___________________Eight/KAET-TV
January 2009
Top Picks for the Month
Program highlights, complete press releases and images available online:
http://www.kaet.asu.edu/pressroom
S
M
T
W
T
1
Great
Performances
From Vienna:
The New
Year’s
Celebration
2009
8 p.m.
8
F
2
S
9
10
3
4
Masterpiece
Classic
Tess of the
D’Ubervilles
Part 1 of 2
9 p.m.
5
The Story of
India
Part 1 of 3
9 p.m.
6
Frontline
“The Old
Man and the
Storm”
9 p.m.
7
Great
Performances
“Cyrano de
Bergerac”
8 p.m.
11
Masterpiece
Classic
Tess of the
D’Ubervilles
Part 2 of 2
9 p.m.
12
HORIZON
State of the
State
7 p.m.
13
Independent
Lens
“Helvetica”
10 p.m.
14
Make ‘Em
Laugh
Part 1 of 3
8 p.m.
15
16
17
Garden
Smart
8:30
a.m.
20
The
NewsHour
Special
Presidential
Inauguration
9 a.m. –
11 a.m.
21
Make ‘Em
Laugh
Part 2 of 3
8 p.m.
22
23
The
Electric
Company
5 p.m.
24
28
HORIZON
Legislature
A to Z
Part 3 of 4
7 p.m.
29
HORIZON
Legislature
A to Z
Part 4 of 4
7 p.m.
30
31
18
Arizona
Wildlife
Views
5 p.m.
Desert
Speaks
5:30 p.m.
Masterpiece
Classic
Wuthering
Heights
Part 1 of 2
9 p.m.
25
Masterpiece
Classic
Wuthering
Heights
Part 2 of 2
9 p.m.
The Story of
India
Part 2 of 3
9 p.m.
19
The Electric
Company
Special
presentation
3:30 -5 p.m.
The Story of
India
Part 3 of 3
9 p.m.
26
HORIZON
Legislature
A to Z
Part 1 of 4
7 p.m.
The Trials of
J. Robert
Oppenheimer
9 p.m.
Frontline
“Dreams of
Obama”
9 p.m.
27
HORIZON
Legislature
A to Z
Part 2 of 4
7 p.m.
Make ‘Em
Laugh
Part 3 of 3
8 p.m.
Brief descriptions of these programs are attached.►
Eight | January 2009
Thursday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m.
Great Performances
“From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2009”
Continuing its holiday tradition, Great Performances returns to the stately splendor of Vienna’s
Musikverein for its celebration with the Vienna Philharmonic. Daniel Barenboim leads a rousing
program of Strauss Family favorites, including the breathless “Eljen a Magyar” polka, the “Radetsky
March” and the beloved “Blue Danube Waltz,” in addition to festive ballets danced by the Vienna
State Opera Ballet. This year also will mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Franz Joseph
Haydn, whose more than 100 symphonies and 68 string quartets laid the groundwork for the 18thcentury classical style and served to inspire the countless musical minds who came after him,
including Mozart and Beethoven. To honor “Papa Haydn,” the Philharmonic will perform the
composer’s masterful Symphony No. 45, the “Farewell,” as a tribute to his enduring legacy.
Sundays, Jan. 4 and 11 at 9 pm.
Masterpiece Classics
“Tess of the D’Ubervilles”
Violated by one man, forsaken by another, Tess Durbeyfield is the magnificent and spirited heroine
of Thomas Hardy’s heartbreaking novel. The cast in this four-hour miniseries includes Gemma
Arterton (Quantum of Solace) as Tess, Hans Matheson (“Dr. Zhivago”) as her seducer, Alec, and
Eddie Redmayne (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) as Angel, the man she loves.
Mondays, Jan. 5, 12 and 19 at 9 p.m.
The Story of India
Michael Wood’s fascinating journey through the history of the Indian subcontinent, the first history
of India on western television, chronicles the incredible richness and diversity of its peoples,
cultures and landscapes; outlines the originality and continuing relevance of its ideas; and relates
some of the most momentous and moving events in world history.
The world’s largest democracy and a rising economic giant, India is now as well known in the U.S.
for its mastery of computer technology and its business and industrial strength as it is for its manyarmed gods and its spiritual traditions. But India is also the world’s most ancient surviving
civilization, with unbroken continuity stretching back into prehistory.
