Tag: Nova

Coming up this October on PBS

Posted on by Danielle Langer





NOVA “ENDING HIV IN AMERICA” Premieres Wednesday, October 5 at 9pm ET/8C

Almost 40 years after the discovery of HIV, could we be on the verge of ending the AIDS epidemic in America? As of 2019, in the US, there were only 34,000 new cases of the disease––a feat that once seemed near-impossible to achieve. How did scientists and the public health community tackle one of the most elusive deadly viruses to ever infect humans? Can innovative drugs bring new infections to zero? This is the story of an incredible scientific achievement and the public health work that still needs to be done to end HIV in America.

NOVA “COMPUTERS v. CRIME” Premieres Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

In police departments and courts across the country, artificial intelligence is being used to help decide who is policed, who gets bail, how offenders should be sentenced, and who gets parole. But is it actually making our law enforcement and court systems fairer and more just? This timely investigation digs into the hidden biases, privacy risks, and design flaws of this controversial technology.

RISING AGAINST ASIAN HATE: ONE DAY IN MARCH Premieres Monday, October 17 at 9pm ET on PBS (check local listings)

Explore the fight against Asian American hate following the March 2021 mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta. Examine how this critical moment of racial reckoning sheds light on the struggles, triumphs and achievements of AAPI communities. Narrated by Emmy nominated actress Sandra Oh with music byAcademy and Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste and Grammy nominated musician Cory Wong,Rising Against Asian Hate pays tribute to the lives lost, examines the rise of anti-Asian racism and documents a growing movement to fight back and stop the hate.

NOVA “CAN PSYCHEDELICS CURE?” Premieres Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Hallucinogenic drugs—popularly called psychedelics—have been used by human societies for thousands of years. Today, scientists are taking a second look at many of these mind-altering substances—both natural and synthetic—and discovering that they can have profoundly positive clinical impacts, helping patients struggling with a range of afflictions from addiction to depression and PTSD.

NOVA “OCEAN INVADERS” Premieres Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Lionfish—long prized in home aquariums—have invaded the Atlantic, and are now one of the ocean’s most successful invasive species, wreaking havoc in waters across the globe. Join ocean explorer Danni Washington on a journey to find out how they took over, why they’re doing so much damage, and what can be done about it. These fascinating creatures are a window into the impacts of invasive species in a globalized world where human activity is an increasingly powerful evolutionary force.



TWO NEW FILMS FROM NOVA, “SAVING VENICE” AND “REBUILDING NOTRE DAME”

Posted on by Danielle Langer





TWO NEW FILMS FROM NOVA, “SAVING VENICE” AND “REBUILDING NOTRE DAME,” EXPLORE THE FEATS OF CULTURAL RESTORATION TO PRESERVE SOME OF EUROPE’S GREATEST LANDMARKS

— “SAVING VENICE” chronicles the fight to save the historic Italian city from sea level rise, while “REBUILDING NOTRE DAME” offers unique insight into the reconstruction of the famed French cathedral —

SAVING VENICE Premieres Wednesday, September 28 at 9pm ET/8C Followed by

REBUILDING NOTRE DAME Premiering December 14 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Films will be Available for Streaming at PBS.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and on the PBS Video App

@novapbs

Boston, MA; September 27, 2022—The PBS science series NOVA, a production of GBH, will premiere two new one-hour specials: SAVING VENICE on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C followed by REBUILDING NOTRE DAME on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. Both films, which will also be available for streaming online at PBS.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and on the PBS video app, highlight the fight to preserve beloved sites of European cultural heritage. They chronicle the efforts of engineers, scientists, and craft professionals working at the intersection of history and technology, as they battle against fire and flood to save some of the continent’s most iconic sites.

SAVING VENICE shows both technical and natural methods scientists and urban planners are utilizing to preserve the historic city. REBUILDING NOTRE DAME rejoins the team from NOVA’s 2020 film SAVING NOTRE DAME to discover what innovations the restoration crew have implemented as they push towards the 2024 completion date. In races against the clock, these preservation projects showcase the richness of these sites that have made them so iconic. The teams are working to preserve the historic city and medieval cathedral for centuries of visitors to know and understand.

“These programs highlight how fragile some of our cultural heritage sites truly are. The teams in both cities give a lot of perspective into not only how much effort goes into maintaining these iconic locales, but also bring us an opportunity to appreciate the artistry, skill and vision of those who built and maintained these sites over the centuries,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer, Chris Schmidt.

“This is an amazing story to continue to watch and see the evolution of preservational techniques and the team’s dedication to their craft,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer, Julia Cort about REBUILDING NOTRE DAME. “This topic really resonated with viewers of the program we aired back in 2020, SAVING NOTRE DAME, and we are happy to be catching up with this saga now.”

SAVING VENICE chronicles the fight to preserve the Italian city from rising sea levels and the increasingly frequent extreme flooding events. Venice is an ancient city whose architecture, design, and way of life transcend the tourist hype, and is home to famous sites such as the Rialto Bridge, the Doge’s Palace, and the Basilica San Marco. Even more iconic than those sites are Venice’s waterways—comprising 150 canals. Being built so close to the water line, Venice is now one of the cities most at risk from rising sea levels. Scientists and engineers work together to create protective barriers to battle forces of nature, to save the historic city for future generations.

After nearly 20 years of construction and some $8 billion dollars, the city has created a system of enormous flood barriers called the MOSE, designed to stop rising water levels before they reach the city. Seventy-eight individual gates are arranged in four barriers that each stretch over 1,100 feet across the inlets to the lagoon. The enormous gates, each the size of two tennis courts, join to block the high tide. The MOSE is still in its testing phase and it needs to work perfectly in order to save the city from any flooding. Oceanographer Georg Umgiesser, who has been studying Venice’s tides for almost 40 years, is responsible for tracking conditions that could cause sudden, extreme floods, known as Acqua Alta, and alerting Venice officials when such tides are on the way.

During the past 150 years, Venice has experienced 18 of these exceptional high tide events—classified as water level higher than 140 centimeters–seven of which hit the city in the past three years. As weather patterns change around the planet, the storm systems that drive these events are becoming more frequent. Umgiesser and his team remain vigilant as he says, “Venice is a special city. We have to protect it because otherwise generations will lose their history.”

