INSIDE OBAMA’S PRESIDENCY
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 @ 7:00PM
As Barack Obama is sworn in for his second term, FRONTLINE takes a probing look at the first four years of his presidency. With inside accounts from his battles with his Republican opponents over health care and the economy to his dramatic expansion of targeted killings of enemies, FRONTLINE examines the president’s key decisions and the experiences that will inform his second term.
SOUL FOOD JUNKIES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31 @ 10:00 PM
Food traditions are hard to change, especially when they’re passed on from generation to generation. Baffled by his dad’s unwillingness to change his traditional soul food diet in the face of a health crisis, filmmaker Byron Hurt sets out to learn more about this rich culinary tradition and its relevance to black cultural identity.
DOWNTON ABBEY SEASON 3 – EPISODE 2
SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 @ 7:00PM & 10:00PM
The fate of Downton Abbey hinges on a letter from a dead man. Edith and Sir Anthony face their own fateful moment. Mrs. Hughes confronts a crisis.
Shirley MacLaine joins the much-loved cast of Downton Abbey, which includes Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter, Penelope Wilton, and a host of others. Written and created by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey, Season 3 marks the return of one of television’s most beloved and anticipated drama series to MASTERPIECE on PBS on MCPTV 26.1.
WITH GWEN IFILL
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 @ 9:00PM
This Week on Washington Week: Obama’s Cabinet Nominations and the Future of Gun Legislation. President Obama announced three cabinet changes this week adding to to his national security and economic teams, and Vice President Biden is heading up a task force that will present gun legislation options to President Obama.
VOLCANO DOCTORS
THURSDAY, MARCH 6 @ 7:00PM
Narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, Life on Fire series offers a close up look at volcanoes, providing viewers with a never seen before look at their effect on the environment around them.
Each episode of Life on Fire paints survival stories around different volcanoes. From the dark abyss to pristine snow-capped peaks, spectacular scenery provides the backdrop for the extraordinary animals and plants that have learned to juggle with fire. Each time a volcano erupts, animals have a choice: face the consequences or flee.
CUBA: THE ACCIDENTAL EDEN
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9 @ 6:00PM & 11:00PM
Cuba may have been restricted politically and economically for the past 50 years, but its borders have remained open to wildlife for which Cuba’s undeveloped islands are an irresistible draw. While many islands in the Caribbean have poisoned or paved over their ecological riches on land and in the sea in pursuit of a growing tourist industry, Cuba’s wild landscapes have remained virtually untouched, creating a safe haven for rare and intriguing indigenous animals, as well as for hundreds of species of migrating birds and marine creatures. Coral reefs have benefited, too. Independent research has shown that Cuba’s corals are doing much better than others both in the Caribbean and around the world.
THE EDUCATION OF MICHELLE RHEE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 @ 10:00PM
FRONTLINE correspondent John Merrow was granted unprecedented access to Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of the Washington, DC public schools as she attempted to fix a broken school system.
Yesterday the education reform group StudentsFirst, led by former D.C. public schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, released a report grading states based on adherence to its platform, giving 12 states failing grades of F. The highest grade any state received was a B-.
THE ABOLITIONISTS
TUESDAY, JULY 7 @7:00PM & 11:00PM
Radicals. Agitators. Troublemakers. Liberators. Called by many names, the abolitionists tore the nation apart in order to make a more perfect union. Men and women, black and white, Northerners and Southerners, poor and wealthy, these passionate anti-slavery activists fought body and soul in the most important civil rights crusade in American history. What began as a pacifist movement fueled by persuasion and prayer became a fiery and furious struggle that forever changed the nation.
SECRETS OF HIGHCLERE CASTLE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 @ 7:30PM & 10:30PM
Secrets of Highclere Castle is the true story of one of the world’s most famous homes, Highclere Castle in England. Famous as the location backdrop to the hugely-popular costume drama Downton Abbey, the castle also has its own extraordinary tales to tell.
For centuries it has been the real-life home of the aristocratic Carnarvon family, and has entertained Kings and Queens of England along with a host of nobilities and celebrities.
DOWNTON ABBEY SEASON 3
SEASON PREMIERE
SUNDAY, JANUARY 6 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM
Downton Abbey has weathered the war, and the prospect of an impending wedding for Mary and Matthew brings great anticipation, as well as Cora’s mother from America, Martha Levinson. New World and Old World are about to clash as Martha tests tradition at Downton, and the patience of the formidable Lady Violet.
Aside from the sparks upstairs, a very real crisis threatens the foundation and future of Downton. Great houses have been crippled psychologically and financially in the wake of World War I, and Downton may not be exempt. In response, Robert clings decisively to his duty to maintain the home at all costs. But in this changing landscape, nothing is assured, and even the Crawleys may be faced with a new battle to safeguard their beloved Downton.