FOR IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Highlights Include:
• “Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times” (10/5, 9pm)
• “NOVA: Darwin’s Darkest Hour” (10/6, 8pm)
• “400 Years of the Telescope” (10/13, 9pm)
• “American Masters: Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound” (10/14, 8pm)
• “Leading with Kindness” (10/18, 6pm)
• “Great Performances: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Opening Gala with Gustavo Dudamel” (10/21, 9pm)
• “Masterpiece Contemporary: Endgame” (10/25, 9pm)

More details on these and other programs follow below.

Sunday, October 4
3:30pm, “Life (Part 2)”
The second season of LIFE (PART 2), fueled by the tough-minded journalistic instincts of new host, former New York Times columnist Robert Lipsyte, fearlessly takes on the issues facing today’s generation of 50-plus baby boomers. Through a combination of roundtable discussions, on-location field pieces, one-on-one interviews with celebrities and leading thinkers, and provocative video essays from best-selling authors and commentators, LIFE (PART 2) addresses topics ranging from “encore” careers, boomer marriages, care-giving, finances, the new face of Alzheimer’s, dating in mid-life, plastic surgery and fighting ageism.

“Boomer Marriage” (10/4): Suzanne Braun Levine of Ms. Magazine discusses how baby boomers have changed the face of marriage.

“Generation Gaps” (10/11): A look at differences between baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y and how to bridge the generation gaps.

“Caregiving” (10/18): The need to care for yourself while you are caring for a loved one.

“Dancing with Doctors” (10/25): Learn how baby boomers can ensure quality medical treatment for their parents, kids and themselves.

Monday, October 5
9:00pm, “Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times”
This groundbreaking documentary traces the explosive emergence of multi-ethnic, modern Los Angeles during the single-family reign of four publishers of the Los Angeles Times. Each used the newspaper to pursue distinct agendas and impossible dreams, transforming the composition and character of Southern California itself; in the process, seducing a nation and the world with a new kind of American Dream.

Tuesday, October 6
8:00pm, “NOVA: Darwin’s Darkest Hour”
The extraordinary drama of Darwin’s great personal crisis: the anguishing decision over whether to “go public” with his theory of evolution. Starring Henry Ian Cusick and Frances O’Connor.

Wednesday, October 7
8:00pm, “Generations: Cuyahoga Valley National Park”
Each person who has been touched by a national park has a unique story to tell. That idea serves as the narrative foundation of Generations: Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  The voices of people from all walks of life — park visitors, park personnel, historians, business and government leaders, environmentalists, educators, artists and many others — help to tell the story of this park, set in northeast Ohio between Cleveland and Akron and the ninth most frequently visited park among the nation’s 58 national parks. The documentary looks at many dimensions of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including its natural features (flora, fauna, habitats and geological features) and its social history (from Native American settlements through the post-industrial era). It also tells the story of the visionary leadership and actions that led to the park’s establishment in 1974 as the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area and its evolution to the park it is today and is striving to be in the future.

(beginning) 9:00pm, “Craft in America”
The second season of the Emmy nominated and Peabody Award-winning series, a filmed journey of the history, artists and techniques of the nation’s rich craft culture, continues the excursion into the diverse and ever-evolving world of American craft.

“Origins” (10/7, 9pm): “Origins” focuses on the origins of the American craft movement and features artists who tie their work to early craft techniques and pass these techniques to others in a continuum of creativity. Artists featured include a South Carolina blacksmith, a North Carolina potter and a New Jersey glass artist.

“Process” (10/7, 10pm): “Process” looks at what inspires a person to choose a career in craft and demonstrates how they go about acquiring the knowledge and necessary skills. This episode also reveals some of the best and most interesting artists who turned to craft as a second career later in life.

Tuesday, October 13
8:00pm, “NOVA: Hubble’s Amazing Rescue”
In May 2009, NASA sent a shuttle crew on a risky mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope for the last time. Hubble has enthralled scientists and the public by capturing deep views of the cosmos and a wealth of data from distant galaxies. It has helped lead the search for alien planets and is a crucial tool in one of cosmology’s most crucial quests, investigating and mapping the mysterious dark matter that dominates the universe. Now the astronaut servicing team must carry out the first ever in-space repairs of Hubble’s defective instruments, a task that requires ingenious engineering fixes and the most intensive spacewalk program of any NASA mission. From training to launch, NOVA presents the inside story of the mission and the extraordinary challenges faced by the rescue crew.

