Have you ever heard of “blusion?” Even if you have, you haven’t heard anything like the Deanna Bogart Band! There’s no better way to get to know the both of them at the National Gallery of Art’s jazz concert series in the Sculpture Garden. This Friday from 5 to 8:30 pm, stop by for a free concert and hear her “blues fusion” of keyboard, saxophone, vocals and songwriting. Find out more about Deanna and see the calendar for upcoming NGA concerts.
What do you get when you mix Shakespeare and a saloon? Find out this weekend at one of Folger Theatre’s performances of The Taming of the Shrew. Director Aaron Posner takes the classic comedy to the old west and puts a fresh spin on the age old battle of the sexes. Find out what our Around Town panelists had to say and let us know what you think on our Facebook page!
Tickets: $30-$65. Shows are Friday, June 1 at 8pm, Saturday, June 2 at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday, June 3 at 2pm and 7pm. Check out more information here.
Have an encounter with Asian art like never before—afterhours at the Freer and Sackler Galleries! Come explore the galleries with “Asia After Dark.” Watch lively performances, dance to world music, create works of art, and sample Asian-inspired cuisine and cocktails. Suggested attire: Japanese fashion meets hip-hop vogue. Saturday, June 2. 8pm – midnight. Tickets: $25. Must be 21 or over to attend this event. For more information click here.
Take the whole family to the 18th annual Imagination Bethesda festival this Saturday for some artistic, tasty, and free fun! Activity tents line the street as kids and adults alike can enjoy arts and crafts, dancing, and live entertainment all day. Located three blocks from the Bethesda metro on Auburn and Norfolk Avenues. Event takes place Saturday, June 2 from 11am to 4pm. Click here for more information!
We’re getting ready for our brand new channel WETA UK to launch in just two days! The past couple of weeks we’ve posted the FULL WETA UK schedules for each day of the week along with exclusive WETA UK promotional reels and longer YouTube clips of the different shows on our schedule. Today we’re finishing with the Thursday schedule paired with lots of video to get you excited for this big change. We hope you’ll join us for the WETA UK Premiere Weekend which begins at midnight June 2, 2012! We have all the pilot episodes of our UK programming airing back-to-back all day and all night!
Grab your magnifying glass and your pipe because tonight is a jam-packed mystery night on WETA TV26 and WETA HD. Beginning at 8:00 see Jeremy Brett as the classic Sherlock in The Master Blackmailer. Next at 9:00 are back-to-back…to-back Agatha Christie Poirot episodes The Case of the Missing Will then The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman concluded with The Chocolate Box.
Our WETA TV Pledge drive begins tomorrow so stay locked into the Programmer’s Choice Blog to see what great programming is coming up in June!
by Kevin Harris, Station Manager and Vice President of WETA Television
11:56:46 p.m.
At exactly 11:56:46 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2012, the America’s Test Kitchen credits will end and WETA How-To(Create) will go to black for the first time since it premiered in June 2006. Good-Bye WETA How-To (Create).
11:56:47 p.m.
At exactly 11:56:47 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2012, WETA will run a WETA UK image promotional spot and a legal WETA UK identification.
12:00:00 a.m.
At exactly 12:00:00 a.m. on June 2, 2012, The WETA UK Premiere Weekend begins with the pilot episode of Primeval. Hello WETA UK!
OK. I did it. I’m the one that cancelled WETA How-To (Create). If you want to point a finger at someone for axing your beloved How-To channel in favor of WETA UK-the British channel- it should be pointed in my direction. I understand your disappointment. I get your anger. After six years of having cooking demonstrations and do-it-yourself crafts at your fingertips around the clock, you’ll miss the 24/7 channel. I will miss it too.
For the record, I didn’t wake up one morning and yell,“Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and America’s Test Kitchen MUST GO!” The truth is, when asked to write a white paper on the future of the WETA local multi-cast channels (WETA TV26, WETA HD, WETA Kids, and WETA How-To (Create)), I set out to defend our choice of program services as the only possible non-commercial alternatives in a very crowded television universe. Kids and How-To programming are a part of our DNA. Sesame Street and French Chef Julia Child are a huge part of our local brand. I honestly had no plans to shake up our channel line-up.
A funny thing happened on our way to the status quo. While researching the ratings of our digital channels for the white paper assignment, our director of programming Bryant Wilson and I discovered a number of surprising facts:
1. WETA How-To (Create) and WETA Kids combined have larger audiences in the Washington DC market than BBC America. People are watching our local digital channels.
2. There isn’t a show on BBC America that comes close to matching the large audiences that regularly watch British programs on WETA TV26.Doc Martin, Keeping Up Appearances, Sherlock Holmes, and Masterpiece literally dwarf all of the programs on BBC America.
3. We couldn’t ignore the fact that BBC America was under serving the public television audience in the Washington DC market. There was an opportunity for a public television British broadcast channel in the DC area. One of our WETA digital channels should play this role.
