Three-Part Special Premieres Wednesdays at 9 p.m. beginning November 4

Credit:Paul Brehem

NOVA presents a three-part series of one-hour specials investigating explosive new discoveries that are transforming the picture of how we became human. Shot “in the trenches” as discoveries were unearthed throughout Africa and Europe, each hour of “Becoming Human: Unearthing Our Earliest Ancestors” unfolds with a forensic investigation into the life and death of a specific hominid ancestor.

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The first program (11/4) explores fresh clues about our earliest ancestors in Africa, including the stunningly complete fossil nicknamed “Lucy’s Child.” These three-million-year-old bones from Ethiopia reveal humanity’s oldest and most telltale trait — upright walking, rather than a big brain. Part two (11/11) tackles the mysteries of how our ancestors managed to survive in a savannah teeming with vicious predators, and when and why we first left our African cradle to colonize every corner of the earth. In the series conclusion (11/18), NOVA probes a wave of dramatic new evidence, based partly on cutting-edge DNA analysis, that reveals how we became today’s creative and “behaviorally modern” humans and offers new insights into what really happened to the enigmatic Neanderthals who faded into extinction.

For more videos and information on human evolution, visit pbs.org/nova/becominghuman.

The Botany of Desire premieres Sunday, November 1 at 9 p.m. on WLIW21

Credit: Ruth Dundas

Flowers. Trees. Plants. We’ve always thought that we controlled them. But what if, in fact, they have been shaping us? Using this provocative question as a jumping off point, The Botany of Desire takes you on an eye-opening exploration of humans’ relationship with the plant world — as seen from the plant’s point of view. Based on Michael Pollan’s best-selling book of the same name and narrated by Frances McDormand (Fargo, Almost Famous), the special premieres Sunday, November 1 at 9 p.m.

The Botany of Desire examines the unique plant-human relationship through the stories of four familiar species and relates how they evolved to satisfy humans’ most basic yearnings. Linking fundamental human desires for sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control with the plants that satisfy them – apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes — The Botany of Desire elucidates how humans are intricately woven into the web of nature and do not stand outside of it.

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Watch bonus videos and learn more.

A nation teeters on the brink of civil war in a real-life political thriller about the negotiations that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa and the release of Nelson Mandela in Masterpiece Contemporary “Endgame,” premiering Tuesday, October 27 at 8:50 p.m. on WLIW21. In the mid-1980s, no nation’s future looked as hopeless as South Africa’s. Diehard supporters of the apartheid regime were pitted against a black national liberation movement that was edging toward all-out armed rebellion. Thanks to an improbable mediator, a series of risky and secret talks began. Based on Robert Harvey’s The Fall of Apartheid, the suspenseful “endgame” to apartheid plays out as a high-stakes chess match with canny moves and countermoves in pursuit of victory.

The “Endgame” cast includes William Hurt (Damages), Chiwetel Ejiofor (American Gangster, Kinky Boots), Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone, Trainspotting), Derek Jacobi (Gosford Park) and Clarke Peters (The Wire). David Tennant (Doctor Who) hosts.

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In advance of the October 23 premiere of the new film Amelia, starring two-time Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank, WLIW21 will air a special presentation of American Experience: Amelia Earhart on Wednesday, October 21 at 10 p.m. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first to cross the North American continent alone. Her exploits as an aviator, her beauty and intelligence, her independence and charm made her a national heroine. But her cheering public didn’t know the cost of her courage. The record-breaking flights, the aerial exhibitions and races, the interviews to support her favorite causes, the endless speeches and promotional commitments, coupled with household responsibilities, health problems and financial worries, pushed Earhart to the point of exhaustion. In 1937, she set out to accomplish yet another first: to circle the earth along the equator on an east-west flight. Friends warned that her preparations were hurried, even careless. When her plane disappeared without a trace on the eve of her 40th birthday, the “First Lady of the Air” was instantly transformed into an American legend.

Watch other great American stories at pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience.

Expand your scientific horizons with a new season of NOVA beginning tonight with the space journey “Hubble’s Amazing Rescue.”

After nearly 20 years in space and hundreds of thousands of spectacular images, the Hubble Space Telescope was dying. The only hope to save Hubble was a mission so dangerous that in 2004 NASA cancelled it. Fortunately, scientists and the general public alike stubbornly refused to abandon the telescope and a new NASA administrator revived the mission. Tonight at 9 p.m. “Hubble’s Amazing Rescue” takes you on a riveting, behind-the-scenes journey with the team of astronauts and engineers charged with saving the famous “orbiting observatory.” Be sure to look out for NASA astronaut Michael Massimino—a Long Island native!

Watch this preview to whet your adventure-loving appetite:

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Get to know the largest lizards to walk the planet in “Lizard Kings,” premiering Wednesday, October 21 at 9 p.m.

Though they may look like dragons and inspire stories of man-eating, fire-spitting monsters with long claws, razor-sharp teeth and muscular, whip-like tails, these creatures are actually monitor lizards. And even though these bizarre lizards haven’t changed all that much since the dinosaurs, they are a successful species, versatile at adapting to all kinds of settings with their acute intelligence – including the ability to plan. “Lizard Kings” explores what makes these tongued reptiles so similar to mammals and what has allowed them to become such unique survivors.

