On May 3rd, KLRU Q will prepare you for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4th, with an evening full of programs on wild horses!

8:00 pm – Wild! “Chasing Wild Horses”
Roberto Dutesco, New York City’s top fashion photographer, photographs human beauty everyday, but since childhood he has carried with him a singular artistic vision: wild, long-maned dark horses running though white sand dunes. When he discovered remote Sable Island, located off the shores of Nova Scotia, he became obsessed with the natural beauty of the untouched and unclaimed wild horses which have roamed the sandy dunes since the 1700s.

8:50 pm – Horses Of The West: America’s Love Story
As narrated by actress Ali MacGraw, Horses of the West: America’s Love Story is about horses and the people who love them. The story is an emotional journey filmed on the dramatic landscape of the American West.

9:31 pm – Wild Horses In Winds Of Change
A film that inspires stewardship of nature told through the lens of the crises facing America’s wild horses. The film tells the story of how America’s wild horses are lawfully protected but unlawfully managed by the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program.

10:00 pm – Thoroughbred
This is a film about horses and the people who breed them, sell them, race them and love them. Directed by Academy Award-winning (“The Stone Carvers”) filmmaker Paul Wagner, the documentary captures the beauty of the breed, the thrilling nature of the sport and the history and tradition worldwide.

The BBC series Battle Castle airs on KLRU-Q this Thursday (5/2), as a mini-marathon, beginning at 9 pm! In this series, historian Dan Snow unravels the stories of three of the world’s most famous castles, from Europe to the Middle East. These are the sites of some of the most legendary power struggles of all time and all are prime examples of their era, a testament to the engineering and military expertise of the day. Medieval warfare was an ongoing game of innovation and counter-innovation, with weaponry and techniques constantly being modified and adjusted. Find out what forces each commander of the castle put in place to repel the invaders, and what strategies the attackers used.

Crac Des Chevaliers – 9:00 pm
Set high above the Syrian landscape, Crac des Chevaliers was built by the Knights Hospitaller to dominate. Its flawlessly-cut stones, steep slopes, and deadly entrance are designed to resist any attacker. In 1271, a Muslim warrior king and his powerful army come to seize this crown jewel of Crusader castles and drive Christians from the Holy Land.

Dover – 9:45 pm
High atop the white cliffs of southern England, Dover Castle was built by King Henry II to protect an empire. Its deadly gatehouses, layers of walls, and magnificent keep were engineered to crush the enemy. In 1216, an ambitious French prince and his determined troops descend to capture this key to England and with it, the English crown.

KLRU Q presents an evening of historic extravaganza on Monday, April 29th with an array of programs.

8:50 – The Map Makers “Discovery: The Waldseemuller Map“
The first episode of the series is the tale of a map now valued at 10 million dollars which has become known as the “birth certificate of America.” Within the lines marked on its surface can be traced the first discoveries of the “new world,” by 16th century explorers such as Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci. But why were the new lands called America, and who were the men who first named the new continent on the famous Waldseemuller map?

9:40 – The Map Makers “Religion: The Mercator Atlas“
The 16th Century Europe was a time when map making and spying went hand in hand. It features Gerard Mercator, the most famous map maker to have lived, who became caught up in a dangerous plot to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I using an invasion map ordered by England’s enemies, the French. It is a story of intrigue, treason and religious turmoil, with map makers at the heart of the struggle for power in Europe. Information was power in European royal courts, and fragile maps were the key.

10:30 – North Pole Promise
Narrated by James Earl Jones, North Pole Promise is a timeless story of two American explorers and their secret legacy left behind at the North Pole 100 years ago.

April 12th
8:00 – Big Cat Challenge
Lions, cheetahs and leopards: each cat has developed its own hunting strategies, family upbringing and survival techniques. In this fast-moving one-hour special, we examine their behaviour and competitive interaction with each other to discover which is the ultimate hunter.

8:55 – Sharks: Scavengers Of The Seas
Before being an earthly paradise with enchanting colours, the lagoon of New-Caledonia is above all a paradise for sharks. Usually considered as fierce predators, sharks really are opportunistic scavengers. Scavengers that are not too picky when it comes to their menu: feathers, fins or fur, anything will do.

