A teenage girl is frightened by a 7-foot giant that appears in her path while driving through the desert. She escapes and returns to the site with her boyfriend. The giant returns to terrorize them and the entire community of Palm Springs, California.
National Parks: America’s Best Idea – The Scripture of Nature
Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 27 at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Filmed over more than six years on some of nature’s most spectacular locations, the documentary is a story about people of every background, their devotion to saving the land they love and in doing so, reminding other citizens about the meaning of democracy. The series opens with an episode dedicated to Yosemite and Yellowstone, which inspired Congressional protection in the mid-1800s. Watch the entire six-part televised series on KERA-TV beginning Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Legacies of the Land: A Tale of Texas
Sunday, September 27 at 9:00 p.m.
John Henry Falk narrates this KERA production about Texas, the land and the people.
National Parks: America’s Best Idea – The Last Refuge 1890-1915
Monday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m.
In part two of the National Parks series, President Theodore Roosevelt becomes one of the national parks' greatest champions, a magnificent species is rescued from extinction in Yellowstone and John Muir fights the battle of his life to save the beautiful Yosemite Valley.
Ghost Town: 24 Hours in Terlingua
Monday, September 28 at 9:30 p.m.
Travel to the Texas ghost town of Terlingua in this documentary about the once bustling mining town which is now a haven for offbeat citizens.
Yellowstone: Land to Life
Monday, September 28 at 10:00 p.m.
Filmmaker John Grabowska presents a lyrical interpretation of the sweeping geologic story of Yellowstone, the formation of its glaciers, mountain ranges and the gigantic caldera of a super volcano. The documentary was filmed over two years in all seasons and illuminates the intimate bonds between the landscape and biology.
National Parks: America’s Best Idea – The Empire of Grandeur 1915-1919
Tuesday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Part three of the series works its way chronologically through the history of the national parks featuring characters from every walk of life who dedicated their lives to insuring all could enjoy these places.
Independent Lens: Our Disappeared/Nuestros Desaparecidos
Tuesday, September 29 at 10:00 p.m.
They dreamed of a revolution that would transform Argentina, but many disappeared – never to be seen again. Thirty years after leaving his native country, Director Juan Mandelbaum tells the story behind the brutal events surrounding the country’s military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983 that still haunts Argentina today.
National Parks: America’s Best Idea – Going Home 1920-1933
Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.
While visiting the parks was once the luxury of wealthy Americans who could afford high-priced train tours, the arrival of the automobile allowed more people to visit the parks. Virgin forest in the Smoky Mountains is protected by establishing it as a park and John D. Rockefeller Jr. quietly buys land in the Teton Mountain Range and valley with the secret plan of donating it to the government as a park.
