Highlights May 8 to May 14

Posted on May 5, 2023


Monday, May 8

Watch vibrant Vermont treasures from Shelburne Museum including a 1956-1958 Celtics team-signed photo & basketball, a Buffalo Bill poster, ca. 1893 and an Edwardian sapphire & diamond ring. Which Vermont treasure is worth up to $150,000? Antiques Roadshow Shelburne Museum Hour 3 at 7:00 pm.

Learn more about items discovered at the Orlando ROADSHOW, such as 1946 Einstein-signed photo and prints, an Agassiz pendant watch, ca. 1905, and a Chinese gold-splashed bronze vase, ca. 1850. Can you guess which is the big find of the night? Antiques Roadshow Orlando Hour 3 at 8:00 pm.

In this coming-of-age documentary about generational trauma, follow Sam Harkness from age 11 to 33 as his once average, middle-class Seattle family is heartbroken and unsure of what to do after his mother suddenly abandons them. Independent Lens Sam Now at 9:00 pm.

Amy Tan is the author of three best-selling novels including her 1989 novel The Joy Luck Club. Her newest novel, The Valley of Amazement, was published in November and is already on The New York Times best-seller list. The editors of The New York Times Book Review also named it a 2013 Notable Book. Tan co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay of The Joy Luck Club movie, released in 1993. Millions of copies of her books are in print and they have been translated into thirty languages. Overheard with Evan Smith Amy Tan, Author at 10:30 pm.

Tuesday, May 9

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals the immigrant roots of actors Tony Shalhoub and Christopher Meloni, introducing ancestors who came to America to build a better life. Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The Shirts on Their Backs at 7:00 pm.

The power and influence of Clarence and Ginni Thomas on the Supreme Court and American politics. An investigation of the controversial rise of one of Washington's most powerful couples, and their role in reshaping the country's politics and law. Frontline Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court at 8:00 pm.

This week on On Story, emerging writer-director and recipient of AFF's 2022 New Voice award, Nikyatu Jusu discusses her early short films as well as the process behind creating her debut feature, horror-thriller, Nanny. Jusu expands on both the career and creative steps that lead to her film's breakout success. On Story Nikyatu Jusu: A Conversation at 10:00 pm.

Veterans who reveal the trials of returning home. After Action Taps at 10:30 pm.

Wednesday, May 10

Explore Scandinavia's wild and unpredictable coast, a place of haunting beauty and dangerous extremes. This journey begins around the Swedish Baltic Sea, which includes iconic fjords; home to eagles, otters, base jumpers, and orcas. Wild Scandinavia Life on the Edge at 7:00 pm.

In January 2022, one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history rocked the islands of Tonga. Join scientists as they investigate what caused the blast, how it spurred a devastating tsunami, and if another eruption could be imminent. NOVA Hidden Volcano Abyss at 8:00 pm.

Discover how the "Don't Tread on Me" flag, such a potent symbol of independence, has been co-opted by a wide variety of Americans over its long history. Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein The Gadsen Flag at 9:00 pm.

Thrill to an hour featuring eclectic country rock band the Mavericks, performing hits and songs from their acclaimed all-Spanish album En Español. Austin City Limits The Mavericks: En Español at 10:00 pm.

Thursday, May 11

World-renowned pianist Lang Lang performed his first recital at only four years old. After years of practice and performance, Lang Lang believes that everyone has the capacity to create. His work as a musician and an entertainer has taken him around the world to play with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, Coldplay, Metallica, and at the Beijing Olympics. Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan Lang Lang at 7:00 pm.

Travel Expert Peter Greenberg reveals the hidden gems of Asheville. Plus, a rundown of America's most stressed cities. And, a hotel with a past in Athens, Greece. The Travel Detective Hidden Gems of Asheville at 7:30 pm.

Chet visits one of the most historic squares in Texas. He eats some haunted catfish, learns about the culture of education, and learns to cook one of the best steaks in Texas at Meat Church. The Daytripper Waxahachie, TX at 8:00 pm.

Despite Mrs. Corney and Mr. Bumble's attempts to extort money from him, Monks Leeford, the criminally-inclined half-brother of Oliver Twist, gets the upper hand. Oliver Twist at 8:30 pm.

