Inspiring tales of "the underdog" and film have always gone together like peanut butter and jelly andeven though those PB&Js might not taste as great as they did when you were 6, underdog films never get old. This Saturday, WETA presents two free movies about people at a disadvantage working hard to make a difference. First, we follow the big win of a small town basketball team in Hoosiers (1986) at 9:30pm. Next, learn about rape cover up of the U.S. military and its survivors in Independent Lens: The Invisible War.

Hoosiers (1986)

The small town of Hickory, Indiana loves basketball, so the pressure is on when a new coach arrives to train the high school team. After failing to impress the community with his unusual style of coaching, Norman Dale hires Shooter, the alcoholic father of one of his players, as his assistant. With the addition of a star player, the team begins a winning streak that leads to the State Championship game. But can this band of misfits win against their rivals of South Bend? Find out Saturday at 9:30pm! Watch a preview!

Hoosiers (1986) airs Saturday, May 18th at 9:30pm on WETA TV26 & HD.

Independent Lens: The Invisible War

Washington D.C. is often seen as military central for the United States, where training, planning and honors take place on a daily basis. But has a cover up also been developing at our nation’s capital? In the new investigative documentary by Independent Lens, the veil is lifted from one of the biggest scandals within the U.S. military where, according to the Department of Defense, there were an estimated 22,800 violent sex crimes in 2011. The Invisible War presents personal accounts of survivors, like Kori Cioca, who was beaten and raped by her supervisor in the U.S. Coast Guard.  For the few who do report abuse, a flawed judicial system awaits, leading to only 8 percent of military sexual assault cases prosecuted. Watch a preview!

Independent Lens: The Invisible War airs Sunday, May 19th at 1:30am on WETA TV26 & HD.

This weekend on WETA, watch three movies right from your Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia home! Watch a blind love unravel into danger and fear with Alfred Hitchcock's classic film Suspicion. Then discover the struggle between love and infatuation in Independent Lens' Seeking Asian Female. And if you're still awake at midnight, watch POV's In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee as a Korean born woman delves into her past to find the person whose name she bears.

For those of you who believe opposites attract, you’ll want to check out this documentary from Independent Lens.  Seeking Asian Female follows the lives of two people who fall in love and decide to get married after meeting on the internet.  Steven, a white American man from San Francisco, has always had a fascination with Chinese women.  After divorcing twice, the struggle for Steven to find the Asian woman of his dreams seems to be merely impossible until he meets Sandy.  Sandy, a determined 30 year old woman from China, immediately falls in love with Steven and flies out to San Francisco to marry him.  But marriage isn’t all fun and games as the cross-cultured couple soon find out.  Communicating through a translator, overcoming Steven’s obsession with Chinese women and adapting to life in a foreign country are just a few issues the couple must face in order to make their relationship work.  But are Steven and Sandy willing to take these drastic measures for true love?  Tune in to find out! Watch the trailer!

Looking for a new series to watch or just a great adventure to follow? WETA UK has everything you need! From new mysteries, to new seasons, and new shows all together, this week on WETA UK is sure to please every viewer.

Monday at 8:00pm tune in to WETA UK for the first part of a new Foyle’s War mystery, Plan of Attack. It’s April 1944 and when shots are fired outside Hastings police station killing DCS Meredith. Christopher Foyle must put aside his memoirs and return to his old job. This episode is the first of Foyle’s War season 6. Watch the trailer!

Tuesday at 7:30pm start watching May to December with season 3! A balding Scottish solicitor in his mid-50s and an attractive gym-mistress half his age fall in love despite plenty of conflicting advice from family and friends. 

Wednesday at 11:00pm begin Hustle from the very first episode of season 1. Con artist Mickey Stone is fresh out of jail. His marriage is on the rocks, but he has a strong family to fall back on. That family – Albert and Ash, two old-timers and beautiful, street-sharp Stacie – are his partners in crime. Coming together to perform one last con, they hook up with young blood Danny Blue, a rookie with the makings of a master. But after the first last one, there have just got to be more. Watch the trailer!

Thursday at 10:00pm settle in for the first episode of Waking the Dead season 6. The award-winning, edge-of-your-seat spy drama is a white-knuckle ride through the perilous world of deadly terrorists, international cover-ups and treacherous double-agents.