Like other great civilizations, India has renewed itself several times, enjoying several brilliant
golden ages in art and culture. Its great thinkers and religious leaders have permanently changed
the face of the globe. Now, in the era of globalization, India is once again becoming a leading
player in the world and an increasingly important strategic partner and friend of the U.S. Home to
more than a billion people, it is a land of amazing contrasts: It contains both the high-tech
brilliance of Bangalore’s Silicon Valley and the archaic splendor of the Kumbh Mela festival, where
25 million pilgrims bathe in the sacred river Ganges on a single night. While moving at high speed
into the modern world, India is still in touch with her ancient past.
Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9 p.m.
Frontline
“The Old Man and the Storm”
Six months after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, producer June Cross came across
82-year-old Herbert Gettridge working alone on his home in the Lower Ninth Ward, a neighborhood
devastated when the levees broke in August 2005. Over the next two years, Cross would document
the story of the extended Gettridge clan — an African-American family with deep roots in New
Orleans — as they struggled to rebuild their homes and their lives. Their efforts would be deeply
impacted by larger decisions about urban planning, public health and the insurance industry, by the
decisions of policymakers about federal funding for rebuilding the Gulf, and state and city plans for
dispersing those monies. The moving personal story of Mr. Gettridge and his family reveals the
human cost of this tragedy, the continued inadequacies of government’s response in the aftermath
of Katrina, and how race, class and politics have affected the attempts to rebuild this American
city.
-more-
Eight | January 2009
Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m.
Great Performances
“Cyrano de Bergerac”
His nose knows, and so do New York’s toughest critics. Assessing Kevin Kline’s foray into the
treacherous waters of Broadway — as Edmond Rostand’s proboscisly challenged 17th-century
warrior-poet Cyrano de Bergerac — The New Yorker summed it up for all: “Kevin Kline is
sensational.” The sold-out limited-engagement, which also starred Jennifer Garner and Daniel
Sunjata, closed last January, but not before being captured by the HDTV cameras of Great
Performances.
Monday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.
HORIZON
State of the State Address
Complete coverage of Governor Napolitano’s address to the Legislature is followed by commentary
and analysis by HORIZON guests.
HORIZON is Eight’s award-winning public affairs program.
Detailed program information, video, podcasts, and RSS feeds are available on the
HORIZON Web site at http://www.azpbs.org/horizon/
Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 10 p.m.
Independent Lens
“Helvetica”
The typeface Helvetica is ubiquitous, spelling out everything from IRS tax forms to the corporate
logos of Target, Crate & Barrel and Fendi. In “Helvetica,” first-time director Gary Hustwit explores
urban spaces and the typefaces that inhabit them, and speaks with historians and designers about
the choices and aesthetics behind the use of fonts.
Wednesdays, Jan. 14, 21 and 28 at 8 pm.
Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America
This six-hour comedy epic showcases the most hilarious men, women and moments in American
entertainment and why they made us laugh. Hosted by funnyman Billy Crystal, the documentary
explores the currents of American comedy throughout a century of social and political change,
illuminating how comedy has tackled and poked fun at our political system, race relations, gender
issues and the prevailing American standards and taboos in everyday lifeMelding performance,
biography and history, Make ‘Em Laugh features interviews with more than 90 comedians, writers,
producers and historians, including Judd Apatow, Roseanne Barr, Anne Beatts, the Smothers
Brothers, Carol Burnett, Sid Caesar, George Carlin, Larry David, Will Ferrell, Leonard Maltin,
Cheech Marin, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Mort Sahl, Dick Van Dyke and many, many more.
Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8:30 a.m.
Garden Smart
“Arizona’s Boyce Thompson Arboretum”
Garden Smart is a "hands in the dirt" program that provides its' viewers with practical, timely
gardening advice. Produced in association with The National Gardening Association, a non profit
organization whose purpose is to educate and promote gardening to young and old alike, "Garden
Smart" each week provides valuable gardening tips, the latest trends "on the verge" and design
advice, all with the purpose of making gardening fun and interesting. Garden Smart is filmed each
week at resorts and gardens in every region of the country.
In this episode: Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The Arboretum is Arizona's oldest and largest
botanical garden. It features plants from the world's deserts; towering trees, cacti, specialty
gardens and more.
-more-
Eight | January 2009
Sundays at 5 p.m. beginning Jan. 18
Arizona Wildlife Views
Arizona Wildlife Views TV show is produced by the Audio Visual Department of the Information &
Education branch of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The thirteen half-hour programs
feature the wildlife, fishing, hunting, boating, and off-roading opportunities that the Grand Canyon
State has to offer.
Jan 18 — "The 100th Bighorn; Wings Over Wilcox; Bat Culvert"
Jan 25 — "Upper Verde; Wildlife Area 47; Ranch Bird Talk"
Sundays at 5:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 18
Desert Speaks
Host David Yetman takes viewers on another round of bold explorations when The Desert Speaks
returns for the 18th season. Through intriguing storytelling and stunning photography, viewers find
out about the people (past and present), plants, animals and archaeology of arid regions
throughout the New World.
