Premieres Saturday, November 28 at 6 p.m. on WLIW21

David Foster joins superstar tenor Andrea Bocelli for a new Christmas concert of seasonal favorites. Showcasing Bocelli’s soaring vocals are lush new arrangements given the distinctive Foster touch. Recorded at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, the program features special guests Natalie Cole, Mary J. Blige, Reba McEntire, Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, the Muppets and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Donate now to receive 2 tickets to see Andrea Bocelli at Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ.

Ed Sullivan’s Rock and Roll Classics – The Sixties
Premieres Saturday, November 28 at 8 p.m.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live
Premieres Saturday, November 28 at 10 p.m.

From the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen, the Four Seasons to John Fogerty, the Mamas & the Papas to Sly & the Family Stone, rock and roll has inspired generations since the 1950s. In 1986 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was founded to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock music. WLIW21 celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Rock Hall and its legendary inductees with two new performance specials that celebrate the songs and artists that transformed popular music forever.

Ed Sullivan’s Rock and Roll Classics – The Sixties focuses exclusively on full-length performances from the famous television series between 1963-1968 that evoke the spirit of the era’s youth movement. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” from The Beatles’ American TV debut kicks off the special, which also features the Doors’ infamous one-time-only appearance (“Light My Fire”), the Rolling Stones (“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”), Sly and the Family Stone (“Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music”), the Mamas and the Papas (“California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday”), the Beach Boys (“I Get Around” and “Good Vibrations”) and many others.

Donate now to get a 4 DVD Set of Ed Sullivan’s Rock and Roll Classics Vol. 1-4.

Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Live features rare, one-of-a-kind performances and exclusive, anything-goes speeches from the last 24 years of induction ceremonies. Hosted by Paul Shaffer, this new special features two all-star jams that have never been broadcast until now: The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There” performed by George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Bob Dylan, and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River” performed by John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Robertson (The Band), Don Was, and famed session drummer Jim Keltner. Other featured artists include Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Prince, Carlos Santana, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Bono.

Donate now to get a copy of Light My Fire – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live Vol. 1 on DVD.

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos tells the story of two Hungarian film students who escaped communist Hungary in 1956, with little more than a camera and a shopping bag full of film. Over the next 50 years, Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond would reinvent Hollywood movies for an entire generation, shooting some of the most notable films in American cinematic history: The Deer Hunter; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Deliverance; Paper Moon; Five Easy Pieces; What’s Up, Doc; New York, New York; Heaven’s Gate; Frances; and dozens more. The two also maintained an iron-clad friendship along the way.

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos airs on SundayArts on Sunday, November 22nd at 3 p.m. WLIW21 spoke with the film’s director, James Chressanthis.

Q. Was it intimidating for you to film two men who practically defined a genre of American cinema?

A. Though I am an experienced cinematographer (2 Emmy® Nominations, Additional Photography on the Oscar-winning Chicago) it was a daunting task. I felt a great responsibility to get their story right while doing justice to their amazing canon of work.

Q. So why profile Laszlo and Vilmos? Why now?

A. I met Laszlo first as a student then apprenticed to Vilmos early in my career as a cinematographer. I saw them together during the filming of The Witches of Eastwick (1987) commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and said to myself: “What an amazing story, someone should do that.” However, the stars and circumstances did not align until twenty years later when I decided to do the film in 2006. I believe their fiercely independent artistic approach, coupled with an optimistic faith in themselves, was the reason they had such an impact on American cinema. In their story, I believe young people can see a path to their own future in these uncertain times which is ripe for new innovative ways of making films.

Q. Laszlo and Vilmos worked on classics like Easy Rider, Deliverance, Paper Moon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to name a few … which of their films inspire you the most, and why?

A. McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Paper Moon, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, Frances, The Deer Hunter are some of my favorites. All share the trait of portraying unique individual stories without romanticizing their characters and without sentimentality. At their best, the films of both cinematographers achieve what Vilmos Zsigmond calls Poetic Realism.

Q. What challenges did you face making the film?

A. Dealing with the staggering number of masterpieces or notable films they each shot; structuring the film which has several layers/storylines: The Hungarian Revolution; the struggle of two outsider immigrants trying to achieve the American dream; the change in American cinema and how Laszlo & Vilmos were critical to the “American New Wave”; and most importantly the evolution of a deep friendship that spanned more than fifty years.

Q. How did you get access not only to Laszlo and Vilmos, but all the other big names featured in the film – Dennis Hopper, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Jon Voight, and others?

A. All these film artists have a great love of their craft and for their two colleagues and they were very generous with their time. All participants wished to correct the record, so that history will recognize the terrific contribution Laszlo & Vilmos made to our movies.

I wish to thank not only the those mentioned but also give a shout out to Sandra Bullock, John Williams, Richard Donner, Graeme Clifford, Allen Daviau, Owen Roizman, Haskell Wexler, Sharon Stone and the late “Grindhouse King” Ray Dennis Steckler. For me the unanticipated pleasure was having so many wonderful conversations with filmmakers I have been influenced by and admire.

