MPTV Premieres & Highlights: February 2010

Movie

Carousel (1956)

February 27th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 36.1

A carnival barker (Gordon MacRae) finds a wife (Shirley Jones), dies in a holdup and returns to Earth to guide his daughter. [TVPG] R on 2/28 10am #145 (128 min)

American Masters

Marilyn Monroe: Still Life

February 26th / 11:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Arguably the most photographed person ever, Marilyn Monroe produced an enduring body of work that still dazzles and moves people, evoking both desire and pathos. Artists such as Richard Avedon, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Inge Morath, and Andy Warhol captured her grace, guts, and appeal--creating an ageless testament that showcased her humor and vulnerability. The program explores Monroe's chaotic life and how she cultivated her own image. [TVPG] #1904E (56 min)

Soundstage

Willie Nelson

February 25th / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Willie Nelson mixes elements of folk, blues, classic country, western swing and a little gospel during a versatile set that highlights songs from his first-ever bluegrass album, titled "Country Music". [TVPG] R on 2/27 2am #1706H (56 min)

Independent Lens

Behind the Rainbow

February 23rd / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Over two tumultuous decades, South Africa has finally arrived on its own bumpy road to democracy. With the 2009 presidential election looming ahead as a historical turning point while the film was made, this documentary is a previously untold account of the country's political problems, struggles and realities [TVPG] R on 2/25 2am #1115 (86 min)

Antiques Roadshow

February 22nd / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

In Madison, Wisconsin, host Mark L. Walberg investigates the shocking heist of artifacts from the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Highlights include photos of the owner's family taken by noted American photographer Edward Weston in the late 1930s or early 1940s; a table crafted for the owner's parents circa 1956 by mid-century-modern master furniture maker George Nakashima; and ornate silver, enamel and turquoise-studded exhibition piece, crafted by Tiffany for the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. [TVG] #1408 (56 min)

American Masters

Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun

February 22nd / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Writer, cultural anthropologist, chronicler of folk roots and ethnic traditions, daughter of former slaves, Hurston was one of the most celebrated--and most controversial figures of the Harlem Renaissance, the creatively expansive era in the 1920s when "the Negro was in vogue." She attained unique success in all areas, but her words and her conclusions were often mired in contention--she was called everything from flamboyant to outrageous, unpredictable to bodacious. She collaborated with Langston Hughes, was criticized by Richard Wright and ultimately died a pauper's death in total obscurity. Now considered a lioness of African-American literature, she was resurrected by Alice Walker; such works as Dust Tracks on a Road and Their Eyes Were Watching God are essential reading today. [TVPG] #2009 (86 min)

Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968

February 21st / 11:00 pm / MPTV 36.1

An effort by students from an almost all-black college to bowl at the city's only bowling alley resulted in shootings on February 8, 1968. The owner refused. Tensions rose and violence erupted. When it ended, 28 students were injured and three were dead. (56 min)

Nature

Invasion of the Giant Pythons

February 21st / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Florida's Everglades National Park is one of America's last great wildlife refuges, home to unique and endangered animals and plants, as well as untold number of iconic alligators. However, the park has also become a dumping ground for nonnative species. Tens of thousands of Burmese pythons now live in the Everglades, some of which were intentionally released by pet owners, and others were unintentionally set free by storms when hurricanes hit Florida's animal warehouses. Nature follows scientists and snake hunters as they study the problem and try to find solutions to the growing crisis. [TVPG] #2708 (56 min)

Masterpiece Classic

Persuasion

February 21st / 8:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Sally Hawkins (Little Britain) appears as Anne Elliot, destined for spinsterhood at age 27 after being persuaded eight years earlier to refuse the proposal of dashing Captain Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones, Casanova). Then chance brings them together again, but now he is rich and free to play the field among eligible young beauties. Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) co-stars as Anne's spendthrift father. Adapted by Simon Burke. Directed by Adrian Shergold. [TVPG] #3801 (86 min)

Movie

Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

February 20th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 36.1

Anthropologist Dian Fossey (Sigourney Weaver) defends the mountain gorilla from poachers in Rwanda, Africa. (Based on a true story) [TVPG] R on 2/21 10am
#154 (129 min)

