PBS Prime Time for Teachers

Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers: The Wonder Pill

Airs: Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 9 pm
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.pbs.org/saf

Suppose you were sick and your doctor gave you a choice of medicine: on the one hand, a heavy-hitting drug with risks of side effects; on the other, a pill that has proved effective in one-third to one-half of patients taking it, has been through thousands of clinical trials and has minimal side effects. Before you answer, consider that no one is quite sure how it works — and it doesn’t actually contain any active drug. Would you try it?

The mystery pill is actually a placebo, or sugar pill — a hot topic in medicine. In Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers’ The Wonder Pill, Alda meets scientists who are exploring the placebo effect — the often-positive response that patients have to sham medical treatments or procedures.

American Experience

Airs: Mondays at 9 pm
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/

Partners of the Heart (Feb. 10 at 9 pm)
The improbable alliance of black medical genius Vivien Thomas and white surgeon Alfred Blalock began in Depression-era Nashville. Their work together at Vanderbilt University and later at Johns Hopkins led to one of the century's significant medical breakthroughs: the pioneering of daring heart operations that saved thousands of children afflicted with a congenital heart defect called "blue baby syndrome."

Mount Rushmore (Feb. 17 at 9 pm)
A temperamental artist's determination propelled the largest sculptural project in history. Gutzon Borglum directed dozens of ordinary Americans in the creation of what some called a monstrosity and others a masterpiece.

The Pill (Feb. 24 at 9 pm)
The birth control pill was developed by two elderly female activists who demanded a contraceptive women could eat like aspirin and who funded the scientific research themselves. Finally, in May 1960, the FDA approved the sale of a pill that arguably would have a greater impact on American culture than any other drug in the nation's history.

Freedom: A History of US

Airs: Sundays at 8 pm & 8:30 pm
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/

This series tells the poignant and finally triumphant story of the ever-widening circles of American freedom. It is the story of that light of freedom seen through the eyes of patriots, pilgrims and pioneers — and slaves, women, immigrants and laborers, who struggled for their share in the American dream. The series is based on the best-selling book series about American history by Joy Hakim. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush introduce the series. Katie Couric hosts. The series’ creative consultant is Christopher Reeve. He and the producers have assembled a stellar cast that includes Julia Roberts, Robin Williams, Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Reese Witherspoon, Sean Connery, Billy Crystal and Kevin Kline.

Napoleon

Airs: Mondays at 10 pm in February
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon

“My life is a novel,” Napoleon Bonaparte once said of his tumultuous journey from genteel poverty in his native Corsica to great wealth and absolute power over vast expanses of Europe. Loved and despised, venerated and feared, Napoleon strode the world stage as soldier, emperor, statesman and lover for nearly two decades after riding the wave of the French Revolution to extraordinary power.

The greatest artists of his time rendered Napoleon and his exploits in countless paintings, both factual and fanciful, and he has been the subject of more books and feature films than possibly anyone who has ever lived. Until now, however, there has not been an in-depth documentary series chronicling the life of this man who transformed his time and whose influence is still felt today.

Napoleon is a four-part documentary written and directed by David Grubin, the Emmy-winning filmmaker of acclaimed PBS documentaries about Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman.

Nature: The Reptiles

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Airs: Sundays at 7 pm in February
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/

This four-part miniseries presents a fast-paced, full-of-surprises look at the remarkable creatures that millions of years ago dominated the planet, but today struggle to overcome numerous problems, including a mostly undeserved bad reputation. The programs highlight the amazing abilities and broad diversity of reptiles and introduces the people who love and study them. Episode titles are Alligators and Crocodiles, Snakes, Turtles and Tortoises, and Lizards.

NOVA

Airs: Tuesdays at 8 pm
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova

Battle of the X-Planes (Feb. 4 at 8 pm)
Two aviation giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing compete to build the next generation fighter jet and win the largest government contract ever awarded.

Mountain of Ice (Feb. 11 at 8 pm)
Mountaineers and scientists battle the snowy precipices of Antarctica's highest peak, the Vinson Massif. The film is narrated by Jon Krakauer, mountaineer and best-selling author of Into Thin Air. His high-risk expedition to scale the icy peak is interwoven with the epic story of Scott and Amundsen's race to reach the South Pole in 1912.

Lost Treasures of Tibet (Feb. 18 at 8 pm)
Mustang is a tiny kingdom barely touched by time, hemmed in by the world's tallest peaks along the northern border of Nepal. This speck of neglected land conceals a spectacular treasure from the past: the monastery of Thubchen, decorated with astonishing, intricate and expressive medieval wall paintings. Severely damaged by a leaking roof and stained by soot from the butter lamps of devout monks, the paintings are crumbling fast. Can a team of architects and art conservators save these unique works of Tibetan Buddhist art?

Shackleton’s Voyage of Endurance (Feb. 25 at 8 pm)
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set out with a crew aboard The Endurance with the hope of being the first expedition to cross the Antarctic continent. However, packed ice crushed their frail wooden ship and left Shackleton and his men stranded nearly 1,200 miles from civilization. Over the 14 months that followed, the group embarked on a harrowing journey that would end when Shackleton made a daring 800-mile solo voyage aboard a small rowboat to find help.