4. The white paper assignment had to change. It could no longer be a defense for business as usual. The paper became a business plan for WETA UK, America’s first all British broadcast channel.
So why did WETA How-To (Create) need to go? We had no choice. The potential of a successful WETA UK channel couldn’t be passed up. WETA has limited bandwidth to broadcast television. The main channel, WETA TV26 and its companion, WETA HD had to stay. The two channels are PBS in the Washington DC area. Our commitment to provide non-commercial, educational, and diverse kids programming to every child in the Washington area for free is as strong today as it has ever been. 50 years of educating local WETA Kids can never be replaced with entertainment programming. It is a major part of who we are as a local organization. That left us with WETA How-To (Create), our entertainment channel. Change had to happen. The WETA How-To (Create) channel was the obvious choice. Good bye, Create. Hello, WETA UK.
How-To programming remains an important part of WETA Television. WETA TV26 currently broadcasts the best cooking and how-to shows on Saturdays. Starting Saturday, June 2nd we’re expanding the how-to block. It will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. A weekly 12-hour block of programming can never replace a full-time channel dedicated to everything how-to. I understand that. It can however showcase the best public television DIY programming available. I hope you’ll enjoy the new WETA TV26 Saturday line-up of how-to programs. Yes. I know you’re going to miss WETA How-To (Create), but give WETA UK a try. I think you’ll like it. Here’s the WETA TV26 Saturday line-up beginning June 2, 2012:
How do you feel about snakes? How about the Black Mamba snake which has a 100% fatality rate in an area of Africa where anti-venoms are impossible to access? At 8:00 tonight on WETA TV26 and WETA HD meet a woman who loves serpents so much, she’s roaming Swaziland rescuing Black Mambas found in homes and schools to conduct further research on Africa’s deadliest snake and to release them in the wild. In Nature: Black Mamba, you’ll meet snake handler Thea Litschka-Koen and her husband Clifton as they save the rogue Black Mambas from public areas before they’re killed. You’ll see their education efforts and research methods surrounding the survival of these dangerous creatures. Nature viewers just like you submitted their own questions for Thea last fall and here are her fascinating answers.
If one dose of deadly snakes isn’t enough, at 9:00pm we have the NOVA episode Venom: Nature’s Killer about the most sophisticated of biological and chemical weapons: venom. These complex chemicals can do incredible amounts of painful and irreversible damage, but nature's most potent toxin may also lead the way to a generation of advanced drugs that may help doctors treat heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. Tonight, watch NOVA track down and capture the world's most venomous animals to discover how they can kill us, and how they can save us.
Since the death of Osama bin Laden, Yemen is ahead in the war against Al Qaeda. With whispers of a terrorist plot, travel deep into Yemen's radical heartland with Frontline as they look at members of Al Qaeda and related militants and their plans to seize control of areas in southern Yemen. Tonight at 10:00 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD, Frontline explores how this group found support and wonders if the United States’ expanded drone policy might have strengthened this new fortified insurgent base in Al Qaeda in Yemen.
Only SIX days til WETA UK invades Washington, D.C. and we couldn’t be more excited! Next Monday and every Monday after that, catch awesome British programming on WETA UK that will make you look forward to starting the week!
T-minus 6 days til the WETA UK launch and we’re sharing the exclusive Sunday promotional spots with you today! Sundays we have our dramas and action-filled cult-classics with a few comedies here and there so enjoy this fun mix of great programming every week on WETA UK!
In only SEVEN days WETA UK will be on air and viewers in the Washington, D.C. area will be enjoying their new favorite comedies and crime dramas. Our audience will have to make a difficult decision between the WETA TV26 Saturday Movie and the WETA UK Saturday Movie. When it comes to television, too many options is a good thing.
In honor of Memorial Day, join WETA TV26 and WETA HD for the encore of our WETA Presents Ken Burns The War marathon which continues this Sunday from 11:00am – 6:00pm. Continue the commemoration with WETA Presents the National Memorial Day Concert 2012 at 8:00pm followed by our local production The WETA Guide to Memorials at 9:30pm.
Have the day off on Monday May 28? Join WETA TV 26 and WETA HD for a Masterpiece Mystery! Inspector Lewis marathon starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox from 9:00am – 4:30pm! The five, 90 minute episodes from series 2 will air as follows:
Celebrate the Memorial Day weekend and get transported back to when the United States was born. Historic Mount Vernon presents the Sunset Celebration, opening the mansion grounds to visitors after hours. Take part in 18th-century activities and meet Mount Vernon’s costumed residents to learn more about life on the plantation. May 25 – May 27 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Tickets: $12-$18.
