TINA FEY

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM

Taped at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on November 9, the 90-minute special features a star-studded cast of Fey’s friends and colleagues including top entertainers Fred Armisen, Steve Carell, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Hudson, Jane Krakowski, Steve Martin, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Tracy Morgan, Amy Poehler and Betty White. The evening pays tribute to the humor and accomplishments of the popular writer, producer, actress and comedienne.

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MEDAL OF HONOR

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11 @ 8:00PM & 11:00PM

What makes a person face almost certain death in order to save the lives of others? What gives a person the strength to endure unspeakable acts of torture under the hands of an enemy without losing the will to carry on? And is every person, if put into the same situation, capable of such virtues? Can we all be heroes?

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BORN TO BE CIRCUS & DOWN THE ROAD

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19 @ 7:30PM & 10:30PM

Born to Be “Circus” – Big Apple “Circus” founder Paul Binder embarks on his annual trip to scout new talent at the renowned Monte Carlo “Circus” festival. Not only is this one of the glitziest social events of the year, but it’s also an opportunity to stay connected with the international “Circus” community, the extended family if you will. Here,we learn about the long tradition of “Circus”, and how those in this community are working to ensure that “Circus” survives.

Down the Road – In the series’ final episode, we traverse the final three months of the season. In the homestretch everyone is happy that the end is in sight, though many are uncertain about their job prospects when the season ends in July. Many of our characters are looking forward to bright futures – a 17-year old acrobat who was born and raised in the “Circus” is excited to go off to college, and one of the ring crew has found his soulmate in another crew member. As the trailers start to pull out of the lot, people jump out of their cars to give each other one last hug, and a “see you down the road,” the age-old “Circus” farewell, and we watch the tent come down one last time.

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DOGS DECODED

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3 @ 10:00PM

“Dogs Decoded” reveals the science behind the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs and investigates new discoveries in genetics that are illuminating the origin of dogs—with surprising implications for the evolution of human culture. Other research is proving what dog lovers have suspected all along: Dogs have an uncanny ability to read and respond to human emotions. Humans, in turn, respond to dogs with the same hormone responsible for bonding mothers to their babies. How did this incredible relationship between humans and dogs come to be? And how can dogs, so closely related to fearsome wild wolves, behave so differently?

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SHERLOCK

THE GREAT GAME

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

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Last Enemy) is bored. And he’s not just staring at the wall, he’s shooting at it. London is quiet and peaceful, and for Holmes, that is nothing short of maddening. An explosion rocks Holmes and Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman, The Office UK) out of their doldrums and into a series of deadly puzzles conceived by a brilliant bomber. It starts with a pair of shoes left in the center of an empty room — shoes connected to a case that caught Holmes’s interest twenty years ago as a boy. Soon a blood-soaked car, a television star and a recovered classic painting figure into an ever-widening cat-and-mouse game. As fast as Holmes can deduce answers, more cryptic clues arrive from his intelligent and violent adversary.

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WAY OF THE WARRIOR

SATURDAY, MARCH 26 @ 8:00PM

Way of the Warrior uses personal stories of heroes and soldiers to examine the warrior ethic in Indian Country and understand why military service is so highly valued in native communities. These gripping stories from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam weave a tapestry of positive and negative themes: the warrior ethic, prejudice and stereotypes, forced assimilation, poverty, cultural pride, redemptive acts and healing. The documentary uses historical footage, period photographs, native music, personal diaries and interviews to reveal what it means to be “ogichidaa,” one who protects and follows the way of the warrior.

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FIRST OF MAY & ONE RING FAMILY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 @7:30PM & 10:30PM

The bright lights of a circus ring are an illusion. It’s a world lit by lightning, a transforming circle that, for an hour or two, turns our dreams into the living, breathing words of reality. Inevitably, the show must end: The lights dim, the crowds dissipate into the darkness of the night, and the cast and crew are left with the quiet big top and the nooks and crannies between trailers and tents. But look closely: There’s another world in the grass and gravel alleys behind the circus. Here, in the narrow paths between trucks and trailers is where the cast and crew gather to shrug off the stresses of the day: the missed cue, the near-disaster in the ring, the money troubles and fears for the future. On the stoops of their trailers they swap tall tales. Beside the barbecue pits they trade recipes. In the narrow paths between their homes the performers practice back flips or spit takes or falling down in funny ways, all while the circus children perform expert belly flops in portable swimming pools. Here is where the circus lives, where the cast and crew laugh, bicker, goof around and fight boredom off with all of their might. Grab a chair and sit for while.

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TRAPPED IN AN ELEVATOR

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 @ 6:00PM 7 9:00PM

New Yorker Nicholas White was trapped in an elevator for 41 hours. How did it happen? How do elevators work? Are they safe? Why are so many people afraid of them? Across North America, elevators move 325 million passengers every day, most of the time without problems. But will the elevator-wary be comfortable handing over the reins to computers? Once brawny but simple machines, elevators are now getting a brainy makeover and reaching new heights. “Trapped in an Elevator” reveals the secrets of these ubiquitous machines and investigates personal stories of those who have been caught inside when they do fail.

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TRAIL OF TEARS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1 @ 7:00PM & 10:00PM

The Cherokee would call it Nu-No-Du-Na-Tlo-Hi-Lu, “The Trail Where They Cried.” On May 26, 1838, federal troops forced thousands of Cherokee from their homes in the Southeastern United States, driving them toward Indian Territory in Eastern Oklahoma. More than 4,000 died of disease and starvation along the way.

For years the Cherokee had resisted removal from their land in every way they knew. Convinced that white America rejected Native Americans because they were “savages,” Cherokee leaders established a republic with a European-style legislature and legal system. Many Cherokee became Christian and adopted westernized education for their children. Their visionary principal chief, John Ross, would even take the Cherokee case to the Supreme Court, where he won a crucial recognition of tribal sovereignty that still resonates.
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SHERLOCK

THE BLIND BANKER

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM

Turns out that living with a genius isn’t so easy — just ask Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman, The Office UK). Watson is scrambling to do the errands and find a job while Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Last Enemy) sits around, apparently in deep contemplation. Sherlock seems oblivious, and in no hurry to take a case. When there’s been a break-in at a bank, Sherlock inexplicably springs into action. Nothing has been stolen, only indecipherable graffiti painted on a wall. A bank employee is soon found dead in his apartment, the windows and doors locked from the inside, and Sherlock is at full, frenetic attention.

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