 |
PBS 45 & 49 May 2003 Prime Time & Overnight for Teachers
Hitler’s Victory
Airs: Monday, May 12, 3 am to 4:30 am
Educator Rights: 1 Year
This program asks, "What would the Nazis have done if they had conquered Britain?" Filmmakers paint a vivid picture of this frightening scenario with advanced computer graphics and through the use of extensive German archives of plans for England; a Nazi propaganda film called "The Invasion of England," shot in Belgium in 1940; and secret blueprints for a British resistance movement.
Ken Burns American Stories: Baseball
Baseball: Shadow Ball (1930-1940)
Monday, May 5, 9 pm to 11:30 pm
The fifth "inning" of Baseball covers the sport’s desperate attempts to survive the Great Depression and Babe Ruth’s fading career, while a new generation of stars, including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, is on the rise. This episode also presents the parallel world of the Negro Leagues: Satchel Paige, arguably the best pitcher ever, against Josh Gibson, "the black Babe Ruth," in the Negro League World Series.
Baseball: The National Pastime (1940-1950)
Monday, May 12, 9 pm to 11:30 pm
This installment leads off with the baseball season of 1941, one of the most exciting of all time. Joe DiMaggio hit in 56 straight games, the longest hitting streak before or since. Ted Williams became the last man to hit .400. And the Brooklyn Dodgers won their first pennant in 20 years. Then the war intervenes and baseball’s best players become soldiers. On their return, the game — and the entire country — are changed: Branch Rickey integrates baseball on April 5, 1947, when Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers takes the field. Baseball finally becomes in fact what it had always claimed to be: America’s national pastime.
Baseball: The Capital of Baseball (1950-1960)
Monday, May 19, 9 pm to 11:30 pm
This film celebrates the glorious heyday of New York City baseball, where for 10 straight years a local team always played in the World Series and almost always won. Rare newsreel film and interviews illuminate some of baseball’s most memorable moments: the Shot Heard Round the World — Bobby Thomson’s home run off Ralph Branca in 1951 … Willie Mays’ incredible catch in the 1954 World Series … Don Larsen’s perfect game. 1955 provides the highlight of the episode when the Brooklyn Dodgers, sparked by Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella, finally win their first World Series, only to be moved to a new city 3,000 miles away, leaving an empty shell in Flatbush — and an emptier spot in the soul of every Brooklyn fan.
Ken Burns American Stories: The Congress
For 200 years, the United States Congress has been one of the country’s most important and least understood institutions. In this elegant, thoughtful and often touching portrait, Ken Burns explores the history and promise of this unique American institution. Using historical photographs and newsreels, evocative live footage and interviews with David Broder, Alistair Cooke, Cokie Roberts, Charles McDowell and others, the award-winning film chronicles the personalities, events and issues that have animated the first 200 years of Congress and, in turn, our country.
Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites
Airs: Wednesdays, May 14 & May 21, 9 pm to 11 pm
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.pbs.org
More than 3,000 years ago, a small group of tribes gave birth to a nation and a religion — a religion that would dare to redefine humanity’s relationship with God. This documentary tells the epic story of the Jews and the creation of the world’s most profoundly monotheistic religion. The stories of the patriarch Abraham, the liberator Moses, the poet-king David and his son, Solomon, all come to life in the dramatic tale of loss and triumph that has shaped humanity’s moral struggle for more than three millennia.
By the River of Babylon & The Book and the Sword
Wednesday, May 14, 9 pm to 11 pm
The End of Days / The Gifts of the Jews
Wednesday, May 21, 9 pm to 11 pm
NOVA
Avalanche!
Tuesday, May 6, 8 pm to 9 pm
NOVA tells the story of the men and women who live — and die — in avalanche country. When the snows bury the Rockies, avalanche control — including explosives, howitzers and recoilless rifles — is used to coax the snow downhill before it slides on its own. But death tolls are rising as an increasing number of skiers and snowmobilers heads into the backcountry. The stories of those who have survived being buried alive prove that avalanches are unpredictable. Can Americans learn something from Switzerland, where the study of snow science has a long history and an elite corps combats this natural phenomenon with precision and efficiency?
The Sinking City of Venice
Tuesday, May 13, 8 pm to 9 pm
Today’s tourists often need wading boots to explore the architectural wonders of Venice. Will they one day need diving suits? NOVA covers the battle to keep the world’s most unusual city from drowning beneath the rising tides of the Adriatic Sea. For centuries, Venetians have been fighting the forces of nature that threaten to alter their city’s precarious relationship with the encircling lagoon that has long served as protection from invading armies.
Lincoln’s Secret Weapon
Tuesday, May 20, 8 pm to 9 pm
This is the story of an armored combat vessel that opened a new chapter in naval warfare. At a critical moment of the American Civil War in 1861, the Navy commissioned the USS Monitor to test a daring idea — that a mechanical fighting machine could inflict a crushing defeat on Confederate forces. Not long after its legendary confrontation with the ironclad Merrimac, the Monitor sank in stormy seas off Cape Hatteras. Almost a century and a half after these momentous events, NOVA’s cameras follow the Navy’s risky efforts to salvage the secrets of the Monitor as it lies rusting on the ocean bottom.
