A wide range of exceptional, topical programs audiences might not otherwise find, these specials range from explorations of arts and culture, inspirational films and portraits of luminaries to lively world-class music extravaganzas.
This epic, visually sweeping series will document the world that we have
created and explore what humankind’s building legacy reveals about our
ever-evolving priorities, aspirations, most basic needs, and deep-seated... SEE MORE >>
China is now a global superpower with the second greatest economy on the planet. Astonishingly, it is predicted to overtake the United States in economic and scientific output as early as 2018. Yet for centuries the countr... SEE MORE >>
Hosted by renowned writer and television personality Bruce Feiler (host of the PBS series Walking the Bible, and a New York Times best-selling author), Sacred Journeys is a six-part series on pilgrimages around the world. ... SEE MORE >>
Absolutely Irish! brings together the brightest stars of traditional Irish music for a once-in-a-lifetime concert that will leave folk music fans stunned by the virtuoso performances. Filmed live at the intimate Irish Art... SEE MORE >>
In four groundbreaking hours, America Revealed leaps outside the mundane to take viewers on a soaring journey above the great American landscape, revealing the country as it has never been seen before. America Revealed har... SEE MORE >>
Few artists of any kind have reached a wider audience, or enjoyed more widespread popularity in their own lifetime than photographer Ansel Adams. This program covers the themes that absorbed Adams throughout his career: th... SEE MORE >>
Antiques Roadshow is part adventure, part history lesson, part treasure hunt. Specialists from the country's leading auction houses--Butterfield & Butterfield, Christie's, William Doyle Galleries, Skinner, and Sotheby's--t... SEE MORE >>
Antiques Roadshow FYI will criss-cross the country to report the same brand of personal stories and insider info that has made the original series the highest rated on public television. Viewers will tune in to find owners... SEE MORE >>
With Laurie Pepper, Milcho Leviev, Bob Magnusson, Carl Burnett. A prize winner at the 1982 Chicago International Film Festival, which also screened at the Berlin Film Festival and the London Film Festival, McGlynn's first ... SEE MORE >>
Seen through the work of eight leading artists, Axis of Light is a poignant and absorbing observation of the beauty and mystery of the Middle East which is often ignored, especially today where anger and violence demand ce... SEE MORE >>
“Frantic, sentimental, surreal and very funny.” —Wired
For over 30 years, Wayne White has made an indelible mark on the creative world. As a designer, painter, puppeteer, sculptor, and musician, White created images a... SEE MORE >>
The Beatles endure as the greatest popular music band of all times as
the band’s music and lyrics have transcended the decades—and John, Paul,
George, and Ringo’s individual personalities—to influence generations... SEE MORE >>
Directed by Sundance Audience Award winning filmmaker Heather Lyn MacDonald, this film follows the most unlikely troupe of tap dancers. They are the "Silver Belles," five women aged 84 to 96. In their heyday they worked at... SEE MORE >>
Latin America is often associated with music, monuments and sun, but each of the six countries featured in Black in Latin America including, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and Peru, has a secret histo... SEE MORE >>
The Blues, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, consists of seven feature-length films that capture the essence of the blues while exploring how this art form so deeply influenced music and people the world over. "Our go... SEE MORE >>
Two and a half millennia ago, a new religion was born in northern India, generated from the ideas of a single man, the Buddha, a mysterious Indian sage who famously gained enlightenment while he sat under a large, shapely ... SEE MORE >>
When Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, one of his earliest actions was to ban Jews from working in that country's storied film industry. Men and women who had created landmarks of movie history fled their ... SEE MORE >>
Profiles the complex life and work of Edward S. Curtis, the visionary photographer who set out at the turn of the 20th century to capture traditional Indian life on film before it disappeared forever. Over the next thirty ... SEE MORE >>
After growing up in the 1950s, a group of artists and activists go to a remote mountain ranch to begin new lives with one credo: "Free Land for Free People." At the Black Bear Ranch, they imagine the family as an entity be... SEE MORE >>
Five
decades after Castro's revolution, Cuba’s Secret Side explores Cuba's dual