4th Street Forum

Our Slowly Sinking Middle Class

February 19th / 10:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

A sea of debt, disappearing jobs, and stagnant incomes--the middle class is fighting to stay afloat. Is the government and business doing enough to save the middle class? A panel of experts and audience members discuss concerns and possible solutions. Sonya Jongsma, editor, MilwaukeeMoms.com, Journal Interactive hosts. (For information on how to be part of the audience, call 414-272-2833, or click on the series title). R on 2/21 9am
#816 (56 min)

Antiques Roadshow

Madison, WI - Hour One

February 19th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Appraiser Wes Cowan takes a detour to Wisconsin Dells where he discusses the late 19th-century stereoscopic photography of H.H. Bennett that made the Dells famous. Highlights include an heirloom Art Deco charm bracelet with a possible connection to John D. Rockefeller; an heirloom 1938 Martin D-18 guitar, highly coveted by folk and bluegrass musicians; and an angry 1976 letter from Frank Sinatra to Chicago Daily News columnist Mike Royko. [TVG]
#1407 (56 min)

Soundstage

Willie Nelson

February 18th / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Faces of America

Becoming American

February 17th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. turns again to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to examine the family histories of 11 renowned Americans. He explores the many journeys to becoming American that defined the "Century of Immigration" (1820s-1924) and transformed the United States from a sleepy agrarian country into a booming industrial power. Featured guests include: Stephen Colbert, Mario Batali, Queen Noor and Kristi Yamaguchi. (2 of 4) [TVPG] #102 (56 min)

NOVA

Extreme Ice

February 15th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Acclaimed photojournalist James Balog and a scientific team are followed as they deploy time-lapse cameras in risky, remote locations in the Arctic, Alaska, and the Alps. Grappling with blizzards, fickle technology, and climbs up craggy precipices, the team must anchor cameras capable of withstanding sub-zero temperatures and winds up to 170 mph. The goal of Balog's team's perilous expedition: to create a unique photo archive of melting glaciers that could provide a key to understanding their runaway behavior and their potential to drive rising sea levels. [TVPG] #3604 (56 min)

Independent Lens

Mine/Home

February 15th / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Mine/Home tells the poignant and powerful story of animals left behind during Katrina, and of the struggles of hurricane victims to reunite with their beloved pets. This program is an equally compelling story of race and class, and the power of compassion, in contemporary America. "Home" is a touching portrayal of the essence of home and the feeling of loss that occurs when home becomes a memory. Director Matthew Faust conveys his themes through a bittersweet, evocative archive of his family house in Chalmette, Louisiana, that was flooded by Hurricane Katrina. [TVPG] R on 2/18 2am #1114H (86 min)

New Tricks

The War Against Drugs

February 14th / 10:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

In an effort to beat his alcoholism Brian Lane reluctantly agrees to go into rehab. Following a lead, the rest of the UCOS team ends up joining him as they re-investigate the death of a heroin addict. (1 of 8) #601 (56 min)

Masterpiece Classic

Northanger Abbey

February 14th / 8:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

In Jane Austen's gentle parody of gothic fiction, Felicity Jones (Meadowlands) plays romance addict Catherine Morland. Invited to a medieval country house that appeals to her most lurid fantasies, she forms a close friendship with the younger son on the estate, Henry Tilney (JJ Feild, The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton), but their budding romance is mysteriously cut short. Adapted by Andrew Davies. Directed by Jon Jones. [TVPG] #3802 (86 min)

Movie

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

February 13th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Memoirs tell a deceased woman's (Meryl Streep) children of her four-day affair in 1965 with a photographer (Clint Eastwood) on assignment. [TVPG] R on 2/14 10am (134 min)

4th Street Forum

Failure to Invest: Our Crumbling Infrastructure

February 12th / 10:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

The 21st century green economy needs a modern foundation, new infrastructure creates jobs and a base for healthy growth. A panel of experts and audience members explore the advantages of investing in infrastructure. Enrique Figueroa, PhD, Director of the Roberto Hernandez Center at UW-Milwaukee hosts. (For information on how to be part of the audience, call 414-272-2833, or click on the series title). R on 2/14 9am #815 (56 min)