Friday at 8:00pm have you been watching Ladies of Letters? This gentle comedy drama is about two very different widows who forge a friendship through letters, each letter attempting to out-do the other. Watch the trailer!

Saturday at 8:00pm continue watching the WETA UK Event: The Complete Prime Suspect! This week watch four episodes back-to-back. Watch the trailer!

Sunday at 9:30pm join us for the WETA UK premiere of Worst Week of My Life! The week before a wedding can be stressful at the best of times but to Mel and Howard, it becomes a nightmare and everything that can go wrong does. Watch the trailer!

Whether in our own backyard or across the plains of Africa, four-legged creatures have learned to co-exist with humans or migrate to safer pastures. In the new episodes of PBS’ Nature this month, we will explore The Private Life of Deer on Wednesday the 8th and The Great Zebra Exodus on Wednesday the 15th.

The Private Life of Deer

The Washington, D.C. area is home to many Whitetailed deer, which enjoy eating our gardens, hopping into oncoming traffic, and slipping into the woods of our local parks. In the past century, the deer population has increased from less than a million to almost 30 million as of today. In an effort to document this ever increasing species, footage was acquired in unique ways throughout the country. In one segment, residents of Cayuga Heights, NY were given video equipment to document populations in their area, while in another segment; small cameras were strapped to the backs to wild deer. The footage acquired provides unprecedented insight into the lives of our furry neighbors. Watch the trailer!

Nature: The Private Life of Deer airs Wednesday, May 8 at 8:00pm on WETA TV26 & HD. Also Airs Thursday, May 9 at 2:00pm.

The Great Zebra Exodus

Traveling with family can be complicated, especially when it seems like everyone’s moving in a different direction. But can you imagine voyaging with 20,000 of your closest kin? Follow the story of one zebra family, a stallion, his three mares and their offspring, traveling with the herd in Southern Africa’s biggest animal migration. Taking place every year across the Kalahari’s Makgadikgadi Pans, this trek to grass and water tests the social bonds that hold zebra families together. Watch the trailer!

Nature: The Great Zebra Exodus airs Wednesday, May 15 at 8:00pm on WETA TV26 & HD. Also Airs Thursday, May 16 at 2:00pm.

We all feel desperate from time to time, it’s a versatile feeling that spans the globe as it spans our weekend schedule. This weekend on WETA, we share four movies with characters desperate for something: fame, success, life, and respect. The three documentaries run late into Sunday morning so if you haven’t done it yet, set your DVR to record from Saturday 9:30pm – Sunday 3:30am.

Baby Jane Hudson (Bette Davis) was a vaudeville star, but as an adult, she was overshadowed by her movie star sister, Blanche (Joan Crawford). One night in the 1930s, Blanche was permanently crippled in an accident blamed on Jane. Now in 1962, Jane and Blanche live together in their decaying Los Angeles mansion as Jane plots their showbiz comeback. Blanche desperately tries to get away from Jane but can she succeed to escape her tormenting sister who handicapped her as a young woman and continues to do so in their older age? Watch the trailer.

Marcos Hernandez came to the United States from Mexico, after a deadly border crossing through the Sonora Desert in southern Arizona. He is searching for his father, Francisco, also an undocumented border crosser, who disappeared in the Sonora Desert while entering the U.S. Marcos sends money from his home in Chicago to his mother in Mexico City every month so she can buy medicine for his brother, Gustavo, who needs a kidney transplant. The Undocumented is Marcos’s story—as well as the story of countless other migrants. Follow Marcos’s search with the efforts of humanitarians and Border Patrol agents who are fighting to prevent migrant deaths, the medical investigators and Mexican Consulate workers who are trying to identify dead border crossers, and Mexican families who are struggling to accept the loss of a loved one. Watch the trailer.

More than three decades ago, Vietnamese refugees began to settle in Versailles, a then-isolated community in eastern New Orleans. Although by the early 2000s the community had accomplished material successes, it remained divided between older immigrants and American-born youth. A Village Called Versailles is the story of this little-known community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. When the storm devastated New Orleans in August 2005, Versailles residents rebuilt their neighborhood faster than most other damaged neighborhoods in the city, only to find themselves threatened by a new toxic landfill slated to open just two miles away. Forced out of Vietnam by the war 30 years ago, many residents felt their homes were being taken away from them once again. Watch the story of this community fighting to regain their safety and happiness in New Orleans. Watch the trailer.

