 The National Parks: America's Best Idea
“Great Nature (1933-1945)”
To battle unemployment in the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the Civilian Conservation Corps, which spawns a “golden age” for the parks through major renovation projects. In a groundbreaking study, a young NPS biologist named George Melendez Wright discovers widespread abuses of animal habitats and pushes the service to reform its wildlife policies. Congress narrowly passes a bill to protect the Everglades in Florida as a national park — the first time a park has been created solely to preserve an ecosystem, as opposed to scenic beauty. As America becomes entrenched in World War II, Roosevelt is pressured to open the parks to mining, grazing and lumbering. The president also is subjected to a storm of criticism for expanding the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming by accepting a gift of land secretly purchased by John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Thursday, October 1 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/2 at 1 pm ET
 The National Parks: America's Best Idea
“The Morning of Creation (1946-1980)”
Following World War II, the parks are overwhelmed as visitation reaches 62 million people a year. A new billion-dollar campaign – Mission 66 – is created to build facilities and infrastructure that can accommodate the flood of visitors. A biologist named Alfred Murie introduces the revolutionary notion that predatory animals, which are still hunted, deserve the same protection as other wildlife. In Florida, Lancelot Jones, the grandson of a slave, refuses to sell to developers his family’s property on a string of unspoiled islands in Biscayne Bay and instead sells it to the federal government to be protected as a national monument. In the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter creates an uproar in Alaska when he sets aside 56 million acres of land for preservation — the largest expansion of protected land in history. In 1995, wolves are re-established in Yellowstone, making the world’s first national park a little more like what it once was.
Friday, October 2 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/3 at 1 pm ET
 The Victory Garden
“Perennial Favorites”
Host Jamie Durie kicks off THE VICTORY GARDEN’s 34th season with an exploration of the Huntington Botanical Gardens in California; he explains how to use the art of staging to put your plants in the spotlight. Then, gardening correspondent Paul Epsom tours the world-famous New York Botanical Garden, home to more than a million plants — including those in the vibrant, artist-inspired perennial gardens — and offers up his perennial favorites from this amazing collection. Are green, hard-to-ripen tomatoes left in your garden? Use them up before the cooler weather sets in. Resident chef Michel Nischan shares a recipe for green tomatoes that you won’t want to miss!
Saturday, October 3 at 12:30 pm ET
The National Parks: America's Best Idea
“The Morning of Creation (1946-1980)”
Following World War II, the parks are overwhelmed as visitation reaches 62 million people a year. A new billion-dollar campaign – Mission 66 – is created to build facilities and infrastructure that can accommodate the flood of visitors. A biologist named Alfred Murie introduces the revolutionary notion that predatory animals, which are still hunted, deserve the same protection as other wildlife. In Florida, Lancelot Jones, the grandson of a slave, refuses to sell to developers his family’s property on a string of unspoiled islands in Biscayne Bay and instead sells it to the federal government to be protected as a national monument. In the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter creates an uproar in Alaska when he sets aside 56 million acres of land for preservation — the largest expansion of protected land in history. In 1995, wolves are re-established in Yellowstone, making the world’s first national park a little more like what it once was.
Saturday, October 3 at 1 pm ET
 Snowtrails TV
This award-winning series introduces snowmobilers to new family riding opportunities, and unique winter destinations and promotes responsible riding. The latest season features snowmobile rides that include scenic trails through New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Ontario and the Abitibi Temiscamingue region in Quebec. This week features the French Canadian hospitality at a Quebec festival, and an educational visit to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
Saturdays at 3:30 pm ET, begins October 3
 Media Meet
“Native American Education”
A discussion of contemporary approaches to native languages, the virtues of outdoor education and similar topics from experts in the field.
Saturday, October 3 at 6:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/4 at 1:30 pm ET
 High School Bowl
“Chassell vs Munising; L’Anse vs Bark River”
Join host GG Gordon as she presents the “best and brightest” from area high schools competing for scholarships and prestige in a battle of speed and knowledge. Cheer on your favorite team or test yourself against contestants from 50 Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin schools in the 32nd season of High School Bowl.
Saturday, October 3 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/5 at Noon ET
 Austin City Limits
“Dave Matthews Band”
Rock superstars the Dave Matthews Band kick off ACL’s 35th season with hits and songs from their latest album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.
Saturday, October 3 at 10 pm ET
 Loreena McKennitt: A Movable Musical Feast
Performance documentary follows Canadian singer/composer Loreena McKennitt as she embarks on her 2007 An Ancient Muse tour and offers a rare backstage look at one of contemporary music's most interesting live acts. Candid behind-the-scenes interviews with McKennitt, her band and crew reveal the rigors of touring and the joys and challenges of their nomadic life on the road.