In addition to the efforts of engineers, Venice has natural methods of protection that are also being fortified to work alongside the MOSE. The salt marshes, which naturally grow along the barrier islands, are home to certain plants that help keep the soil higher. Historically, Venetians had a close relationship with the environment. Now, Venice’s shallow tidal lagoon, mudflats and salt marshes are in decline due to erosion from ships. Two-hundred years ago there were nearly 70 square miles of salt marsh, but now there are just 16. Coastal researcher Luca Zaggia is worried about the city and its lagoon, saying, “We must be correct with the environment because we inherited it from the past … and this is what protects Venice from further damages.” Since the 1970s, erosion has caused the lagoon to become more than three feet deeper, causing the threat of flooding to rise.

“Throughout our filming we met scientists and engineers who were all so profoundly passionate about saving the city—even if many originally hailed from far-off cities or countries. That sense of determination was evident, refreshing, and contagious. The overriding message we got from them is that there is no one single solution, rather that saving the city requires many different approaches all working together,” says Director and Producer of SAVING VENICE, Duncan Bulling. “For me that is the lesson that Venice can give to the rest of the world—our best chance of dealing with rising sea level is to embrace nature, and understand how our salt marshes, mangroves and barrier islands are vital in helping us repel the threat of flooding and rising sea level.”

REBUILDING NOTRE DAME takes viewers behind the scenes of the historic restoration process of Paris’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, as architects, engineers, masons, and timber workers race to rehabilitate the Gothic landmark following the 2019 fire that almost destroyed the building. The structure was left significantly weakened, with concern for the entire cathedral collapsing. The program traces the dramatic human and technical challenges of the project’s first three years, with a behind-the-scenes look at carpenters shaping lumber for the new roof and spire, stone masons repairing gaping holes in the vault, and artisans using traditional techniques to restore stained glass windows.

“It has been a great privilege to document the next chapter of Notre Dame’s astonishing restoration and to spend time with the inspirational scientists, historians and architects who are working to reopen the cathedral in 2024,” said Joby Lubman, Director and Producer of REBUILDING NOTRE DAME.

The film follows Logger Ahmet Cirpan and team as they comb public and private forests around France for 2,000 oak trees that could be used to reconstruct the so-called “forest” structure of the roof. It took huge imagination and levels of engineering to create this exceptional architecture, and the spire became the embodiment of the building and of the Paris skyline. “I only have one goal—repair and rebuild the cathedral, put the rooster on top of the spire and say, ‘mission accomplished,’” says Chief Architect of Historic Monuments, Philippe Villeneuve.

As art historians work on accurately restoring Notre Dame, they discover new complexity to the original site. The team pieces together the restoration process of Architect Eugène Viollet Le Duc, who led the 19th century restoration after the church was ransacked during the French Revolution, discovering that previous restoration projects were motivated not only by mere aesthetics, but also sophisticated engineering decisions.

SAVING VENICE premieres Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. REBUILDING NOTRE DAME premieres Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. Both films will also be available for streaming online at PBS.org/nova, on NOVA’s YouTube channel, and on the PBS video app, and available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries, and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

SAVING VENICE is a NOVA Production by Lion Television Limited (an All3 Media Company) for GBH in association with ARTE France. Directed by Duncan Bulling. Produced by Elena Mortelliti and Marco Gangarossa. Executive Producers for Lion Television are Richard Bradley and Tom Watt-Smith. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH.

Original funding for SAVING VENICE is provided by Brilliant Worldwide, Inc., Consumer Cellular, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers. Additional funding is provided by the NOVA Science Trust with support from Roger Sant.

REBUILDING NOTRE DAME is a NOVA Production by Windfall Films Ltd. (part of the Argonon Group) for GBH in association with BBC. Executive Producer for Windfall Films is Carlo Massarella. Produced and Directed by Joby Lubman and Alessandra Bonomolo. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH.

Original funding for REBUILDING NOTRE DAME is provided by Brilliant Worldwide, Inc., Consumer Cellular, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers. Additional funding is provided by the NOVA Science Trust with support from Margaret and William Hearst.

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About NOVA

NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. The PBS series is also one of the most widely distributed science programs around the world, and is a multimedia, multiplatform brand reaching more than 55 million Americans every year on TV and online. NOVA’s important and inspiring stories of human ingenuity, exploration, and the quest for knowledge are regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. As part of its mission to make the scientific enterprise accessible to all, NOVA is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all its work, from the production process to the range of stories we tell and the voices we amplify. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston; more information can be found at pbs.org/nova, or by following NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About PBS

PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a new 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

About GBH

GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali, as well as WORLD Channel and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR®; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at wgbh.org.



NOVA “ENDING HIV IN AMERICA” EXAMINES THE REMARKABLE PROGRESS SCIENCE HAS MADE

Posted on by Danielle Langer





NOVA “ENDING HIV IN AMERICA” EXAMINES THE REMARKABLE PROGRESS SCIENCE HAS MADE AGAINST HIV AND HOW CLOSE WE MAY BE TO ENDING THE AIDS EPIDEMIC IN THE U.S.

New film from NOVA, Global Health Reporting Center, and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios reveals how scientists and affected communities are partnering to deliver new advances to those still struggling on the front lines of the crisis

Premieres Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Also available for streaming at pbs.org/nova and via the PBS Video app

pbs.org/nova | @novapbs

BOSTON, MA; September 9, 2022—ENDING HIV IN AMERICA, a one-hour special from NOVA—a production of GBH—explores the extraordinary scientific progress that has been made in the fight against HIV, highlights the activism and commitment of communities that are still hard hit by the virus, and reveals how close we may be getting to what once seemed unthinkable—the end of HIV in America. The film follows the unexpected twists and turns that HIV treatment has taken since scientists identified the virus almost 40 years ago, against the backdrop of two American cities—San Francisco, California and Birmingham, Alabama—that represent the real-world challenges of getting that treatment to the people who need it most. ENDING HIV IN AMERICA, a production by Global Health Reporting Center and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios in association with NOVA/GBH, premieres Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. The film will also be available for streaming at pbs.org/nova and via the PBS Video app.