Celebrate Arbor Day this weekend or enjoy a musical experience unlike any you've ever had. Read on for the WETA Around Town Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia event highlights for this weekend, April 26 - 28.

Since it opened in 1923, the Avalon Theatre has long since been a landmark for filmgoers andtheater buffs in the Washington, DC area. Not only is the Avalon known for its film festivals, documentaries, and special programs but it also remains to be the oldest operating movie house in the DC area. This Saturday, the theater will host a gala in celebration of the historic theater's 90th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the theater’s awakening as a nonprofit. 

Imagine a world without any music.  How would you rebuild sound from the ground up, piece by piece, determining music’s most important elements?  This Sunday at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, the United States Marine Band turns off the music as it presents an educational and interactive young people’s concert called “Sound Off!”.  After kicking off the performance with the familiar “Superman” theme, the music will disappear and the band and audience will rebuild music from the bottom up.  Family participation is essential since the band depends on the audience’s spontaneous artwork and improvised skits for its live soundtrack.  After the concert, everyone is invited to the lobby for an instrumental “petting zoo.”  Though 5-12 year olds are the key demographic, all ages are guaranteed to have a good time!        

This Earth Day, join WETA Kids and America’s favorite monkey for a new one hour Curious George special: Curious George Swings into Spring. From spring fever to spring cleaning, from a canoe ride to a hot air balloon journey, George and his friends get WETA Kids ready to explore the outdoors this Earth Day. Tune into WETA Kids Monday, April 22 for the premiere and throughout the week to swing into spring with George again, and again!

You know it must be springtime if a curious monkey named George is dancing on the balcony at sunrise! The Man with the Yellow Hat is sure that George has spring fever, so he takes George to the park to experience all the wonders of spring. George is so excited about spring that he wants Hundley the dog to have spring fever, too, but Hundley and the Doorman are busy trying to win the Mayor’s spring cleaning prize. When a broken water pipe floods the building, Hundley has to stay with George in the country, and George tries to make sure Hundley enjoys spring, too. Even blooming flowers, baby animals and a canoe ride can’t make Hundley love spring. What’s worse – Hundley gets lost in the country! Searching for his lost friend, George accidentally launches a hot air balloon rally and, piloting a balloon, sails over the countryside. Luckily George manages to grab Hundley from a hilltop along the way. Together they balloon triumphantly to the city. The Man with the Yellow Hat and the Doorman stage a daring rooftop rescue. Not only are George and Hundley saved, but they manage to win the coveted Spring Building Prize! Finally, to George’s delight, Hundley now has spring fever, too!

Watch the trailer here!

WETA’s Start with a Book offers adults engaging ideas for getting kids into books and reading. The free resources from Start with a Book build on topics that children already like — dinosaurs, building, animals, sports, superheroes and music — so that parents, camp counselors, and others can have fun and interact meaningfully with children while helping to strengthen their reading skills.

In conjunction with the WETA Kids special episode Curious George Swings into Spring, WETA’s Start with a Book has three resource topics that relate to the show:

• Our Green World
• Bugs, Birds, Animals
• Gardening

Check out these resources and head to your local library to begin exploring!

Spring has sprung and we're in the mood to celebrate! Check out our weekend event highlights in DC, Maryland, and Virginia for April 19 - 21 below, you're sure to find something you'll like.

Celebrate The King of Latin Jazz

Tito Puente (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000) was a prestigious Latin jazz and salsa composer and a remarkable musician.  Known as “The King of Latin Jazz” and “The King of the Timbales,” Tito Puente made an extensive impact in the music world for 50 years.  This Saturday, the Anacostia Community Museum hosts Metro Mambo: Tito Puente: The Definitive Celebration!  Hosted by Jim Byers from 89.3 FM’s Latin Flavor, this celebration of the legendary Tito Puente includes un-released recordings, personal insights, and rare memorabilia from former Puente band members and Puente’s biographer, archivist, and best friend of over 40 years, Joe Conzo.  Get excited, there will be a dance party featuring one of the region’s top bands!       

