Program Highlights | WSKG Public TV

May Highlights

Wednesday, May 14

9 PM -- THE ADIRONDACKS
Sprawled across six million acres in upstate New York, the Adirondack Park is by far the largest park in the lower 48 states. Yet it is the only one on the continent in which large human populations live and whose land is divided almost evenly between protected wilderness and privately owned tracts. This patchwork pattern of land ownership has created an utterly unique place that maintains, at its very heart, a delicate and dynamic relationship between progress and preservation. Through the varied perspectives of several passionate characters, this high-definition program explores the remarkable history, seasonal landscape and current state of the Adirondacks.

Tuesday, May 20

10 PM -- INDEPENDENT LENS: A DREAM IN DOUBT
It was the first hate-based murder in the wake of September 11, 2001 — one of thousands of reported and unreported hate crimes in the years that followed. The victim: a turbaned Sikh man in Mesa, Arizona, where his family had sought religious freedom. The family is still determined to believe in the American Dream, even as the nightmare continues for many religious and ethnic minorities in a climate of xenophobia and fear. By Rana Singh Sodhi.

Visit Independent Lens Website

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21

9 PM -- DEPRESSION: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
A 90-minute documentary about clinical depression is followed by a half-hour panel discussion hosted by Jane Pauley. The documentary tells the dramatic stories of people of different ages, from diverse backgrounds, who live with various forms of clinical depression — and explores its causes and treatments. Following the broadcast of the documentary, veteran journalist Jane Pauley hosts a panel discussion with mental health experts to discuss the issues raised in the film.

MONDAY, MAY 25

8 PM -- NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT (2008)
PBS will unite our nation in honor of all of America’s men and women in uniform for their service and sacrifice with this annual presentation. The event will be led for the third year by co-hosts Gary Sinise (“CSI: NY”) and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”), two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veterans’ causes and supporting our troops in active service.

This year, the event will pay special tribute to the veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and the sacred war memorials built in their honor in Washington, DC. Actor and decorated World War II veteran Charles Durning, a longtime participant in the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, will also be recognized for his bravery and sacrifice as part of the “greatest generation,” who stepped forward in a time of need. The valor of the country's newest veterans will be honored through an examination of the bonds that buddies form on the battlefields of Afghanistan.

The television event will feature a mix of dramatic readings, documentary footage and live musical performances, along with an all-star line-up of dignitaries, actors and musical artists. This includes music legend Gladys Knight, classical crossover soprano and star of the stage Sarah Brightman, Best Actress Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel (Wicked , Rent ), actor and comedian Denis Leary (Rescue Me ), country music star Rodney Atkins, actor and singer John Schneider, actress Gail O'Grady, film and television actress Caitlin Wachs, General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) and Charles Durning, the quintessential character actor and recipient of the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. The National Symphony Orchestra will be performing under the direction of top pops conductor Erich Kunzel. The event is broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, before an on-site audience of hundreds of thousands and is viewed by millions more at home. It can also be seen overseas by U.S. military personnel in more than 175 countries and aboard more than 200 U.S. Navy ships at sea on American Forces Radio and Television Network. Visit Website

Sunday, May 11

1 PM -- THE FIRST EMPEROR
The First Emperor is an epic story of love, power, and betrayal. The story centers on the Emperor Qin — the first emperor of China — a controversial and brutal ruler best known for unifying the country, building the Great Wall, and creating a vast army of terra cotta soldiers to guard his tomb. Chinese composer Tan Dun's epic opera features legendary tenor Plàcido Domingo as Emperor Qin. Tan Dun's music is a fascinating mix of East and West, and this monumental production is staged by revered Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, with costumes by Oscar-winning designer Emi Wada. (High Definition Only)

Sunday, May 18

1 PM -- PETER GRIMES
During a coroner’s inquest at the town hall, the lawyer Swallow questions the fisherman Peter Grimes about the death of his apprentice during a storm at sea. Though the room is crowded with villagers hostile to Grimes, Swallow accepts the man’s explanation of the event and rules that the boy died accidentally. He warns Grimes not to take on another apprentice unless he lives with a woman who can care for the boy. When the hall empties, Ellen Orford, the schoolmistress, asks Grimes to have courage and promises to help him find a better life. Patricia Racette, Anthony Dean Griffey and Anthony Michaels-Moore star in a new production of the modern masterpiece by Benjamin Britten. (Standard Definition and High Definition)

Sunday, May 25

1 PM -- EUGENE ONEGIN
Eugene Onegin is the story of a Russian Aristocrat who has found his life to be empty and devoid of any amount of pleasure, despite the beauty and wealth that surrounds him. Trying to discover what life holds for him and why he should go on living, Eugene moves to the country and meets Tatyana, an eccentric country maiden who falls in love with Eugene. This novel is a classic Pushkin with comments on decency and life, beautifully written to engage the reader." (High Definition Only)

Visit Great Performances Website

THE PRESIDENTS

This spring, as a pivotal presidential election approaches, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE presents THE PRESIDENTS: seven 20th-century biographies that offer an intimate and compelling look at the men who have defined and re-defined the modern presidency, and who led the country through some of the most turbulent and consequential moments in our history.