9:00pm, “400 Years of the Telescope”
This program takes viewers on a sweeping journey from 1609, when Galileo revealed mankind’s place in the galaxy, to today’s quests to discover new worlds in the infinite universe. Narrated by NOVA science NOW’s Neil deGrasse Tyson, the program goes on an adventure through the heavens and around the globe, visiting the world’s leading astronomers, cosmologists and observatories, providing viewers with a survey of possible astronomical discoveries waiting for mankind.

10:00pm, “Frontline: Obama’s War”
Tens of thousands of fresh American troops are now on the move in Afghanistan, led by a new commander and armed with a counter-insurgency plan that builds on the lessons of Iraq. But can U.S. forces succeed in a land long known as the “graveyard of empires?” FRONTLINE producers Martin Smith and Marcela Gaviria once again make the dangerous journey to the front lines of America’s biggest fight. Through interviews with the top U.S. commanders on the ground, embeds with U.S. forces and fresh reporting from Washington, Smith and Gaviria examine U.S. counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan—a fight that promises to be longer and more costly than most Americans understand.

Wednesday, October 14
8:00pm, “American Masters: Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound”
In the first comprehensive documentary to chronicle the private life and public career of Joan Baez, this film examines her history as a recording artist and performer as well as her unwavering journey as the conscience of a generation.

9:30pm, “Bob Dylan: Live In Newport 1963-1965”
Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 includes unreleased performances filmed by Academy Award-winning director, Murray Lerner. Bob Dylan’s first Newport appearance in 1963 is generally regarded as his premiere national performance. His 1963 and 1964 performances made him popular with the Newport crowd, but in 1965, while headlining the music festival, he decided to “plug in” resulting in a mixed response of cheers and boos. This shift marked his changing artistic direction, making his move from leading contemporary song-writer of the folk scene to rock n’ roll star.

10:30pm, “American Masters: Neil Young: Don’t Be Denied”
Neil Young grants rare and unprecedented access for this documentary in which he traces his musical journey in his own words. The film includes new interviews shot in New York and California and utilizes previously unseen performance footage from the star’s own extensive archives. It also features cohorts Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Nils Lofgren and James Taylor. The film takes Young through his rise in the ‘60s, his solo artist period in the ‘70s, his ‘80s embrace of the New Wave, and it ends with Young still refusing to be denied, pursuing a more eclectic musical approach but also touring in the USA with Crosby Stills Nash & Young and teaming on occasion with Crazy Horse.

Thursday, October 15
10:00pm, “A Passion for Giving”
A PASSION FOR GIVING is a stylish, powerful film about the importance of “giving” anything - time, resources, talent - to help other people, animals, and the planet. The program weaves great music and interviews with fascinating people, some famous some not, to illustrate the benefits and happiness that can come from giving of oneself.

(beginning) Saturday, October 17
9:30pm, “Latin Music USA”
LATIN MUSIC USA is a film about American music. Fusions of Latin sounds with jazz, rock, country, rhythm and blues - music with deeper roots and broader reach than most people realize. It’s a fresh take on our musical history, reaching across five decades and across musical genres to portray the rich mix of sounds created by Latinos and embraced by all.

“Bridges/The Salsa Revolution” (10/17, 9:30pm): “Bridges” traces the rise of Latin jazz and the explosion of the mambo and the cha cha chá as they sweep the US from east to West. Latin music infiltrates R&B and rock and roll through the 1960s.  In “The Salsa Revolution,” Puerto Ricans and other Latinos in New York reinvent the Cuban son and the Puerto Rican plena, adding elements from soul and jazz to create salsa, which becomes a defining rhythm for Latinos the world over.

“The Chicano Wave/Divas and Superstars” (10/24, 9:30pm): “The Chicano Wave” features Mexican Americans in CA, TX and across the Southwest who created their own distinct musical voices during the second half of the 20th century. “Divas and Superstars” focuses on the Latin pop explosion of the turn of the century and the success of artists like Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Shakira in the English-language market.