What began as a mysterious and ferocious plague that frustrated scientists at every turn, led to a long—and global—scientific quest that produced a string of extraordinary discoveries. Yet to deliver those discoveries to the people most in need, equally innovative partnerships had to be created between the public health community and communities who were often neglected or discriminated against by health authorities. ENDING HIV IN AMERICA examines many important questions, including: How did scientists gain the upper hand on one of the most elusive and deadly pathogens ever known? Could innovative drugs and treatment regimens eventually bring new infections to zero? The U.S. government set a bold target in 2019: to cut new infections by 90% by the year 2030. But can we conquer the final hurdles in defeating the virus and address the deep-rooted challenges of accessibility and stigma that communities across the country face?

“HIV is a uniquely challenging virus to fight, and the scientific journey over the last four decades has been a dramatic roller-coaster filled with hope and frustration and some truly remarkable discoveries,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort. “All leading to today, when public health experts say ending HIV transmission in America is within our grasp.”

Mutating faster than any known virus, HIV, which causes the disease known as AIDS, at first seemed invincible. Yet an unprecedented global scientific effort is gradually unraveling most of the virus’s secrets. The resulting breakthroughs have turned an HIV diagnosis, once a death sentence, into a chronic but manageable condition for most infected Americans. The use of antiviral therapy has proven more than 99% effective in preventing transmission, leading many experts to believe that it is possible to end the epidemic.

“Public awareness of the continuing havoc wreaked by HIV has declined over the years. This important film provides some welcome news and a timely examination of the current state of the AIDS epidemic and how we got to this point,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Chris Schmidt. “It also reveals how scientific advances in the battle against COVID-19 originated from pioneering research into HIV vaccines—including treatments like Remdesvir and Paxlovid—and how the many years of scientific research around HIV and AIDS have benefited us all in the long run.”

As with any disease, the final cases are the hardest to stamp out, but the so-called last mile looks different in different parts of the country. San Francisco—home of Ward 86, the country’s oldest HIV/AIDS clinic—vowed to be the first city to fully eliminate the virus, rolling out its plan in 2013. By focusing on its most vulnerable residents, the city managed to cut new infections by more than 60%, even as the COVID pandemic brought new challenges. The film introduces viewers to health workers who are bringing medical care to the streets and running clinics that deliver not just HIV care, but other services tailored to the city’s homeless and transgender communities. Viewers will also meet HIV-positive activists like Cecilia Chung, who have lived through the HIV/AIDS pandemic’s different eras over the last four decades.

In Birmingham, Alabama, the last mile feels a lot longer. For many residents the cost of the highly effective preventative treatment, known as PrEP, is prohibitive because the state doesn’t provide the same level of support as in San Francisco. The film follows a core group of staff at the 1917 Clinic, run by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, helping patients to navigate various challenges. Among this group are chaplain Chris Hamlin, formerly pastor at the city’s historic 16th Street Baptist Church, and Tommy Williams, who connects clients with the clinic’s services. Williams shares a bond with many patients—he too is HIV-positive—and his tireless efforts to combat the stigma surrounding HIV are a central element of the film.

With unforgettable portraits and interviews with pioneers of HIV science and community leadership—Drs. Michael Saag, Lawrence Corey, John Mascola, Monica Gandhi, Myron Cohen, Cecilia Cheung, and the Reverend Christopher Hamlin—ENDING HIV IN AMERICA is a story of both struggle and triumph, showing how the fight against HIV reshaped the world of science and medicine, as healthcare providers confront the challenge of getting treatments to the people who need them most.

“Tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic has been one of the greatest scientific and societal challenges of the past four decades, and that effort contributed mightily to our preparation for COVID,” said Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Sean B. Carroll. “Now we can see the light at the end of that long tunnel. We’re proud to help bring this important story to audiences and to bring hope to the communities most affected by this terrible disease.”

The Global Health Reporting Center, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, and NOVA/GBH, will lead an impact campaign tied to the film that will include additional HIV-related content, film screenings and panel discussions in key cities, and a program to get the film and associated educational materials to medical students nationwide.

“What both Covid and HIV teach us is that no virus can be conquered without both great science and great public health,” said Global Health Reporting Center Co-founder and President Janet Tobias. “In the fight against HIV-AIDS, there has been a groundbreaking collaboration between patients, activists, and scientists. It is because of extraordinary leadership by all of these groups, that it is now possible to imagine ending HIV in America.”

ENDING HIV IN AMERICA premieres Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS and will be available for streaming at pbs.org/nova and via the PBS Video app.

ENDING HIV IN AMERICA is a production by Global Health Reporting Center and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios in association with NOVA/GBH. Written and Produced by Caleb Hellerman. Directed by Shayon Maitra. Executive Producers for Global Health Reporting Center are Janet Tobias and Rogger Lopez. Executive Producers for HHMI Tangled Bank Studios are Jared Lipworth and Sean B. Carroll. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH.

ENDING HIV IN AMERICA is made possible (in part) by the George D. Smith Fund, Inc.

NOVA original production funding was provided by Consumer Cellular, the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

###

About NOVA

NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. The PBS series is also one of the most widely distributed science programs around the world, and is a multimedia, multiplatform brand reaching more than 55 million Americans every year on TV and online. NOVA’s important and inspiring stories of human ingenuity, exploration, and the quest for knowledge are regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. As part of its mission to make the scientific enterprise accessible to all, NOVA is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all its work, from the production process to the range of stories we tell and the voices we amplify. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston; more information can be found at pbs.org/nova, or by following NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About PBS

PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a new 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

About GBH

GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali, as well as WORLD Channel and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR®; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at wgbh.org.

​​About HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a mission-driven production company that seeks to shine a light on some of the most significant scientific challenges and breakthroughs of our time. Recent films include Emmy Award-winners The Serengeti Rules and The Farthest – Voyager In Space; Emmy-nominated Nature’s Fear Factor; Peabody Award winner Inventing Tomorrow; and All That Breathes, the only film to win best documentary at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals. To extend the reach and impact of each film, the studio undertakes educational and public outreach efforts in partnership with mission-aligned organizations. For more information, please visit WWW.TANGLEDBANKSTUDIOS.ORG.

