WAR STORIES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 @ 9:00PM
Uncover a long history of military service in the families of Patricia Arquette, Julianne Moore and John McCain, and how this has instilled in each of them an enduring spirit of strength and integrity.
Category Archives: Program Highlights
THE PERFECT CRIME
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
TUESDAY, APRIL 10 @ 7:00PM & 12:00AM
The shocking story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy college students who murdered a 14-year-old boy in 1924 to prove they were smart enough to get away with it. Their trial, with famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow and Cook County Prosecutor Robert Crowe debating the death penalty and scores of commentators weighing in from the sidelines, set off a national debate about morality and capital punishment.
INDEPENDENT LENS
A BALLERINA’S TALE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 @ 8:00PM
Few dancers reach the elite level of ballet; of that already small number only a fraction are black women. Misty Copeland shattered those barriers in 2015, making history as the first African American principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT).
A Ballerina’s Tale intimately documents Copeland’s historic rise while shining a light on the absence of women of color at major ballet companies. The film also explores how ballet’s emphasis on waifish bodies impacts the health of ballerinas while sending a negative message to young fans.
MERCY STREET
THE BELLE ALLIANCE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 @ 11:00PM
During a Union ball at their house, the Green girls and Frank initiate a daring plan to help Tom escape. Mary releases Dr. Foster, still shaky from his detox, from his “quarantine” so he can guide Samuel through a delicate operation.
DOWNTON ABBEY
SEASON 6 ON MASTERPIECE
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6 @ 7:00PM & 10:00PM
The hospital war reaches a climax. Violet goes on the warpath. Daisy tries to foil a romance. Prospects are looking up for Mary and Edith. Thomas feels trapped…and things begin to look up for the Crawley sisters.
WASHINGTON WEEK
WITH GWEN IFILL
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 @ 9:00PM
This Week on Washington Week: 2016 race turns to New Hampshire; Clinton, Sanders debate “progressive” values; Cruz, Trump, Rubio lead Republican field in Iowa.
LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER
FROM BOCELLI TO BARTON
RICHARD TUCKER OPERA GALA
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 @ 9:00PM
A perennial highlight of the opera season returns to PBS with a star-studded galaxy of great voices. This year, Renée Fleming and 2015 Richard Tucker Award winner Jamie Barton are joined by Andrea Bocelli, Angela Gheorghiu, Lawrence Brownlee and other opera world favorites, along with a couple of fresh new faces and future stars.
NOVA
CREATURES OF LIGHT
WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 @ 10:00PM
On a summer’s night, there’s nothing more magic than watching the soft glow of fireflies switching on and off. Few other life forms on land can light up the night, but in the dark depths of the oceans, it’s a different story: nearly 90% of all species shine from within. Whether it’s to scare off predators, fish for prey, or lure a mate, the language of light is everywhere in the ocean depths, and scientists are finally starting to decode it.
MURDER OF A PRESIDENT
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 @ 10:00PM
Murder of a President is the story of James Garfield, one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president, and his assassination by a deluded madman named Charles Guiteau. The story follows Garfield’s unprecedented rise to power, his shooting only four months into his presidency, and its bizarre and heartbreaking aftermath. The two-hour film is based on Candice Millard’s bestselling and Edgar Award-winning Destiny of the Republic.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS
VISIONARIES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 @ 8:00PM
Discover how the ancestors of business mogul Richard Branson and architects Maya Lin and Frank Gehry took audacious risks to create opportunities, and how their luck, ingenuity and chutzpah was passed on to these three visionaries.