Saturday, October 3 at Midnight ET
Repeats 10/14 at 9:30 pm ET
 Michigreen: Michigan’s Renewable Energy Future
What do the sun, wind and cow manure have in common? They’re green. Green in the environmentally responsible way, but also green as in the color of money. This timely new documentary film explores emerging green energy in Michigan and its economic impact. Four cutting edge renewable energy systems currently operating in Western Michigan are examined. Are they complete and sustainable solutions to our energy needs? And what role do these systems play in the economic turnaround of Michigan?
Sunday, October 4 at 12:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/18 at 10:30 pm ET
 Up From Ashes: The Making of the Traverwood Branch
The developers of Ann Arbor District Library’s Traverwood Branch took a unique approach to the building process by harvesting hundreds of ash trees devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer and reusing the trees in the construction of the building. This documentary captures each step of the construction process that combined both primitive and modern methods.
Sunday, October 4 at 7 pm ET
 Nature
“Supersize Crocs”
Tall tales of giant man-eating crocodiles inhabit a world between fact and fiction. The truth is that some crocodile species, such as Nile crocs and American crocs, have been known to exceed 20 feet; the Asian-Pacific saltwater croc has been recorded to 23 feet. Today these gigantic creatures are very, very rare, but some of them are still out there in the wild, with a few held in captivity. Renowned herpetologist Romulus Whitaker attempts to ensure the future of the last of these leviathans.
Sunday, October 4 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/8 at Noon ET
 Masterpiece Mystery!
“Inspector Lewis: Allegory of Love”
Literary whimsy becomes murderous reality with the death of a Czech barmaid. The scene of the crime yields two puzzling clues: a bloodstained note and a broken antique mirror. To find the killer, Lewis and Hathaway must uncover the hidden connections between the victim and a prominent Oxford professor, a literary society and a book by Oxford’s hottest new author.
Sunday, October 4 at 9 pm ET
Repeats 10/5 at 1 pm ET
 The Indie Film Show
This new series from Michigan State University showcases the talent of our state's filmmakers. Each week the Indie Film Show presents a selection of the best independent films of all genres from throughout the area. The first episode features the short documentary films “Zeke The Wonder Dog”, “Can Man”, “High Step: The Story of the MSU Marching Band” and the short film “Halloween”.
Sundays at 10:30 pm ET, begins October 4
 The Music Seen
Taped live before club audiences in Richmond, Va., this series showcases an eclectic group of musicians with styles ranging from rock, pop and folk to bluegrass, ska and salsa. This season's slate includes: smooth jazzman Rick McLemore, the high-energy Rachel Leyco Band, contemporary country band Buttercup, world musicians Rattlemouth and punk rockers The Caste.
Sundays at Midnight ET, begins October 4
 Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times
Two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Peter Jones chronicles the epic saga of the most powerful family in Los Angeles history: the Chandlers. For four generations, they wielded unique influence through their newspaper, the Los Angeles Times. In their pursuit of personal agendas and civic ideals, they built the city of the future and exposed the dark side of the American Dream.
Monday, October 5 at 9 pm ET
 Make:
The DIY show for a new generation, this new 10-part series celebrates "Makers" – the inventors, artists, geeks and everyday folks who mix new and old technology to create new-fangled marvels. Based on the popular Makemagazine, each half-hour episode inspires viewers to invent, revent, recycle, upcycle and act up. This week: We meet Cyclecide, an inventive band of performance artists who build outrageous bicycle contraptions straight out of the dump; and in the Maker Workshop segment, John Park (pictured) hacks an old VCR to build an automated cat feeder.
Tuesdays at 4:30 pm ET, begins October 6
 NOVA
“Darwin's Darkest Hour”
NOVA and National Geographic present the extraordinary human drama that led to the birth of the most influential scientific theory of all time. Acclaimed screenwriter John Goldsmith brings to life Charles Darwin’s greatest personal crisis: the anguishing decision over whether to “go public” with his theory of evolution. Darwin, portrayed by Henry Ian Cusick (“Lost”), spent years refining his ideas. Daunted by looming conflict with the orthodox religious values of his day, he resisted publishing — until a letter from naturalist Alfred Wallace forced his hand. Going public risked the fury of the church and his wife, Emma, portrayed by Frances O’Connor (“Mansfield Park”), who clung to a devout, orthodox view of creation. This moving drama about the birth of a great idea is seen through the inspiration and personal sufferings of its brilliant originator.
Tuesday, October 6 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/7 at Noon ET
 The Buffalo Flows
Arkansas’ Buffalo River, born in the Ozark Mountains, is one of the nation’s remaining free-flowing rivers. This program outlines the “Battle for the Buffalo” — the efforts of conversation groups to prevent damming — and captures the river’s magnificent beauty over four seasons.
