Posted on May 18th, 2012

Discover even more unique art from the nation’s emerging artists as your PBS station celebrates the arts. Tune in on Fridays for full-length performances (both new and old), artist and performer profiles, behind-the-scenes documentaries and more.

May 18th at 9 pm, John Portman: A Life of Building examines the work and legacy of one of the world’s most daring and influential architects. Over the last 45 years, John Portman’s iconic urban structures and eye-popping interiors steadily rose in 60 cities across four continents, helping redefine cityscapes in the United States and skylines in Asia. Once considered a maverick because he eschewed long-accepted industry standards, critics and leading architecture schools now fully embrace Portman’s design approach, which emphasizes function, purpose and sensory experience. John Portman: A Life of Building showcases Portman’s buildings using dramatic time-lapse footage. The film also features interviews with Portman, architecture critic Paul Goldberg (The New Yorker), Harvard professors Mack Scogin and Michael Hays, business associates Mickey Steinberg and A.J. Robinson, architect Jacque Robertson, art critic Robert Craig and Portman’s children.

Following at 10PM, The Decemberists and Gillian Welch showcase the best in contemporary songwriting on Austin City Limits. The Decemberists highlight songs from their release The King Is Dead. Welch and her partner David Rawlings follow up with songs from her album The Harrow & the Harvest.

Posted on May 18th, 2012

Finding Your Roots at 7 pm Sunday crisscrosses Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean and the Southwest to reveal stories of ancestral Conquistadors and Indian rebels.

Sherlock faces Moriarty’s diabolical plot to “get Sherlock,” which begins innocently enough when the criminal mastermind breaks into the Crown Jewels on Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock, Series II at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday.

“The World, the War, and Texas” at 9 pm Monday tells the story of World War II through the eyes of Texans. Accounts from a variety of veterans and civilians (including a Holocaust survivor) are interwoven with a deep historical perspective of the global conflict, illustrating the war’s dramatic impact on life in Central Texas.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday investigates the parallel stories of collapsing Pacific salmon populations and how biologists and engineers engage in audacious experiments to shore up their numbers.

Nova at 8 pm Wednesday joins an exclusive dive beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor to trace new clues to the historic sinking of the USS Arizona in “Killer Subs In Pearl Harbor.”

Nova at 9 pm Wednesday combines forensic detective work with an in-depth look at why the Sabre and the MiG acquired their reputations as legendary fighting machines during the Russian and American clash over Korea in “Missing in MiG Alley”.

Rising roots rock kings the Avett Brothers and Ohio-to-Austin transplants Heartless Bastards take over the Austin City Limits stage at 10 pm Wednesday and 10 pm Friday.

Jill Abramson, executive editor of The New York Times, talks about the state of journalism today on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Arts In Context at 7:30 pm Thursday documents the University of Texas Visual Arts Center’s Artist-in-Residence Diana Al-Hadid’s collaboration with students, faculty and staff to construct her large-scale sculptural installation “Suspended After Image.”

Independent Lens at 9 pm Thursday presents “Left By The Ship,” a documentary that explores the lives of the many children born to U.S. servicemen who were stationed in military bases in the Philippines until 1992.

Recorded at Boston’s House of Blues, “Goat Rodeo Live” captures the artistry of four string virtuosos: renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, bluegrass fiddler Stuart Duncan, bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolin wizard Chris Thile.

Meet some waterwise plants for sustainable gardens with Lauren and Scott Ogden on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. On tour, visit a makeover where native plants and wildlife replaced lawn.

At 6 pm Saturday, the annual National Geographic Bee returns for the 24th consecutive year and will feature fourth- to eighth-graders vying for the national championship.

Contemporary folk rock takes the stage with Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly on Austin City Limits at 7 pm

Posted on May 17th, 2012

Nature “Salmon: Running The Gauntlet” at 7 pm
This film investigates the parallel stories of collapsing Pacific salmon populations and how biologists and engineers engage in audacious experiments to shore up their numbers. Each of our efforts to save salmon has involved replacing their natural cycle of reproduction and death with a radically manipulated life history. Our once great runs of salmon are now conceived in laboratories, raised in tanks, driven in trucks and farmed in pens. The program goes beyond the ongoing debate over how to save an endangered species. In its exposure of a wildly creative, hopelessly complex and stunningly expensive approach to managing salmon, the film explores possible paths to salmon recovery.