personality: the side seen on newsreels and by tourists, and the reality
lived by its vibrant and astoundingly diverse people. Knowing t... SEE MORE >>
Dangerous Edge is a remarkable portrait of a great writer. It explores how Graham Greene's life both inspired great writing and drove him to attempt suicide. He was a British spy, a doubting Catholic, and a manic-depressiv... SEE MORE >>
With Ben Webster, Bud Powell, Woody Shaw, Bertrand Tavernier, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen and many others. Perhaps best known for his Oscar Nomination as Best Actor for Round Midnight, Gordon was a charismatic and innova... SEE MORE >>
Within the long history of civilization are great eras of struggle, triumph, and loss. These periods are reflective of the best and worst of humanity: explosive creativity, ultimate depravity, the use and abuse of power a... SEE MORE >>
One man's trash is another man's treasure. This documentary celebrates the unusual people and things that can be found in parking lots, fairgrounds, drive-ins, sidewalks and wherever else someone has posted a sign saying "... SEE MORE >>
Join renowned international chef and restaurateur Todd English as he gives viewers a rare glimpse into the thoughts, motivations and creativity of a culinary master. Chef, author, restaurateur, entrepreneur, explorer, food... SEE MORE >>
A film by Ken Burns. A major, in-depth profile of one of the greatest architects of all time. In his long and often controversial life, Wright created a series of brilliant and original public buildings and private homes, ... SEE MORE >>
Anchors aweigh for this splash hit musical! Her Majesty's Ship Pinafore is setting sail for the splash hit event of the summer! Gilbert and Sullivan's first blockbuster is among the most crowd-pleasing comic musicals in hi... SEE MORE >>
On a hot summer day, there may be no better place on earth than a traditional amusement park. A place where you can hop on a classic wooden coaster, reach for the ring as you whirl by on the merry-go-round, or cool down on... SEE MORE >>
Happy Everyday: Park Life in China presents a version of retirement unlike anything seen in the West—elderly ravers dancing to techno music, playing in mass maraca troupes, and taking over children’s playgrounds for th... SEE MORE >>
Filmed when the author was 81, this production is a voyage of ideas about life, writing, sex, spirituality, nightmares and New York that captures the warmth, vigor and high animal spirits of this singular American artist. ... SEE MORE >>
Using traditional investigative techniques and modern technologies the HISTORY DETECTIVES team of specialists whose expertise ranges from architecture, popular culture and sociology to archeology, collectibles and genealog... SEE MORE >>
Every year, thousands of children flock to Hollywood from across the United States and beyond, dreaming of stardom--or at least a big break during "pilot season," the traditional three-month casting window for new televisi... SEE MORE >>
This fun documentary looks at one of America's favorite foods and shows some places around the country where you can get wonderful wieners. From Coney Island on the Fourth of July to Alaska at the start of the Iditarod sle... SEE MORE >>
Like many Chinese-Americans, the architect I.M. Pei is playing a role in helping China enter the modern world. He aims to point the way to the future -- respecting Chinese tradition by thinking about the need for change. ... SEE MORE >>
Oil and Sand was an extravagant film made by members of the Egyptian royal family and a few friends and relatives in 1952 about a coup d'état, shot just weeks before the royals were overthrown in a real coup. The complete... SEE MORE >>
Many people have big dreams, but only a few bold adventurers live them. Denis Belliveau and Francis O'Donnell took a wild idea--retrace Marco Polo's entire 25,000-mile, land-and-sea route from Venice to China and back--and... SEE MORE >>
Profile of Isamu Noguchi, the Japanese-Irish-American artist whose free-form coffee table is an icon of modernist design and whose paper Akari lanterns have never been more popular. The film follows Noguchi's long life and... SEE MORE >>
The Italian Americans examines the distinctive qualities of one immigrant group's experience, and how over time these qualities have shaped and challenged America. Moving chronologically through history from the mid 19th c... SEE MORE >>
This is the award-winning biography of the King of the Beat Generation. Jack Kerouac's writings, including his extraordinary novel On the Road, took American literature to new levels of creativity and in the process, inspi... SEE MORE >>