April 19th
8:00 – Dolphins Of The Shadowland
It’s almost impossible to study dolphins for extended periods of time in the open ocean. For this reason a pod of sixty bottlenose dolphins resident in New Zealand’s Doubtful Sound provides a unique opportunity for scientists to improve our knowledge of these mysterious, appealing mammals.

9:00 – Lost Whales
For 150 years, southern right whales were hunted to the brink of extinction, but the discovery of a pod in the Southern Ocean has sparked fresh hope that their numbers are increasing. Intimate underwater footage unveils the behavior of these gentle giants and gives scientists a chance to predict and protect their future recovery.

April 26th
8:00 – Penguin Invasion
When penguins takeover a popular South African beach resort, laughter, fun and conflict are the result.

9:00 – Peculiar Primate: Tarsier
Witness the alien-like Tarsier in their natural habitat and discover why the world’s oldest primate may soon simply disappear.

May episodes coming soon!

8:00 pm – Ground War
4/11 – Warrior Weapons
This episode traces the evolution of soldiers and their gear, from the phalanx formations of Alexander the Great to the the development of wearable exoskeletons that will one day soon make human soldiers stronger and faster.

4/18 – Battlefield Mobility
This episode explores mobility on the battlefield and the never-ending challenge to maximize effectiveness and find the right balance of protective armor, speed, mobility and firepower.

4/25 – Firepower
This episode tracks the development of artillery from the ancient Greeks through the invention of gunpowder in China, to the very latest generation of big guns and directed-energy weapons.

9:00 pm – Ottomans Versus Christians: Battle for the Mediterranean
4/11 – Empire Builders
In part one, Julian Davison begins his journey in Istanbul, the gateway between East and West and former epicenter of the Eastern Christian Empire of Byzantium. He charts the rise of the Ottomans and their momentous conquest of Constantinople, which they transform into the capitol of their empire, Istanbul.

4/18 – Masters Of The Mediterranean
In part two, Julian Davison travels to the site of one of the most extraordinary sieges in European history, the island of Malta. During 16th century it was the object of desire for Ottoman Sultan Sulieman the Magnificent and he was prepared to risk all to possess it. Here, Julian enlists in a local re-enactment group and tries his hand at the weapons of the day before dissecting a siege that would become one of the Ottomans’ most shocking defeats.

4/25 – Clash Of Civilizations
Part three begins in the legendary city of Famagusta on the island of Cyprus. Once the wealthiest city on earth, Famagusta was the jewel in the Venetian crown when Ottoman armies surrounded it in 1571. Julian Davison takes us on a tour of the city’s magnificent gothic cathedrals and intimidating fortress, detailing the gory battles and fabled acts of heroism that took place here during the Ottoman conquest of the city.

9:55 pm – She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens
4/11 – Matilda And Eleanor
More than 800 years ago, Matilda came within a hair’s breadth of being the first woman to be crowned queen of England in her own right. Her daughter-in-law Eleanor of Aquitaine was an equally formidable woman. Despite being remembered as the queen of courtly love, in reality, during her long life she divorced one king and married another, only to lead a rebellion against him. She finally achieved the power she craved in her seventies.

4/18 – Isabella And Margaret
In 1308 a 12-year-old girl, Isabella of France, became queen of England when she married the English king. A century later another young French girl, Margaret of Anjou, followed in her footsteps. Both these women were thrust into a violent and dysfunctional England and both felt driven to take control of the kingdom themselves.

4/25 – Jane, Mary And Elizabeth
In this program, Helen Castor looks at what happened when England was faced not just with inadequate kings, but no kings at all. In 1553, for the first time in English history, all the contenders for the crown were female. In the lives of these three Tudor queens – Jane, Mary and Elizabeth – Castor explores how each woman struggled in turn with wearing a crown that was made for a male head.

Globe Trekker’s season twelve begins with an eight-episode mini-series, ”Around The World,” following five different hosts as they circumnavigate the globe.