NOVA “Killer Subs in Pearl Harbor” at 8 pm
NOVA joins an exclusive dive beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor to trace new clues to the historic sinking of the USS Arizona. 1,177 crew members perished in the dramatic 1941 sinking of the storied battleship-the greatest loss of life in United States naval history. For decades, it has been thought that the Arizona was brought down by fire from Japanese aircraft. But the discovery of a Japanese “midget sub” displaced from the scene of the battle raises new questions about the Arizona’s final hours. Severed into three pieces and dropped in 1,200-foot deep water outside of the harbor, the sub matches four other experimental vessels discovered in shallower water closer to the harbor entrance. All were equipped with a pair of torpedoes-but only the torpedoes of the fifth sub are still missing, apparently fired at an unknown target. What was the submarine’s mission? Why was it laid to rest so far from the harbor? What was the fate of its two-man crew? With unprecedented access to the Arizona wreckage, NOVA teams up with the Hawaii Undersea Research Lab to use manned deep submersibles in an attempt to resurrect the fifth midget submarine.

NOVA “Missing in MiG Alley” at 9 pm
Russian and American fighters clashed over Korea in one of the fastest dogfights ever seen. This was the world’s first jet war, pitting the two most advanced planes of their day, the American F-86 Sabre and the Soviet MiG-15, in furious air battles that pushed their pilots’ skills to the limit. The epicenter of the air campaign was MiG Alley, a strip of airspace between the Korean-Chinese border. Flying higher and faster than ever before, American and British pilots had little idea of the hidden dangers that awaited them if they were shot down. Thirty-one Sabre pilots are believed to have survived crash landings, and the evidence suggests that a few of the pilots were captured and secretly imprisoned in Russia. In “Missing in MiG Alley,” NOVA follows the poignant and sometimes harrowing efforts of family members to trace what happened to pilots who went missing over half a century ago. The program combines forensic detective work with an in-depth look at why the Sabre and the MiG acquired their reputations as legendary fighting machines. With the help of dramatic reconstructions, rare archival footage and interviews with veteran aces, NOVA puts viewers in the cockpit to experience the lethal split-second duels in the skies over MiG Alley.

Posted on May 16th, 2012

Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Robert Caro
DATE: May 23
TIME: 10:30 am (Doors open at 10)
LOCATION: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map).
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now

Robert Caro won a Pulitzer for his first biography, an in-depth and well-received look at Robert Moses and his impact on 20th century New York. Caro began researching that book when he was a newspaper reporter fascinated by the idea of political power and the unexpected places where it could be found. That project led to more questions about political power, more volumes of biography, and more awards. Caro is now four volumes into his biography of President Lyndon Johnson, and has earned another Pulitzer, a National Book Award and a National Humanities Medal. The latest book in his series about LBJ, The Passage of Power, examines Johnson’s life from 1958 to 1964 – an extraordinary time in our nation’s history and in Johnson’s career.

We hope you’ll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith continues a second season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS viewers from California to Florida. We’d love to see you in the studio for the interview, and for a chance to join the audience Q&A after the interview. You can watch this and other interviews and q&a segments at klru.org/overheard

Posted on May 15th, 2012

John Stark was 60 years old when he went back to college for a master’s degree in journalism after 40 years as a writer and editor at newspapers and magazines. John knew he would need an advanced degree in order to join a college faculty, if he chose to further his career by becoming a teacher.

In a photography class, John’s professor was presenting a series of iconic images; one was a famous photograph that John recognized right away. The professor asked the students how the photographer had managed to get the lighting just right.

John raised his hand. “If you sit someplace long enough, you’ll eventually get what you want,” he said.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” the professor asked.

“I’m just saying what Ansel Adams told me when I asked him that question,” John replied.

John is just one of the writers and contributors with full life experiences who is creating content for Next Avenue a new public television website focused on America’s booming over-50 population. Like many people his age, John has a wealth of experience and, at the same time, is exploring new chapters every day.

Next Avenue is an inclusive, vibrant, and congenial gathering room for curious learners to come together, discover, and explore a constellation of trustworthy, inspirational, entertaining, and actionable content specifically tailored to the concerns and interests of the 50+ generation.

The website publishes articles and blog posts from top experts and leading journalists on the topics most important to baby boomers, such as: Money & Security, Living & Learning, Caregiving, Work & Purpose and Health & Well-Being.  The website features videos, e-newsletters, and opportunities to connect with others on these and other important issues.

It aims to make sense of the impact of developing news and points to critical information and concrete actions in a way that mirrors the intelligence, thoughtfulness, curiosity, and vitality of our audience. Next Avenue is devoted to helping all adults live the lives they aspire to.