The epic documentary portrait of the legendary movie producer and boss of Warner Bros. Studios. In an age of legends and glamour, he reigned supreme. His kingdom stretched across a valley floor and from it dreams were spun... SEE MORE >>
For an entire year, adventure filmmaker and author Karin Muller immersed herself in Japanese society, traveling from one end of the country to the other, struggling to navigate a notoriously complex and often contradictory... SEE MORE >>
This series presents the history of America's greatest original art form. More than music history, the film raises questions central to twentieth century life, both in America and throughout the world: about race and class... SEE MORE >>
Over forty centuries ago, a small city rose in the hills some 35 miles inland from the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean. It was not a place of riches. It was not the capital of a powerful kingdom. It was militarily and ... SEE MORE >>
THE JEWISH AMERICANS, an extraordinary three-part documentary series written and directed by the Emmy Award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, examines the struggle of a tiny minority to make its way into the American mainstr... SEE MORE >>
Spanning millennia, this history of the Jewish people explores how a small group who started as desert nomads overcame countless obstacles to survive to the present day. From slavery to the loss of their temple; from exile... SEE MORE >>
Notoriously
press and camera-shy, David Geffen reveals himself for the first time in this
unflinching portrait of a complex and compelling man. His far-reaching
influence—as agent and manager, record industry mogul, H... SEE MORE >>
From Latin Jazz and Mambo to Salsa, Tejano, Chicano Rock, Latin pop and Reggaeton, LATIN MUSIC USA tells the story of the rise of new music forged from powerful Latin roots and reveals the often overlooked influence of Lat... SEE MORE >>
An intensely personal drama, the story of T.E. Lawrence is a story of courage and guilt, betrayal and triumph. The British Army Officer's role in the unification of the Arab tribes against the Turks during WWI endeared him... SEE MORE >>
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter who became an international sensation in the world of modern art and radical politics during the early 20th century. Her life was a drama of personal extremes lived against a backdrop of p... SEE MORE >>
With Keely Smith, Sam Butera, Gia Maione, Jimmy Vincent and many others. Prima was not only one of the greatest showmen of all time, he was also an excellent musician and vocalist who helped establish the whole Las Vegas s... SEE MORE >>
Jose Andres is an internationally recognized culinary innovator best known for bringing both traditional and avant-garde Spanish fare to America. Often called Spain's unofficial ambassador to the United States, Jose is the... SEE MORE >>
MAKE 'EM LAUGH: THE FUNNY BUSINESS OF AMERICA is a series of six one-hour episodes chronicling over 100 years of the funniest moments in the history of entertainment. The series features the most popular routines, the mos... SEE MORE >>
In Market Warriors, expert antiques "pickers" embark on a nationwide treasure hunt, scouring fl ea markets for vintage valuables and selling their finds at auction with an eye toward maximizing profit. These pickers aren't... SEE MORE >>
** Grand Prize Winner, 2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival **
Raised in a farming village in the mountains of southern Peru, Feliciano works as a porter on the Inca Trail in hopes of some day taking his son to live in the cit... SEE MORE >>
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker John Korty, MIRACLE IN A BOX is an inspiring film about the coming together of three events: the bequest of a grand piano, the student competition to win it, and the months of work requi... SEE MORE >>
The power of music and its effect on the human mind is a fascinating topic for neuroscientists exploring the gateway to the mysteries of the brain. This documentary illuminates how the brain uses music to shape the human e... SEE MORE >>
A storm of Modernism swept through the art worlds of the West in the early decades of the twentieth century, uprooting centuries of tradition in the visual arts, music, literature, dance, theater, and beyond. The epicenter... SEE MORE >>
The
almost unbelievable story of George Plimpton, the famed writer, editor, amateur
sportsman, and friend to many, is told through a posthumous narration by
Plimpton himself—along with thoughts and stories from friend... SEE MORE >>
This powerful documentary tells the epic story of the systematic theft, deliberate destruction and miraculous survival of Europe's art treasures during the Third Reich and the Second World War. For twelve long years, the N... SEE MORE >>
Nestled