Discover why monitor lizards make great pets:

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Mixing science and drama, the new two-hour special “Darwin’s Darkest Hour” – premiering Wednesday, October 28 at 9 p.m. – brings to life Charles Darwin’s greatest personal crisis: the anguishing decision over whether to “go public” with his theory of evolution. Darwin spent years refining his ideas and penning his seminal book, On the Origin of Species. Daunted by looming conflict with the orthodox religious values of his day, he resisted publishing — until 1858, when Darwin learned that Alfred Wallace was on the brink of publishing ideas similar to his own. In a sickened panic, Darwin grasped his dilemma: to delay publishing any longer would be to condemn all of his work to obscurity. But to come forward with his ideas risked the fury of the church and perhaps a rift with his own devoted wife, Emma, who clung to a devout, orthodox view of creation. This moving drama about the birth of a great idea is seen through the inspiration and personal sufferings of its brilliant originator. Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) and Frances O’Connor (Iron Jawed Angels) star as Charles and Emma Darwin.

Watch a preview:

WLIW21 presents an exclusive premiere from a galaxy far, far away…

The new broadcast special Star Wars in Concert offers a behind-the-scenes look at the multimedia world tour Star Wars™: in Concert, featuring music from all six of John Williams’s epic Star Wars scores performed live by a full symphony orchestra and choir. The concert is accompanied by specially edited footage from all six films displayed on a three-story-tall, high-definition LED super-screen – one of the largest ever put on tour. Narrated live by Anthony Daniels (the actor who portrayed C-3PO), the live music and film elements are synchronized in order to create a full multimedia, one-of-a-kind Star Wars experience. The tour also marks the debut of the new Yoda – previewed in the broadcast special Saturday, October 17 at 9 p.m., which features rehearsal and performance footage from the multimedia event’s world premiere at the O2 Arena in London on April 10 and 11, 2009.

“We’ve taken the key themes from the music and cut together all the images that fit with each theme, so you can really get a sense of how the music played into the images,” said George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars Saga. “The whole soundtrack is a testament to John Williams’s creativity and his extraordinary ability to enhance the emotional aspects of the films.”

“Creating the music for the Star Wars films has been an exciting and wonderful experience for me, and I therefore have derived particular pleasure in assembling a compendium of themes from all of the films to be presented in Star Wars™: in Concert,” said Williams. “The editors at Lucasfilm have created original film montages to accompany each of the musical selections, and in the process, I believe that a singular and unique Star Wars experience has been born.”

The Star Wars in Concert broadcast special also previews the exclusive exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props, artifacts, and production artwork — many of which are leaving Skywalker Ranch for the first time — that accompanies the concert tour, which will come to Nassau Coliseum November 21.
Watch an extended preview of Star Wars: in Concert
(View full post to see video)

Donate now for a pair of floor tickets to Star Wars™: in Concert Saturday, November 21 at 2:30 p.m. at Nassau Coliseum.

Donate now for a pair of floor tickets to Star Wars™: in Concert Saturday, November 21 at 8 p.m. at Nassau Coliseum.

Donate now for The Six Star Wars Films soundtrack CD.

Encore presentations of Star Wars™: in Concert air Saturday, October 17 at 9:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 18 at 8 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

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Lucasfilm, STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Beginning Monday, October 6, WLIW21 will premiere a 21-part series of 60-second vignettes explaining what people can do about a specific social issue in just one minute. 21 Ways to Change the World is part of On the Leesh Productions’ What You Can Do series, which uses new media to bring about social change. Topics include global warming, breast cancer awareness, animal cruelty, and domestic violence. The vignettes will air Monday-Friday at 7:58 p.m. on WLIW21. You can watch the first three videos at wliw.org/21ways.

From Farm to Table Premieres Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. beginning October 3

Cornell Cooperative Extension and fellow New York public television station WMHT have partnered to produce a new cooking series that encourages viewers to discover the upstate New York region’s bounty from the fields to their plates. Premiering Saturday, October 3 at 11:30 a.m., From Farm to Table explores local farms and highlights New York state products. Host Kim Sopczyk, a nutrition community educator for Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Warren County, demonstrates how to make the most out of fresh local produce with quick, healthy recipes. She also shares tips on how to stretch food dollars, while introducing viewers to local farmers and regional experts with other helpful cooking ideas.

Watch the From Farm to Table season premiere, “Wholesome Whole Grains,” now:

Get recipes and episode info.

Healthy Minds returns Sundays at 9:30 a.m. beginning October 4
Encores Tuesdays at 11:30 p.m. beginning October 6

Watch now and get resources.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, one in five people have a diagnosable mental disorder. This Sunday, October 4 at 9:30 a.m., WLIW21’s award-winning original series Healthy Minds returns in honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week. The series aims to remove the stigma that can prevent people from seeking help for disorders that can affect anyone, at any age. Interviews with families living with — and overcoming — mental illness offer relatable perspectives on mental health conditions that are often misunderstood, including autism (10/4 & 11), chemical dependency, post—traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders. In some episodes, the inclusion of a

celebrity further demonstrates the universal impact of mental illness, as news veteran Mike Wallace reveals his battle with depression (10/25), and actor Patty Duke and broadcast journalist Jane Pauley discuss their bipolar disorder. Healthy Minds also explores proactive steps you can take towards your own mental wellness and the benefits of early intervention.

Hosted by Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, CEO and medical director of Holliswood Hospital in Queens and chair of the section on psychiatry at the New York Academy of Medicine, Healthy Minds makes its national debut this October (check local listings). “Everyone is touched by psychiatric conditions, either themselves or a loved one,” Dr. Borenstein explains. “Our goal is to share cutting-edge information from experts along with personal experiences from people who have overcome psychiatric conditions. Now, more than ever, it is important to reduce stigma and encourage people who have a psychiatric condition not to suffer in silence but to seek help. I want people to know that with help, there is hope.”

All 16 episodes and resources for all topics covered are available at wliw.org/healthyminds.

Please spread the word and let us know your thoughts on this important series by leaving a comment below or on the Healthy Minds site.