Pip starts his new life as a gentleman in London, quickly acquiring expensive tastes, and mounting debts. He falls deeper in love with Estella and escorts her around town. As his twenty-first birthday approaches, Pip waits for his benefactor and their intentions to be revealed. Great Expectations Episode 2 at 9:00 pm.

When Rosa turns up dead, Bel is severely rattled, but Freddie is determined to continue investigating. As the team finds more ties between Castlecore and Tufnell Engineering, they conclude that someone in a position of power is profiteering on the nuclear arms race and stake out El Paradis to find out who. The Hour Reckless to the Core at 10:00 pm.

Friday, May 12

Enjoy a revue of milestone Broadway shows and songs from 1973 to 2023 hosted by two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster. Features performances by Andre De Shields, Chita Rivera, Vanessa Williams and more from Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater. Great Performances Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best at 7:30 pm.

Memory is the amazing ability of our brains to store and access skills, information, and emotions. Artists and scholars discuss the reliability of our recall and the surprising ways our memories fuel creativity. The Articulate Hour Partial Recall at 9:00 pm.

Enjoy a vintage hour with New Orleans soul songwriter, producer and musician Allen Toussaint. Songs include "Southern Nights" and "St. James Infirmary." Austin City Limits Allen Toussaint: New Orleans Legend at 10:00 pm.

Saturday, May 13

More than a thousand years before the arrival of Europeans in the southwestern U.S. native peoples were establishing their occupation of the Colorado Plateau. They learned early how to derive a living in a dry climate where winters were bitter and summers torrid. And they left behind proof of their scientific and technological accomplishments in plain sight-with a little assistance from contemporary archaeologists. In the Americas with David Yetman Ancient Peoples of the Colorado Plateau at 11:30 am.

This week on Weekends with Yankee, senior food editor Amy Traverso discovers the secrets to a perfect winter getaway in Waldoboro, Maine.First, she stops in at Tops'l Farm, a glamping resort and culinary destination, for a festive raclette dinner, then visits local landmark Morse's Sauerkraut to check out a host of imported gourmet and specialty items, including its namesake sauerkraut and pickles. Capping off the visit, Amy settles in at Waldoboro's famous Moody's Diner for a mouthwatering slice of pie. Heading south to Mystic, Connecticut, adventurer Richard Wiese takes us back in time to see what gave the famous seaport its name. He boards the Roann, one of the last surviving examples of a wooden rigged fishing vessel, and rows out on an old Grand Banks dory with Mystic Seaport Museum's Maria Petrillo as his guide. Fast-forwarding to the present, he joins Captain Jay Salvatore aboard the Osprey for a little early morning fishing. Finally, we make our way up the coast to Rhode Island, for an insider's tour of Duparquet Copper Cookware, one of the few remaining makers of high-end copper cookware in North America. Weekends with Yankee Land and Sea at 12:30 pm.

Out of all the sports played in America, there's one in particular that really hit it out of the park. A game that united civil rights and workers' rights, America's pastime stepped up to the mound and pitched us all into the future. Reconnecting Roots Baseball: First Pitch at 4:30 pm.

Protecting the sage grouse also protects one of the largest ecosystems in North America. Stream restoration work is preserving the sagebrush steppe of the Curlew National Grassland in Idaho. Gary Strieker was the founder and executive producer of This American Land.He inspired "conservation through storytelling." This American Land Sage Grouse, Curlew Grassland, Tribute to Gary Strieker at 6:00 pm.

Enjoy an intimate hour with renowned singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The American/Canadian performer and composer sings songs from his latest album Unfollow the Rules. Austin City Limits Rufus Wainwright at 7:00 pm.

The team investigate a preppers commune when one of their members is poisoned inside a locked bunker. Meanwhile, Neville has a series of adventurous dates with Sophie. Death in Paradise The Communal Death at 8:00 pm.

John Harrison is delighted to receive an unexpected visit from Hercule Poirot. The detective tells him that he is in the locality to prevent a murder. He then cryptically turns the conversation round to a wasps' nest on a tree that he sees nearby and they discuss the destruction of it. A friend of Harrison, Claude Langton, is going to handle the task for him using petrol injected by a garden syringe but Poirot states that he has knowledge Langton has purchased cyanide. They discuss Harrison's engagement to a girl called Molly Deane who was previously engaged to Langton. Poirot's meaning becomes quite clear to the other man – he is being warned. Agatha Christie's Poirot Wasps' Nest at 8:55 pm.

