WITH MARIA HINOJOSA
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 @ 7:30PM
The US ranks shockingly 56th in the world for infant mortality. In Rochester, New York, black and Latino babies die at three times the rate of white babies. Why is this happening, and what is Rochester doing to reverse these dramatic disparities? Find out in this episode of AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS.
WITH GWEN IFILL
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 @ 9:00PM
The U.S. and China reached a historic agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions this week that seemed to signal a new international collaboration on addressing climate change. But on Capitol Hill the plan sparked predictable partisan debates as Congress reconvened.
Despite post-election pledges of cooperation and bipartisanship from Republicans and Democrats, the start of the lame duck session of Congress saw both parties bickering over not only climate change but also judicial appointments and the hot-button issue of immigration reform.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 @ 8:00PM
“HITMAKERS” is an up-close look at the music industry’s resilience in the digital age, from the perspective of groundbreaking artists, music label mavericks, and game-changing managers. These crucial players have shaped the music business over the past 100 years, changing pop culture in the process. Today’s artists challenge the paradigm further, taking control of their careers and sometimes shucking the system altogether to record and release music on their own. Record labels large and small also have found they must innovate to thrive. Entertaining and thoughtful, “HITMAKERS” boasts an unforgettable soundtrack. The special features interviews and performances from notable artists such as Melissa Etheridge, The Roots’ Questlove, Sharon Jones, rising DJ/producer Steve Aoki, and many more.
EMPEROR’S GHOST ARMY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4 @ 10:00PM
In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Lost and forgotten for over 2,200 years, this clay army, 8,000-strong, stands poised to help the First Emperor rule again beyond the grave. Now, a new archaeological campaign is probing the thousands of figures entombed in the mausoleum.
THE BRITISH INVASION
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 @ 9:00PM
Deepak Chopra, Sally Field and Sting’s ancestry demonstrates the extraordinary influence of the British Empire during the 18th and early 19th century.
THEIR UNTOLD STORY
TUESDAY, AUGUST @ 6:00PM & 11:00PM
Despite the widespread attention paid to the Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) since they killed Osama bin Laden, the story of how these clandestine warriors evolved in response to changing threats — from WWII to the War on Terror — and how their extraordinary abilities shaped U.S. and world history, has remained untold. Few people know the unheralded tales of the first frogmen who dared to face almost certain death with little training, scant equipment and untested tactics.
WORRICKER: TURKS & CAICOS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM
Sun, sand, and CIA are the themes of Johnny’s (Bill Nighy) clandestine retirement on a Caribbean island, overrun with high-rolling American businessmen who are bankrolling a mysterious project. Their worldly-wise publicist (Winona Ryder) and a tycoon named Curtis (Christopher Walken) befriend Johnny. The cloak-and-dagger life revives when a dodgy British philanthropist named Stirling Rogers (Rupert Graves) arrives with an associate, Margot (Helena Bonham Carter), whom Johnny knows well. Johnny’s new mission is to escape from an ever-tightening noose.
WITH GWEN IFILL
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 @ 9:00PM
President Obama and Republican lawmakers have both pledged to work together to end the political gridlock that has left many Americans frustrated. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the soon-to-be majority leader, has vowed to make the Senate more effective and functional to pass legislation. President Obama said he was eager to work with the new Congress and plans to meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Friday to discuss issues where there may be room for compromise.
But immigration reform remains a divisive issue that could dim hopes of a new bipartisan spirit in Washington. On Wednesday the president reiterated his promise to take executive action if lawmakers fail to pass a comprehensive bill. Republicans warn that taking unilateral action would “poison the well” and stall any chance for immigration reform to move through Congress.
IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 @ 6:00PM
A Salute to the Troops: In Performance at the White House” is a PBS music special from the South Lawn of the White House. President and Mrs. Obama will host the event on Thursday, November 6, 2014 in advance of Veterans Day and as part of The White House “Joining Forces” initiative, with an all-star tribute to the men and women who serve theUnited States. The concert, which will have a live audience that will include hundreds of members of the military, will feature performances by Mary J. Blige, Common, John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Romeo Santos, and also active duty military members U.S. Army SGT. Christiana R. Ball, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Matt Smith and Capt. John Ed Auer. Don Was will be the music director. The production is also working with the USO, for a performance by Daughtry via satellite of their USO concert at Yokota Air Base inJapan, as well as a live-viewing audience of troops from the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir in Virginia— both to be included in the White House concert and the broadcast. (Program subject to change.)
A SLOTH NAMED VELCRO
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24 @ 9:00PM
In 2000 in the jungles of Panama, a young journalist, named Ana, has a chance encounter with a tiny orphaned sloth, which she names Velcro. For nearly two years, the pair is inseparable until finally Ana travels up a remote river to reintroduce Velcro back to the wild. This is the story Ana’s return to Central and South America to see how much has changed since Velcro came into her life. Sloths, once largely ignored, have become a hot topic of scientific researchers. New studies are showing that they’re not so sloth-like after all, that they have social structures, they move like primates, and that males keep small harems. Sloth sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers are also springing up throughout the Americas as development displaces these gentle creatures.