Tuesday, October 6 at 10 pm ET
 Passport & Palette
See the world through the eyes of acclaimed master artists, including en plein air painter Kevin Macpherson, still-life artist Joe Anna Arnett, watercolor specialist James Asher and outdoor painter Kenn Backhaus in this new series. Cameras follow the artists as they travel to some of the most picturesque locations in France, Switzerland, Guatemala, Italy, Canada and the United States, select their painting subjects and create new landscapes, still lifes and portraits. Along the way, the artists discuss their unique approaches to their work, as well as their mental process, influences and style. This week landscape painter Kevin Macpherson takes his inspiration directly from nature, or “en plein air.” In the idyllic French countryside, he captures the moment in an impressionistic style. He also demonstrates how virtually any color can be mixed with a limited palette.
Wednesdays at 4:30 pm ET, begins October 7
 Craft in America
“Origins”
The second season of the 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. The first episode focuses on the origins of the American craft movement and features artists who tie their work to early craft techniques and pass on these techniques to others in a continuum of creativity.
Wednesday, October 7 at 8 pm ET
 Craft in America
“Process”
The second episode looks at what inspires people to choose a career in craft and shows how they go about acquiring the knowledge and necessary skills. Artists and institutions featured include New York City’s 92nd Street Y, Professor Cary Esser of the Kansas City Art Institute and Nikki Lewis, a recent graduate of her ceramics program, Miguel G—mez-Ib‡–ez, the director of Boston’s North Bennet Street School, which has been training people for employment in the crafts since 1885, book artists Julie Chen and Tom Killion, and jewelers David and Roberta Williamson of Berea, Ohio. The episode also looks at some of the best and most interesting artists who turned to craft as a second career later in life.
Wednesday, October 7 at 9 pm ET
 Art in the Twenty-First Century
The only television series dedicated to profiling the work of contemporary artists, the show’s fifth season features 14 artists, from painters and sculptors to photographers and artists exploring the possibilities of new media, filmed in their own environments and in their own words. This week: Artists whose works explore conscience and the possibility of understanding and reconciling past and present.
Wednesdays at 10 pm ET, begins October 7
 Ask the Doctors
“H1N1 Swine Flu Special”
Area physicians will visit the Public TV 13 studios to answer phoned-in questions from viewers during this live broadcast. This week’s guests are: To be announced. Call in your questions during the broadcast at 800-227-9668.
Thursday, October 8 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/9 at Noon ET
 The 1955 World Series: 7 Days of Fall
Based upon the poem, entitled "1955", by James T. Crawford, this presentation uniquely blends the usual documentary elements with recital of the poem to recount the story of the Brooklyn Dodger’s only World Championship. This is more than a sports story, but a time capsule of a period in American history like no other. As the documentary’s epilogue states: “To believe was to achieve...back in 1955”.
Thursday, October 8 at 10 pm ET
 NOW on PBS
“Death Panels? The Truth About End of Life Planning”
How did private discussions between seniors and their doctors about end of life choices for the very ill or dying become a flash point in the national health care debate? This week NOW travels to Wisconsin to sit in on some of these sessions and see how health care reform could profoundly affect the lives of American seniors. The not-for-profit Gundersen Lutheran Hospital has two decades of experience in this area. Their “Respecting Choices” initiative has become one of the most comprehensive end of life planning programs in the country. Two families grappling with the most difficult and complex life and death issues gave NOW on PBS extraordinary access to their discussions and their decisions.
Friday, October 9 at 8:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/11 at 11:30 am ET
 Bill Moyers Journal
“Is the American Economy Reformed?”
Just over a year after economic calamity brought promises of reform to Washington, many now say that the recession is nearing an end. But is it business as usual for Wall Street, and have future financial crises been averted? Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson and US Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) join Bill Moyers for a report card on the bailouts, an update on the state of the U.S. economy, and to find out whether efforts of reform have been derailed. And, Bill Moyers remembers his friend, renowned physician and mountaineer Charlie Houston.
Friday, October 9 at 9 pm ET
Media Meet
“Archiving”
A look at efforts and problems in preserving the historical record of the Upper Peninsula.
Saturday, October 10 at 6:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/11 at 1:30 pm ET
High School Bowl
“Negaunee vs Rapid River; Westwood vs Painesdale-Jeffers”
Join host GG Gordon as she presents the “best and brightest” from area high schools competing for scholarships and prestige in a battle of speed and knowledge. Cheer on your favorite team or test yourself against contestants from 50 Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin schools in the 32nd season of High School Bowl.
Saturday, October 10 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/12 at Noon ET
 Austin City Limits
“Ben Harper and the Relentless7”
Ben Harper debuts his new band, Relentless7, with a rocking set drawn from his album White Lies for Dark Times.