In Performance at the White House

Music of the Civil Rights Era

February 11th / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

From the East Room of the White House, President and Mrs. Obama host popular musicians who perform contemporary arrangements of music that galvanized the U.S. civil rights movement of the late 1950s and 1960s. [TVG] #1602H (56 min)

Blueprint for Tomorrow's Education

February 10th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

This documentary takes a look at how schools, businesses, and communities are partnering to prepare students for the 21st century workplace. Innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs throughout Wisconsin are explored, including Bay View High School's construction, architecture, and technology (BAT Academy); Burlington High School's BHS Chemicals Company; the Fluid Power Challenge, a fluid power technology skills competition for 8th grade students; and the "green" garage partnership between Bradley Tech HS, Lowe's Foundation, the Helen Bader Foundation and Growing Power. Included is a segment with Bay View HS student Bethsaida Davila, who was tragically killed in an auto accident 12/28/2009.
Repeats 2/14, 3:30 pm on 36.1 (26 min)

Antiques Roadshow

Madison, WI - Hour Two

February 10th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Music Voyager

Mumbai

February 9th / 10:30 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Host Jacob Edgar visits Mumbai, the capital of India's entertainment industry, where he meets two of Indian pop music's biggest stars, Kailash Kher and Sona Mohapatra. Along the way, Edgar learns the secrets of Bollywood, explores ancient Buddhist caves, eats some death-defying street food and tries his hand at cricket. (1 of 9) [TVG] R on 2/14 12:30am #101H (26 min)

NOVA

Extreme Cave Diving

February 9th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

The charismatic Dr. Kenny Broad is followed, as he dives into Blue Holes--underwater caves that formed during the last ice age when sea level was nearly 400 feet below what it is today. With an interdisciplinary team of climatologists, paleontologists and anthropologists, Broad investigates the hidden history of Earth's climate as revealed by finds in this spectacularly beautiful "alternate universe". [TVG] #3705 (56 min)

Frontline

Flying Cheap

February 9th / 8:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

FRONTLINE investigates the crash of Continental 3407 in Buffalo, NY, and discovers a dramatically changed airline industry, where regional carriers now account for half of the nation's daily departures. The rise of the regionals and arrival of low-cost carriers have been a huge boon to consumers, and the industry insists that the skies remain safe. But many insiders are worried that now, 30 years after airline deregulation, the aviation system is being stretched beyond its capacity to deliver service that is both cheap and safe. [TVPG] R on 2/10 3am #2810H (56 min)

Independent Lens

P-Star Rising

February 9th / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

A single father is determined that his nine-year-old daughter will become a rap star and thus redeem his deferred dream. The father-daughter duo is followed through the grit and glamour of the music industry, the struggles of being a single dad with no means, and the sacrifices a child makes in order to make her daddy proud. [TVPG] R on 2/11 2am #1112H (86 min)

Blueprint America: Beyond the Motor City

February 8th / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

America's transportation infrastructure from the past to the future is examined; the city of Detroit is used as a case in point. America's dangerously crumbling infrastructure can't be ignored. Will fixing it, fix the economy? (86 min)

For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots

February 7th / 10:00 pm / MPTV 36.1

The profound sacrifices and largely ignored contributions of African-American servicemen and women are documented. The story, seven years in the making, spans the American Revolution to the Iraq War and examines why, despite enormous injustice, these men and women fought so valiantly for freedoms they did not enjoy. Colin Powell introduced this series, Halle Berry hosts, and Avery Brooks narrates. Dramatic readings by an all-star roster of actors, including Morgan Freeman, Mel Gibson, Bill Cosby, Susan Sarandon, Lou Gossett Jr., John Travolta, Ossie Davis, and Robert Duvall. #101 (116 min)

Lost in Austen

Pts. 3 & 4

February 7th / 9:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Having left Longbourn with nowhere else to go, Amanda is forced to turn to her chief adversary, Wickham. He buys her a new dress and instructs her in matters of etiquette before re-introducing her into society. He suggests she marry a rich man; however, Amanda has other plans.