This week two new National Geographic Television specials, produced exclusively for PBS, follow the adventures of explorers who set out to reach the forbidden Kingdom of Mustang — off-limits to Westerners for 50 years — and the unseen treasures these lost caves contain.

In Secrets of Shangri-La, premiering Thursday, November 19 at 10 p.m., seven-time Everest summiter Pete Athans and a team of internationally renowned climbers and explorers journey to Mustang, joining forces with archaeologists, anthropologists and art historians to rescue rare Tibetan texts from crumbling, long-hidden caves before looters reach them. When a political group from a nearby village tries to stop them, an intriguing set of events ensues involving the King of Mustang, the highest lama of the land, and even the local divinities believed to inhabit the area.

Watch a preview:

---

In Lost Cave Temples of the Himalaya, premiering Saturday, November 21 at 9 p.m. on WLIW21 & WLIW World, follow Pete Athans and big-wall climber Renan Ozturk as they take on the dangerous job of climbing into the crumbling caves for the first time in modern history. Their goals are to get inside the inaccessible cave cities, unoccupied for hundreds — if not thousands — of years, to document what’s inside and to search for nine legendary cave temples called “kabum.” What they find goes far beyond their expectations, rocking the Himalayan world and rewriting the history of this remote and mystical region. The treasures include a 55-panel painted mural and piles of old Tibetan manuscript folios, some printed in silver and gold. Each vertical move into a cave opening is a step into the unknown.

Watch a preview:

Running Wild – Hate and Immigration on Long Island

Exclusive Broadcast Premiere Wednesday, November 11 at 11:30 p.m.

On November 8, 2008, a Long Island village was torn apart by seven Patchogue-Medford High School students who allegedly stabbed a man to death because they thought he was Mexican. The victim, Marcelo Lucero, 37, was actually from Gualaceo, Ecuador. He lived in Patchogue and worked at a dry cleaner, earning enough money to help build his mother a house back home. After 15 years in the U.S., Lucero intended to return to Ecuador that December—instead he arrived in a coffin. His murder shed light on a horrifying fact: the teens who committed the deadly hate crime had been hunting Latinos for sport, as often as weekly, for the past year. Last week, one of the accused attackers pled guilty to four felony charges for his role in the fatal assault at a scheduled court conference before State Supreme Court Justice Robert W. Doyle.

Running Wild – Hate and Immigration on Long Island explores the aftermath of Lucero’s murder and its effect on the Patchogue-Medford community. WLIW21 presents the exclusive broadcast premiere of the new half-hour documentary on Wednesday, November 11 at 11:30 p.m. Through the eyes of one Patchogue-Medford High School student, Anglica Colon, and her Latino advocate father, Francisco Hernandez, the film captures an entire community turning to chaos in the wake of the murder – fingers pointed in every direction to try to explain what happened. Interviews with senior William Garcia, junior Aneesha Masih and sophomore David Maldonado, illustrate students’ struggle to understand why their classmates and friends committed this atrocity.

Watch a preview:

This Long Island tragedy reflects a nationwide trend: FBI statistics show that hate crimes against Latinos have risen 40 percent from 2003 to 2007, and the Suffolk County Police Department is now under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for its failure to crack down on these and other attacks against Latinos. Suffolk County Legislator for District 7 Jack Eddington (D, I) was one person who bore the brunt of the blame. Criticized for proposing “anti-Latino” legislation, Leg. Eddington was called a racist after the murder. His policies and those of other politicians, such as Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, were criticized for stoking hatred against immigrants.

After a contentious community meeting, Leg. Eddington asked Francisco Hernandez to meet with him. Together, they came up with a plan to try to tackle one problem seriously affecting the immigrant community: the fear of being harassed by police when playing soccer on city fields. Running Wild – Hate and Immigration on Long Island follows Leg. Eddington and Hernandez’s efforts to organize a wounded community around a common goal – a county-sponsored soccer tournament – and tracks the difficulties, failures and successes of taking on a national problem one small step at a time.

Filmmakers Tamara Bock and Angel Canales are recent graduates of Columbia University’s School of Journalism, where they produced Running Wild as their master’s project.

Please share your thoughts on the film and this controversial issue by leaving a comment below.

Today Sesame Street celebrates its 40th birthday! To celebrate WLIW21 premieres new episodes Weekdays at 9 a.m. The new season is brought to you by the letter N and features a new show format, new show open, new nature curriculum, new Abby Cadabby CGI animation, and our new First Lady Michelle Obama!

While maintaining an emphasis on the importance of literacy and numeracy, the 40th-anniversary season kicks off “My World is Green & Growing,” a two-year science initiative designed to increase positive attitudes towards nature, deepen children’s knowledge about the natural world and encourage behavior that shows respect and care for the environment. First Lady Michelle Obama appears in the season premiere, today at 9 a.m., and teaches “the street’s” residents about the many benefits of planting a garden and healthy eating as part of Sesame Street’s ongoing “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative.

