WLIW21 Premieres No Escaping Houdini, December 10 at 7 p.m.,
Featuring Modern Day Houdini’s, David Blaine and Penn & Teller

(View full post to see video)

Enter to Win: WLIW21 and The Jewish Museum’s Houdini Giveaway

A new documentary, No Escaping Houdini, broadcast by WNET.ORG explores how Ehrich Weiss, better known as Harry Houdini, captivated audiences around the world through his impossibly daring feats and astonishing ability to escape from the most difficult scenarios. The program is hosted by Dateline NBC correspondent Edie Magnus, and features interviews with American illusionists and modern day Houdinis, David Blaine and Penn & Teller.

No Escaping Houdini is a production of WLIW21 for WNET.ORG, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers, and airs as a companion to “Houdini: Art and Magic,” the new exhibition featured at The Jewish Museum in New York City, a WNET.ORG media partner.

The program traces Houdini’s origins from his Jewish immigrant roots to his untimely death, examining this lasting impact on the world of entertainment and his role as a celebrated Jewish American. “A hundred years after Houdini was around, if you ask anybody out on the street to name a magician, probably the first one they name, most certainly in the top three, will be Houdini,” says Penn Jillette of Houdini’s lasting influence.

In his own candid interview, David Blaine explains, “To me, the thing that Houdini did that was the most amazing was he was able to capture the public’s imagination creating images that lasted throughout time; they’re still here today and they’re just as important.”

New Public Television Special Chronicles Irish Music’s Global Impact

Premieres nationwide on public television August and Fall 2010 (check local listings)

Upcoming WLIW21 airdates | More airdates on public television

Extraordinary music special features new interviews and rare footage of artists such as Black 47, The Corrs, The Cranberries, Damien Dempsey, Glen Hansard, Sinéad O’Connor, U2, Damien Rice, and The Script

Donate now for related DVDs & CDs

Music of Ireland — Welcome to America continues the definitive story of contemporary Irish music, focusing on the latest and greatest musical exports from the Emerald Isle.  Picking up where Music of Ireland — Welcome Home left off, this extraordinary look at the most renowned Irish musical artists, takes the viewer on a trans-Atlantic journey – from Ireland’s West Coast to the heartland of America. In Welcome Home, Liam Clancy, who was interviewed right before his death, talked about how valuable each moment of his life is. The Irish Voice heralded it as “one priceless moment in a priceless documentary.” On each stop, Music of Ireland — Welcome to America gives audiences an intimate look at who has contributed to the continuation of this glorious relationship between country and music.

U2's Bono
Credit: Ray Preziosi/Elevation Group

Music of Ireland – Welcome to America picks up the story with the emergence of U2 and their development into the greatest, live touring act today. The performance documentary continues with a detailed look at today’s very impressive singer/songwriter scene in Dublin (featuring Academy Award-winner Glen Hansard of The Swell Season and The Frames, Damien Rice and Damien Dempsey) and an intimate piece on Sinéad O’Connor, her incredible music and the now well-documented papal controversy that ultimately proved O’Connor correct. Other highlights include the PBS phenom programs Lord of the Dance and Celtic Woman as well as the great Irish rock/pop acts: The Cranberries, The Corrs, Black 47 and The Script. One of the most interesting moments in the show explores how Irish music has influenced America and American culture – as showcased by performers at the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, Ohio.

Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries
Credit: Ray Preziosi/Elevation Group

Brennan, Enya’s eldest sister, goes to great lengths in her interviews to get the closest look yet into what makes these great artists tick, how their musical lives have been influenced and each artist’s special relationships with both Ireland and America. Never-before-seen performances, rare clips and archival photographs highlight each segment of the show. Music of Ireland — Welcome to America is directed by four-time Emmy Award-winner Philip Marshall, a former senior producer and director at THIRTEEN/WNET and current executive producer of national productions for Maryland Public Television.

“I marvel at how this tiny country has produced so much great music,” stated Executive Producer Denny Young. “I am in awe of each one of these artists and yet it is truly amazing how down to earth they all really are. The Irish spirit shines brightly and that is something we hope the viewer takes away from the experience.”