About Global Health Reporting Center

The Global Health Reporting Center (GHRC) is an independent, nonprofit newsroom committed to producing in-depth health journalism, documentary films and other nonfiction content about the vital health challenges of our time. The GHRC reports from every continent, bringing local expertise and a global perspective. Recent and current projects include the award-winning documentary film “Race For the Vaccine,” and “Vitals,” PBS Digital Studios’ flagship show about health and medicine. The GHRC also produces regular content for the PBS NewsHour, CNN and other news outlets. For more information, please visit For more information: ghrc.org



PBS projects coming up this fall

Posted on by Danielle Langer





THE U.S. AND THE HOLOCAUST

Premieres Sunday through Tuesday, September 18-20, 8:00-10:00pm ET (check local listings)

This three-part series by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein tells the story of how the American people grappled with one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the 20th century, and how this struggle tested the ideals of our democracy. By examining events leading up to and during the Holocaust with fresh eyes, this film dispels the competing myths that Americans either were ignorant of what was happening to Jews in Europe or that they merely looked on with callous indifference. The truth is much more nuanced and complicated, and the challenges that the American people confronted raise questions that remain essential to our society today: What is America’s role as a land of immigrants? What are the responsibilities of a nation to intervene in humanitarian crises? What should our leaders and the press do to shape public opinion? What can individuals do when governments fail to act?

NOVA “ENDING HIV IN AMERICA”

Premieres Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS (check local listings)

Almost 40 years after the discovery of HIV, could we be on the verge of ending the AIDS epidemic in America? How did scientists tackle one of the most elusive deadly viruses to ever infect humans? Can innovative drugs bring new infections to zero?

NOVA “SAVING VENICE”

Premieres Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS (check local listings) Rising seas and sinking land threaten to destroy Venice. Can the city’s new hi-tech flood barrier save it? Discover the innovative projects and feats of engineering designed to stop this historic city from being lost to future generations.

NOVA “REBUILDING NOTRE DAME”

Premieres Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS (check local listings)

In April 2019, the world watched as a devastating fire almost destroyed Paris’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral. Go behind the scenes with a team of engineers, masons, and timber workers tackling the daunting challenges of restoring the historic landmark.

NOVA “COMPUTERS v. CRIME”

Premieres Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS (check local listings)

Across the country, artificial intelligence is helping inform decisions about policing and criminal sentencing. This timely investigation digs into the hidden biases, privacy risks, and design flaws of this controversial technology.

NOVA “CAN PSYCHEDELICS CURE?”

Premieres Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS (check local listings)

Mind-altering drugs—or psychedelics—have been used for thousands of years. Today, scientists are discovering their potential for profoundly positive clinical impacts, helping patients struggling with afflictions like addiction and depression.

NOVA “OCEAN INVADERS”

Premieres Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS (check local listings)

Lionfish––long prized in home aquariums––have invaded the Atlantic. Dive deep with host Danni Washington to investigate what makes the lionfish such a successful invasive species, how it’s wreaking havoc, and what can be done about it.



NOVA “ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE” CHRONICLES THE DRAMATIC STORY OF THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Posted on by Danielle Langer





NOVA “ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE” CHRONICLES THE DRAMATIC STORY OF THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE, THE MOST COMPLEX MACHINE

EVER LAUNCHED INTO SPACE

— New one-hour special shows how NASA engineers built and launched the most ambitious telescope of all time, and the transformational discoveries this new eye on the universe has the power to uncover —

Premieres Wednesday, July 13 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Also Available for Streaming Online at PBS.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and on the PBS Video App

@novapbs

Boston, MA; July 1, 2022—The PBS science series NOVA, a production of GBH will premiere a one-hour special, ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE, Wednesday, July 13 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. The film, which will also be available for streaming online at PBS.org/nova, on NOVA’s YouTube channel, and on the PBS video app, tells the dramatic story of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest and most innovative space telescope ever built, designed to peer deeper back in time and space than humans ever have before. The special takes viewers behind the scenes through the eyes of the engineers and scientists who have dedicated years—some even decades—of their lives to getting Webb off the ground. And, the film will feature some of the telescope’s highly anticipated first images—the day after NASA releases them to the world—along with reactions from some of the team.

“Working with NASA to document this mission has been incredibly exhilarating,” said Producer Terri Randall of Randall Productions. “Like any great endeavor, there were many setbacks in creating this revolutionary telescope, so it was important that we show how challenging the two decades leading up to the launch and deployment were for the JWST team. I am thrilled to tell their story and to now have the opportunity to be alongside them on July 12, capturing the moment NASA reveals the mission’s first images.”

Launched in December 2021, the seven-ton JWST has traveled to its permanent vantage point a million miles from Earth—3,000 times farther than the Hubble Space Telescope—aiming to capture groundbreaking first images of the farthest galaxies. The daunting mission poses a number of risks, with 344 possible points of failure at the time of launch. Should something go wrong, the telescope will be too far away to fix, so there’s no room for error. The most ambitious telescope ever built needs to work perfectly. If it does, scientists believe this new eye on the universe will look deeper back in time and space than ever before to the birth of galaxies and may even be able to “sniff” the atmospheres of exoplanets as we search for signs of life beyond Earth.

“We’re excited to present another groundbreaking moment in space exploration to NOVA’s audiences—giving them a special look inside the mission that could ultimately transform what we know about the universe,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort. “We’re thrilled to be able to share Webb’s first images and look forward to continuing to follow the telescope’s discoveries in the months ahead.”

Measuring 28-feet tall, JWST pushes the limits of engineering. Its mirror is a massive 21 feet in diameter, almost three times larger than that of its famous predecessor, Hubble. This gold-covered mirror, made up of 18 segments that unfold and adjust to shape after launch, sits on top of a first-of-its-kind sunshield the size of a tennis court. As Webb follows Earth’s orbit, this five-layer sunshield protects the telescope from the light of the sun, the Earth, and the moon, keeping it a frigid minus 394 degrees F. Its state-of-the-art cameras and spectrometers are designed to capture stunning images and spectroscopic data. Despite its mammoth size, it’s fragile.

Why undertake such a risky mission? What secrets could this powerful new telescope reveal? To answer these questions, the film looks back on the early major findings of Hubble. Back in the 1990s, Hubble peered into an empty patch of the night sky. After 10 days, what it detected shocked the world: Out of the darkness appeared thousands upon thousands of galaxies. As astronomers scoured the Hubble deep field, they noticed strange, red amorphous galaxies. These ancient galaxies were detected in infrared light. It was a groundbreaking discovery, but Hubble just scratched the surface. To see further back in time, the next generation space telescope, now known as JWST, would need to peer deeper into the infrared spectrum. The feat of engineering required to do that was spectacularly ambitious, and building such a complex machine proved to be much harder than anyone anticipated—and far more expensive.