8:00 – Globe Trekker
4/10 – Around The World: Across America: Route 66 & Beyond
Justine Shapiro kicks off the journey with a road trip west across the United States. Starting in Washington, DC she follows the Blue Ridge Parkway to Nashville and Memphis, birthplaces of American country and soul. After a brief countryside respite in Arkansas, Justine hits the legendary Route 66 from Oklahoma to Arizona, where she visits the world’s best preserved meteor crater.

4/17 – Around The World – Panamericana: Conquistadors, Az
Judith Jones travels south to the lands of ancient empires. In Mexico, she explores the myths and treasures that once drew the Conquistadors to a country rich in natural resources. Following their trail, her first stop is colonial Chihuahua, where Pancho Villa started the Mexican Revolution. In Zacatecas, she visits one of Mexico’s many Silver Mines and then travels along the colonial Silver Road to Mexico City, from where the Aztecs once ruled their bloodthirsty empire.

4/24 – Around The World – Panamericana: Incas & Inquisitions
Brianna Barnes journeys to Peru, home of the legendary Incas, where she begins her trek in Cajamarca, where thousands of Incan soldiers were slaughtered by Pizarro’s conquistadors. After visiting one of the world’s largest gold mines, Brianna makes her way to Lima, the “City of Kings,” once home to the Spanish Inquisition in South America. In Cusco, she learns about the golden Inca Empire before ending her journey on the volcano El Misti, where incredibly well-preserved ice mummies tell the story of the country’s illustrious past.

5/1 – Around The World – Pacific Journeys: Santiago to Pitcairn
Zay Harding begins his Pacific journey in Santiago de Chile, gateway to the culturally unique Easter Island. From here he heads to Tahiti, the Polynesian paradise that enticed Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, Captain Cook and Captain Bligh and his Bounty mutineers to stay longer than planned. Zay embarks on an ocean voyage along the waters charted by these famous explorers, including a perilous crossing to Pitcairn Island, which the descendents of the Bounty mutineers call home today.

9:00 – Billy Connolly’s Route 66
4/10 – Episode #101
Billy travels from Chicago, IL to St. Louis, MO visiting attractions along the way including: the Chicago Tribune Building, the Route 66 “Pie Man,” Abraham Lincoln’s home, an Amish community and the Chain of Rocks bridge.

4/17 – Episode #102
Billy travels from St. Louis, MO to Oklahoma City, OK, visiting The Gateway Arch, a Civil War re-enactment, a wolf sanctuary, a crossbow turkey hunt and the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial.

4/24 – Episode #103
Billy travels from Oklahoma City, OK to Monument Valley, UT, visiting a cattle auction, the Devil’s Rope (barbed wire) museum, Cadillac Ranch, a ghost town, Los Alamos and a Navajo healing ritual.

5/1 – Episode #104
Billy travels from Flagstaff, AZ to the end of Route 66 at Santa Monica Boulevard, visiting a meteor crater, the world’s deepest motel room inside a cave, Bottle Tree Ranch, and “car culture” in Pomona City, CA.

9:45 – Stephen Tompkinson Australian Balloon Adventure
4/10 – Episode #101
Stephen’s bid to win Australia’s biggest balloon competition kicks off in a dramatic fashion when his maiden flight over South Australia’s Flinders Ranges ends in a crash landing at 40 mph.

4/17 – Episode #102
Tompkinson and his pilot continue their efforts with a successful flight over the sporting mecca of Melbourne and a daring attempt to enter the record books by flying to 10,000 feet.

4/24 – Episode #103
The competition reaches its conclusion at Canowindra’s Balloon Challenge – but all the weeks of training could count for nothing if the wind isn’t on their side.

8:00 pm – Ashes to Ashes
8:55 pm – Fake or Fortune
4/8 – Degas: Proving The Pose
Danseuse Bleue et Contrebasses, with an apparent signature by Edgar Degas. It had been bought as a Degas in 1948 with an outline provevance going back to the artists studio. Scientific analysis of the paint confirmed that it was consistent with the 1890s. Research confirmed the provenance and the painting was accepted as an authentic Degas and added to the catalogue raisonne.

4/15 – Thanet Coast Or Isle of Wright?
Three paintings attributed to J. M. W. Turner, The Beacon Light, Off Margate and Margate Jetty in the collection of the National Museum of Wales. These had been donated by two sisters – Gwendoline Davies and Margaret Davies. In the 1950s, they had been judged to be fake, but as a result of the programme’s research, are now accepted as genuine.