“This has been an amazing journey so far,” commented Moya Brennan. “Never in my 40 years of working in the Irish music community had I totally recognized the impact we have all had on the world generally and in America specifically. And I must say, it has been a real treat to be on the other side of the camera talking to Glen, Damien, Paddy, Sinéad, Bono, Adam, and so many others.”

Glen Hansard
Credit: Ray Preziosi/Elevation Group

“Public television viewers have consistently supported Irish music and performers. They want to learn more of their stories,” said Gillian Rose, Head of Distribution for WNET.ORG. “Welcome to America” spotlights artists from the last 30 years, tracing the beginnings of rock sensations like The Cranberries and U2, while introducing viewers to stars on the rise like The Script.”

The Music of Ireland — Welcome to America DVD featuring bonus material and the Music of Ireland – Welcome Home CD and DVD will be available to viewers who make a donation in support of their local public television station during the broadcasts. For more information, visit musicofireland.com.

A production of the Elevation Group. Executive Producer: Denny Young. Director: Philip Marshall. A presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET.ORG. Funded in part by Barnes & Noble and Tourism Ireland.

The award-winning, best-selling U.K. singing ensemble Men Aloud is about to take America by storm with its first performance special, Men Aloud – Live From Wales. Men Aloud’s big sound and high-energy choreography have captivated international audiences ever since the group’s triumphant win as Britain’s best choir in the BBC’s hit competition/reality series Last Choir Standing. But make no mistake; Men Aloud is not your typical choir. The 20 young singers are introducing audiences to the centuries-old, men-only Welsh choir tradition with their rousing repertoire of traditional and classic pop hits, from Broadway to Tom Jones.

Filmed November 2009 at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, Men Aloud – Live From Wales features special guest performances by opera star Bryn Terfel (Great Performances), musical theatre actor John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables) and pop icon Bonnie Tyler. Lush arrangements include “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “MacArthur Park,” “All By Myself,” and selections from popular musicals including Guys and Dolls, Miss Saigon and Porgy and Bess.

Men Aloud was formed in 2000 by Music Director Tim Rhys-Evans, National Choir Master to National Youth Choirs of Wales and Great Britain, to encourage younger men to get involved with the beloved Welsh tradition of male voice singing. Appearing regularly on radio and television and topping the U.K. classical charts, Men Aloud is now a bona fide sensation throughout Europe. The group has recorded two albums, each of which is certified Gold in the U.K., and their second album, Band of Brothers, won this year’s Classical Brit Album of the Year Award. With Men Aloud – Live From Wales they are poised for U.S. stardom.

Song List
“O Verona”

“It Ain’t Necessarily So” (from Porgy and Bess) featuring Bryn Terfel

“Don’t Rain on My Parade” (from Funny Girl)

Tom Jones Medley: “It’s Not Unusual,” “Green, Green Grass of Home” and “Delilah”
“MacArthur Park”
“Bridge Over Troubled Water”
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” featuring Bonnie Tyler

“All By Myself”

“Bui Doi” (from Miss Saigon) featuring John Owen-Jones

“Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” (from Guys and Dolls)

“The Rhythm of Life” (from Sweet Charity)

A co-production of the BBC and International Media. Executive Producer: Gustavo Sagastume. A presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET.ORG.

Recorded July 2, 1977 and locked away in the archives of legendary promoter Bill Graham ever since, Wolfgang’s Vault Presents Day on the Green 1977 features performances by Grammy Award-winner Peter Frampton and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Produced by Bill Graham and directed by Eric Christensen, the historic concert was one of several Day on the Green summer festivals presented by Graham at Oakland Coliseum Stadium in Oakland, California from 1973 to 1991.

Wolfgang’s Vault Presents Day on the Green 1977 captures Frampton at the height of the fan frenzy that followed his record-breaking 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive, which made him a household name and remains one of the top-selling live albums of all time. His charismatic performance features hits “Baby I Love Your Way,” “Show Me the Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do.”

