PBS “TUNE IN & STREAM” ALERT: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
PBS Digital Studios Serves Up New Original Series, GOOD GUMBO, Showcasing the South’s Rich Food and Heritage
PBS Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Women’s Vote with AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “The Vote,” Along With Multiplatform Content Honoring Suffragists, Feminist Leaders and Modern-Day Changemakers PBS Shines Light on Health with Spring Slate
UPCOMING PREMIERES
PLEASE CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS*
NEW EPISODES: EXPEDITION WITH STEVE BACKSHALL
NEW: Inside Look Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW6_jhAavzo&feature=youtu.be
Show Page: https://www.pbs.org/show/expedition/
Series Trailer: https://www.pbs.org/video/expedition-official-preview
Overview: PBS’s new 10-episode series EXPEDITION WITH STEVE BACKSHALL reveals there are still parts of our planet yet to be discovered. Explorer and naturalist Steve Backshall pursues incredible journeys and world firsts — unclimbed peaks, unexplored cave systems and uncharted landscapes — setting foot where no human has been before.
EPISODE 5: BORNEO – DARK SHADOW – Premieres: Wednesday, February 12, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET
Clips: A Journey to Borneo: https://youtu.be/wQuFPJPtDns
Scutigera Rock Art: https://youtu.be/JTzRRPLrzyE
Courtesy PBS/True to Nature Ltd.
Location: Karst Cave System, East Kalimantan Indonesian Jungle, Seram, Borneo
World First: First exploration of an undiscovered sinkhole, only recently spotted from a dark shadow on a satellite image.
Physical Challenge: Rappelling, Climbing, Jungle Hacking
New Discovery: Fishing Cassowary
Lead Expert/Host: Steve Backshall, Expedition Leader
Expert Team: Aldo Kane, Expedition Safety and Former Royal Marine – Pindi Setiawan, Indonesian Caver and Rock Art Specialist Djuna Ivereigh, U.S. Climber
In the heart of the islands of the Coral Triangle, Steve leads an expedition to discover what lies beneath a dark shadow recently spotted on a satellite image. The team take a gamble; this unknown area could be just a shallow depression; nobody knows because nobody has been there. Before the Expedition can start, the team need permission from the Bajau people. They spend the night with the villagers to ask for the chief’s blessing and seek his advice about which route to take.
Traveling from the coast upriver into the mountains, the team soon head into thick jungle. Trekking is slow going, so to get a better vantage point, the team climbs an emergent tree to map the route ahead. An opening in the jungle confirms they are in the right place. As they inch forward, the sinkhole is revealed. With base camp set up a safe distance away, the team rappel into the cavernous entrance. They hope to discover a brand-new cave system and, potentially, species new to science.
EPISODE 6: BHUTAN – WHITE WATER – Mid-Season Finale: Wednesday, February 19, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET
Clips: A Buddhist Tradition: https://youtu.be/QvwKzVcII9M
Fighting the Rapids: https://youtu.be/Itehj1Ql7RI
Courtesy PBS/True to Nature Ltd.
Location: Himalyas, Bhutan
World First: First white-water descent of a high altitude mountain river.
Physical Challenge: Kayaking; New Discovery: Tiger Science
Lead Expert/Host: Steve Backshall, Expedition Leader
Expert Team: Aldo Kane, Expedition Safety and Former Royal Marine; Darren Clarkson-King, British Whitewater Kayak Expert; Sal Montgomery, British Whitewater Kayak Expert; James Bebbington, British World Champion Freestyle Kayaker; Chencho Drukpa, Bhutanese Whitewater Kayak Expert
The team arrive in the remote Bhutanese town of Trashigang to a feast of light and color – the local people perform masked dances to celebrate the life of Guru Rinpoche, the 8th-century Buddhist master. Having greeted the monks in Trashigang fortress, the team start their journey into the foothills of the Himalayas. Once they reach the road head, the team must continue on foot, loading their kit onto waiting mules. There’s only one way to transport the kayaks – each team member must carry his or her own.
