January 8th, 2010

Stunningly beautiful high-definition, high speed footage of hummingbirds in the wild combined with high-tech presentations of their remarkable abilities help us to understand the world of hummingbirds as we never have before on Nature at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Judi Dench returns in the sequel to the Emmy-nominated “Cranford” mini-series, the acclaimed story of everyday life in a small Cheshire market town on Masterpiece Classic at 8 p.m. Sunday.

KLRU celebrates the arts with this special focusing on Austin-area choirs. In Context: Voices of Light at 8 p.m. Monday features songs by Austin Chinese Choir and Capital City Men’s Chorus and the choirs from East Austin Baptist, Abiding Love Lutheran Church, The Lakeway Church and Barton Hills Elementary School. The diverse lineup illustrates that regardless of differences, the desire to express the experience of life through music is a common goal.

See how Sam Cooke put the spirit of the black church into popular music on American Masters Monday at 9 p.m. Through creating a new sound, he set into motion a chain of events that forever altered the course of popular music and race relations in America.

Hear for yourself how Marvin Gaye combined gospel, rhythm and blues, soul and jazz to create his own intimate style reflecting his “path of the heart” and giving us his autobiography in lyrics and sound on American Masters 10 p.m. Monday.

A magnificent trading vessel embarks on a royal expedition to a mysterious, treasure-laden land in Egypt called Punt. Tuesday at 7 p.m., Nova follows a team of archeologists and boat builders as they reconstruct the mighty vessel shown in the mysterious wall carving.

Independent Lens documents the true story of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young@Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA, whose average age is 81, and many of whom must overcome health adversities to participate at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

We are separated from our nearest relatives, the chimpanzees, by only one or two percent of our genes. Alan Alda sets out at 7 p.m. Wednesday on Human Spark to explore our differences and quickly finds that the scientists studying chimps and other non-human primates are themselves separated into opposing worldviews.

Recorded for television at the end of its Broadway run in July 2008 by Spike Lee, “Passing Strange” is the semi-autobiographical story of a young black man who leaves behind his middle-class, church-ruled upbringing in Los Angeles to travel to Europe in search of his identity, or what he calls “the real.” See it on Great Performances 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Legendary New Orleans songwriter Allen Toussaint hits the Austin City Limits stage with songs from his latest LP, The Bright Mississippi, and classic hits like “Southern Nights”  Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. and Friday at 9 p.m.

Republican candidates in the highly anticipated Texas gubernatorial race will square off in The Texas Debates: Race for Governor on Thursday, January 14, at 7 p.m.  The live debate broadcast to millions on television, radio and online throughout the state will include two-term Texas Governor Rick Perry and three-term U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Hip hop conquers the Austin City Limits stage with sets from alternative rapper/actor Mos Def, supporting his latest record, The Ecstatic; and Somalian native K’naan, performing songs from his acclaimed LP, Troubadour at 7 p.m. Saturday.

January 1st, 2010

On Canada’s remote Ellesmere Island, the race is on for species to raise their families in a place where fortunes are always uncertain. Travel there with Nature at 7 p.m. Sunday.

In episode three of Masterpiece Classic Cranford Sunday at 8 p.m., Matty suffers great disappointment and decides to confide in Mary about Mr. Holbrook. Meanwhile, Miss Pole invites the ladies of the town to a secret meeting to discuss Matty’s crisis.

Look at the importance of relationships and why they are central to emotional well-being 8 p.m. Monday on This Emotional Life through the inspiring stories of different peoples’ struggles with family, friend, and lover relationships.

With unprecedented access to the Arizona wreckage, Nova teams up with the Hawaii Undersea Research Lab to dive beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor to trace new clues to the historic sinking of the USS Arizona Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The second episode of This Emotional Life looks at emotions that are commonly regarded as obstacles to happiness - anger, fear, anxiety and despair. Learn how we are two minds - a rational brain that’s relatively new and an emotional brain that’s older than time Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Witness the spectacular paintings and carvings archeologists once thought to be the first record of Neanderthals in the caves of the Dordogne region of France; then explore the Great Rift Valley in East Africa where archeologists believe the Human Spark first began to glimmer, tens of thousands of years before it burst into flame in Europe Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The last episode of This Emotional Life explores happiness 8 p.m. Wednesday. It is critical to well-being, yet it remains such an elusive goal for many. The film comes full circle to the understanding that the quality of our relationships ultimately defines our happiness.

Gnarls Barkley brings its eccentric hip-hop and R&B sounds to Austin City Limits in support of its latest, The Odd Couple. Thievery Corporation follows with psychedelic worldbeat electronica from its new album, Radio Retaliation 10 p.m. Wednesday and 9 p.m. Friday.