Originally scheduled to launch in 2007, JWST was met with a number of delays. By 2011, Congress threatened to cancel the mission, citing cost overruns. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the city of Houston, severely impairing the scientists’ access to power and electricity just as they were putting the telescope through a crucial set of tests–yet, they were able to persevere. Ultimately, it took more than two decades for the $10 billion telescope to make it to the launch pad.

“We’ve been following this dramatic story for many years, even though the fate of the telescope was often in doubt,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Chris Schmidt. “ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE places you in the middle of the action, as an incredible team of scientists and engineers embark on this high-stakes mission to build the most complex telescope the world has ever seen. We’re excited to tell their inspirational story.”

ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE introduces viewers to the engineers responsible for building, launching, and deploying the most ambitious telescope of all time, chronicling the ups and downs of the events leading to its launch. The film gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the nerve-wracking, step-by-step process of each critical deployment, leading up to a thrilling success: JWST’s first image: A picture of a single star that turned out to be much more—an image revealing never-before-seen galaxies.

The film will include the latest developments from the JWST mission, right up until the moment it airs on PBS. NASA is set to release the first full-color images and spectroscopic data from the telescope on July 12, some of which NOVA will add to the special just hours before its broadcast. It will also feature footage of reactions to JWST’s findings from the scientists and engineers who worked on the mission. A second NOVA film about the JWST, currently in production, is set to premiere on PBS in early 2023. That film will delve even deeper into Webb’s discoveries—following its developments in the upcoming months—and reveal what they could mean for our understanding of the universe.

ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE premieres Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C. The film will also be available for streaming online at PBS.org/nova, on NOVA’s YouTube channel, and on the PBS video app, and available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries, and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE is a NOVA Production by Terri Randall Productions for GBH in association with ARTE France. Written, Produced, and Directed by Terri Randall. Co-Produced and Edited by Jedd Ehrmann. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH. ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE is distributed internationally by PBS International.

Original funding for ULTIMATE SPACE TELESCOPE is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the NOVA Science Trust with support from Anna and Neil Rasmussen and the Kaia and Jonathan Goldstein Family Fund, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

###

About NOVA

NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. The PBS series is also one of the most widely distributed science programs around the world, and is a multimedia, multiplatform brand reaching more than 55 million Americans every year on TV and online. NOVA’s important and inspiring stories of human ingenuity, exploration, and the quest for knowledge are regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. As part of its mission to make the scientific enterprise accessible to all, NOVA is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all its work, from the production process to the range of stories we tell and the voices we amplify. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston; more information can be found at pbs.org/nova, or by following NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About PBS

PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a new 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

About GBH

GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali, as well as WORLD Channel and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR®; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at wgbh.org.



NEW DOCUMENTARY “ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS” UNCOVERS REMARKABLE ANCIENT HUMAN FOOTPRINTS

Posted on by Danielle Langer





NEW DOCUMENTARY “ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS” UNCOVERS REMARKABLE ANCIENT HUMAN FOOTPRINTS THAT COULD BE THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE OF HUMANS EVER FOUND IN NORTH AMERICA

One-hour film follows a team of scientists as they date footprints found in White Sands, New Mexico to more than 21,000 years ago

NOVA “ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS”

Premieres Wednesday, May 25 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Also Available for Streaming Online and on the PBS Video App

pbs.org/nova|@novapbs

Boston, MA, May 6, 2022—The award-winning PBS science series NOVA, a production of GBH, will premiere the one-hour documentary ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS Wednesday, May 25 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. The film, which will also be available for streaming online at pbs.org/nova, on NOVA’s YouTube channel, and via the PBS Video app, follows archaeologists as they investigate remarkable ancient footprints found in White Sands National Park, New Mexico. For the first time, scientists date the footprints, and if confirmed, their results would indicate that humans were present in North America much earlier than archaeologists previously thought.

These footprints include tracks from 13-foot-tall mammoths, huge ground sloths, packs of dire wolves, and camels. Alongside them, though, is something even rarer—footprints of humans that have been buried for thousands of years and are gradually being exposed by wind erosion. The film uses immersive 3-D graphics to bring viewers face to face with some of the magnificent creatures that roamed North America during the last Ice Age–animals that went extinct more than 10,000 years ago–while revealing an untold story of human history on the continent.

Hosted by Kirk Johnson, the Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS captures the work of a team of archaeologists and other scientists led by White Sands National Park Resource Program Manager David Bustos as they try to unlock the secrets of these extraordinary prints before they erode to dust. Among the questions they’re trying to answer are: Who made them? How old are they? And what can they tell us about the long history of humans in North America?

ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS brings viewers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at some of the astonishing stories hidden in these tracks, as footprints can reveal intimate details that no bones ever could. One fascinating set of footprints excavated by forensic footprint expert Matthew Bennett tells the story of an individual making a journey and then coming back later the same day. Forensic analysis of the prints shows the person was in a hurry, and—as revealed by a set of much smaller tracks at one point along the path—they were carrying a child. Later, their track is crossed by the prints of an enormous ground sloth, which appears to rear up on its hind legs—possibly to sniff the air as it detects humans—a scene that reveals just how close humans and Ice Age animals came to one another.

“The footprints are so striking because they seem so dynamic,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Chris Schmidt. “It’s so easy to reach across time and picture these people and their families moving through the land and interacting with the living world around them.”

But when were the footprints made? For several decades, the mainstream archaeology community held that humans first arrived in North America about 13,000 years ago. More recently, evidence pushed that date to around 2,000 years earlier. Many scientists argued that they could not have arrived sooner, because much of the continent was covered with massive ice sheets.

Now, the White Sands footprints could be challenging that story. The film takes viewers along on a journey of discovery as scientists Jeff Pigati and Kathleen Springer use radiocarbon dating on ancient seeds found buried between the footprints and find that the footprints were made between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago. Pigati and Springer were amazed. As host Kirk Johnson says, “This is not a subtle result!”

While the dramatic findings may be surprising for some scientists, for many Indigenous people, they are confirmation of long-held beliefs. “The tribes talk about going way back. We all talk about having been here forever,” explains archaeologist Joe Watkins, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, in the film. “We have the evidence. It really does put our feetprints firmly into the past here in North America. These are our relatives.”

ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS also features Kim Pasqual-Charlie, Tribal Historic Preservation Board Member of the Acoma Pueblo of New Mexico, who speaks about the significance of the footprints to her community; and Edward Jolie, archeologist and citizen of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, who together with Joe Watkins and archaeologist Carol Ellick, investigates some of the ancient technology that might have been used by the Ice Age inhabitants of the area to transport heavy loads, including the meat of giant mammoths.

NOVA’s cameras have been following the archaeological team’s investigations since February 2020, and in October 2021 they returned to White Sands to find out the results of the radiocarbon dating. ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS reveals the astonishing results that could transform experts’ understanding of the history of humans in North America.

“One of the reasons the dating is so important,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort, “is that it puts humans deep in North America at the very height of the Ice Age. It’s another piece of evidence pointing to the epic journeys that ancient humans made at a time when the continent looked very different than it does today.”

“Seeing the footprints of ancient humans, perfectly preserved for thousands of years, is incredibly moving,” said Producer Bella Falk of Windfall Films. “There are adults and children, running, hunting, and playing—it’s a remarkable window into Ice Age life. And not only are they a wonderful connection back to the distant past, but they could also provide vital new clues to help answer the great mystery about the peopling of the Americas. It was a huge privilege to be able to follow this important study, and we are excited to share the results with NOVA viewers.”

ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS premieres Wednesday, May 25 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS and will also be available for streaming online at pbs.org/nova, on NOVA’s YouTube channel, and via the PBS Video app, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS is a NOVA Production by Windfall Films Ltd. (part of the Argonon Group) for GBH. Producer is Bella Falk. Directors are David Dugan and Bella Falk. Editor is Sabrina Burnard. Kirk Johnson is the Host and Sant Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Executive Producer for Windfall Films is David Dugan. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH. ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS is distributed internationally by PBS International.

ICE AGE FOOTPRINTS is made possible (in part) by the George D. Smith Fund, Inc. Funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

###

About NOVA

NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. The PBS series is also one of the most widely distributed science programs around the world, and is a multimedia, multiplatform brand reaching more than 55 million Americans every year on TV and online. NOVA’s important and inspiring stories of human ingenuity, exploration, and the quest for knowledge are regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. As part of its mission to make the scientific enterprise accessible to all, NOVA is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its work, from the production process to the range of stories we tell and the voices we amplify. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston; more information can be found at pbs.org/nova, or by following NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About PBS

PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV–including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter,Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on Twitter.

About GBH

GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali, as well as WORLD Channel and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR®; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at wgbh.org.



NOVA “DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE,” A PBS AND BBC STUDIOS CO-PRODUCTION

Posted on by Danielle Langer





NOVA “DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE,” A PBS AND BBC STUDIOS CO-PRODUCTION WITH SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH,

REVEALS REMARKABLE NEW FOSSIL FINDS THAT MAY PROVIDE AN UNPRECEDENTED WINDOW INTO THE FINAL DAY OF THE DINOSAUR AGE

New One-Night, Two-Hour Special Premieres

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

pbs.org/nova | @novapbs

BOSTON, MA; April 21, 2022—The award-winning PBS science series, NOVA, a production of GBH, will premiere a new two-part special, DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE, Wednesday, May 11 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. The special, the latest co-production from PBS and the BBC Studios Science Unit, explores how a wealth of newly uncovered fossils may provide a never-before-seen glimpse of events on the day an asteroid struck Earth, ending the age of the dinosaurs. Viewers follow host Sir David Attenborough and a team of scientists as they try to reconstruct a detailed picture of one of the unluckiest days for life on Earth in two back-to-back, one-hour episodes, DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE: THE NEW EVIDENCE and DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE: THE LAST DAY.

Sixty-six million years ago, a gigantic asteroid, larger than Mount Everest, slammed into Earth, killing the giant reptiles that had dominated the planet for over 150 million years. There is strong evidence of the impact, but no fossils of a dinosaur killed in the event itself have ever been found. Now, at a dig site hidden in the Badlands of North Dakota, scientists have uncovered a wealth of fossilized creatures that might be connected to the fateful day that ended the Cretaceous Period. In DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE, Sir David Attenborough follows clues from this prehistoric graveyard, where a team of paleontologists uncover evidence they believe could help shed light on some dinosaurs’ final moments on Earth.

“We’re excited to bring viewers along on this journey as scientists excavate this extraordinary dig site,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort. “We’re able to look over the shoulders of paleontologists uncovering some of the rarest fossils ever found in North America–perhaps in the world–that if confirmed, could help illuminate the most dramatic single day in the history of the planet.”

“The finds at this site are so potentially transformative that they seem almost too good to be true. That’s why telling the story of the painstaking process of analyzing this new evidence is so important,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Chris Schmidt. “And in the end, it just might provide us with the most intimate look yet of what dinosaurs and other creatures experienced when the Cretaceous came to an abrupt end 66 million years ago.”

Filmed over the course of three years, the special follows paleontologist Robert DePalma and his team as they explore the site and ultimately unearth creatures that may shed light on life at the very end of the age of the dinosaurs. In the first episode, DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE: THE NEW EVIDENCE, viewers are introduced to the excavation of several groundbreaking finds in a corner of the Hell Creek Formation, an area long-famous for dinosaur fossils. The new evidence includes an incredibly rare fossilized egg with the embryo of a pterosaur–a flying reptile–still inside, a fossilized burrow possibly dug by an early mammal such as a pediomyid, and a beautifully preserved piece of Triceratops skin. As they investigate each new find, the team begins to paint a vivid picture of what life was like here during this period, showing how the creatures would have looked, lived, and interacted.

The second episode, DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE: THE LAST DAY, begins with DePalma and his team unearthing what appear to be ejecta spherules—tiny beads of molten and vaporized rock created by an asteroid impact—some of which have been preserved in amber. Closer study of one of these spherules reveals a speck of rock that is reportedly a chemical match to the asteroid itself. Nearby, the team uncovers what could be the leg of a small, herbivorous dinosaur called a Thescelosaurus—a creature that DePalma thinks may have experienced firsthand the deadly events triggered by the cataclysmic impact. If confirmed by further research, this would be the first time the fossil of a dinosaur that appears to have been killed by effects of the asteroid impact has been uncovered. Drawing on detailed examinations of the fossils, the team attempts to piece together the chain of events that devastated this region, along with the rest of the planet. The episode culminates with a blow-by-blow CGI visualization of the destruction—earthquakes, fire, and a devastating surge wave that entombs and preserves the creatures here—only to be dug up 66 million years later by scientists.