The Kulong Chu river is uncharted – these jungle valleys are home to dhole (Asian wild dogs), binturong (Asian bearcats), clouded leopard, and a host of venomous snakes and spiders, but the animal that Steve hopes to find is the tiger. All of Bhutan is potentially tiger range country. As the team make their way through virgin territory, Steve keeps a close eye out for tracks. If he finds evidence of them, it will be a new discovery and of vital importance to the Global Tiger Recovery Program.
NEW PROGRAMMING: FEBRUARY PREMIERES
A VERY BRITISH ROMANCE WITH LUCY WORSLEY
Part 2 Premieres: Sunday, February 16, 8:00 p.m. ET
Celebrate love with Lucy Worsley as she delves into the seductive history of British romance, uncovering the forces that shaped ideals of romantic love during the Georgian and Victoria eras, including the novels of Jane Austen.
FRONTLINE “The Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos” – Premieres: Tuesday, February 18, 9:00 p.m. ET
How Amazon founder Jeff Bezos executed a plan to build one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world. With interviews of current and former insiders as well as regulators and critics, this two-hour film will raise important questions about Jeff Bezos and the empire he built.
NATURE “The Mighty Weasel” – Premieres: Wednesday, February 19, 8:00 p.m. ET
The weasel family is often associated with unsavory behavior, but do these critters deserve this bad reputation? Follow the adventures of a first-time Stoat mom raising her kits and a tiny orphan weasel named Twiz on her journey back to the world.
NEW PROGRAMMING: BLACK HISTORY MONTH – FINDING YOUR ROOTS “Slave Trade” – Premieres: Tuesday, February 11, 8:00 p.m. ET
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. journeys with film director Ava DuVernay, actor S. Epatha Merkerson and musician Questlove to the unexpected places where their ancestors were scattered by slavery, upending their notions of African American history.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Always in Season”
Premieres: Monday, February 24, 10:00 p.m. ET
In August 2014, African American teenager Lennon Lacy was found hanging from a swing set in Bladenboro, N.C. His death was ruled a suicide, but Lennon’s mother, Claudia, believes her son was lynched. Claudia’s fight for justice intersects with other communities striving to acknowledge the victims of lynching, repair the damage and achieve reconciliation.
AMERICAN MASTERS “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool”
Premieres: Tuesday, February 25, 9:00 p.m. ET
This Grammy-nominated film is the definitive account of the man behind the legend. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from Miles Davis’ recording sessions, rare photos and new interviews.
NEW CHANNEL & EPISODES: PBS DIGITAL STUDIOS
PBS Digital Studios recently launched new food-focused YouTube channel, PBS Zest, with GOOD GUMBO, an original series on the cultural roots of the most popular dishes in Louisiana and the Deep South. Both PBS Zest and GOOD GUMBO highlight America’s most vibrant cultures, communities and history by way of mouth-watering food.
PBS.org: https://www.pbs.org/show/good-gumbo/
PBS Zest YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pbszest
GOOD GUMBO
The new seven-part web series GOOD GUMBO, is produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, stars acclaimed Louisiana chef Philip Lopez, and reveals how the international cultures that inspired well-known southern dishes influenced much more than just regional cuisine, bringing their music, language, traditions and even architecture to the south’s melting pot of influences. Inspired by the PBS series NO PASSPORT REQUIRED and featuring interviews with major figures in the world of Southern food culture, the series explores how history, tradition and downhome ingenuity shape what we eat.
Episode 5 – The Surprising History behind Bananas Foster (w.t.)
Premieres: Thursday, February 13, 2020
Explore the history of America’s favorite fruit, the banana, and learn how one New Orleans chef conceived of the world-famous dessert, “bananas foster.”
For more information on PBS, visit www.pbs.org. Viewers are also encouraged to engage in online conversation about the series by tagging @PBS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
STREAMING & PASSPORT
PBS programming will be available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. PBS station members can view many episodes via Passport (contact your local PBS station for details).
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 Pressroom on Twitter.