Listen to “Baby I Love Your Way”

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s performance showcases the band just three-and-a-half months before the tragic plane crash that took the lives of lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines and his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines of the Honkettes. Van Zant dons a Neil Young t-shirt during the set, which features a six-minute version of “Sweet Home Alabama” – the band’s response song to Young’s “Southern Man” and “Alabama,” which were both critical of southern politics, and epic closer “Freebird.” Allen Collins handles most of the five-minute solo, while Gary Rossington plays the “bird-chirp” guitar parts, which are not on the original recording, as well as the slide work on the opening riffs. Billy Powell also plays a masterful piano solo that is unique to this live show.

Listen to “Sweet Home Alabama”

This extraordinary concert event has been sealed within Wolfgang’s Vault and is now available for the first time exclusively through public television as the new broadcast special and DVD, Wolfgang’s Vault Presents Day on the Green 1977, beginning July 26, 2010.

Song List
“Sweet Home Alabama”
“Freebird”
“Baby I Love Your Way”
“Show Me the Way”
“Do You Feel Like We Do?”

Peter Frampton Band Members
Peter Frampton – lead vocals, guitar
John Simos – drums
Stanley Sheldon – bass, vocals
Bob Mayo – guitar, keyboard, vocals

Lynyrd Skynyrd Band Members
Ronnie Van Zant – vocals
Allen Collins – guitar
Gary Rossington – guitar
Steve Gaines – guitar
Artimus Pyle – drums
Leon Wilkeson – bass
Billy Powell – piano
Cassie Gaines – vocals
Jo Billingsley – vocals
Leslie Hawkins – vocals

A Public Television Rocks! presentation. A co-production of Wolfgang’s Vault and WLIW21 in association with WNET.ORG.

Donate now for DVDs & CDs

LOWER YOUR TAXES! Now & Forever with Ed Slott is the third public television special featuring renowned tax advisor, personal finance author and Certified Public Accountant Ed Slott. In this all-new program, Slott answers pressing viewer retirement questions: how not to run out of money in retirement, ROTH IRA conversion traps, 10 steps to pay less taxes, a rundown of key retirement terms, how to pick retirement professionals, and much more. Shot before a live audience, LOWER YOUR TAXES! Now & Forever features Slott’s humorous and informative style, filled with poignant anecdotes and a fresh new look. Throughout the special, Slott manages to make difficult subjects, including estate planning, family conversations about money, and retirement planning, understandable and fun.

A production of Inky Dinky Worldwide, Inc. Producer/Director: Bob Marty.
A presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET.ORG.

About Ed Slott, CPA

Named “The Best” source for IRA advice by The Wall Street Journal, Ed Slott, CPA, is the creator and star of the national public television specials Stay Rich Forever & Ever with Ed Slott and Ed Slott’s Stay Rich for Life – two of the top fundraising specials of all time. He also created The IRA Leadership Program™ and Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group™, specifically developed to help financial institutions and advisors, financial advisor firms and insurance companies become recognized leaders in the IRA marketplace. Slott is the author of several best-selling books including Stay Rich for Life! (Ballantine Books, 2009) and Parlay Your IRA into a Family Fortune (Penguin, 2005), publishes the monthly IRA newsletter, Ed Slott’s IRA Advisor, writes personal finance columns for numerous publications, and has been a frequent guest on national television and radio. Ed Slott and Company, LLC is based in Rockville Centre, New York.

At The Drive-In is a musical time capsule of the late 1950s and early ’60s, featuring some of the biggest hits of the era — beach tunes, teen idol ballads, and good old rock ‘n’ roll – performed on a stage transformed into a nostalgic drive-in, complete with period cars!

Fabian hosts an unprecedented lineup — Jan & Dean in their farewell concert tour, Bobby Vee and The Vees, The Surfaris, The Rip Chords, Chris Montez, Merrilee Rush, Ray Peterson, The Orlons, Dodie Stevens and the late Rick Nelson’s twin sons, The Nelsons.