Pulitzer-winning author Jane Smiley is known for her novels and essays about relationships, animals, politics and modern life is featured on Texas Monthly Talks at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Recycle, Reuse, Reduce… and Rethink. Learn how you can make a big difference by making small changes. Get the lowdown on the best places to park downtown and find out how the City plans to accommodate the growing number of vehicles in the CBD on Downtown at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Your Life, Your Money presents a broad range of fundamental financial information for young adults: from basic banking to credit debt to the importance of being economically literate and proactive with their personal finances 9 p.m. Thursday.

Legendary New Orleans songwriter Allen Toussaint hits the Austin City Limits stage with songs from his latest LP, The Bright Mississippi, and classic hits like “Southern Nights” Saturday at 7 p.m.

December 25th, 2009

The Drakensberg Mountains are Southern Africa’s Alps and the subject of this week’s Nature at 7 p.m. Sunday. Each spring, rains destroy grasslands at the base of the mountains, forcing animals to climb straight up sheer cliffs of volcanic rock, through gauntlets of storms and snow, to reach the grassy plateau.

In episode two of Masterpiece Classic, Cranford is beset by a crime wave—Dr. Harrison’s housekeeper discovers a leg of mutton has been stolen the same night as storeowner Mr. Johnson is mugged Sunday at 8 p.m.

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December 18th, 2009

Nature journeys in the footsteps of the men who first explored Yellowstone, realizing that everything from the unique crystals of individual snowflakes, to the grand sweep of Yellowstone’s Hayden Valley, this is a Christmas like no other 7 p.m. Sunday.

This Sunday at 8 p.m. Masterpiece Classics chronicles the absurdities and tragedies in the lives of the people of Cranford during one extraordinary year. In part one, Mary Smith flees a crisis at home in Manchester to stay with two spinster sisters in the small, rural town of Cranford.

The Nutcracker’s charming story, dazzling choreography, and magnificent Tchaikovsky score has made it one of the most popular and enduring ballets worldwide. The San Francisco Ballet does its own version on Great Performances 8 p.m. Monday.

Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell joins the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for a magnificent Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle celebration featuring some of the season’s most beloved songs 10 p.m. Monday, and 8 p.m. Thursday.

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December 11th, 2009

Find out how being born in the wild has evolved over time, and how animals interacting with their young, wrestling with the feelings and dilemmas that come with raising a baby, can mirror our own experiences Sunday at 7 p.m. on Nature.

Ken Burns’ The Civil War at 8:30 p.m. Sunday chronicles key battles in the war.

Anatomy of a Pandemic carefully examines the major issues surrounding the current H1N1 flu outbreak, and what the U.S. and other world governments should do to become better prepared to combat any widespread health emergency Monday at 8 p.m.

This encore Secrets of the Dead episode follows scientists who have been seeking to learn where the 1918 flu virus came from and what made it so deadly 9 p.m. Monday.

Highlighting the top performances from the LIVE 2008 Holiday Celebration at the Music Center of Los Angeles, L.A. Holiday Celebration 2009 reflects the cultural mosaic of Los Angeles as African, Asian, European and Latino performers join to express the joy of the season 10 p.m. Monday.

For the first time on television, Nova exposes the hidden world of high-tech, 21st-century eavesdropping carried out by the National Security Agency (NSA) 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Frontline presents the epic story of the rise of Christianity, exploring new evidence suggesting that Jesus’ followers, because of their diversity and the differences in their cultures and languages, looked at and interpreted Jesus and his teachings in many different ways 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Get in the mood for the upcoming holiday season Tuesday at 10 p.m. on National Christmas Tree Lighting 2009.

Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell joins the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for a magnificent Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle celebration featuring some of the season’s most beloved songs 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Great Performances at the Met at 8 p.m. Wednesday presents “Tosca.” The Tosca opera tells the story of three people-a famous opera singer, a free-thinking painter, and a sadistic chief of police-caught in a net of love and politics Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Col. Buzz Aldrin discusses his scientific contributions to space exploration on Texas Monthly Talks 7 p.m. Thursday, which include docking and rendezvous technology for spacecraft, innovation in underwater training for astronauts, and a master plan for missions to Mars.

Discover how Austin’s music venues and bands thrive in the new music model and why people travel across the globe to meet some of Lady Bird Lake’s most treasured residents – Carp! on Downtown Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Jerusalem is arguably one of the most fascinating and complicated cities in the world. Stroll through the holiest sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam 8 p.m. Thursday on Jerusalem: Center of the World.

Indie rock stars, The Decemberists, showcase their latest album and its distinctive storytelling prog-pop on their Austin City Limits debut. Next, instrumental quartet, Explosions in the Sky, affirms its power as a live act with tunes from its newest disk Friday at 9 p.m.

Austin City Limits at 7 p.m. Saturday features Kings Of Leon and Roky Erickson. Nashville band of brothers Kings of Leon rocks the ACL studio in support of its latest record Because of the Times. Psychedelic innovator Roky Erickson demonstrates why he’s a Texas rock & roll legend with songs from the length and breadth of his 40-year career.