Saturday, October 10 at 10 pm ET
 Nature
“Raptor Force”
Armed with powerful beaks and razor-sharp talons, raptors are nature’s elite killing force — winged predators whose graceful beauty belies their stunning speed, acrobatics and precision. Dramatic original footage from cameras mounted on their wings and ankles shows why falcons, owls, eagles and hawks are masters of the sky.
Sunday, October 11 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/15 at Noon ET
Masterpiece Mystery!
“Inspector Lewis: Quality of Mercy”
When a young actor is murdered during a student Shakespeare production, Lewis and Hathaway sift through the motives of several suspects – from a jealous thespian to an Oxford dropout to a playgoer only too anxious to use his ticket stub as an alibi. As the duo tracks down the truth, they unearth a dark secret that hits Lewis eerily close to home.
Sunday, October 11 at 9 pm ET
Repeats 10/12 at 1 pm ET
 Shaken: Journey into the Mind of a Parkinson’s Patient
Paul Schroder graduated at the top of his class in electrical engineering, and then was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. After a decade of being on medication, and growing increasingly debilitated, he decides that radical brain surgery is preferable to sitting on a couch like a vegetable for the rest of his life. While Paul lies awake on the operating table, doctors implant electrodes in his brain and a neurostimulation device underneath his collarbone. The results of this electrifying surgery are mysterious, miraculous, and bittersweet.
Sunday, October 11 at 10:30 pm ET
 Latin Music USA
“Bridges/The Salsa Revolution”
From Latin jazz and mambo to salsa, Tejano, Chicano rock, Latin pop and reggaeton, this four-part series tells the story of the rise of new American music forged from powerful Latin roots and reveals the often overlooked influence of Latin music on jazz, hip hop, rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll – and on all of American culture. It’s a fresh take on America’s musical history, reaching across time and across musical genres to embrace the exciting hybrid sounds created by Latinos, musical fusions that have deeply enriched popular music in the U.S. over more than five decades. Jimmy Smits narrates.
Monday, October 12 at 9 pm ET
 NOVA
“Hubble's Amazing Rescue”
In the spring of 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 key tool in cosmology’s quest to investigate and map the universe’s mysterious dark matter. The astronaut servicing team carried out the first-ever in-space repairs of Hubble’s defective instruments, a task that required ingenious engineering fixes and the most intensive NASA spacewalk ever. From training to launch, NOVA presents the inside story of the mission and the extraordinary challenges faced by the rescue crew.
Tuesday, October 13 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/14 at Noon ET
 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 (“Beyond Baghdad,” “Return of the Taliban”) and Marcela Gaviria (“In Search of Al Qaeda”) once again make the dangerous journey to the frontlines 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.
Tuesday, October 13 at 9 pm ET
 Independent Lens
“Herb and Dorothy”
You don’t have to be a Rockefeller to collect art. Herb Vogel was a postal clerk. Dorothy Vogel was a librarian. With their modest means, the couple managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history. The Vogels shared passion and disciplines, defied stereotypes and redefined what it means to be an art collector.
Tuesday, October 13 at 10 pm ET
 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. Following her 2008/2009 world tour, the filmmakers captured Baez in performance and in intimate conversations with individuals whose lives parallel hers. The film allows viewers an unprecedented level of access to Baez, who is joined in the film by Bob Dylan, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Reverend Jesse Jackson, among others.
Wednesday, October 14 at 8 pm ET
Loreena McKennitt: A Movable Musical Feast
Performance documentary follows Canadian singer/composer Loreena McKennitt as she embarks on her 2007 An Ancient Muse tour and offers a rare backstage look at one of contemporary music's most interesting live acts. Candid behind-the-scenes interviews with McKennitt, her band and crew reveal the rigors of touring and the joys and challenges of their nomadic life on the road.
Wednesday, October 14 at 9:30 pm ET
 Art in the Twenty-First Century
“Fantasy”
This episode presents artists whose works defy convention and transport the viewer to unreal worlds and altered states of consciousness. With works at times hallucinatory, irreverent and sublime, each of these artists pursues a vision first held in the mind’s eye. Featured: Cao Fei, Mary Heilmann, Jeff Koons and Florian Maier-Aichen.
Wednesday, October 14 at 10 pm ET
 Colonial Williamsburg Fieldtrips 2009
“Emissaries of Peace”
Take a trip back in time to experience life in colonial America. These interactive field trips take viewers to Williamsburg, Virginia via live satellite video transmission, phone and the Internet to interact with actors reenacting 18th century American life. This month: During the turbulent era of the French and IndianWar, the Cherokee people struggled to preserve their independence. Follow Cherokee leader Ostenaco and Virginian Henry Timberlake on their 1762 journey from Chota (the capital of the Cherokee nation) to Williamsburg and London in search of a lasting peace.
