Documentary Archives - Page 55 of 63

“Freedom Riders: American Experience” celebrates a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights movement

May 13, 2011 StayTuned Staff

by Karl J. Paloucek Usually, when buses are mentioned in conjunction with the Civil Rights movement, the image of Rosa Parks comes to mind. PBS commemorates a different anniversary of mass transit’s role in social change when it presents Freedom Riders: American Experience May 16. The film, produced, written and directed by Stanley Nelson, tells the story of how, over the course of six months in 1961, 400 black and white Americans boarded buses and risked arrest, beatings and death by traveling together on buses and trains through the Deep South, in deliberately peaceful violation of the Jim Crow laws. […]

Military Channel honors Navy SEALs in wake of bin Laden’s death

May 6, 2011 StayTuned Staff

by Karl J. Paloucek The Navy SEALs are getting a lot of respect and notice these days, after having successfully removed Osama bin Laden from the top of the FBI’s most-wanted list. In their honor, Military Channel will present an evening of programming dedicated to the special operations force, illustrating the demanding training and extreme measures required of these soldiers. 8pm Navy SEALs: Untold Stories: “Bosnia” This episode recounts 1998’s classified mission to apprehend Serbian War criminal Blagoje Simic, known as the “Hitler of Bosnia.” 9pm Ace in the Hole Tracing another of the SEALs’ most high-profile missions, this special […]

NGC presents week of bin Laden and 9/11 documentaries

May 2, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

In the wake of last night’s historic announcement by President Obama that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan by U.S. forces, National Geographic Channel, beginning tonight, will be scheduling a week of documentary programming related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks plotted by bin Laden, and the near-decade-long hunt for the al-Qaeda leader. Programming includes: Monday, May 2 7pm ET/PT – Osama Bin Laden: Dead or Alive. A penetrating look at how bin Laden eluded would-be captors during the battle at Tora Bora in late 2001. 8pm ET/PT – CIA Confidential: Hunt for Bin Laden. Veteran intelligence […]

Bernie Madoff’s possessions: going, going … gone!

April 25, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi Let’s set the record straight right off the bat: No money raised or jail time served will ever come close to repairing the damage that Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff inflicted on his victims. But there is something to be said for a little justice, and that’s what we get to see on National Geographic Channel’s Seized and Sold: The Bernie Madoff Auction (airing Wednesday, April 27 at 9pm ET). Madoff is currently in jail for his multibillion-dollar scheme that bilked many people out of their life savings and retirement plans. And although he will most likely die […]

Japanese disaster is subject of upcoming cable documentaries

April 13, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

With the images of the devastation from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit northeast Japan last month fresh in our minds — and with a new nuclear nightmare from destroyed reactors seemingly getting worse by the day — two cable networks are presenting documentaries in coming weeks to explore this historic catastrophe. First off is National Geographic Channel‘s Witness: Disaster in Japan, premiering tonight at 10pm ET/PT. Coming from the producers of the acclaimed special Witness Katrina, this film takes a similar, firsthand look at this current tragedy entirely through the eyes of those who experienced it. […]

Has “Deadliest Catch” jumped the shark?

April 12, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi Deadliest Catch is often credited with putting the “real” in reality TV, and that couldn’t have been more true last season when viewers watched helplessly as Captain Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie died before our very eyes. We were there when Phil — a heavy smoker — collapsed and was rushed from his boat to the hospital. We had front-row seats with Josh and Jake as they watched their father pass. And we mourned with his family, friends and fellow fishermen when they gathered in New Orleans to give him a proper send-off. It was without […]

PBS “Frontline” to examine high-school football safety April 12

April 12, 2011 Ryan Berenz

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE. When it comes to football, high school is the new college. The new PBS Frontline report “Football High” examines how the stakes are rising in this sport at the high-school level, as teams and coaches reach higher than simply a victory over their crosstown rivals or a state championship. It focuses on one small but ambitious team in Arkansas as it raises questions about the impact of pro-style practice schedules and smash-mouth play on teen players’ health and safety, looking at concussions and heat-related medical problems in particular. Frontline: Football High premieres on […]

CBS and ESPN offer specials surrounding The Masters golf tournament

April 6, 2011 Ryan Berenz

By Ryan Berenz (Twitter: @ChannelGuideRAB) For those who like their sports quiet and reverential, ESPN and CBS have some special documentaries complementing their coverage of The Masters golf tournament: Sport Science (ESPN) ESPN’s Sport Science features three golf-related segments airing throughout The Masters coverage. One segment will analyze the swings of golfers Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, showing how their clubhead speeds contribute to 3,000 pounds of force on a golf ball. Another segment examines the 9th hole at Augusta’s Par 3 course, and why it may lend itself to more holes-in-one during the Masters Par 3 Contest. The third […]

National Geographic Channel gears up for Expedition Week

April 1, 2011 StayTuned Staff

by Karl J. Paloucek Among many other things, Oscar Wilde once quipped, “Nothing succeeds like excess.” Inherently, Wilde may not have anything to do with National Geographic Channel, but the network is putting both the wild and the excess in its lineup this month when it brings the first of two premiere-filled Expedition Week events airing in 2011. (The second Expedition Week will air in fall.) For seven nights spanning April 3-9, major expeditions and groundbreaking discoveries will dominate National Geographic Channel. From the desert of Syria to the Jurassic Period, the Iceland volcano to Victorian London, Expedition Week heads […]

PBS special: Should players benefit more from NCAA’s net gains?

March 29, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi There was a time when getting an athletic scholarship meant everything in the world, especially to people who otherwise couldn’t afford to go to college. But you know there is big money involved in college sports when some are asking if a free education is enough. This is the time of year when college basketball fans gather around their TV sets to see which university emerges from the fray to become the next national champion. And although “March Madness” is a term used to explain the chaos and upsets that often occur on the court, it could […]