At The Drive-In plays like a living jukebox for a generation, and the audience only stops dancing in the aisles long enough to grant standing ovations to The Orlons’ “Wah Watusi,” and “Don’t Hang Up;” Ray Peterson’s poignant rendition of “Tell Laura I Love Her;” Chris Montez’s performance of “Let’s Dance” and The Nelsons’ stirring tribute medley of their father’s “Garden Party,” “Travelin’ Man,” “It’s Late,” and “Hello Mary Lou.” The reverberating drums of The Surfaris’ “Wipe Out” wash over the crowd; Bobby Vee and The Vees recall the perfect Saturday night date soundtrack with a set including “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “Devil or Angel,” and “(The) Night Has A Thousand Eyes;” Merrilee Rush triggers a flood of memories with showstopping renditions of “Be My Baby” and “Angel of the Morning;” The Rip Chords reunite for “409″ and “Hey Little Cobra;” and Dodie Stevens still epitomizes teen romance with “(Tan Shoes and) Pink Shoe Laces.”

If At The Drive-In is the ultimate showcase of the “Surf City” sound, the emotional peak is Jan & Dean’s song set ­ “Surf City,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Dead Man’s Curve,” “Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” “Sidewalk Surfin’,” and “Surfin’ USA” ­ capturing one of the defining groups of their time in one of their last performances on the duo’s farewell tour.

At The Drive-In was taped in August 2003 at Bass Concert Hall at The University of Texas Performing Arts Center in Austin, Texas. The special premiered nationwide on PBS stations December 2003.

Encore Presentation Monday September 13 at 7:00 p.m

Features Host/Narrator Bernadette Castro, Patti LuPone, Ralph Macchio, The Lockhorns’ Bunny Hoest, and other past and present residents

Donate now for the Hometown Huntington DVD with bonus material — available exclusively through WLIW21.

There is no place like Huntington. With its harbor villages and picturesque towns it has long been a haven for residents and tourists, ripe with glorious beaches, abundant fishing and a sense of place that embraces both the quintessential Main Street and the height of sophisticated culture. WLIW21’s new production, Hometown Huntington celebrates the Town of Huntington, then and now, by giving voice to the shared memories of one Suffolk County community via interviews with past and present residents, including Tony Award-winning singer/actress and Northport native Patti LuPone, actor and Dix Hills native Ralph Macchio, and Huntington resident Bunny Hoest, creator of the syndicated comic The Lockhorns. Hometown Huntington is hosted and narrated by former New York State Parks Commissioner and former New York State Historic Preservation Officer Bernadette Castro, a Lloyd Harbor resident.

Nestled on Long Island’s North Shore, over 190,000 people call the Town of Huntington’s 93 square miles home, from the Villages of Northport, Asharoken, Lloyd Harbor, and Huntington Bay to the Town’s many hamlets – Cold Spring Harbor, Elwood, Huntington, Huntington Station, South Huntington, Melville, East Northport, Halesite, Dix Hills, Centerport, Greenlawn, and Fort Salonga – and five harbors: Cold Spring Harbor, Northport, Huntington Harbor, Centerport, and Lloyd Harbor. Hometown Huntington acknowledges the area’s rich history – The Battle of Long Island, African-American writer and former slave Jupiter Hammon, poet Walt Whitman, William K. Vanderbilt II’s summer mansion, Eagle’s Nest – but focuses more on the regular people who shaped the Town and made it the special place it still is today, from the farmer to the ship builder, the revolutionary to the rum-runner. “Remembering My Hometown…” moments throughout the film feature viewer-contributed stories and photos.

“Hometown Huntington perfectly captures the spirit of WLIW’s ‘21 Weeks of Summer’ initiative,” said Executive Producer and WLIW21 Acting General Manager John Servidio. “It’s a feel-good program that celebrates one of our local community’s accomplishments and offerings, including beaches, harbors and great entertainment.”

Hometown Huntington begins with “The Way It Was,” a look at Huntington’s founding families, including the Primes and the Sammis, Knutson’s Shipyard, Cold Spring Harbor’s whaling history, and Finnegan’s, long considered the “Cheers” of Huntington. Pamela Prime, Vera Sammis Murphy, Tim Finnegan, and Dan, Lillian and TK Knutson all share family stories; Jack Abrams, curator for the Huntington School Museum, recalls what caused the Town’s first gridlock incident back in 1947; and Huntington Town Historian Robert Hughes discusses the dramatic population increase from 1950 to 1960.