Thursday, October 15 at 1 pm ET
 A Walk in the Park With Nick Mollé - Real Rocky
Nature lover and award-winning filmmaker Nick Mollé explores the vast wilderness of Rocky Mountain National Park in his new three-part series. Nick’s extensive knowledge of biology, deep respect for the area and sense of humor serve him well on his encounters with the Rockies’ wild locals – from marmots, moose and bighorn sheep to mountain lions and elk. He drives over the breathtaking Trail Ridge Road, treks deep into the backcountry, scales Longs Peak, fly-fishes at high-country lakes and hikes to other awe-inspiring wilderness destinations.
Thursdays at 4:30 pm ET, begins October 15
 Ask the Lawyers
Area attorneys will visit the Public TV 13 studios to answer phoned-in questions from viewers during this live broadcast. This week’s guests are: To be announced. Call in your questions during the broadcast at 800-227-9668.
Thursday, October 15 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/16 at Noon ET
 In Performance at the White House
“Fiesta Latina”
In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a White House concert with Marc Anthony, Jimmy Smits, Pete Escovedo, Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalía, Tito “El Bambino,” the Bachata music group Aventura and the Chicano rock band Los Lobos, with Sheila E. leading the house band.
Thursday, October 15 at 10 pm ET
NOW on PBS
“Nursing Shortage”
By the year 2020, a nationwide shortage of up to 500,000 trained nurses could mean that hundreds of thousands of patients will receive less attention and substandard treatment. Just as alarming, fewer nurses are choosing to teach the next generation of professionals, resulting in tens of thousands of applicants being turned away from the nation's nursing schools. This week NOW on PBS takes a hard look at the strains this crisis is placing on the entire medical system, as well as innovative efforts to reverse the trend.
Friday, October 16 at 8:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/18 at 11:30 am ET
Bill Moyers Journal
“Redefining the United States”
Barack Obama was elected on a message of change, promising a new era of diplomacy and international cooperation – but can the President deliver a new vision of America? Reporting from the world's most troubled hotspots, Mark Danner has seen countless deaths over ethnic and political divides, and witnessed firsthand how U.S. attempts to exploit those conflicts have resulted in disastrous unforeseen consequences. Danner speaks with Bill Moyers about Obama’s challenges in resetting the mindset of America from war to peace, and redefining the US as a nation. Also on the program, the Journal profiles public health doctor America Bracho, who serves her Santa Ana, CA community – notorious for crime, poverty and disease – with her organization, Latino Health Access.
Friday, October 16 at 9 pm ET
Media Meet
“Health Care Reform & Medicare”
A discussion of key U.S. House and Senate proposals for healthcare reform with an emphasis on the Baucus bill and implications for Medicare.
Saturday, October 17 at 6:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/18 at 1:30 pm ET
High School Bowl
“Norway vs Carney-Nadeau; Houghton vs Pickford”
Join host GG Gordon as she presents the “best and brightest” from area high schools competing for scholarships and prestige in a battle of speed and knowledge. Cheer on your favorite team or test yourself against contestants from 50 Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin schools in the 32nd season of High School Bowl.
Saturday, October 17 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/19 at Noon ET
 Austin City Limits
“Kenny Chesney”
Country music superstar Kenny Chesney hits the ACL stage for a tour through his greatest hits.
Saturday, October 17 at 10 pm ET
 Life (Part 2)
The second season of LIFE (PART 2), fueled by the tough-minded journalistic instincts of new host Robert Lipsyte, a former New York Times columnist, fearlessly takes on the issues facing today’s generation of 50-plus baby boomers. Boomers are the best-educated, healthiest, most privileged generation in American history; this series explores the ways they are re-inventing aging. Through a combination of roundtable discussions, on-location field pieces, one-on-one interviews with celebrities and leading thinkers, and provocative video essays, the series addresses topics such as “encore” careers, care-giving, the new face of Alzheimer’s, dating in mid-life, plastic surgery and fighting ageism. This week: Boomer Marriage.
Sundays at 2:30 pm ET, begins October 18
 Nature
“Rhinoceros”
They are hulking beasts from prehistory, virtually unchanged over 25 million years. Once they roamed the Earth in millions, numbering hundreds of species of all shapes and sizes; today, the rhinoceros is one of the planet’s rarest animals, with three of the remaining five species on the brink of extinction. NATURE trails rangers through the savannahs of South Africa, the grasslands of India and the jungles of Indonesia, and visits rhino fertility experts at an American zoo, detailing efforts to protect rhinos from poachers, relocate them to new habitats and breed them in captivity. Along the way, the program offers fascinating close-up scenes of the pachyderms in their natural habitats, from a pulse-quickening charge by a black rhino to an Indian one-horned rhino nursery full of mothers and calves, and much more.