Catch the last notes of Washington National Opera’s Jules Massenet production Werther before the curtains close on Sunday, May 27th. Hear the lyrical story of a poet, devotion, and unrequited love. The musical score is performed by the Washington National Opera Orchestra and a children’s chorus highlights the region’s talented young singers. Tickets: $25-$300. Shows are at 7:30pm Friday, May 25th and 2:00pm Sunday, May 27th. Information: http://www.kennedy-center.org
Take a break from the heat this weekend and cool off by the 5,000 gallon pool that serves as a stage at Constellation Theatre. The company presents the award-winning production Metamorphoses in its DC debut. Check out what our panelists have to say about this rendition of Orvid’s epic tale describing the history of the world.
Tuesdays – Saturdays at 8pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm, Sundays at 7:30pm Tickets: $20-$35. Information: http://constellationtheatre.org/
WETA UK has been in the making for many hard working months. Now as we approach the one week mark, we have the pleasure to share some exclusive WETA UK content with you. To count down to the launch of WETA UK (June 2, midnight), every day we’ll be sharing our brand new promotional spots for the new WETA UK schedule.
Today we’re sharing the WETA UK Comedy Friday promotional spots along with fun, longer, YouTube clips to give you a good taste of the show. Are you ready for some serious British laughs?
Celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month with WETA tonight on TV26 and HD! At 9:30pm watch One Voice, a documentary about the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest where 2,000 Hawaiian high school students compete in a unique cultural celebration. Students sing Hawaiian music in four-part harmony in melodies of a capella choral music directed by young leaders at this major local event. One Voice shows the preparation, rehearsal, and performance of the annual competition while sharing the depth and beauty of the Hawaiian tradition and culture. This interview with Robert U. Cazimero, song writer for the senior class, shares the meaning and story behind his song and its purpose which reaches far beyond a piece of music to sing.
Don’t forget! Beginning tomorrow, the WETA Movies return to Saturdays and we’re kicking off with the 1948 drama Key Largo at 9:30pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.
Tonight is the last night for Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock season 2 with the final episode The Reichenbach Fall beginning at 9:00 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD. For those who are already missing the modern detective, check out this PBS online Sherlock Observation Game. Test your skills in this interactive game to see how you stack up against Sherlock Holmes!
We tried this game here in the WETA TV Programming and Creative Services department and below are our reviews! What did you think?
Esty: It is fun because it’s difficult but not to the point of infuriation. The Sherlock and Watson quotes that appear in between images remarking on your success or failure actually made me laugh so that was a nice, unexpected touch! Definitely worth a shot if you have a few minutes and a lot of patience.
Colette: Fun, but frustrating! I could never find more than three differences and I'm obsessed with finding the rest. I want Sherlock status!
Rimas: I'm not sure what's more fun; trying to find the differences or reading the snarky comments by Sherlock & Co. after each round. Personally I hate timed games, as if I don't have enough stress already, but it sure sharpens your skills. The final score is great so you can compare to others in a competitive spirit! This is a fun way to do what is more commonly done with a pen on a magazine photo, and it's always great to see stills from this great show!
Kevin: Wow! I really like the game because it is more difficult to find the differences than I ever thought possible. I played three straight times and still couldn't find all five correct choices. It's easy to start and play play the game but it's almost impossible to win. Where's Waldo? - no problem. The Sherlock observation game is a stunner. Great fun with a lot of frustration thrown in for good measure.
Tonight at 9 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD, NOVA dives to the sea floor of Pearl Harbor to trace new clues to the sinking of the USS Arizona which was one of the most tragic events of World War II.
Until now, the story was: a bomb dropped by a Japanese aircraft sank the USS Arizona, but the group of Japanese midget subs found in and around Pearl Harbor may have challenged this theory. Join NOVA for Killer Subs in Pearl Harbor as investigators begin the exploration of the mysterious wreckage of these Japanese subs.
Listen to this NOVA exclusive discussion by marine forensic historian Parks Stephenson as he unveils how the wreckage of a midget submarine might change our understanding of the Japanese attack on the U.S. fleet in Pearl Harbor.
From the youth protests of 1968 to the clock as a metaphor for the shift of global power, Niall Ferguson explores the influence that Western culture has had on the rest of the world for the past five centuries and examines: why and how has the West been so influential, and how long can it remain in the lead? The first of two, two hour episodes that make up Civilization: The West and the Rest airs tonight on WETA TV26 and WETA HD at 8:00 and focuses on competition, science, and modern medicine. Next Tuesday, watch part two where Niall focuses on democracy, consumerism, and the Protestant work ethic. Learn more about Civilization: The West and the Restwriter and presenter Niall Ferguson.