on over 14,000 acres of English countryside is Althorp House, the childhood
home and final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales. 19 generations of
Spencers, one of Britain’s
most eminent aristocratic... SEE MORE >>
The enormous
popularity of recent period dramas such as Downton
Abbey, Mr. Selfridge, and Sherlock, has led to a huge interest in
the real-life stories and history of these amazing people and places. Each
episode o... SEE MORE >>
On an estate the size of Washington,
DC sits Chatsworth, home to the Dukes of
Devonshire, one of the grandest aristocratic dynasties in England. The tales of intrigue,
tragedy, and scandal of this great family are i... SEE MORE >>
Hampton
Court is the ultimate royal pleasure palace,
embodying an indulgent and grandiose lifestyle built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
and furthered by King Henry VIII. Its many rooms chart Henry VIII's decline
from... SEE MORE >>
It may be more famous now than any time in its 1,300-year history as the setting of Downton® Abbey, but England’s Highclere Castle has its own stories to tell. In its heyday, Highclere was the social epicenter of Edwardi... SEE MORE >>
A hundred years ago, the world of the British manor house was at its height. It was a world of luxury and privilege that has provided a majestic backdrop to a range of movies and costume dramas to this day. But what was re... SEE MORE >>
The enormous popularity of period costume dramas
set in the English countryside has led to huge interest in the real-life
stories of the amazing homes that dot the landscape and often serve as the
settings for these lus... SEE MORE >>
Buddhism, one of the most ancient belief systems in the world, is practiced by nearly 350 million people today. Presented by Bettany Hughes, this program visits seven of the most famous ancient and modern Buddhist location... SEE MORE >>
This visually stunning program traces the history and message of Islam by following the journeys of six young pilgrims from across the Muslim world to Mecca. It explores their lives and beliefs as well as the beautiful and... SEE MORE >>
Super-model Irina Pantaeva grew up in a remote Siberian village in a family of shamans and artists during the final years of Soviet rule. At age 14, she started working with a local clothing designer as a model. Fashion wa... SEE MORE >>
A film by Stanley Nelson. With singular creativity and emotional depth, this Grammy Award-winning ensemble of six African-American women has been performing for the past 30 years - raising their powerful voices against inj... SEE MORE >>
Muslim belief and tradition specifies that there should be no depictions of God or the Prophet Mohammad. In religious contexts, this constraint on what artists can depict extends to human figures and other living creatures... SEE MORE >>
A portrait of the life and work of one of America's best and most controversial painters, a man who said he wanted his work hung in saloons, "where the ordinary man could appreciate them." For 85 years he strove for that a... SEE MORE >>
When guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel throws a party for his talented friends, the result is musical magic. Considered one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world, Emmanuel is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a... SEE MORE >>
Twisted: A Balloonamentary is a story about people who discover that once you make a balloon dog, you can do anything. A flying octopus, a Trojan horse, two 100-foot-tall soccer players -- all made out of balloons.
Shot with the latest high definition technology from a helicopter-mounted camera, planned to precision with compasses for optimum lighting and angles, scored with traditional regional music, Visions is an 19-part visual it... SEE MORE >>
Shot with the latest high definition technology from a helicopter -- mounted camera, planned to precision with compasses for optimum lighting and angles, scored with traditional regional music, Visions is an 19-part visual... SEE MORE >>
The Wild Places series takes viewers into some of nature's most incredible places, from the Canadian Rockies to Yellowstone and beyond. Each year millions of people from all around the world travel to visit America's hidde... SEE MORE >>
A short film shot by Ken Burns in Segal's art studio and garden. Segal's lyrical, luminous paintings are currently being rediscovered as noteworthy contributions to twentieth century American art. We observe Mr. Segal as h... SEE MORE >>
**OFFICIAL SELECTION, 2007 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL**
WONDERS OF MANY is a behind-the-scenes documentary following composer John Adams and director Peter Sellars over the course of a year as they work to forge the tale of J. ... SEE MORE >>