Sunday, October 18 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/22 at Noon ET
Masterpiece Mystery!
“Inspector Lewis: The Point of Vanishing”
The murder of a small-time criminal leads Lewis and Hathaway to a prominent Oxford don-turned-celebrity atheist, who years earlier had been the intended target of a botched murder attempt. Could these isolated incidents be connected? As the pair investigates further, they uncover a web of deceit and a case of mistaken identity that will lead them to their killer.
Sunday, October 18 at 9 pm ET
Repeats 10/19 at 1 pm ET
Michigreen: Michigan’s Renewable Energy Future
What do the sun, wind and cow manure have in common? They’re green. Green in the environmentally responsible way, but also green as in the color of money. This timely new documentary film explores emerging green energy in Michigan and its economic impact. Four cutting edge renewable energy systems currently operating in Western Michigan are examined. Are they complete and sustainable solutions to our energy needs? And what role do these systems play in the economic turnaround of Michigan?
Sunday, October 18 at 10:30 pm ET
Latin Music USA
“The Chicano Wave/Divas and Superstars”
Mexican Americans in California, Texas and throughout the Southwest created their own distinct musical voices during the second half of the 20th century. This episode shows how their music played an important role in the struggle for Chicano civil rights and ultimately propelled them from the barrio to the national stage. The final hour focuses on the Latin pop explosion of the turn of the 21st century and the success of artists like Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Shakira in the English-language market.
Monday, October 19 at 9 pm ET
 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 — 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 successful species, versatile at adapting to all kinds of settings.
Tuesday, October 20 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/21 at Noon ET
 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.
Tuesday, October 20 at 9 pm ET
 Independent Lens
“Butte, America”
Grounded in the dramatic personal stories of five generations of mining families, and narrated by Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, this program tells the epic tale of Butte, Montana, once the world’s largest producer of copper — the “Richest Hill on Earth,” the town that “plumbed and electrified America.” Butte forged a community whose toughness, vitality and solidarity speak to what’s missing in America today, while raising profound questions about the costs and consequences of industrialization and use of natural resources. “Butte, America” is an unsentimental and emotionally moving tribute to working-class life and to the never-ending labor of achieving fairness in a world where powerful, destructive forces are always at play.
Tuesday, October 20 at 10 pm ET
 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. In fall 2009, he will become the new music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. GREAT PERFORMANCES will join the opening night festivities for Dudamel’s inaugural gala concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on October 8. 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).
Wednesday, October 21 at 8 pm ET
 Art in the Twenty-First Century
“Transformation”
Whether observing and satirizing society or reinventing icons of literature, art history and popular culture, these artists inhabit the characters they create and capture the sensibilities of our age. Featured: Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman and Yinka Shonibare MBE.
Wednesday, October 21 at 10 pm ET
Ask the Doctors
“Women's Health”
Area physicians will visit the Public TV 13 studios to answer phoned-in questions from viewers during this live broadcast. This week’s guests are: To be announced. Call in your questions during the broadcast at 800-227-9668.
Thursday, October 22 at 8 pm ET
 American Standards: Unforgettable
Volume 1 of the "Live From Studio A" music series featuring an amazing line-up of songs made popular by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darin and Judy Garland. The Emmy-nominated "Live From Studio A" orchestra performs these classics with top entertainers from the Pittsburgh region. The program is hosted by Pete Hewlett and features the talents of Jimmy Sapienza (Just a Gigolo), Etta Cox (That Old Devil Moon), Bo Wagner (Lady is a Tramp), Walt Maddox (Unforgettable), Mark Pipas (Beyond the Sea), The Skyliners (Pennies from Heaven), among others.
Thursday, October 22 at 10 pm ET
NOW on PBS
“Coastal Catastrophe?”
Imagine you lived in a world of water. Your home is two feet under. You wade through it, cook on it, and sleep above it. This is the reality for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, coastal populations on the front lines of climate change. Weeks before world leaders meet in Copenhagen to discuss climate change, NOW senior correspondent Maria Hinojosa travels to Bangladesh to examine some innovative solutions -- from floating schools to rice that can “hold its breath” underwater -- being implemented in a country where entire communities are inundated by water, battered by cyclones, and flooded from their homes. Scientists project global seas will flood 20 percent of Bangladesh by 2030, stranding some 35 million climate refugees. Some are proposing that industrial nations who contribute to global warming should open their doors to displaced Bangladeshis. Is a coastal catastrophe approaching, and what should we be doing about it?