By: Kevin Harris ; Station Manager and Vice President of WETA Television
The announcement of WETA UK has prompted a lot of comparisons to the cable network BBC America. I guess the comparisons were inevitable but we don’t consider WETA UK to be an extension of any cable service. The new channel is a perfect complement to our public television channel, WETA TV26, in the Washington, D.C. area. Before cable television, satellite TV, and fiber optics, public television stations around the country were broadcasting the best drama, comedies, and documentaries from the British public service broadcaster, the BBC. WETA UK is built on the tradition of member supported American public television not from a commercial cable network.
I enjoy watching BBC America but WETA UK is different.
- WETA UK is commercial free. No program airing on WETA UK will be interrupted or shortened to allow for commercial breaks.
- WETA UK is available to everyone in the Washington, D.C. broadcast area. You can watch the channel on Comcast, Cox, RCN, and Verizon Fios. You don’t need a cable subscription to watch your favorite British shows on WETA UK because it’s available for free to everyone with an antenna.
- WETA UK is all British television, all the time. 100% British television 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We hope to make your Mondays more bearable with great programming on WETA UK. Dual Doctor Who episodes at 3:00pm and 4:00pm lead into the family favorites All Creatures Great and Small and Lark Rise to Candleford. Start your evening off with a laugh with Last of the Summer Wine at 8:00 followed by Chef! at 8:30. Things get serious for Foyle’s War at 9:00 and Life on Mars at 10:00pm. Mondays aren’t looking so bad anymore!
We’ll meet you back here on Friday to start our WETA UK countdown with promos and clips of all the shows you’ll see on our 24/7 all-British television channel.
Tonight at 9, WETA presents In Performance at the White House nationally as President Barack Obama honors Burt Bacharach and Hal David with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Together, Bacharach and David produced dozens of top 40 hits including music for movies and television. Just some of their many well known songs are “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”, “Walk on By”, & “Alfie”. The list of performers celebrating the work of Bacharach and David includes Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett, and Diana Krall. Watch Mike Myers perform “What’s New Pussycat” which includes a costume change and some retro dance moves in honor of Burt and Hal.
WETA Presents Ken Burns’The War parts 1 – 4 on Sunday May 20, 2012 from 11:00am – 8:00pm and parts 5 – 7 on Sunday May 27, 2012 from 11:00am – 6:00pm. The program uses interviews with non military civilians who experienced World War II to shed a new light on this war’s incalculable universal effects and to remember this war for its merits as well as for its faults. Airing in honor of Memorial Day in a seven part series spanning over the next two Sundays, The War explores the human dimensions of World War II.
Dig deep and illuminate why there is war at all with this clip from the documentary.
WETA hasn’t aired The War since its premiere in 2007. Due to its length (over 15 hours!) it is a difficult chunk to fit in the schedule but we’re very excited to have it back on WETA TV26 and WETA HD to commemorate Memorial Day.
Read this interview with Ken Burns to learn about his motivations for making of The War with this unique vantage point.
Sundays are usually big television days and this remains true for WETA UK! Spend t he morning with classics All Creatures Great and Small, Born and Bred, and Monarch of the Glen. BallyKissAngel kicks off the afternoon on WETA UK then beginning at 2:00pm, the cult phenomena Doctor Who and Red Dwarf hit the air. Catch them again beginning at 10:00pm!
Viewers will get sucked into our crime drama filled afternoon with New Tricks, Prime Suspect, and Sherlock Holmes from noon til 3:00pm. Then the lighter block begins at 3:00pm with BallyKissAngel, Vicar of Dibley, To the Manor Born, As Time Goes By, and Are You Being Served? til 6:00pm. More crime dramas continue at 6:00pm with Foyle’s War and Prime Suspect. WETA loves movies! Just as on TV26, we’ll have a British movie on WETA UK beginning at 8:00pm on Saturdays.
It’s likely many of your Saturday plans will have to be rearranged in light of WETA UK programming. Our apologies.
Before time runs out, drop by the H Street Playhouse and see ScenaTheatre’s “The Seafarer,” a show our critics called a “ravishing” and “well-acted, well-conceived play.” Watch the devil and four tired and wearied Irishmen embark on a card-playing showdown this weekend. But hurry! The show closes Sunday May 20th. And don’t forget to tune in to what else Around Town had to say about the performance.
If you and your kids love art, make your way to the Strathmore for a talk and tour of the furry exhibition, Strathmore Unleashed!, on Saturday, May 19. This exhibition that celebrates man’s best friend—dogs. Enjoy paintings, sculptures, design, photography and video as well as a hand/paw’s-on activity! Click here to find tickets and more information. If you can’t make it this Saturday, the event will be happening again on July 14!
For one night only, the Harlem KW Project is bringing Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale to Busboys & Poets at 5th and K St. NW! On Sunday May 20, follow the tales from three women’s love and lives in Harlem, spanning from their youth to adulthood. The show starts at 4:30pm, find out more at http://www.harlemkwproject.com/.