FDR
Mondays, May 12 and 19, 2008 at 9 pm

Radio broadcasts beamed his voice into living rooms around the country; his picture hung on the wall. His wife was the most admired woman in the country. “FDR” goes beyond the familiar words and images to offer an incisive, often startling portrait of one of the most extraordinary personalities ever elected to the presidency. One of the nation’s most popular presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt served three terms—longer than anyone before or since — and led the country through two great crises of this century: the Great Depression and World War II. The series includes archival film, home movies and audio clips; newly-filmed footage of significant landmarks in FDR’s life; an album of family photographs; and interviews with family members, friends and witnesses to history.

Truman
Sunday and Monday, May 25 and 26, 2008 at 9 pm

He was a farmer, a haberdasher gone bankrupt, an unknown politician from Missouri who suddenly found himself president. Of all the men who had held office, he was the least prepared. Yet Harry S Truman would have to end the war with Germany and Japan, decide whether to use the most terrible weapon ever devised, confront the Soviet Union, and wage war in Korea.

Visit American Experience Website

Doping for Gold
Wednesday, May 7 at 8 pm

In the 1970s, female East German athletes came out of nowhere to dominate international sport. But behind their success lay a secret, state-sponsored doping program that distributed untested steroids and male hormones to athletes as young as 12. Many of these girls had no knowledge that they were being doped, and now, as grown women (and men), their broken bodies and damaged psyches bear witness to the cruelty of a government that pursued international glory and gold at the expense of its most acclaimed citizens. “Doping for Gold” digs deep into the secretive Cold War world of East German athletes, examining what drugs were used, how they were distributed and what damage they did to many of the athletes who were forced to take them. The result creates a timely perspective on today’s many doping scandals and reveals the truth behind the biggest and most horrifying state-sponsored doping program the world has ever known.

Sinking Atlantis
Wednesday, May 14 at 8 pm

Five thousand years ago, the Minoans, Europe’s first great civilization, flourished on the island of Crete. They were the first Europeans to use writing, and their technologically advanced and rich artistic culture became the setting for famous Greek myths about Theseus, Icarus and the Minotaur. Yet in their heyday, the Minoans were wiped from the pages of history. The cause of their downfall has remained one of the foremost mysteries of the ancient world … until now. “Sinking Atlantis” explores — and discounts — all the usual theories about the disappearance of the Minoans — from a massive volcano that buried them in ash to Greek invaders who conquered and killed them. Then, the film digs deeper into the soil and the history, following archeologist Sandy MacGillivray as he finds startling evidence of a massive tsunami that struck the island and destroyed all the major Minoan cities. Was this the origin of the myth of Altantis? Drawing from the archaeological records, new revelations about Minoan language and religion and shocking new geological discoveries, MacGillivray connects fact with fiction and reveals the truth behind the reign and fall of the great Minoan civilization. records, new revelations about Minoan language and religion and shocking new geological discoveries, MacGillivray connects fact with fiction and reveals the truth behind the reign and fall of the great Minoan civilization.

The Hunt for Nazi Scientists
Wednesday, May 21 at 8 pm

This episode explores the silent race between the Allies to capture Germany's top scientists during the waning days of World War II. As Hitler's technologically superior empire crumbled and the Allies marched to victory, each side sent out secret missions with the sole purpose of tracking down and securing the cream of Germany's scientific crop and capturing their secrets. With the Cold War looming and the know-how to build rockets, airplanes, submarines and perhaps even nuclear weapons on the line, these raids behind enemy lines took on ever-increasing importance. This episode tells the dramatic, untold story of this race and is filled with real-life accounts of the secret raids, rare archival footage, vivid eyewitness testimonies, visits to the hidden technological hideaways of the Nazis and the exploration of a technological legacy that played itself out well into the Cold War and the race for space.

Visit Secrets of the Dead Website

Cranford
Sundays at 9 pm

A sleepy 1840s English village comes to life with gossip, parties, romances, sudden death, bankruptcy and the drama of an encroaching railway on the three-part “Cranford,” based on the beloved Victorian-era writings of Elizabeth Gaskell. Gaskell combines the romantic flair of Jane Austen with the class-consciousness of Charles Dickens. The all-star cast includes Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis, Imelda Staunton and enough other top actors to populate a picturesque hamlet.

May 11 -- Episode 2: The approaching railway and resulting social upheaval spark a crime wave in Cranford, with a mugging and a missing leg of mutton. Local vagrant Job Gregson is blamed, but his son Harry has an incriminating alibi. Meanwhile, Matty has a reunion with Mr. Holbrook, the suitor she spurned decades earlier.

May 18 -- Episode 3: Through a terrible misunderstanding, Dr. Harrison becomes engaged to three ladies at once, casting him into disgrace. Meanwhile, Mr. Carter discovers with horror that Lady Ludlow has mortgaged her estate. Matty, too, is in hock after her bank fails. Then tragedy strikes on the railway. Can Cranford’s tight-knit community survive all these disasters?

Visit Masterpiece Website