The second part of the film, “Happy Days,” spotlights the cherished storybook childhoods and close-knit communities of post-World War II suburbia, from clamming on the beach to sledding behind the Old First Church. Residents remember Huntington Village’s first toy shop, Kiddie City; “Freddie the Shoemaker,” now enjoying his 80th year in business; the joy of a burger served hot off the train at Hamburger Choo-Choo; clothing stores like Ingerman’s and Marshs; Gunther’s Tap Room in Northport, frequented by Jack Kerouac; and many others. Len Totora (deceased February, 2010) recalls opening L&L Camera in 1956 and what’s kept him in business so many years, and Hoest reveals Huntington’s influence on The Lockhorns, the comic which brings the Town’s people and places to more than 200 million readers worldwide every week.

Hometown Huntington’s final part, “Home Sweet Home,” recounts fond memories of school, church and family life, and closes with Huntington’s cultural scene and today’s thriving downtown. Voted the Best Downtown for the fourth consecutive year in Long Island Press’s annual “Best of L.I.” poll, Huntington is loaded with popular attractions like independent film house the Cinema Arts Centre and long-running family businesses, including Finnegan’s Restaurant and Tap Room, the Book Revue, and Reinwald’s Bakery. Hometown Huntington visits them all and interviews the owners to learn the secrets of their success: friendliness, excellence, customer loyalty, community pride, and longevity – all traits Joye Brown pointed to in a recent Newsday column about what makes Huntington’s downtown so popular.

Hometown Huntington continues WLIW21’s ongoing commitment to locally-focused programming, including the award-winning New York The Way it Was series, the New York War Stories project, Shoreline Sonata: A Long Island Love Story, Going Green Long Island, The Jews of New York, Visions® of New York City, and Leaving Long Island.

Bernadette Castro, host/narrator
Former NYS Parks Commissioner and Former NYS Historic Preservation Officer

Jack Abrams
Former Principal of Jack Abrams Intermediate School
Curator for the Huntington School Museum

Jon Austin
Lloyd Harbor resident

Susan Degnan
Social Worker, Huntington Hospital

Paul DeOrsay
Executive Director, Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

Nellie Edwards
Lifelong Huntington Resident

Tim Finnegan
Grandson of Finnegan’s Restaurant and Tap Room (Huntington, since 1913) Founder

Tommy Forte
Manager/Bartender Finnegan’s Restaurant and Tap Room

Bunny Hoest
Creator of the syndicated comic The Lockhorns and Huntington resident

Robert Hughes
Huntington Town Historian
Robert Klein
Co-Owner of the Book Revue

Lillian Knutson
Daughter of Thomas Knutson

Dan Knutson
Manager, Knutson Yard Haven Marina and grandson of Thomas Knutson

TK Knutson
Grandson of Thomas Knutson

Patti LuPone
Tony Award-winning singer/actor and Northport native

Ralph Macchio
Actor and Dix Hills native

Captain Moose
Bayman

Vera Sammis Murphy
Daughter of Byron Sammis

Pamela Prime
Author and Huntington native

Richard Reinwald
Owner, Reinwald’s Bakery

Dr. Al Sforza
Author, Portrait of a Small Town

Winston Simone
Music Producer and Cold Spring Harbor resident

Charlotte Sky
Co-Director/Founder at the Cinema Arts Centre

Vic Skolnick
Co-Director/Founder at the Cinema Arts Centre

Dylan Skolnick
Co-Director at the Cinema Arts Centre

Larry Smith
Northport architect and friend of Jack Kerouac

Len Totora (deceased, February 2010)
Owner, L&L Camera (Huntington, since 1956) and Huntington native

Emma Foster Watkins
Huntington resident

Liza Burby
Carol Cerrato
Lorraine M. Cortina
Susan Danzig
Ruth Schier Hackstaff
Jerry Kessler
Liz Roddin
Patricia Ross
Dot Tarantino
Eric Weiner

Donate now for the Hometown Huntington DVD with bonus material — available exclusively through WLIW21.

A production of WLIW21 for WNET.ORG. Executive Producer: John Servidio. Producer/Writer: Theresa Statz-Smith. Editor/Producer: Charlotte Coté.