Now that the sun is finally shinning and the flowers are beginning to bloom, why not spend the weekend outdoors? This weekend, the City of Alexandria will host the 20th Annual Alexandria Earth Day and Arbor Day. The event will consist of a variety of activities such as the Arbor Day tree planting, visual and performing arts events from Alexandria City Public School students, the Annual Earth Day Tree Sale, and music from Woven Green, an eco-friendly band. Also included will be the display of a new hybrid DASH bus, a hybrid trolley and other vehicles to educate families of the importance of going green. So get on your bike, jump on the bus, or walk to Alexandria’s Annual Earth Day Celebration. 

“To be, or not to be: that is the question” and we have an answer! This Sunday, you need to “be” at William Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House hosted by the Folger Shakespeare Library. This free celebration will feature fun activities for the whole family, like a Shakespeare portrait contest, fortune telling, Elizabethan crafts, stories from 16th Century England, a scavenger hunt, and poetry contests. Sunday is also the only day the Reading Rooms are open to the public so take a tour inside and then head out on a docent-lead walk through the Elizabethan Garden. This event is rain or shine, be sure to get there in for the cake-cutting ceremony on the lawn at 3:30pm. 

Join WETA for Central Park Five, the latest production by Ken Burns, co-directed with his daughter Sarah Burns. In 1989, five black and Hispanic teenagers were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman jogging through Central Park at night. In 2002, after the five had served their sentences, a man named Mathias Reyes, who was already serving life in prison for an unrelated crime, confessed to the attack. The courts cleared the five’s records, yet the damage was already done, with injured reputations and years of their lives lost. This new documentary highlights the media frenzy and injustice against the accused by presenting a different side to the case that rocked New York City with its racial and social implications. 

Watch a preview of the film!

We’re taking summer vacation a little early with a trip to the ocean deep, the red hills, and the hot sun of Australia! We invite you to join us on this educational and breathtaking journey to the land where the formation of Earth itself began in the four part mini-series from NOVA: Australia: First 4 Billion Years. Scientists share some of the earliest life that inhabited the planet from giant kangaroos to deadly reptiles, and prehistoric crustaceans. See you Wednesdays at 9:00pm on WETA!    

Read the full article to watch trailers of the series!

Australia is most recognized for its unusual creatures and outback terrain but it is also home to some of the oldest remains of early life known to Earth. Awakening, part one, starts in Western Australia where scientists take a look at how the planet was transformed.  NOVA and host Richard Smith take us on a journey through the Land Down Under where we get acquainted with a bacterial slime that inhabited the continent and could be one of the earliest life forms known to the planet.

In this episode of Australia’s First 4 Billion Years, host Richard Smith uncovers how creatures traveled from the ocean floor to dry land. Ancient fossils unveil how these prehistoric animals took over a once lifeless land and brought it alive. Armor-plated fish and invading arthropods were just a few of the unusual ocean dwellers that journeyed to the shorelines in order to help change the face of the Earth.  But not all creatures can live peacefully together.  Watch NOVA: Australia’s First 4 Billion Years: Life Explodes airs April 17 at 9:00pm & April 18 at 3:00pm.

Over 250 million years ago, Australia was a host for some of the largest and most perilous creatures to roam the planet.  In episode three, Monsters, Richard Smith brings viewers up-close and personal with some of these prehistoric creatures in order to reveal why they were considered the monsters of their time. Kronosaurus was an aquatic creature that received its name from the greek god Kronos and had a skull twice as long as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, making it a top predator.  Scientists also reveal that these ancient reptiles were in fact not alone; mammals such as the duckbilled platypus shared the land as well. 

In the final episode of this series, NOVA and host Richard Smith uncover the true ancestors of Australia.  Smith reveals the last 65 million years that formed the Land Down Under into the lone but wildlife filled continent it is today.  Before humans and the formation of the Great Barrier Reef, strange creatures such as giant kangaroos, massive koalas and oversized wombats once roamed the land.  With their dominant size, these large marsupials truly exemplify the origin of Australia.  Watch NOVA: Australia’s First 4 Billion Years: Strange Creatures May 1 at 9:00pm & May 2 at 3:00pm.