In both episodes, Attenborough examines some of the fossil finds with leading experts and follows the dig team as they carry out cutting-edge visualization and scanning techniques to reveal fossilized secrets invisible to the naked eye. Stunning CGI storytelling, based on the evidence unearthed by DePalma and his team, is used to transport Attenborough back in time to the Late Cretaceous Period and bring the creatures that lived here to life. Interwoven with a range of expert interviews that provide scientific context throughout, the special follows Attenborough on a search for clues that could provide an unprecedented window into the last days of the dinosaur age and new insights into the events that may have unfolded when the Chicxulub asteroid collided with Earth.

As horrific and devastating as that day was, Attenborough reminds us that if it weren’t for the asteroid that ended the dominance of dinosaurs, tiny mammals would probably never have evolved into the amazing variety of creatures that now populate Earth–including us. And he reveals one final rare piece of evidence from the North Dakota site: the fossilized feather of a dinosaur. It’s a reminder that the dinosaurs did not all go extinct when the asteroid hit. Members of one group, known as avian dinosaurs, survived, evolved, and still live among us today. We know them as birds.

DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE, a one-night, two-hour special premieres Wednesday, May 11, 2022— DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE: THE NEW EVIDENCE at 9pm ET/8C, followed by DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE: THE LAST DAY at 10pm ET/9C. Both episodes will also be available for streaming online at pbs.org/nova and on the PBS video app, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE, with David Attenborough is a BBC Studios Science Unit production with NOVA and GBH for BBC One and iPlayer, and PBS, co-produced with France Télévisions. The series is part of a co-production deal between PBS and BBC Studios. The partnership provides a pipeline of the high-quality, entertaining factual programs that PBS and BBC audiences have come to expect. It was commissioned for BBC One by Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer and Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Science and Natural History and Executive in Charge for PBS is Bill Gardner, Vice President, Multiplatform Programming and Head of Development. Executive Producer is Helen Thomas and the Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH.

Funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

###

About NOVA

NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. The PBS series is also one of the most widely distributed science programs around the world, and is a multimedia, multiplatform brand reaching more than 50 million Americans every year on TV and online. NOVA’s important and inspiring stories of human ingenuity, exploration, and the quest for knowledge are regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. As part of its mission to make the scientific enterprise accessible to all, NOVA is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its work, from the production process to the range of stories we tell and the voices we amplify. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston; more information can be found at pbs.org/nova, or by following NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About PBS

PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV–including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on Twitter.

About GBH

GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali, as well as WORLD Channel and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR®; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at wgbh.org.



New Programs Coming Up Later This Spring on PBS

Posted on by Danielle Langer





CALL THE MIDWIFE (Season 11)

Airing Sundays, through May 8, 2022, 8:00-9:00pm ET

The return of the multi-award-winning drama, which regularly draws in audiences of over 10 million. Following an eventful Christmas special, the series continues with an episode set in Easter 1967. Celebrations are underway for a colorful Easter Bonnet parade outside Nonnatus House. Sister Monica Joan and Reggie are excited about the Eurovision song contest and Nancy, having just passed her midwifery examinations, is about to don her red cardigan for the first time.

RISE OF THE NAZIS: DICTATORS AT WAR
Premieres: Tuesdays, April 12–26, 9:00 p.m. ET
This powerful series reaches the defining conflict of the Second World War, as Hitler faces an equally ruthless dictator: Stalin. At the peak of his powers, Hitler tries to deceive the Russian leader with a plan to invade Britain, while secretly preparing an attack on the Soviet Union. But Stalin has a spy in Hitler’s HQ. With Germany facing defeat on the Eastern Front, resistance builds as Hitler pushes Germany to untold destruction. This is the story of why dictatorships fail, and of the hubris that nearly destroyed freedom, but ultimately destroyed itself.

WE REMEMBER: SONGS OF SURVIVORS
Premieres: Tuesday, April 26, 8:00 p.m. ET
Taking a unique storytelling approach, this documentary follows local songwriters as they partner with Holocaust survivors in the Hudson Valley of New York to turn their life experiences into powerful music for a community concert. Over the course of several months, survivors start opening up to their songwriter, sharing their most personal—and often shocking—stories. The resulting songs, filled with joy and healing, celebrate the extraordinary lives of this resilient generation.

NOVA “Dinosaur Apocalypse”

Two-Hour Special Premieres: Wednesday, May 11, 9:00 p.m. ET

Sir David Attenborough tells the dramatic story of a fossil dig site in North Dakota, where scientists uncover clues that could paint a more detailed picture than ever before of the day an asteroid struck Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs.

NOVA “Why Ships Crash”
Premieres: Wednesday, May 18, 9:00 p.m. ET
When the colossal Ever Given container ship crashed into the bank of the Suez Canal in March 2021, international supply chains ground to a halt. How could such a disaster happen? And can the investigation help prevent future accidents?

NOVA “Ice Age Footprints”
Premieres: Wednesday, May 25, 9:00 p.m. ET
Thousands of prehistoric footprints left by Ice Age humans and animals stretch for miles across the blinding white surfaces of New Mexico’s White Sands National Park. The phenomenal collection of prints preserves a unique series of snapshots of life and behavior, capturing moments when people crossed paths with extinct beasts, including enormous ground sloths and mammoths. Frozen in time, these intimate traces of human and animal activity represent evidence unknowable from any other type of archeological find. Not only do the tracks reveal remarkable details about life in the Ice Age, but radiocarbon dating of the footprints provides important new evidence about the peopling of the Americas.



“ARCTIC SINKHOLES” NEW NOVA FILM EXPLORES THE CLIMATE THREAT OF METHANE GAS

Posted on by Danielle Langer





“ARCTIC SINKHOLES” NEW NOVA FILM EXPLORES THE CLIMATE THREAT OF METHANE GAS RELEASE IN THE ARCTIC

Premieres Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

pbs.org/nova | @novapbs

BOSTON, MA; January 26, 2021—The award-winning PBS science series, NOVA, a production of GBH Boston, will premiere ARCTIC SINKHOLES, on February 2, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. The film explores mystifying phenomena occurring across the Arctic—including colossal explosions that have shaken the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters, and a lake in Alaska that erupts with bubbles of flammable gas. Viewers follow scientists as they discover that these phenomena add up to a ticking climate time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost thaws and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Frozen solid for thousands of years, Arctic permafrost is thawing, setting off a destructive chain of events around the globe. In the last decade, residents of the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, Russia, have reported a bizarre phenomenon: massive holes appearing in the frozen tundra—including one more than 80 feet wide and 150 feet deep—large enough to swallow a 15-story building. Scientists had never seen anything like it. As they race to explore this unknown, they discover other similar craters.