What does the future look like to you? Log on to klru.org/nextavenue to contribute your voice to the discussion. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Posted on May 14th, 2012

May CharityBash Hosted by KLRU Next

Posted on May 14th, 2012

Check out three new episodes of ARTHUR!

MUFFY’S CLASSY CLASSICS CLUB/BEST ENEMIES
Wednesday, May 23 and Monday, May 28 @ 3 p.m.
Muffy’s Classy Classics Club – Muffy buys all of the pretty books and pretty dolls in the Pretty Pioneers series, and invites her friends to join a pretty book club. But she can’t take their criticisms that the books are, well, rather poorly written. Will the book club disband or can Muffy open up to new literary experiences?
Best Enemies – Mom has new clients coming over and they have a daughter who is D.W.’s age….and her name is even W.D.! They’re going to be the best of friends! Turns out, no. They don’t have anything in common. So D.W. and W.D. work together to convince their parents that they’ll just never get along…and somehow, have a lot of fun in the process.

BUSTER’S GARDEN OF GRIEF/THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Thursday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 30 @ 3 p.m.
Buster’s Garden of Grief - With Fritz gone, Buster is in charge of the community garden, but it proves to be too much for just one person. Can Buster and his friends put the “community” back in community gardening or will it end up getting paved over?
Through the Looking Glasses – Arthur can’t find his glasses and has to get new ones, but all the attention he is getting from these new hipper glasses has gone straight to his head! Buster figures that it’s up to him to get the old Arthur back.

THE BUTLER DID…WHAT?/THE TROUBLE WITH TROPHIES
Friday, May 25 @ 3 p.m.
The Butler Did…What? – Bailey is missing! He just left, leaving no note. With the help of the Baxter Detective Agency, Muffy discovers a series of clues…an old class picture, a receipt for a trumpet and old jazz albums. And Muffy is left wondering, who exactly IS Bailey? And-will he ever come back!?
The Trouble with Trophies - Everyone loves getting trophies, right? It turns out that Fern could not care less about them. Yet Muffy is convinced that Fern must be despairing about never having won anything, and she sets out to give Fern a prize no matter what…. whether Fern wants it or not.

Posted on May 11th, 2012

Every picture tells a story, but in Fake or Fortune? valuable paintings are about to be treated as crime scenes. Beyond the genteel galleries and upmarket auction houses of the art world lies a dimension rarely seen – a darker side of incalculable wealth, social ambition and sometimes subterfuge. This engaging four-part mini-series follows a recognized art sleuth, a doctor of history and cutting edge scientists as they join forces to discover the truth behind controversial paintings. From Paris and Amsterdam to Cape Town and New York, they employ old-fashioned detective skills, real-time investigations and the latest forensic testing to reveal compelling tales of lost masterpieces, forgers and Nazi-looted art. Fake or Fortune? airs Monday evenings starting May 4th at 8:55pm. You can watch preview clips on the show’s BBC website.

#101 – Monet, Monet, Monet
In the art world, Monet means money. But in order to make big bucks, paintings thought to be painted by Monet must be accepted into the official register, the “catalogue raisonne” – a five-volume tome which lists every Monet in existence. For the last 18 years, art collector David has been imploring the Wildenstein family who publishes the catalog to accept his painting as a genuine Monet. Despite his research and support of the world’s heavyweight Monet scholars, Guy Wildenstein refuses to accept the painting. Is it or is it not a Monet?

#102 – Lost Picture
Fisherman Tony couldn’t believe his luck when he stumbled upon a pile of pictures apparently dumped at his favorite riverside spot. Fast forward 15 years and Tony, accompanied by his daughter, is told by Philip Mould at a recording of Antiques Roadshow that one of the pictures is an unknown work by Winslow Homer, worth £30,000.

#103 – The Genuine Article
The art world can be a bear pit with a myriad of tricksters at work. Hanging in one of the most prestigious and respected art institutes in London is a picture Philip has heard of, which may hold the key to unlocking the story of the most audacious forger of all time. Is this a forgery from Han Van Meegeren, a man who dared to fake the work of old masters and made millions from his deception until he was caught in 1945?

