New Episodes of Acclaimed Series "NOVA" and
"JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH" Premiere April 18
Additional Programs on Effects of Malaria, the State of the Oceans Air in April
PBS KIDS Brings Awareness to Young Viewers
Arlington, VA March 15, 2006 - PBS continues to bring science to life this April with high-quality programs that illuminate the world in informative and entertaining ways. April's special environmental programming includes premieres from the highly acclaimed science series, NOVA, and from JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH, PBS' award-winning series devoted to the environment. On Tuesday, April 18 at 8:00 p.m. NOVA's "Dimming Sun" reveals how our planet is not only heating up due to global warming, but actually getting dimmer in the process. Following "Dimming Sun" at 9:00 p.m. will be "The State of the Planet's Wildlife," the new episode of the Matt Damon hosted JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH series. Traveling from the Arctic to Zambia, "The State of the Planet's Wildlife" takes the temperature of a number of wildlife species to find out how they are faring against factors such as urban sprawl and global warming.
In addition to these two programs, PBS presents Jean-Michel Cousteau in an exploration of the effects of pollution, development and mining on species both above and below the ocean in a remote archipelago off the coast of Hawaii, as well as two specials devoted to the spread of malaria.
April Line-up:
NOVA "Dimming Sun"
Tuesday, April 18, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings)
As global warming turns up the heat, researchers are stunned to discover that our planet is actually growing dimmer. Increasing air pollution allows less and less sunlight to reach earth's surface, a "global dimming" that's linked to severe droughts. In an even more alarming twist, there is concern that solving the dimming problem could greatly accelerate global warming, melting ice caps and flooding coastal cities. NOVA examines this baffling climate conundrum and follows the implications of the discovery for our planet's future.
pbs.org/nova/
JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH: THE STATE OF THE PLANET'S WILDLIFE
Tuesday, April 18, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET (check local listings)
Hosted and narrated by Academy Award® winner Matt Damon, THE STATE OF THE PLANET'S WILDLIFE poses one of the most critical questions of the 21st century: why are nearly half of the world's wildlife species facing extinction within the next few decades? The program is a global investigation of what scientists call "the sixth great extinction of the world's animals and plants." The documentary includes spectacular wildlife photography in a visually stunning celebration of the beauty and diversity of the natural world. Produced by Emmy® Award-winning filmmakers Marilyn and Hal Weiner, this is the ninth episode of their critically acclaimed environmental series, JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH. pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth
JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU: OCEAN ADVENTURES
Wednesdays, April 5 and 12, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings)
In this pioneering exploration, the Cousteau team sails to the Northwest Hawaiian Island archipelago, the most remote island group in the world. There, they discover diverse wildlife populations above and below the sea and investigate these species' fight against extinction and the devastating effects of pollution, mining, fishing and development.
pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/
AFRICA LIVE: THE ROLL BACK MALARIA CONCERT
Thursday, April 6, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings)
In March 2005, in Dakar, capital of Senegal in West Africa, many of Africa's finest musicians performed to raise global awareness of the malaria crisis currently devastating the African continent. The film of that concert features Youssou Ndour, Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo, Awilo Longonmba, Seun Kuti with Tony Allen and Manu Dibango, Tinariwen, Corneille, and Tiken Jah Fakoly with Didier Awadi. British music journalist and broadcaster Andy Kershaw is the program presenter.
MALARIA: FEVER WARS
Thursday, April 6, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings)
Malaria is the forgotten plague of Africa. The disease kills nearly three million Africans every year, yet has attracted little aid or effort in the West because it hasn't affected western nations directly - until now. This program highlights the recent outbreak of malaria in Florida and its possible resurgence in the West. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Kevin Hull filmed across three continents to chart the malaria's spread and underscore the scandalous way it's been ignored.
PBS KIDS SHARE THE EARTH DAY
April 21, 2006 (check local listings)
PBS KIDS helps children celebrate Earth Day with "PBS KIDS Share the Earth Day," a special two-hour programming event airing Friday, April 21 (check local listings). Hosted by real kids, the block features Earth Day-themed programming from IT'S A BIG BIG WORLD, DRAGON TALES and CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG and creative ideas that will provide kids with fun ways they can make a difference in the environment and help care for the Earth by planting a garden, saving energy and conserving water. Kids and parents will also become savvier about simple ways to share the environment through exclusive Earth Day-themed music videos from the award-winning kids' rock band, Milkshake, and online activities on pbskids.org and pbskidsgo.org
About PBS
PBS is a private, nonprofit media enterprise that serves the nation's 348 public noncommercial television stations, reaching nearly 90 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is the leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of educational services for adult learners. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online, PBS KIDS Online pbskids.org, continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
- PBS -
Contact: Cara White, 843.881.1480, carapub@aol.com
Photos available online on PBS PressRoom pbs.org/pressroom and by request.