Friday, October 23 at 8:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/25 at 11:30 am ET
Bill Moyers Journal
“Investigating the Attacks in Gaza”
A damning report from the UN Human Rights Council on the violence in Gaza late last year has put Israel on the defensive. Bill Moyers talks with the man at the center of the storm, Justice Richard Goldstone, who despite working with many pro-Israel groups and Israeli institutions in the past has drawn intense criticism from some of Israel’s supporters for his report, which said Israel's Defense Forces, as well as Hamas, may have committed war crimes in Gaza earlier this year. Goldstone is a renowned war-crimes investigator who’s looked into human rights abuses in his native South Africa, as well as the former Yugoslavia, Argentina, and Rwanda.
Friday, October 23 at 9 pm ET
 Get Fresh With Sue Chef
This educational cooking series focuses on fresh local produce and goods from Michigan. Personal chef and cooking educator Sue Chef meets with the local growers or producers, learns how your food gets from farm to table and shares the difficulties and joys of farming in Michigan. She even gets her hands dirty and can often be found digging in with the harvest or driving farm equipment. Then she heads back to the kitchen and whips up some gourmet treats using the products she gathered during her visits. This week: Sue visits the Leelanau Cheese Company then makes leek soup with raclette toasts, adult mac n cheese and a traditional raclette.
Saturdays at Noon ET, begins October 24
Media Meet
“Public Schools”
Catch up on issues for public schools in the wake of fiscal, social and educational pressures.
Saturday, October 24 at 6:30 pm ET
Repeats 10/25 at 1:30 pm ET
High School Bowl
“Hurley vs Ontonagon; Bessemer vs Big Bay de Noc”
Join host GG Gordon as she presents the “best and brightest” from area high schools competing for scholarships and prestige in a battle of speed and knowledge. Cheer on your favorite team or test yourself against contestants from 50 Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin schools in the 32nd season of High School Bowl.
Saturday, October 24 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/26 at Noon ET
Austin City Limits
“Andrew Bird/St. Vincent”
Eclectic singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird dazzles with songs from his Noble Beast album, followed by the imaginative indie pop of St. Vincent.
Saturday, October 24 at 10 pm ET
 Restoring Wetlands
This program illustrates the critical part that wetlands play in cleaning our waters, reducing flooding, providing a place for wildlife and strengthening family activities. Private landowners, large and small, farm and non-farm, are voluntarily restored wetlands on their property through partnerships with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and others that provide money and technical help to restore and maintain wetlands. Program features the wildlife of wetlands in lower Michigan and northern Ohio.
Sunday, October 25 at 11 am ET
 Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
The powerful and informative health and wellness series continues with a strong line-up of topics for its 11th season. Uplifting and energizing, this award-winning series explores the personal side of health breakthroughs in treatment, prevention and research with well-told real stores of doctors, scientists and patients. This week: Deadly Blood Clots: The Dangers of Venous Thromboembolism.
Sundays at 3 pm ET, begins October 25
 Nature
“Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions”
The continuing saga of Cloud, the wild, white stallion, returns viewers to the Arrowhead Mountains of Montana. Cloud is now a confident band stallion in his prime. As he rules the mountains, gathering mares and expanding his reign, the story turns to his two sons. Bolder is his by birth — beautiful and golden, the success of his father and grandfather flowing in his veins. Flint, sired by another stallion, is the colt Cloud raised. Now, Bolder has gathered some mares of his own, while Flint has joined a group of bachelor stallions, young guns roaming the mountains. Who will rise to challenge the mighty Cloud? Will nature or nurture produce the next great stallion of the Arrowheads?
Sunday, October 25 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/29 at Noon ET
 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, Trainspotting) as British businessman and negotiator Michael Young; Derek Jacobi (Gosford Park) as Young’s boss; and Clarke Peters (“The Wire”) as Nelson Mandela.
Sunday, October 25 at 9 pm ET
Repeats 10/26 at 1 pm ET
 The Crash of 1929: American Experience
In the “roaring twenties,” while the stock market was rising, there were few critics. It was a “new era” when everyone could get rich. Wall Street leaders such as Charles Mitchell, president of the National City Bank (which would become Citibank), stock specialist Michael Meehan and Jesse Livermore, a Wall Street insider, found new ways to manipulate the stock market and grew incredibly wealthy, helping create the economic boom of that fabulous decade. Their success made them folk heroes of the day. The upward climb of the market seemed limitless. But in October 1929, the market plunged, taking with it the finances of the Wall Street titans and everyday investors alike.