#104 – Spoils of War
Suspicions are aroused when Philip and his researcher Bendor spot a rogue picture for sale in a South African auction house. It exudes all the classic scent of being a “sleeper,” an important picture that has been miscataloged and offered for a very low price. But there’s a darker side revealed when investigations discover that it is a wanted painting, once thought to have been painted by Rembrandt and stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

Posted on May 11th, 2012

Musician John Legend and comedian Wanda Sykes discover the extraordinary stories of the free black ancestors they never knew about on “Finding Your Roots” at 7 pm Sunday.

Sherlock and Watson pursue the trail of the Baskerville experiments – top-secret government research on genetically engineered gigantic animals for military use on Masterpiece Mystery! Presents: “Sherlock, Series II” at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday.

Johnny Carson: American Masters at 8 pm Monday explores the life and career of “The Tonight Show” host through unprecedented access to Carson’s personal and professional archives.

Clinton: American Experience part two of two at 7 pm Tuesday explores the story of an American president who rose from a broken childhood in Arkansas to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday examines the day-to-day dramas of an extended family of koalas, seen through the eyes of the scientists studying their every move and vocalization on “Cracking The Koala Code”.

Nova at 8 pm Wednesday reveals the untold final chapter of the Spanish conquest of Peru: not the Spanish walkover familiar from popular accounts, but rather a protracted and complex war of astonishing brutality that almost led to the Spanish losing their precarious foothold in the Andes in “The Great Inca Rebellion.”

Follow famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and his wife, Meave, daughter Louise and their colleagues as they work in the arid northern regions of Kenya’s Turkana Basin to unravel the mysteries of human evolution on Bones of Turkanaat 9 pm Wednesday.

The Decemberists and Gillian Welch showcase the best in contemporary songwriting on Austin City Limits at 10 pm Wednesday and 10 pm Friday.

Musician Chris Isaak talks about his career on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

On Arts In Context at 7:30 pm Thursday, world-renowned classical guitarist Jorge Caballero performs the classic work Pictures At An Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky.

Chet goes to Jefferson, Texas, on The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday.

Independent Lens at 9 pm Thursday presents “Precious Knowledge”, a documentary providing an insider’s perspective as Arizona student leaders fight to save their ethnic studies classes.

Identify the busy bees in your garden and how to keep them around on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. Tour the native gardens of Natural Bridge Caverns, where nature’s connection starts above ground.
Rising roots rock kings the Avett Brothers and Ohio-to-Austin transplants Heartless Bastards take over the Austin City Limits stage at 7 pm Saturday.

Posted on May 10th, 2012

Nature “Cracking the Koala Code” at 7 pm
This program examines the day-to-day dramas of an extended family of koalas, seen through the eyes of the scientists studying their every move and vocalization. Fascinating social dynamics include territorial displays, vicious fighting and the surprising life and loves of a “traveling salesman,” a rogue male who truly plays the field. New science even “cracks the koala communication code,” providing insights into their basic language and social structure.

NOVA “The Great Inca Rebellion” at 8 pm
In an impoverished suburb of Lima, in an ancient cemetery crammed with more than 1,000 pre-Columbian mummies, Peruvian archaeologist Guillermo Cock makes a startling find. He discovers dozens of corpses that differ from all the rest: they were hastily buried and disfigured by appalling wounds and fractures inflicted by steel blades and crude bullets. Forensic experts diagnose these remains as victims of a little-known battle that pitted club-wielding Inca warriors against Spanish cavalry. The battle turns out to be a decisive turning point that helps explain a long-standing mystery about the Spanish conquest of Peru. How, in 1532, did a tiny band of Spanish soldiers crush the mighty Inca empire, then the most powerful civilization in the Americas, with a network of roads that spanned over 2,000 miles? Were the conquistadors’ obvious advantages — steel arms, gunpowder and horses — the key to their success, as is usually supposed? Or were disease and civil war more decisive factors that were downplayed by the Spanish chroniclers? With the help of this new evidence from the Lima cemetery, NOVA reveals the untold final chapter of the conquest: not the Spanish walkover familiar from popular accounts, but rather a protracted and complex war of astonishing brutality that almost led to the Spanish losing their precarious foothold in the Andes.

Bones of Turkana at 9 pm
Follow famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and his wife, Meave, daughter Louise and their colleagues as they work in the arid northern regions of Kenya’s Turkana Basin to unravel the mysteries of human evolution. While one of the Leakeys’ goals is to demonstrate the complexity and truth of human evolution, they also seek to show how the qualities that we proudly call human were all born in Africa. The story that emerges in the film is exciting, emotional, contemplative, occasionally funny and, in the end, transforming. This is Africa at its most beautiful and harshest.