Sunday, October 18
6:00pm, “Leading with Kindness” (repeats: 10/22 at 10pm)
An expanding group of innovative companies have found a new and unusual way to increase profitability - they lead with kindness. LEADING WITH KINDNESS, based on the book of the same name, profiles five highly successful companies employing this new guiding principle - from technology superstar Google to mom-and-pop clothier Mitchells of Westport, Conn. The lively documentary finds business veteran, and former Cleveland broadcaster Bill Baker and psychologist/corporate consultant Michael O’Malley traveling the country to examine the policies and culture of each company. They find the better a company treats its employees, the more productive it becomes, thus proving “nice guys” can finish first.

Tuesday, October 20
8:00pm, “NOVA: Lizard Kings”
Though they may look like dragons and inspire stories of man-eating, fire-spitting monsters with long claws, razor-sharp teeth and muscular, whip-like tails, these creatures are actually monitor lizards, the largest lizards to walk the planet. With their acute intelligence—including the ability to plan ahead—these lizards are a very different kind of reptile, blurring the line between reptiles and mammals. And even though these bizarre reptiles haven’t changed all that much since the dinosaurs, they are a very successful species, versatile at adapting to all kinds of settings. “Lizard Kings” looks at what makes these tongued reptiles so similar to mammals and what has allowed them to become such unique survivors.

10:00pm, “Frontline: The Warning”
In the devastating aftermath of the economic meltdown, FRONTLINE sifts the ashes for clues about why it happened and examines critical moments when it might have gone much differently. Looking back into the 1990s, producer/director Michael Kirk (“Inside the Meltdown,” “Breaking the Bank”) discovers early warnings of the crash, reveals an intense battle among high-ranking members of the Clinton administration and uncovers a concerted effort not to regulate the emerging, highly complex and lucrative derivatives markets, which would become the ticking time bomb within the American economy.

Wednesday, October 21
9:00pm, “Great Performances: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Opening Gala with Gustavo Dudamel”
Bursting on to the international scene in 1999 as the 18 year-old wunderkind conductor of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel has taken the classical music world by storm, becoming the new music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. GREAT PERFORMANCES joins the opening night festivities for Dudamel’s inaugural gala concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The concert’s repertoire is currently planned to include Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, as well as the premiere of John Adams’ City Noir (a commission of the LA Philharmonic).

Sunday, October 25
9:00pm, “Masterpiece Contemporary: Endgame”
A nation teeters on the brink of civil war in this real-life political thriller about the negotiations that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa. Seemingly doomed to failure, the secret talks were held against a backdrop of terrorism, spying, blackmail, and escalating unrest. The international cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor (“American Gangster,” “Kinky Boots”) as President Thabo Mbeki; William Hurt (“Damages”) as Professor Will Esterhuyse; Jonny Lee Miller (“Eli Stone”) as British businessman and negotiator Michael Young, Derek Jacobi (“Gosford Park”) as Young’s boss, and Clarke Peters (“The Wire”) as Nelson Mandela.

Tuesday, October 27
10:00pm, “Frontline: Close to Home”
Producer Ofra Bikel chronicles how the middle class is faring in this recession through the stories of the people who she’s come to know at the hair salon she’s frequented for the past 20 years. The film reveals the struggles of a small business owner to stay afloat, her sister’s risk of imminent foreclosure on her Florida home and the various clients whose lives intersect at this New York City salon—from well-to-do bankers to struggling actors, each with a story to tell about how they’re getting by in these turbulent times.

Wednesday, October 28
8:00pm, “The Botany of Desire”
THE BOTANY OF DESIRE brings Michael Pollan’s best-selling book of the same name to television, showing how human desires are an essential, intricate part of natural history. The program explores the natural history of four plants—the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato—and the corresponding human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication and controlling nature—that link their destinies to our own.

Saturday, October 31
9:30pm, “Great Performances: James Taylor: One Man Band”
Nearly 40 years after the release of his first single, beloved singer-songwriter James Taylor continues to captivate legions of fans with his characteristic, folks-inspired sound. The recipient of five Grammy awards - and both Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee - Taylor has enjoyed an illustrious career, and is widely acknowledged as a premier musician and storyteller. In July 2007, Taylor teamed up with veteran television producer Don Mischer and Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack to produce One Man Band, a concert performance of Taylor’s most important songs, interspersed with personal anecdotes, touching and witty reflections, and never-before-seen home movies and photographs from Taylor’s personal archives. Recorded at the magnificently restored Colonial Theatre in the heart of the Berkshires, the concert features such classic favorites as “Carolina in My Mind,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Shower the People,” and “Fire and Rain.”