The Golden Triangle BID concert series kicked off this past Thursday! All summer long, head over to Farragut Square Park on Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30 pm to enjoy free outdoor concerts. On May 24 hear music from Sin Miedo, a DC-based ten-piece band who plays original music with Spanish and French lyrics as well as salsa classics from the 70’s to today’s best hits. Find out more about the concert series and upcoming performances on their website.
Today is your day to grab the giggle-stitch in your side, wipe the chuckle-tears away, and go hoarse from laughter with our WETA UK Comedy Fridays. All day we have a marathon of comedies beginning at 9:00am with a series of Last of the Summer Wine episodes which lead into the afternoon packed with Fawlty Towers, Vicar of Dibley, Chef!, Waiting For God, Good Neighbors, and My Hero. The evening brings even more comedies, Outnumbered at 9:30 and Coupling at 10:00 followed by Black Books at 10:30. This is a great day of programming for when you need a pick-me-up, for having friends over, or to simply just enjoy some good ol’ British humor.
Join us this evening at 9:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD for the dramatic story of the first atomic bomb and its impact on the people of Hiroshima. This BBC drama-documentary demonstrates what it is like to live through a nuclear explosion through action from US and Japanese perspectives. A combination of special effects which recreate the mission and archival film to replay the horrific aftermath create this one of a kind experience Hiroshima.
This interview with Hiroshima producer Paul Wilmshurst will give you a peak at the program and hear what it was like putting this docu-drama together.
The new season of Doc Martin concludes this Saturday with the episodes Cats and Sharks and Ever After beginning at 9:30pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD. Mark your calendars, folks! For those who didn’t see this series and for those who just love the Doc, we are re-airing Doc Martin season 5 beginning June 30! We will air two episodes, back-to-back starting at 8:00pm on Saturdays and continue through July.
This Sunday, join us at 9:00pm for the conclusion of Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock. In the last of three episodes, The Reichenbach Fall, Sherlock meets the deranged criminal mastermind, Jim Moriarty as he plots the crime of the century.
See what co-creator Steven Moffat and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch have to say about the final episode of Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall.
Thursdays on WETA UK are a great mixed bag. A little bit of every genre to keep your interest at a peak. Start your day with the light-hearted drama All Creatures Great and Small at 6:00am and back-to-back Antiques Roadshow BBC beginning at 8:00am. Comedies run the late morning slot from 9:00am – noon. Get your action from 3:00pm – 5:00pm with the new version of Robin Hood and get more laughs from 8:00pm – 9:00pm with Last of the Summer Wine and Keeping Up Appearances. A little later we have the exciting forensic crime dramas Waking the Dead and New Tricks from 9:00pm – 11:00pm to finish off prime-time slot. We have lots to offer so this is a great day to get your laughs, tears, chills, and smiles all in one.
Tonight for our Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock encore presentation on WETA TV26 and WETA HD, watch a contemporary spin on the classic Holmes tale with this version entitled: The Hounds of Baskerville. Henry Knight’s father was murdered by a massive beast in Baskerville twenty years ago. Sherlock and Watson head to Baskerville to tackle the mystery that the government may be breeding deadly mutant creatures nearby. Humor, fright, and great acting accompany this episode's big twist.
Get in the feral dog spirit with the classic Sherlock Holmes at 8:00pm part 2 of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock The Hounds of Baskerville at 9:00pm!
Wednesdays on WETA UK we have back-to-back Doctor Who episodes in the after-school slot beginning at 3:00pm. We start off prime-time with two upbeat family shows Last of the Summer Wine at 8:00pm and Vicar of Dibley at 8:30pm. Then at 9:00pm we have the crime drama Prime Suspect and the fun action drama Hustle at 10:00pm.
Both Prime Suspect and Hustle made appearances on our TV26 and HD channels before WETA UK came along. They’re exciting, contemporary, established, British dramas that were a “must” when it came to building the WETA UK schedule.
Tomorrow we will post the full Thursday schedule for WETA UK!
Nature is about to blow your idea of koalas out of the water… or maybe out of the trees. In tonight’s episode, Cracking the Koala Code, scientists explore and study the every day dramas of an extended family of koalas. Biologists Dr. Bill Ellis and Sean Fitzgibbon examine every move and vocalization they make attempting to decipher the koalas’ basic language and social structure. These seemingly meek and cuddly marsupials will share their loud roars and invasive habitats found in urban and suburban areas of Australia, tonight on WETA TV26 and WETA HD at 8:00.
Our encore presentation of American Experience: Clinton concludes tonight at 8:00 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD. After part one last week, the dynamic and detailed history of Bill Clinton’s life is brought to a close. American Experience has a unique interview with Dee Dee Myers, the first woman named White House Press Secretary who served in the first Clinton administration from 1993-1994. Her inside view of Bill Clinton and his presidency is one-of-a-kind.