Second Life is an online phenomenon - a virtual world that has millions of people around the globe living out their fantasy lives on the Internet. Ideal World illuminates this online community by utilizing video from the game, along with interviewing players and developers 10 p.m. Saturday.

December 4th, 2009

In 1980, Frank Sinatra performed a two-week engagement at Carnegie Hall, which at the time, set a record for the venue by selling out each show in just one day. See these performances on Sinatra at Carnegie Hall Sunday at 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

David Foster joins Andrea Bocelli for a new Christmas concert of holiday classics as they share the stage to present an elegant collection of seasonal favorites on Great Performances, Sunday at 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday.

Leonard Cohen has been one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time whose songs have set a virtually unmatched standard in their seriousness and range. See Leonard Cohen Live in London at 10:30 p.m. Sunday and Thursday to experience his overwhelmingly emotional crooning for yourself.

American families create unforgettable memories 7 p.m. Monday on National Parks: America’s Best Idea, passing on a love of the parks to the next generation.

Love Me Tender - The Love Songs of Elvis tells the warm story of the tender side of the King of Rock and Roll 10 p.m. Monday.

See what happens when London cab drivers begin to learn “the Knowledge,” the ability of the brain to interface with mechanical and electronic instruments on Brain Fitness Frontiers 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Live features rare, one-of-a-kind performances from the induction ceremonies of the Rock Hall of Fame at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Grammy-winning rock legend John Fogerty will star on the Emmy Award-winning live music series, Live by Request—the only television program where viewers actually create the artist’s set list and have the chance to personally talk to their music idol at 10 p.m. Tuesday and 7 p.m. Saturday.

Ed Sullivan’s Rock and Roll Classics –The 60’s presents classic full-length music performances - no plate spinners or dancing elephants - that evoke the spirit of that decade’s youth movement 7 p.m. Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Thursday and 9 p.m. Saturday.

The Three Tenors return to public television with a holiday special, Three Tenors Christmas, featuring popular Christmas songs as well as beloved carols and sacred songs this Wednesday at 9 p.m.

A one-hour concert featuring Austin-based, internationally celebrated choral ensemble, Conspirare who produce world-class choral and orchestral performances that combine outstanding vocal artistry and innovative programming 10:30 p.m. Wednesday on Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert.

In 1978, acclaimed musician Jeff Wayne composed and produced the best-selling concept album The Musical Version of the War of the Worlds. See his spectacular mix of music, theatre, multimedia and visual arts on War of the Worlds Live at 11 p.m. Friday.

Get a vivid and intimate look at how seven diverse cultures celebrate Christmas. From England to Norway, Burgundy to Bavaria, and Rome to the top of the Swiss Alps, Rick Steves’ European Christmas lets you experience traditional European Christmas like never before at 11 p.m. Saturday.

November 27th, 2009

Ed Sullivan’s Rock and Roll Classics –The 60’s presents classic full-length music performances - no plate spinners or dancing elephants - that evoke the spirit of that decade’s youth movement at 6 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Sunday and 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Shot in the breathtaking Ireland gardens (based on the gardens at the Palace of Versailles), the five women who comprise Celtic Woman provide an equally breathtaking performance on Celtic Woman: Songs From the Heart 8 p.m. Sunday, 10:30 p.m. on Monday and Thursday, and 7 p.m. Saturday.

See what happens when London cab drivers begin to learn “the Knowledge,” the ability of the brain to interface with mechanical and electronic instruments on Brain Fitness Frontiers 10 p.m. Sunday and 10:30 p.m. Friday.
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November 20th, 2009

Veteran filmmaker Simon King takes on the role of mother to two cheetah cubs, Toki and Sambu, orphaned when a lion killed their mother. See this two-year emotional rollercoaster on Nature, Sunday at 7 p.m.

Masterpiece Contemporary tells the story of a major road accident and the 10 seemingly disconnected people involved. Beyond the chaotic landscape of corpses and crumpled cars, a series of invisible dramas unfold 8 p.m. Sunday.

In telling the story of Seabiscuit’s unlikely career Monday at 8 p.m., Seabiscuit: American Experience illuminates the precarious economic conditions that defined America in the 1930s and explores the fascinating behind-the-scenes world of thoroughbred racing.
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November 13th, 2009

Nature showcases the first year of a humpback whale’s life as she learns the lessons of humpback life from her mother 7 p.m. Sunday.

Masterpiece Contemporary’s “Collision - Part 1″ tells the story of a major road accident and the 10 seemingly disconnected people involved 8 p.m. Sunday.

They were called “Black Blizzards,” dark clouds reaching miles into the sky, churning millions of tons of dirt into torrents of destruction. Learn more on Surviving the Dust Bowl: American Experience at 8 p.m. Monday.
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November 6th, 2009

Rock legend John Fogerty will star on the Emmy Award-winning live music series, Live By Request at 8 p.m. Saturday. Fogerty will perform music requested by the show’s viewers. It is the only television program where viewers actually create the artist’s set list and have the chance to personally talk to their music idol.