Preview First Lady Michelle Obama’s visit to Sesame Street:

Original songs, storylines and animations will continue to stimulate the preschool viewers’ awareness and excitement about the environment. Through a series of 26 celebrity segments, Sesame Street will introduce words like “habitat,” “metamorphosis,” “hibernate,” and more to enhance children’s vocabulary and appreciation of nature. You’re sure to laugh along with the kids when you see guest spots from Hugh Jackman, Cameron Diaz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ricky Gervais, Adam Sandler, Ziggy Marley, Tiki Barber, Kobe Bryant, and others.

Check out some of these exciting guest appearances and other highlights from Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary season:

Watch classic Sesame Street clips on WLIW21’s new video portal.

Watch Sesame Street videos, play games and more on pbskids.org.

Visit 21 Kids for WLIW21’s children’s programming schedule, video, games, and more.

WNET.ORG correspondent Rafael Pi Roman speaks with Donald G. McNeil, Jr., Science and Health Reporter at The New York Times, about President Obama’s declaration of a H1N1 national emergency, and the reports of shortages of the H1N1 vaccine.

For more on how the H1N1 “swine flu” virus is affecting New York, please visit our comprehensive website that features the latest news from across the PBS spectrum as well as original reports from the field.

WLIW21 has launched a brand-new video portal that allows you to watch full-length national and local programs online anytime. To mark this milestone, WLIW21 is make full-length specials from its acclaimed Visions® travel series available online for the first time. Visitors worldwide can delight in the aerial views of Visions® of New York City, Visions® of Puerto Rico, Visions® of Italy, Visions® of England, Visions® of Germany, and more – all shot in high definition from a helicopter-mounted camera.

With its new video capabilities, wliw.org/video will deliver hours of programming to its users, including locally produced programs like New York War Stories, Going Green Long Island, Leaving Long Island, and the Emmy Award-winning New York The Way It Was series, and WLIW21’s groundbreaking ethnic heritage specials The Chinese Americans, The Mexican Americans, A Laugh, A Tear, A Mitzvah, and Classic American Cars of Cuba. Full episodes of national PBS series, such as Nature, Great Performances, Masterpiece, Austin City Limits, Antiques Roadshow, and NOVA, as well as WLIW21 national presentations Moment of Luxury and Healthy Minds are also available.

We’re still working out some technical kinks (we don’t use the term “beta” loosely), but we’re anxious to hear what you think. Leave a comment here or at www.facebook.com/wliw21.

Thanks for watching – anywhere.

Live By Request is the show where YOU create the set list with online, call-in and text requests. YOU decide what John Fogerty plays – LIVE on Saturday, November 7 at 9 p.m.

Do you have a touching, life-changing or just plain funny story about how one of John Fogerty’s songs has played a role in your life? Tell us what you want to hear and why.

During the live broadcast, YOU can be one of the lucky viewers to make a request live on the air directly to John Fogerty!

Here is everything you need to know to make a request:

Call 1-888-4-LIVEBY
Be one of the lucky callers to make your request live on the air directly to John Fogerty! From 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, November 7 you can call 1-888-4-LIVEBY for a chance to make your request.

Email LBRemailRequest@pbs.org
During the live broadcast, send an email to LBRemailRequest@pbs.org with the name of the song you want to hear and why.

Facebook
In order to make a request on Facebook, you must “become a fan” of LIVE BY REQUEST at facebook.com/livebyrequest. You’ll be able to post your requests and tell us why you want to hear your favorite song during the live broadcast on November 7. While you’re on Facebook, be sure to “become a fan” of WLIW21 at facebook.com/wliw21.

Twitter
Follow LIVE BY REQUEST at twitter.com/live_by_request, and tweet your request to @live_by_request during the live broadcast on November 7. Until then, you’ll get behind-the-scenes access leading up to and during the live show! While you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow WLIW21 at twitter.com/wliw21.

Video
YOU can be one of the lucky viewers to make a video request on the air directly to John Fogerty! Visit pbs.org/livebyrequest for details on November 7. While you’re on YouTube, be sure to visit WLIW21’s channel at youtube.com/wliw21.

Text
Text your request during the live show on your mobile phone! Visit pbs.org/livebyrequest for details on November 7.

Remember, the only way to talk to John Fogerty is to watch live Saturday, November 7 at 9 p.m. and reach out!

Preview video and more.

Inside PBS Blog Q&A with John Fogerty

Donate now for John Fogerty’s The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again CD.

Donate now for John Fogerty’s Comin’ Down the Road DVD.

Donate now for John Fogerty’s latest CD and DVD.

Become a WLIW21 fan.

This Thursday at 12 midnight on WLIW21, New York Governor David Paterson will appear in a special town hall meeting to answer questions from New Yorkers about the economic climate in the state.

Got a question for the governor? Submit your question to Gov. Paterson in our comments section below — it may be asked in Thursday’s town-hall meeting.

Submission deadline: Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m.