Not late tonight, but surely tonight, filmmaker Peter Jones and Johnny Carson’s friends, family and colleagues explore Carson’s life, career, complexities, and contradictions in the two-hour documentary American Masters: Johnny Carson: King of Late Night. Filmmaker Peter Jones didn’t want anyone to forget Johnny Carson so he requested Carson’s participation in the production of the documentary for 15 years before his death. Most correspondence was ignored except for a 2003 phone call from Carson saying simply, “You write a damn fine letter, Peter, but I don’t have anything more to say.” After his death, the Carson estate agreed to cooperate in the production of this documentary and to our excitement, it’s here on WETA TV26 and WETA HD tonight at 9:00pm for all to see. This incredible collection of archives, including family photos, home movies, memorabilia, and all existing episodes of The Tonight Show from 1962 until his retirement in 1992 will help tell the story of the man of the late-night hour, Johnny Carson. Check out these segments of interviews from Drew Carey and Ray Romano that didn’t make the final cut.
To celebrate the launch of our brand-new, all-British television channel WETA UK, we’re hosting the premiere weekend event of a life-time! Beginning at midnight on June 2, 2012, watch WETA UK to see the first episodes of 28 shows that’s on the WETA UK schedule, back-to-back. We want to give the audience a taste of all the different shows we have to offer from their beginnings. This stunt of shows will run all weekend! A set of 28 shows will air from 12:00am – 8:00pm Saturday then the same shows repeat from 10:30pm Saturday – 4:00pm Sunday in a different order. For this marathon of British programming, we’re giving you a marathon-long blog post including the full premiere weekend schedule plus clips from all the shows so you can decide what and when to watch.
Take a ride on the Dinosaur Train! This Monday WETA KIDS premieres a Dinosaur Train special episode: Dinosaurs A-Z. This hour-long special follows Buddy and the gang as they ride the Dinosaur train to Troodon Town for a picnic. As the train makes stops for dino-passengers to come aboard, different dinosaur breeds join the crew in a song they sing called, “Dinosaurs A-Z”. PBSKIDS.org has an interactive Dinosaur’s A-Z game for parents and kids to play together.
We asked a group of parents to try out the game with their kids and write a Parent-Kid Review of it and here’s what they had to say! Check out the game and the episode and let us know what you thought!
C.H. said: “Both boys were excited to watch the video clip of Dinosaurs A to Z multiple times. Setting up the game, Aidan (5 years old) was engaged with writing the letters out on paper and Evan (3 years old) enjoyed taping the letters to the wall. They both found it fun to line up in front of the correct letters during the song, especially after we rearranged their order. The fun continued even after we finished playing the game, both from moving the letters to other parts of the wall and then putting them back in the alphabetical order.”
M.B. said: “My son is 3 ½ years old, within the age range the game suggests but I think it would be better for kids a little older than him. He seemed to like the song though!”
Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs A-Z will air on WETA TV26
Monday May 14, 2012 at 10:00am
Tuesday May 22, 2012 at 10:00am
Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs A-Z will air on WETA KIDS
Film buffs, here is your chance to experience the Academy Award Best Picture winner The Artist. The film is being re-released to movie theaters in time for Mother’s Day weekend. The Artist won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Score and Best Costume Design and it was the recipient of three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Comedy, Best Actor and Best Score.
Another award-winner returns to the DC-area: Mary Ann Redmond, who was awarded a 2011 Wammie for Blues/Traditional R&B Female Vocalist, will perform with her band at BlackRock Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 12 at 8pm. Tickets: $22-$25 BlackRock box office: 240-912-1058
The Washington Conservatory of Music presents a free concert by pianist and composer, Haskell Small. Performed at Westmoreland Congregational UCC Church, the concert will feature Bach’s Partita in G Major, BWV829, and Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat Major, D 960 -- as well as two contemporary works: Toccata No. 1 (2007) by Colombian composer Edgar Ordónèz and Small’s own Visions of Childhood (2011). May 12 at 8pm. Information: www.washingtonconservatory.org | 301-320-2770
Over at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainer, the Edgeworks Dance Theater presents MIXER (Part 2). Led by the award-winning choreographer and Founding Artistic Director, Helanius J. Wilkins, the performances on Saturday and Sunday showcases the diversity of dance being created by men in American concert dance. Edgeworks Dance Theater is an all-male contemporary dance company. May 12 at 8pm and May 13 at 7pm.
"It isn't that I don't like you, Susan, because after all, in moments of quiet, I'm strangely drawn toward you; but, well, there haven't been any quiet moments!" – David
It’s no wonder that Bringing Up Baby (1938) placed fourteenth on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years … 100 Laughs list. Watch this classic romantic comedy starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and a leopard tonight at 9:00 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.