When a mysterious time portal appears in her apartment, Amanda suddenly swaps places with Pride and Prejudice's central character, Elizabeth Bennet and finds herself center stage in the celebrated romance. In this final episode, Darcy announces his engagement to Caroline, Amanda's nemesis, but will he eventually call off his engagement? (3&4 of 4) [TVPG] #103-104

Timewatch

Young Victoria

February 6th / 8:40 / MPTV 36.1

We think of Queen Victoria as a respectable matron, the epitome of duty, a beloved monarch. But Victoria's path to the throne was by no means easy. There were those determined to grab power for themselves--not least her mother. Intrigue, deception, death threats--the true story of the young Queen Victoria is told. R of 2/4 4pm (49 min)

Movie

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

February 6th / 7:00 pm / MPTV 36.1

An Atlanta widow (Jessica Tandy) and her chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) reflect the changing times, from 1948 to 1973. Also starring Dan Aykroyd and Esther Rolle. (1989 Oscar for Best Picture) [TVPG] R on 2/7 10am #153 (98 min)

4th Street Forum

Crisis Time in Milwaukee County

February 5th / 10:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

The parks languish, pensions become millstones, bureaucrats bumble, and politics trump solutions. Is Milwaukee County dysfunctional? A panel of experts and audience members exchange ideas on how to solve the problems. Denise Callaway, director of communications at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation hosts. (For information on how to be part of the audience, call 414-272-2833, or click on the series title). R on 2/7 9am #814 (56 min)

Indique: Big Ideas from Emerging India

Eco-Friendly Refrigerator/Big Bazaar/Ingenuity

February 4th / 9:30 / MPTV 36.1

In India, being enterprising with limited resources is a way of life. Similar to industrial America, grassroots ideas can grow up to be game changers. Host Simone Ahuja travels to rural villages and metropolises across India, meeting innovators and discovering insights that the world's largest democracy has to share with the United States. Profiled is the inventor of the MittiCool, an eco-friendly refrigerator that uses no electricity. The psychology behind Big Bazaar, India's first and most successful superstore is explored, and the secret of India's own special brand of ingenuity is examined. (1 of 4) [TVG] R on 2/7 12:30am #201 (26 min)

Outdoor Wisconsin

Wetlands Restoration/Pewaukee Lake/Snowboarding

February 4th / 8:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Dan Small looks at a wetlands restoration project near Lake Mills with Charlie Killian of the DNR and Alice Klink of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Tom Newbauer ice fishes on Pewaukee Lake with Jeff Anson. In this week's archival flashback segment from 1987, former producer Larry Bandy learns about snowboarding gear and techniques, then hits the hill to give it a try. [TVG] R on 2/6 9am #2604H (26 min)

Frontline

Digital Nation

February 2nd / 8:00 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

The Web and digital media have remade nearly every aspect of modern culture; transforming the way we work, learn and connect in ways that we're only beginning to understand. Producer Rachel Dretzin teams up with one of the leading thinkers of the digital age, Douglas Rushkoff, to continue to explore life on the virtual frontier. The film is the product of a unique collaboration with visitors to the Digital Nation Web site, who for the past year have been able to react to the work in progress and post their own stories online at pbs.org/frontline. [TVPG] #2809H (86 min)

Independent Lens

Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness

February 2nd / 9:30 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Using photo-montage recreations, interviews, animation, original field footage, and recordings, the film examines the forgotten legacy of Melville Herskovits. The controversial Jewish anthropologist's writings in the `40s and `50s challenged widely-held assumptions about race and culture by insisting we look at the world through each other's lives and histories. [TVPG] R on 2/4 #1113 (56 min)

Before There Were Parks: Yellowstone and Glacier Through Native Eyes

February 1st / 9:30 / MPTV 10.1 HD

For more than 12,000 years, the intermountain West's native peoples have called the lands known as Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks "home." Many tribal leaders consider ongoing Native involvement in these areas necessary to the long-term health of America's endangered indigenous cultures. More than a dozen of these leaders and experts from across the region offer an introduction to the knowledge that tribal people here have passed down for the past 12,000 years. [TVG] R on 2/3 3:30am; 2/4 3:30am; 2/7 2:30am (26 min)

I Remember

Guest Bob McGinn

February 1st / 6:30 pm / MPTV 10.1 HD

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sportswriter and Author Bob McGinn (The Ultimate Super Bowl Book) shares his personal stories as Jim Peck's guest on the weekly MPTV program. #1611H (26 min)