Mountain of Ice
Tuesday, May 27, 8 pm to 9 pm
Set in a monochromatic landscape of white ice and snow, this film brings the audience face to face with ice. Mountaineers and scientists explore Antarctica’s highest peak, the Vinson Massif. The film is told through the voice of Jon Krakauer, mountaineer and best-selling author of Into Thin Air. This present-day expedition is interwoven with a look back at the race between Scott and Amundsen to reach the South Pole in 1912; Krakauer considers why one team failed and the other succeeded. The team’s geologist, Dan Stone, conducts a study to better understand whether Antarctica is shrinking or growing.
Ohio: 200 Years
Airs: Thursday, May 8, 9 pm to 10 pm; Saturday, May 10, 4 pm to 5 pm
Educator Rights: 1 Year
Online: http://www.wviz/ohio200
Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Lawrence Hott produced this one-hour documentary film. The film offers a snapshot of the state’s colorful history along with insights into the Ohio of today: a mix of odd, funny moments and life-changing events. In many respects, Ohio has followed with great precision all of the grand movements of American history. At other times, Ohio has done more than trace the American pattern: Ohio has helped create that history, trailblazing political, social, technological and other changes that have shaped the nation and what is commonly considered the “American way of life.”
Peter and Paul and the Christian Revolution
This program brings to life events that changed the world forever. Combining the words of Paul and other ancient writers with contemporary scholars, modern archaeology, and dramatic reenactments filmed in Europe and the Middle East, the special explores how two men weathered crippling disagreements and political persecution to lead one of history’s most astonishing religious movements.
The Rock and the River
May 15 & May 19
Peter becomes an indomitable figure among the followers of Jesus, uniting the group into a tight community of ardent believers. Paul has a startling revelation that leads him to embrace Peter’s faith as his own. For the fledgling religion, this is a turning point, as Paul uses his formidable talents to spread his new beliefs around the Roman Empire.
The Empire and the Kingdom
May 22 & May 26
Missionaries continue to spread Christian ideas among Jews and non-Jews throughout the empire. However, Paul falls into open and angry disagreement with some of the oldest members of the movement and splits with his one-time allies. In 70 AD, Judea erupts in revolt against Rome, which reestablishes control after four years of war and destroys much of Jerusalem. The scorched ground of Judea can no longer support a Jewish Christian movement, but the communities established by Paul will survive and grow.
The Roman Empire in the First Century
Order From Chaos / Years of Trial
Sunday, May 11, 3 pm to 5 pm
Millions of people — famous and uncelebrated — played parts in the astonishing resonance of Rome. But above them all was Caesar Augustus. Raised amid civil war, Augustus came to personify the people he led. He was contradictory: at once capable of brutal violence and tender compassion. He was influential: Augustus forged the image of Roman grandeur that endures to this day. And he was enormously popular. But those that crossed Augustus often faced dire consequences: his rivals Marc Antony and Cleopatra; the love poet, Ovid; even his own daughter, Julia. The story of Augustan Rome is the story of greatness at a price.
In the year 14 AD, Augustus died and the Empire stood at a crossroads. Would Rome continue on the course set by its first emperor... or return to chaos? A reluctant new emperor quickly inhabited the imperial palace, and quickly confronted mutiny and intrigue. At first, Tiberius struggled to live up to his predecessor. But he soon abandoned the effort. Tiberius' ultimate decline from ascetic ruler to reclusive despot ushered in one of the most notorious rulers of the ancient world — Caligula. As fear and conspiracy descended on Rome, crisis roiled the provinces. In Judea, a charismatic leader named Jesus challenged the religious and political establishment. The local furor barely touched Rome, but the legacy of Jesus would one day engulf the Empire itself.
Winds of Change / Years of Eruption
Sunday, May 18, 3 pm to 5 pm
In this episode, Claudius, the most unlikely member of the imperial family, becomes one of the greatest emperors of the Roman Empire — only to fall victim to a brutally ambitious wife. A principled philosopher named Seneca found himself compromised as a tutor to the erratic young Nero. In Britain, a warrior queen named Boudicca battled Roman legions, and in Judea, the Jewish people revolted. Under Nero's disastrous rule, Rome nearly burned to the ground. The Empire was on the edge of disaster.
With Nero's death, the dynasty of Augustus came to an end. And once again, the Empire faced an uncertain future. Rival generals fought for supremacy in the streets of Rome. A new dynasty brought another tyrant to the throne. Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii and thousands of people beneath a torrent of ash and mud. But the Empire weathered the crisis. As the first century drew to a close, Rome's legacy was destined to reverberate across the ages.
|
|