You may have noticed that the WETA Saturday Night Movies have moved to Fridays this month. Here’s a little explanation: We wanted to continue to air older episodes of Doc Martin at 8:00pm for those who haven't seen previous seasons but we wanted to air the new season on the same night. That means stacking two older episodes with two new episodes and moving the Saturday Night Movie to another day. Since we don’t have a regularly occurring show after Washington Week and Inside Washington on Friday nights, we relocated the movie there temporarily. The WETA Saturday Night Movies will return to Saturdays on May 26, 2012 once Doc Martin season 5 concludes its first air.
With all this talk of the Doc, continue watching the newest season of Doc Martin tomorrow beginning at 9:30pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.
Then on Sunday, everyone's favorite detective is back for episode two, The Hounds of Baskerville as the new season of Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock continues. Watch co-creator Steven Moffat talk about The Hounds of Baskerville in this PBS video extra.
It’s another mystery Thursday on WETA TV26 and WETA HD! We begin this evening’s programming with classic Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles part 1 of 2 at 8:00pm. Next at 9:00pm we’re happy to present an encore presentation of Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock A Scandal at Belgravia which is the first episode of the new season. In the PBS video below, the actors and producers of this innovative and popular series share their feelings toward a brand-new season of Sherlock. Closing out the prime-time window is Agatha Christie’s Poirot The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb.
You’ve heard of white tigers but have you heard of white lions? Tonight at 8:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD, Nature explores The White Lions: two white cubs that are struggling to survive the dangers they are faced with in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Get to know the area where these lions live with this PBS Nature Map of Kruger National Park.
After Nature, be sure you have your ruby slippers ready. We have back-to-back NOVA episodes about tornadoes beginning with Deadliest Tornadoes at 9:00pm and Hunt for the Supertwister at 10:00pm. This PBS article, Tornado Country dissects the shocking statistic that the United States gets three-quarters of all the world’s tornadoes.
Clinton is the most recent installment in the presidential biography series by American Experience and we’re excited to have an encore presentation of this chapter tonight on WETA TV26 and WETA HD. This two part series is the biography of the 42nd President of the United States, a boy from a broken childhood in Arkansas who became one of the most successful politicians in modern American history. Watch Clinton across his two terms confronting war, terrorism, and scandal tonight at 8:00pm for part 1 and next Tuesday at 8:00pm for part 2.
Go behind the scenes with American Experience as Clinton executive producer Mark Samels and writer, producer, director Barak Goodman describe what it was like to capture the rollercoaster of Clinton’s early life and presidency in this four hour documentary.
We want to highlight a bonus interview that American Experience has for this program: An interview with Kenneth Starr, the lawyer who headed the investigation of Clinton’s Whitewater real estate investments, and the Monica Lewinsky situation.
Welcome to the Programmer’s Choice – WETA UK Blog! The programming team behind the Washington DC based WETA UK Channel is committed to giving you a behind-the-scenes look at this one-of-a-kind broadcast channel. You’re invited into the programming, promotion, and production meetings and to interact with the WETA UK broadcast team. We’ll answer your questions, read your comments, and keep you up to date with all of the programming shenanigans happening on the channel.
Coming up next on the Programmer’s Choice – WETA UK Blog: we’ll share details on the WETA UK Premiere Weekend, the full daily schedule, and our on air promos.
WETA UK features the best British comedies, mysteries, and dramas from major UK television producers including the BBC. It is commercial free, British entertainment around the clock, seven days a week. WETA UK premieres on June 2nd at midnight. If you live in the Washington DC Area you’ll be able to watch the channel on: Antenna: 26.2, Comcast: 265, Cox: 800, Verizon FiOS: 474, RCN: 39.
If you’re interested in the inter-workings of WETA UK, America’s first British broadcast channel, you’ll feel at home at Programmer’s Choice. If your taste runs towards everything British, check out WETA’s Telly Visions blog. It covers British entertainment on both sides of the pond. Programmer’s Choice – WETA UK and Telly Visions will keep you entertained and updated on everything UK.
Join us tonight at 9:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD for Krakatoa: The Last Days: a BBC docu-drama that reconstructs events surrounding the cataclysmic May 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa volcano which was heard 5,000 miles away and altered the world’s temperatures for five years. Krakatoa: The Last Days is approximately 75% drama, 25% documentary and interweaves personal stories, photographs, newspaper articles and the latest scientific research.
How far would you go to put a mobster behind bars? With an awesome name like Lieutenant Bullitt and a gorgeous Ford Mustang to ride in, probably pretty far! Tonight at 9:00 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD, see Steve McQueen kick butt in the action packed classic Bullitt.
It’s a big British weekend on WETA TV26 and WETA HD with the continuation of Doc Martin season 5 Saturday at 9:30pm and the long awaited premiere of Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock season 2 Sunday at 9:00pm. The Sherlock actors describe the first episode of the new series A Scandal in Belgravia in this behind the scenes video from PBS.
