THE WORLD IS YOURS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31 @ 10:00PM

The sixth episode of Soundbreaking looks at a musical revolution that was not only inspired by recording but born from its history: the art of sampling––a kind of musical equivalent of Adam’s rib.  Beginning with the pioneers of hip hop (Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D, Rick Rubin), the episode tracks the way in which the practice of borrowing fragments from existing records created a new genre––a potent musical form that emerged from the margins, up-ended the establishment, and set in motion a controversy over copyright that has yet to be resolved.

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SEASON 2 ON MASTERPIECE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM

Demelza and Ross wage bitter war. Elizabeth postpones a big event. Demelza toys with temptation. Ross’s good deed is repaid. Lady luck pays a visit.

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FOUR ON THE FLOOR

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM

Chart the progression of the beat from drum and bass to beat box and beyond––from Little Richard and James Brown to disco with the Bee Gees, EDM and Beyoncé. Witness the endless experimentation that transformed the bedrock of all music.

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 SINGS SAPPY SONGS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5 @ 11:00PM

Get out your tissues and experience what The New York Times called “an emotional firestorm” as the award-winning television and Broadway star brings down the house with his acclaimed cabaret show.

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GOING ELECTRIC

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM

From the electric guitar to synthesized music, learn how innovators used electricity to unleash new sounds. Evaluate the power of technology to continuously redefine music, from Delta blues to the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder and Devo.

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EPISODE 3

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 @ 8:00PM

Learn why DCI Brand, under pressure to charge her prime suspect, is still unconvinced they’ve found the killer. As she begins to piece together the child’s final hours, she finds her instinct as a mother at war with her desire to solve the crime.

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THE HUMAN INSTRUMENT

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM

Celebrate the most essential part of a song and the most challenging to capture––the vocal track. Consider the ineffable emotional quality that makes a vocal track truly great; with Adele, Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguilera.

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TREASURES OF THE EARTH

POWER

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 @ 6:00PM

Drill down to discover the treasures beneath our feet that power our world. Fossil fuels–coal, oil, and natural gas–powered the industrial revolution and allowed us to build a way of life that many cherish today. Personal cars, planes, lights, hot showers–all of these are gifts from our fossil fuels… but they have a dirty dark side in that they are polluting the planet. What is it about these natural resources that has allowed them to fuel our civilization? What secrets are locked in their molecules? Where did that energy come from, and can we find alternative energy resources that come in a cleaner form? The hunt is on for new treasures that might allow us to power our modern way of life without damaging the environment.

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AND STILL I RISE

OUT OF THE SHADOWS/MOVE ON UP

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 @ 9:00PM

In his new four-hour series, BLACK AMERICA SINCE MLK: AND STILL I RISE, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. embarks on a deeply personal journey through the last fifty years of African American history. Joined by leading scholars, celebrities, and a dynamic cast of people who shaped these years, Gates travels from the victories of the civil rights movement up to today, asking profound questions about the state of black America—and our nation as a whole. (Aired 11/15/16)

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PAINTING WITH SOUND

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 @ 10:00PM

The second episode in our series chronicles a watershed event in the history of music: the moment when the recording studio itself effectively became an instrument and gave rise to sounds that could never be reproduced live. Beginning with the advent of magnetic tape and multi-tracking technology, and charting its evolution from the four or eight tracks used by The Beatles and The Beach Boys, to the sixteen- and twenty-four track productions created by Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, to the digital innovations that today fuel the work of artists such as Beck, Bon Iver, and Radiohead.

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