4/22 – Van Dyck: What Lies Beneath
A portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria, as St Catherine attributed to Anthony van Dyck, belonging to Mould. This was shown to be an incomplete portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria (wife of Charles I) which had later been enlarged and over painted.

9:55 – Secrets of the Dead
4/8 – The Silver Pharaoh
The royal tomb of Pharaoh Psusennes I is one of the most spectacular of all the ancient Egyptian treasures – even more remarkable than that of Tutankhamen. So why hasn’t the world heard about it? What mysteries does it contain? And what does it reveal about ancient Egypt?

4/15 – Blackbeard’s Lost Ship
Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, was the most notorious pirate of his day. A marine archaeology team believes they have found his sunken flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, off the North Carolina coast. The remains of the shipwreck are helping solve the most enduring mystery surrounding the infamous pirate captain – did he accidentally run his ship aground, or was it a deliberate plot to betray his crew and cheat them out of their share of the plunder?

4/22 – Michelangelo Revealed
More than five centuries ago, Michelangelo Buonarroti was the darling of the Catholic Church. But five centuries later, new finds from art historian Antonio Forcellino revealed a darker side to the master artisan.

“Dayton Codebreakers“ at 5 pm
Throughout 1942, German U-boats were sinking hundreds of American ships in the Atlantic Ocean, effectively cutting the supply line to embattled ally England. In desperation, the United States Navy turned to the National Cash Register Company in Dayton, Ohio, to design and build code-breaking machines. The high-priority and highly classified project involved hundreds of civilians, Naval officers and one engineer of German descent whose insight and technical ability helped break the complex Enigma code. DAYTON CODEBREAKERS uncovers Joseph Desch’s role in helping end World War II, through interviews with eminent historians, scientists and honored war veterans. Although Desch remained faithful to his pledge of secrecy until his death in 1987, he left behind mysterious papers and clues for his daughter to unravel.

“Digital_man / Digital_world“ at 6 pm
Only a few decades ago, computers filled entire rooms, and consumed enough electricity to power over 100 households. The Digital Equipment Corporation transformed the entire industry, making computers smaller, less expensive and more accessible. DEC’s founder, Ken Olsen, led the revolution, and in the process developed innovations that became the basic principles of the Information Age. Olsen led DEC on a meteoric rise as one of the nation’s largest and most successful corporations. Just as precipitously, DEC became a casualty of the industry and expectations that they had helped to create. Digital Man, Digital World presents the history of the Digital Equipment Corporation, and its lasting impact on American culture.

“Silicon Valley: American Experience“ at 7 pm
Led by physicist Robert Noyce, Fairchild Semiconductor began as a start-up company whose radical innovations would help make the United States a leader in both space exploration and the personal computer revolution, changing the way the world works, plays, and communicates. Noyce’s invention of the microchip ultimately re-shaped the future, launching the world into the Information Age.

“Something Ventured: Risk, Reward And The Original“ at 8:30 pm
Something Ventured tells the story of the creation of an industry that went on to become the single greatest engine of innovation and economic growth in the 20th century. It is told by the visionary risk-takers who dared to make it happen…Tom Perkins, Don Valentine, Arthur Rock, Dick Kramlich and others. The film also includes some of our finest entrepreneurs sharing how they worked with these venture capitalists to grow world-class companies like Intel, Apple, Cisco, Atari, Genentech, Tandem and others. Beginning in the late 1950′s, this small group of high rollers fostered a one-of-a-kind business culture that encouraged extraordinary risk and made possible unprecedented rewards. They laid the groundwork for America’s start-up economy, providing not just the working capital but the guidance to allow seedling companies to reach their full potential. Our lives would be dramatically different without the contributions that these venture capitalists made to the creation of PCs, the Internet and life-saving drugs.

“Steve Jobs – One Last Thing“ at 10 pm
In the aftermath of the death of probably the most inspirational computer designers and innovators of the 21st century, this film takes an in-depth look at the life and work of Apple boss, Steve Jobs to examine how and why he revolutionized our world.