Celebrate Cinco De Mayo this Saturday with a trip to the Art Museum of the Americas for the exhibition Ñew York: Latin American + Spanish Artists in New York City. The show features 19 artists originally from 10 countries of Latin America or Spain that are all now based in New York. The exhibition closes May 20, 2012. AMAmuseum.org
The U.S. Army Band presents a free concert Saturday at 2pm inside the Library of Congress Coolidge Auditorium. This Pershing’s Own concert will feature music by American Mavericks, including Charles Ives, George Antheil, Alan Hovhaness, Henry Cowell and others. No tickets required. For more information, contact: 202.707.5502
For a chance to see live theater without having to pay for it: Keegan Theatre presents a special performance at Dupont Circle Park. Music in the Circle features performances from their current production of Working, as well as a sneak peek of the upcoming cast of Spring Awakening. This free event is part of the Dupont Festival. Saturday at 3pm.
AFI Theatre continues their Jack Nicholson retrospective with the screening of The Last Detail, Drive, He Said and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. For more information or to buy tickets, http://www.afi.com/silver/films/2012/v9i2/jacknicholson.aspx
Drawing to a close on Sunday is the Washington Savoyards’ A Grand Night for Singing. Over 30 classic Rodgers & Hammerstein songs are celebrated in this revue directed by Kurt Boehm. Performances will be at the Lang Theatre at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7pm. Purchase tickets by calling 202-399-7993 or online at www.savoyards.org.
We’re looking forward to the new season of Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock premiering next Thursday at 9:00pm on WETA TV26 & WETA HD. Before the premiere, we’re giving you our classic line-up: stacked episodes of Holmes and Hercule. Once Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock arrives next week, we’ll keep traditional Sherlock Holmes at 8:00pm and Agatha Christie’s Poirot at 10:30pm.
Tonight, catch Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes in the two part series The Sign of Four at 8:00pm and 9:00pm then Agatha Christie’s Poirot The King of Clubs at 10:00pm and The Dream at 10:45pm.
America Revealed: Made in America uncovers that manufacturing is more than factories and engineers in this final episode of the series. Tonight at 10:00 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD, host Yul Kwon travels the nation to discover the non-traditional types of manufacturing in today’s economy. Kwon, also known as the winner of Survivor: Cook Islands, shares his behind-the-scenes experiences while hosting America Revealed in this PBS video extra, America Revealed… Revealed!
Get in the spirit for this year’s Summer Olympics by watching Jessie Owens on American Experience tonight at 8:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD. This extraordinary documentary was written and produced by Stanley Nelson. Nelson produced and directed a number of powerful American Experience documentaries including: Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind, The Murder of Emmett Till, Jonestown: The Life and Death of the People Temple, We Shall Remain, and Freedom Riders.
Take the whole family to the 18th annual Imagination Bethesda festival this Saturday for some artistic, tasty, and free fun! Activity tents line the street as kids and adults alike can enjoy arts and crafts, dancing, and live entertainment all day. Located three blocks from the Bethesda metro on Auburn and Norfolk Avenues. Event takes place Saturday, June 2 from 11am to 4pm. 
Celebrate the Memorial Day weekend and get transported back to when the United States was born. Historic Mount Vernon presents the Sunset Celebration, opening the mansion grounds to visitors after hours. Take part in 18th-century activities and meet Mount Vernon’s costumed residents to learn more about life on the plantation. May 25 – May 27 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Tickets: $12-$18.
over to Farragut Square Park on Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:30 pm to enjoy free outdoor concerts. On May 24 hear music from Sin Miedo, a DC-based ten-piece band who plays original music with Spanish and French lyrics as well as salsa classics from the 70’s to today’s best hits. Find out more about the concert series and upcoming performances on 
Haskell Small. Performed at Westmoreland Congregational UCC Church, the concert will feature Bach’s Partita in G Major, BWV829, and Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat Major, D 960 -- as well as two contemporary works: Toccata No. 1 (2007) by Colombian composer Edgar Ordónèz and Small’s own Visions of Childhood (2011). May 12 at 8pm. Information: 
created by men in American concert dance. Edgeworks Dance Theater is an all-male contemporary dance company. May 12 at 8pm and May 13 at 7pm. 
exhibition Ñew York: Latin American + Spanish Artists in New York City. The show features 19 artists originally from 10 countries of Latin America or Spain that are all now based in New York. The exhibition closes May 20, 2012. AMAmuseum.org
performances from their current production of Working, as well as a sneak peek of the upcoming cast of Spring Awakening. This free event is part of the Dupont Festival. Saturday at 3pm.
and engineers in this final episode of the series. Tonight at 10:00 on WETA TV26 and WETA HD, host Yul Kwon travels the nation to discover the non-traditional types of manufacturing in today’s economy. Kwon, also known as the winner of Survivor: Cook Islands, shares his behind-the-scenes experiences while hosting America Revealed in this PBS video extra,