David Yetman is a research scientist at the University of Arizona’s Southwest Center and is a
nationally known author and accomplished photographer. Using boats, bikes and burros, Yetman
takes viewers from Bolivia to Baja California.
Jan 18 —“Sea of Cortez: Then and Now”—In this land of enhanced biodiversity, two different worlds come
together: the terrestrial and the marine.
Jan 25 — “Navigating a Desert Island”—These islands display Baja’s violent history.
Sundays, Jan. 18 and 25 at 9 p.m.
Masterpiece Classic
Wuthering Heights
A thrilling new adaptation of Emily Bronte’s haunting classic, which chronicles the passionate
spiritual bond between Heathcliff, an abandoned Gypsy boy adopted by the Earnshaw family of
Wuthering Heights, and the family’s daughter, Cathy, stars Tom Hardy (“The Virgin Queen”) as
Heathcliff, newcomer Charlotte Riley as Cathy and Burn Gorman (“Bleak House”) as Cathy’s
brother, Hindley, in the three-hour miniseries. Published in 1847, the novel was condemned by one
critic as “abominably pagan” for the dark passion throbbing in the heart of its irredeemable herovillain.
Monday, Jan. 19 from 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Special Presentation
Fridays at 5 p.m. beginning Jan. 23
The Electric Company
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, is ‘turning on the
power’ to its classic children’s series, The Electric Company, with production underway for the new
PBS KIDS GO! show on the streets of New York City and a Newark, New Jersey soundstage.
Targeting kids ages six to nine, and with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and
the Department of Education, today’s The Electric Company carries the same goal of the original
series, combating the literacy crisis facing America’s second graders, but is re-energized to
recognize the media-driven generation of today.
The cast of characters of The Electric Company is a group of do-gooders who keep the
neighborhood safe with their literacy super-powers, and who solve problems often created by a
group called “The Pranksters.” Stationed from their home-base, The Electric Diner, the team
consists of four core cast members;
 “Keith,” a thirteen-year-old boy with the power to turn words into graphics/animation
 “Jessica,” a thirteen-year-old girl with total aural recall allowing her to replay and display
speech as text
 “Lisa,” a teenager with the power to solve any word problem at super human speed
 “Hector,” a 20-year-old college student (and older brother to Jessica) has the power to
visually recall things he’s seen, even if only peripherally, and accurately note them with text.
.
-more-
Eight | January 2009
Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
The NewsHour Special
Presidential Inauguration
Complete coverage of the Presidential Inauguration.
Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m.
Frontline
“Dreams of Obama”
On the night of Barack Obama's historic inauguration Frontline examines the rich personal and
political biography of the 44th president of the United States. Through interviews with insiders and
observers who've tracked Obama from his days at Harvard Law School, through his rise in Chicago
politics, to his emergence onto the national scene after the 2004 Democratic National Convention,
Frontline chronicles Obama's meteoric rise, pushing beyond the headlines to reveal how he won
one of the most memorable, and important, presidential elections of our time.
Monday – Thursday, Jan. 26-29
HORIZON
“Legislature A to Z”
An Eight/KAET Production
The 49th Arizona legislature is in session beginning January 12. HORIZON presents full coverage of
the issues the legislature is expected to take up, including education funding, a budget that is
bleeding red ink, and other key bills.
HORIZON is Eight’s award-winning public affairs program.
Detailed program information, video, podcasts, and RSS feeds are available on the
HORIZON Web site at http://www.azpbs.org/horizon/
Monday, Jan. 26 at 9 p.m.
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer, An American Experience Journal
J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life and legacy are inextricably linked to America’s most famous topsecret initiative — the Manhattan Project. But after World War II, this brilliant and intense scientist,
tasked with the development of the atomic bomb and widely considered one of the most important
minds of the 20th century, fell from the innermost circles of American science. At the height of the
Red Scare, the veil of suspicion fell over Oppenheimer. He was accused of having communist
sympathies and was pressed to explain his relationships with known communists. This biography
presents a complex and revealing portrait of one of America’s most influential scientists.
Interweaving interviews with family members, scholars and colleagues with dramatic re-creations
featuring Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck and The
Bourne Ultimatum ), this film follows Oppenheimer’s fascinating arc from the heady world of
international physics to the top-secret Manhattan Project and finally to the dark days of the Red
Scare and McCarthyism.
###
Complete press releases, downloadable images, and Top Picks for the Month available on
http://www.azpbs.org/pressroom