Monday, October 26 at 9 pm ET
 Herbert Hoover: Landslide
Herbert Hoover was a politician and humanitarian whose legacy has been largely defined by the Great Depression. When he was elected president in a landslide victory in 1928, Hoover had never before held public office. Yet his remarkable humanitarian work and career as a mining engineer, businessman and U.S. Secretary of Commerce carried him to office. When the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, Hoover’s agenda was derailed by the worsening economic crisis. Despite various efforts to pull the nation out of depression, Hoover’s unsuccessful attempts led to his sound defeat by Franklin Roosevelt just four years after his landslide victory.
Monday, October 26 at 10 pm ET
 NOVA
“Family That Walks on All Fours”
An intense scientific debate has ignited around a quiet but extraordinary family living in rural Turkey – a family with five adults who walk on all fours. Since bipedality has long been considered one of the defining characteristics of modern humans, such a discovery raises fascinating questions about genetics, society and the evolutionary history of our species. Is this the anthropological find of the millennium or simply a unique medical case? In this moving documentary NOVA sets out to unravel the controversy and meet the individuals who have captured the imagination of scientists around the world.
Tuesday, October 27 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/28 at Noon ET
 Frontline
“Close to Home”
Producer Ofra Bikel chronicles how the middle class is faring in this recession through the stories of the people whom 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.
Tuesday, October 27 at 9 pm ET
 Independent Lens
“Journals of a Wily School”
Pickpocketing is common practice in Kolkata, India. In an attempt to crack down on more serious crime, the police offer a young pickpocket, Azad, a full pardon if he helps track down more notorious criminals. Azad must choose whether he’ll collaborate with the police or risk it all for life on the streets.
Tuesday, October 27 at 10 pm ET
 The Botany of Desire
Featuring Michael Pollan and based on his best-selling book, this special takes viewers on an eye-opening exploration of the human relationship with the plant world – seen from the plants’ point of view. Narrated by Frances McDormand, the program shows how four familiar species – the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato – evolved to satisfy our yearnings for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control.
Wednesday, October 28 at 8 pm ET
 Art in the Twenty-First Century
“Systems”
This episode features artists who realize complex projects, whether through acts of appropriation or accumulation, or through the creation of projects so vast in scope as to nearly elude comprehension. Featured: John Baldessari, Kimsooja, Allan McCollum and Julie Mehretu.
Wednesday, October 28 at 10 pm ET
 Ask the Experts
“Smoking Cessation”
This special “Ask the” will feature health experts live in the WNMU-TV studios answering questions on smoking and making healthy life decisions. Guests are to be announced. Call in your questions during the broadcast at 800-227-9668.
Thursday, October 29 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 10/30 at Noon ET
American Standards: The Best is Yet to Come
The second installment of the "Live From Studio A" music series features more great American classics. Host Pete Hewlett and the Live From Studio A orchestra return to the stage with an impressive line up of performers including Maureen Budway (The Best is Yet to Come), Bo Wagner (Fly Me to the Moon), Lisa Bleil (When I Fall in Love), Bob Corbin (Unchained Melody), Vanessa Campagna (Someone to Watch Over Me) and many others. These artists perform songs made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett and Doris Day.
Thursday, October 29 at 10 pm ET
NOW on PBS
PBS’ Emmy-winning weekly newsmagazine engages viewers by probing the most important issues facing democracy. Hosted by veteran journalist David Brancaccio, NOW on PBS pursues the stories overlooked by other public affairs broadcasts and travels the nation to shed light on the important public policy issues that have real-world impact on working Americans. Details on this week's program will be available closer to air date.
Friday, October 30 at 8:30 pm ET
Repeats 11/2 at 11:30 am ET
Bill Moyers Journal
Features interviews and news analysis on a wide range of subjects, including politics, arts and culture, the media, the economy and issues facing democracy. Detailed program information will be available just prior to broadcast.
Friday, October 30 at 9 pm ET
Media Meet “Smoke Free State”
Wisconsin is very close to passing legislation to become a smoke free state. Will Michigan follow? We’ll examine the new smoke-free laws and find out how they might effect our area. (Repeat from June.)
Saturday, October 31 at 6:30 pm ET
Repeats 11/1 at 1:30 pm ET
High School Bowl
“Iron Mountain vs Dollar Bay; Escanaba vs Ewen-Trout Creek”
Join host GG Gordon as she presents the “best and brightest” from area high schools competing for scholarships and prestige in a battle of speed and knowledge. Cheer on your favorite team or test yourself against contestants from 50 Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin schools in the 32nd season of High School Bowl.
Saturday, October 31 at 8 pm ET
Repeats 11/2 at Noon ET
Austin City Limits
“M. Ward/Okkervil River”
M. Ward graduates from guest spots to his own headline ACL performance, highlighting his latest LP, Hold Time . Austin indie rock favorite Okkervil River follows.
Saturday, October 31 at 10 pm ET
The complete schedule for Public TV 13, Channel 13.1 is available on one page at this link.
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