Pip starts his new life as a gentleman in London, quickly acquiring expensive tastes, and mounting debts. He falls deeper in love with Estella and escorts her around town. As his twenty-first birthday approaches, Pip waits for his benefactor and their intentions to be revealed. Great Expectations Episode 2 at 9:50 pm.

Louis becomes increasingly confident as he throws himself into supporting the American War of Independence. Marie Antoinette embraces life at the Petit Trianon where she becomes enamored by a familiar face Count Axel von Fersen. Marie Antoinette Queen of Hearts at 10:45 pm.

Anna meets some of the country's best craftspeople --clock mechanics, engineers, scaffolders, glass cutters-- and historians of the 162-year-old Elizabeth Tower who have been painstakingly bringing this British icon back to its original Gothic glory in the face of unprecedented challenges. Big Ben: Saving The World's Most Famous Clock at 11:45 pm.

Sunday, May 14

Grid failures due to extreme weather events are causing deadly situations around the country. The electric grid caused the deadliest fire in California history. Now the grid is preemptively turned off during hot, dry wind events. Chloe Goshay explores how the grid was designed to work over a hundred years ago and the new challenges it faces today. A microgrid in the South Side of Chicago keeps the lights and the heat on during the worst winter storm. Batteries and fuel cells replace backup generators and help the grid balance the supply and demand. Empowered: Energy Heroes The Grid at 9:30 am.

Jeff, Zack, and Dave head to the tropics to discover why the Big Island of Hawaii is also known as The Adventure Island. This trip takes them to the blue waters of the Pacific to swim with sea turtles and on a sunset hike into the depths of the Kilauea Volcano on a night when its eruption lights up the sky. Outside: Beyond The Lens Big Island Eruption at 12:00 pm.

Beginning in the rocky mountains of Colorado and ending in a sandy trickle at the Gulf of Mexico, we pick up this mighty river as it traverses the international border between Mexico and the United States. Here, we encounter a desert teeming with life, including evidence of recent migrant crossings and petroglyphs left by ancient travelers who knew no borders some 3,000 years ago. Wild Rivers with Tillie The Rio Grande - Jewel in the Desert at 12:30 pm.

The new Met production of Verdi's beloved tragedy stars soprano Nadine Sierra as Violetta, the consumptive heroine fighting to find true happiness. Tenor Stephen Costello portrays Violetta's ardent, yet impetuous lover, Alfredo, and baritone Luca Salsi rounds out the principal cast as Alfredo's disapproving father. Great Performances at the Met La Traviata at 1:00 pm.

CO2 emissions from energy get most of the attention, but there's a more immediate concern: particulate air pollution. Burning coal, wood,diesel and animal dung causes millions of premature deaths each year. In this episode, we'll look at air pollution from energy, and ideas to reduce it. Angel Hsu from the University of North Carolina, and Amod Pokhrel, environmental health sciences researcher, discuss. Energy Switch Environmental Impacts of Energy on Air at 6:00 pm.

Join Lucy Worsley for an exploration of how Elizabeth I's image as a warrior queen, created by a series of myths and secrets about her victory over the Spanish Armada, shaped British national identity for centuries. Lucy Worsley's Royal Myths & Secrets Elizabeth I: The Warrior Queen at 7:00 pm.

Tom is lured to a masquerade by an insatiable paramour; complications develop. Blifil and a loathsome lord try to compromise Sophia. Tom Jones on Masterpiece at 8:00 pm.

How did George III's mental illness change Britain? Lucy Worsley uncovers Royal papers and explores how the assassination attempt on his life changed psychiatry forever. Lucy Worsley Investigates Madness of King George at 9:00 pm.

Without saying anything, Massimo and Candela come to the same decision: to discover the truth, jump on the first plane and meet in person! But will the Visions agree? Or will they start to feel strangely jealous – of each other Love, Inevitably Episode 7 at 10:00 pm.