TROUBLED WATER

TUESDAY, JUNE 29 @ 7:00PM & 10:00PM

FRONTLINE/World investigates one of its own stories, “The Play Pump,” which promised to use a merry-go-round and the power of children to help meet the dire need for fresh water in southern Africa. After the story aired in 2005, major donors, including the U.S. government, launched a multimillion-dollar campaign to install the device in thousands of African schools and villages. Now, correspondent Amy Costello investigates what happened to those communities, as the promise of the PlayPump fell short.

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A WORLD DIVIDED

MONDAY, AUGUST 8 @ 8:00PM & 11:00PM

While it’s hot and steamy this summer, why not explore the Cold War with PBS? THE WALL – A WORLD DIVIDED, premiering Monday, June 28 at 10 p.m., chronicles the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall and the Wall’s effects on the lives of ordinary Germans. From the secret plans to erect the wall in the middle of the night to the chaotic human events that tore it down, THE WALL is a fascinating history of the increasingly extreme attempts of a government to exercise power over the people.

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Miss Marple – The Blue Geranium

SUNDAY, JUNE 27 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM

Mary Pritchard, disliked even by the village reverend, is panicked that she is about to die, and a visit by a veiled fortune teller only fuels more paranoia about her fate. But when the wealthy Pritchard is actually found dead, reportedly from the shock of seeing the pink geranium in her wallpaper turn blue, the tension and accusations in Pritchard’s small village blossom wildly.

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The Korean War

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 @ 8:00PM

The words etched on the Korean War Memorial commemorate the service, commitment and sacrifice of the U.S. armed forces members who fought a war against communism half a world away. However, for 60 years the Korean War was referred to as a “police action,” “the Korean conflict” and “the Forgotten War.” Yet, in all senses of the word, it was war. While millions died and many more suffered from the hostilities, the nation collectively “forgot” about or ignored the war and its veterans. Unforgettable: The Korean War uses historical movies and personal photos combined with emotional remembrances to reveal the individual stories, the pride, the patriotism, the gallantry, the sacrifice and heartache behind “the Forgotten War.”

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23 @ 7:00PM & 10:00PM

HARP DREAMS documents the 2007 USA International Harp Competition, arguably the most prestigious competition for harp, it is generally considered among the most important of all music competitions. Roughly 30 players from around the world compete for first prize, which will almost certainly catapult the winner into a career as a first-class musician. Footage was captured in Moscow, Zurich, Paris and the USA. Blythe Danner narrates.

Kings of Camouflage

TUESDAY, JUNE 22 @ 6:00PM

If you’re what marine biologist Roger Hanlon calls “a yummy hunk of protein swimming in the ocean”—unprotected by a hard shell, prickly spines, or other armor—being able to change your looks in an instant and blend into your surroundings is an invaluable trait. Hanlon and other biologists think the ancient predecessors of modern cuttlefish may have evolved the ability to alter the colors, patterns, and even textures of their skin because such tricks kept them hidden from predators.

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MONDAY, JUNE 21 @ 7:00PM & 10:00PM

WHO IS JOHN F.? And did he smuggle a piece of Andy Warhol art onto the moon?

For our first episode of the season, we’re asking YOU to help us solve these mysteries. Watch this sneak preview from History Detectives’ 8th Season premiere, then read on to find out how you can get involved with this ongoing Apollo 12 investigation.
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Miss Marple

The Secret of Chimneys

FRIDAY, JUNE 03 @ 7:30PM & 12:30AM

History has been written within the walls of the stately Chimneys estate. But Chimneys luster was tarnished after a grand party that ended in the theft of a revered Indian diamond. Now, more than 20 years later, Miss Marple (Julia McKenzie, Cranford) is accompanying Virginia Revel to Chimneys, her family home, for a weekend with Virginia’s father Lord Caterham (Edward Fox, Oliver Twist), Austrian count Ludwig van Stainach and an odd array of other guests. But when Count Ludwig is found shot, it seems scandal has come again to Chimneys.

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FRIDAY, JUNE 18 @ 6:30PM & 11:30PM

Before BP’s oil disaster, the dapper Fred Astaire is what I associated with “top hat” – not a mad gush of crude oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.  Really, how many of us could identify a tar ball, let alone carry on a nuanced conversation about subsea containment systems, oil dispersants and riser insertion tools just a month or so ago?  This event has brought many lessons with it – admittedly not ones we particularly wanted – but one of them could come in handy.  Between the company’s steady stream of missteps and the inconvenient gaffes committed by its chief executive, we’ve been given an opportunity to see corporate crisis communication in action.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9 @ 7:00PM & 10:00PM

The majestic Alaskan brown bear is the largest predator in southeastern Alaska, but its ancient haunts are under siege. As modern worlds close in, the great bear’s world is shrinking and encounters between humans and bears are on the rise. Join researcher LaVern Beier as he uses cutting-edge technology to protect this extraordinary species. To observe on their own turf, without risking life and limb, LaVern attempts to deploy National Geographic’s Crittercam, until now used almost exclusively on marine animals. Vern and his colleagues are on the cusp of a revolution in terrestrial field science: the opportunity to vicariously walk with bears into the deepest comers of their habitats.

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