These “sinkholes” all have one distinguishable trait, cluing scientists in to a critical but grim detail—they are not, in fact, sinkholes, but the result of underground explosions of methane, the main ingredient in natural gas—and they’re becoming more prevalent as climate change causes the Earth’s permafrost to thaw.

“At the heart of this film is a mystery story that literally bursts upon the screen with the discovery of something truly bizarre and unexpected,” notes NOVA Co-Executive Producer Chris Schmidt. “Imagine if the land that you and your ancestors had called home for thousands of years were becoming unstable and, worse yet, releasing a gas that could greatly exacerbate climate change.”

NOVA follows teams of scientists to Siberia as they attempt to get to the bottom of this strange phenomenon, finding evidence that entire Arctic landscapes are essentially fossil methane reserves. In Alaska, experts discover that a large lake is bubbling with methane from below, and vast layers of frozen methane trapped under rapidly thawing subsoil. It’s another sign within the Arctic Circle that, beneath the Earth, methane is stirring.

“If permafrost thaws, then that’s a scary wildcard in the climate change story, because we think there’s a huge amount of methane and natural gas trapped inside permafrost and under permafrost. So if permafrost becomes like Swiss cheese with lots of holes in it, then you can have chimneys where that gas is erupting out,” says Katey Walter Anthony, an aquatic ecologist and biogeochemist, and one of many experts in the film focused on methane and carbon dioxide emissions from lakes and wetlands in Alaska and Siberia.

More than eight confirmed craters of this kind have been discovered in Siberia since 2014, all leaking methane. The discovery of each of these craters has happened after a warmer than average summer, making the connection to climate change all the more explicit. Average global temperatures are rising yearly, with the temperatures in the Arctic increasing at an exponential rate. This could mean an increase in prevalence of these craters.

Local communities recount their experience of a landscape shifting irreversibly right before their eyes, and ponder the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic. Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future.

“There’s a lot of discussion about carbon dioxide and its relationship to climate, but the impact of methane coming out of the Arctic is potentially enormous,” says NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort. “Making accurate predictions about the future depends on good data, and ARCTIC SINKHOLES reveals what scientists have to do to get that data, as they try to measure an invisible, odorless gas that’s underground in some of the most remote and challenging environments in the world.”

ARCTIC SINKHOLES premieres Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS and will be available for streaming online at pbs.org/nova and on the PBS video app, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

ARCTIC SINKHOLES is a NOVA production by Blink Films for GBH in association with ARTE France. Executive Producers for Blink Films are Tom Adams and Justine Kershaw. Produced and Directed by Nick Tanner. Senior Producer is Al Blane. Edited by Alethea Lindsay. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH.

Funding for this program is provided by Brilliant Worldwide, Inc., the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

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About NOVA

NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. The PBS series is also one of the most widely distributed science programs around the world, and is a multimedia, multiplatform brand reaching more than 55 million Americans every year on TV and online. NOVA’s important and inspiring stories of human ingenuity, exploration, and the quest for knowledge are regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. As part of its mission to make the scientific enterprise accessible to all, NOVA is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its work, from the production process to the range of stories we tell and the voices we amplify. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston; more information can be found at pbs.org/nova, or by following NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About PBS

PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV–including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on Twitter.

About GBH

GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali, as well as WORLD Channel and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR®; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at wgbh.org.



TUNE IN: NOVA Programs coming up this February on PBS

Posted on by Danielle Langer





ARCTIC SINKHOLES Premieres Wednesday, February 2 at 9pm ET/8c on PBS (check local listings)

Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic? Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future.

SECRETS IN THE SCAT Premieres Wednesday, February 9 at 9pm ET/8c on PBS (check local listings)

Scott Burnett is “Scatman”—an Australian ecologist on the trail of the secrets of poop. By identifying and analyzing animal scat for DNA and hormones, he discovers essential details of their behavior, how they fit in the ecosystem, and even how to protect them. From the mysterious cubic poop of wombats to the precious pink waste of whales, join scientists as they explore nature’s smelliest secrets.

GREAT MAMMOTH MYSTERY Premieres Wednesday, February 16 at 9pm ET/8c on PBS (check local listings)

Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique site in southern England where amateur fossil hunters uncovered giant mammoth bones and evidence of Neanderthals. A team of paleontologists and archaeologists soon discover that the site preserves rare evidence of the extinct beasts and early human inhabitants of Britain dating to over 200,000 years ago. What skills did the early humans have to help them survive during the Ice Age? How did they hunt and protect themselves against formidable creatures such as mammoths? Featuring hands-on experiments with replicas of Neanderthal-era spears and stone tools, NOVA brings the world of prehistoric Britain vividly to life.

AUGMENTED Premieres Wednesday, February 23 at 9pm ET/8c on PBS (check local listings)

Follow the dramatic personal journey of Hugh Herr, a biophysicist working to create brain-controlled robotic limbs. At age 17, Herr’s legs were amputated after a climbing accident. Frustrated by the crude prosthetic limbs he was given, Herr set out to remedy their design, leading him to a career as an inventor of innovative prosthetic devices. Now Herr is teaming up with an injured climber and a surgeon at a leading Boston hospital to test a new approach to surgical amputation that allows prosthetic limbs to move and feel like the real thing. Herr’s journey is a powerful tale of innovation and the inspiring story of a personal tragedy transformed into a life-long quest to help others.

PREDICTING MY MS Premieres Wednesday, February 23 at 10:30pm ET/9:30c on PBS (check local listings)

*30-minute short film following the premiere of AUGMENTED

In 2005, filmmaker Jason DaSilva was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, a rare type of MS that has no known cure and inflicts a host of progressively debilitating symptoms. In this moving personal film, DaSilva looks back on the challenges he’s faced, delves into the science behind MS, and investigates the potential risk factors that may––or may not––have contributed to his rare diagnosis. Refusing to be labeled as a “tragic” case, he continues to advocate for people with disabilities and to pursue his career as an artist and filmmaker.