THIRTEEN’s Nature’s Animal Homes Deconstructs a Variety of DIY Dwellings

Wednesday, April 8, 15 and 22, 2015 on PBS

The three-part series provides intimate, never-before-seen views of the lives of animals in their homes

If you are a fan (or in my case, a MAJOR fanatic when it comes to nature programming), The you are going to love Animal Homes.  Animals, like humans, need a place they can call home to provide a safe and stable place to raise a family, but they go about building it in entirely different ways. Whether it is a bird’s nest, bear den, beaver lodge or spider web, these are homes of great complexity, constructed from a wide range of natural as well as man-made materials. This three-part series investigates just how animals build their remarkable homes around the globe and the intriguing behaviors and social interactions that take place in and around them.

Host Chris Morgan examines a beaver dam in Jackson Hole, Wyoming © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

Hosting the series is ecologist Chris Morgan (Siberian Tiger Quest, Bears of the Last Frontier), who serves as guide and real estate agent. He evaluates and deconstructs animal abodes, their materials, location, neighborhood and aesthetics. In addition to Morgan opening the doors of animal homes in the wild, he is also in studio showing examples of the incredible diversity of nests and their strength, even trying his hand at building a few. Animal Homes airs on three consecutive Wednesdays, April 8, 15 and 22, 2015 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). After broadcast, the episodes will be available for online streaming atpbs.org/nature.

The series features a blend of CGI, animation, CT scans and signature blueprint graphics to highlight engineering principles inside the structures. A variety of cameras, including tiny HD versions, capture unprecedented views inside animal homes without disturbing natural behavior. When appropriate, filmmakers shoot behaviors in slow motion and use infrared and time lapse to reveal how animals create their structures over time and through the seasons.

Animal Homes was filmed both in the U.S. and abroad. The U.S. locations include the Connecticut coast (ospreys and saltmarsh sparrows), North Carolina (ducks), Hawaii (albatross), outside Burlington, Vermont (ravens), Maryland (black bears) and Jackson Hole, Wyoming (beavers). Over the course of three episodes, the series delves into the amazing flexibility animal architects display, the clever choices they make and the ingenious ways they deal with troublesome habitats.

Animal Homes

Program 1: The Nest

Wednesday, April 8 at 8 p.m.

A broad-tailed hummingbird in Arizona sits in the nest she built © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

A merganser duckling in North Carolina about to jump from a nest 50 feet from the ground © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

Ovenbird nest “blueprint” © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

Close up of young ravens in a cliff face nest in the Green Mountains of Vermont © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

Bird nests come in all shapes and sizes, crafted from an inexhaustible diversity of materials, including fur, grasses, leaves, mosses, sticks and twigs, bones, wool, mud and spider silk. Quite a few also contain man-made materials – colorful twine, bits of wire, even plastic bags. Each one is a remarkable work of art, built with just a beak!  We begin with a museum collection of nests and branch out to scenes in the wild all over the world, where birds arrive at diverse nesting grounds to collect, compete for, reject, steal and begin to build with carefully selected materials, crafting homes for the all-important task of protecting their eggs and raising their young.

Animal Homes

Program 2:  Location, Location, Location

Wednesday, April 15 at 8 p.m.

Host Chris Morgan explores the interior of a bear den in Maryland © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

 

Finding a good base of operations is key to successfully raising a family. One must find the correct stream or tree, the correct building materials, neighbors and sometimes tenants. In the wild, every home is a unique DIY project, every head of household is a designer and engineer.  Animated blueprints and tiny cameras chart the building plans and progress of beavers, saltmarsh sparrows, woodrats, gray jays, hawks and black-chinned hummingbirds examining layouts and cross sections, evaluating the technical specs of their structures and documenting their problem-solving skills. Animal architecture provides remarkable insights into animal consciousness, creativity and innovation.

Animal Homes

Program 3:  Animal Cities 

Wednesday, April 22 at 8 p.m.

Puffins by a burrow in the Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

Host Chris Morgan admires a North American eider duck nest and egg © THIRTEEN Productions LLC

New York International Auto Show 2015: World Premiere of the Boxster Spyder

Porsche is highlighting the 2015 convertible season by celebrating the world premiere of the new (2016) Boxster Spyder. This pure sports car will make its debut at the 2015 New York International Auto Show (April 3-12, 2015 / Jacob Javits Convention Center 11th ave, between 34 & 40 Streets), The new top model of the Boxster range retains the unique and unmistakable character of the previous Spyder, which has already attained cult status. For example, the classic roadster top is still opened and closed by hand, and the Boxster Spyder is only available with a manual transmission, benefiting both weight savings and driver enjoyment.

the 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder offers a traditional sports-car driving experience combined with truly exceptional performance. This includes a firm sport suspension with a 20-mm lower ride height, brakes taken from the 911 Carrera S, more direct steering, and a 3.8-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine with an output of 375 hp

Porsche is highlighting the 2015 convertible season by celebrating the world premiere of the new Boxster Spyder. This pure sports car will make its debut at the New York International Auto Show.

the 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder

The 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder

 

Staying true to roadster DNA, the 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder offers a traditional sports-car driving experience combined with truly exceptional performance. This includes a firm sport suspension with a 20-mm lower ride height, brakes taken from the 911 Carrera S, more direct steering, and a 3.8-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine with an output of 375 hp, culminating in a genuine sports car experience with outstanding driving dynamics. It is the lightest model of the current Boxster line, and the most powerful Boxster to date. Taking only 4.3 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60 mph, the Boxster Spyder has a top track speed of 180 mph.

The distinctive design of the Boxster Spyder includes stylistic elements reminiscent of legendary sports and race cars from Porsche. Two prominent streamliners that extend down along the sweeping rear lid behind the headrests pay tribute to the 718 Spyder from the 1960s. The manually operated, lightweight top is suitable for everyday use with an electric clasp, while bringing to mind roadsters from the past. The fins that stretch back from the top to the rear lend the vehicle’s silhouette its characteristic design. The front and rear fascia’s also are unique to the Boxster Spyder, and an air outlet is located in front of the forward luggage compartment.

More so than in any other Boxster, the interior of the new Spyder creates an atmosphere that elicits a feeling of pure driving pleasure. The driver and passenger sit in standard Sport Seats Plus, while the new steering wheel with a diameter of 360 mm (compared to 370 mm in other Boxster models) helps ensure the mid-engine roadster can be driven precisely and with great agility.

In line with the model’s traditional roadster character, neither a radio nor an air conditioner is included as standard equipment in order to reduce weight. However, both can be ordered as optional equipment at no cost. Furthermore, the entire range of Boxster audio systems is available for customers to choose from as an option, including the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with navigation.

The new Boxster Spyder will be launched in the U.S. market in October and can now be ordered at dealerships. In the United States, the MSRP is $82,100, not including a $995 destination charge.

Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert, Featuring Classics from the Great American Songbook, Airs on THIRTEEN’s Great Performances on Friday, April 3 at 10 p.m. on PBS

Grammy-nominated album – featuring legendary songs such as “I Put a Spell on You,” “Georgia on My Mind,” and “Mood Indigo” – inspires television special

“Great Performances – Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert.” Credit: Robert Sebree

Throughout her four-decade career, music superstar Annie Lennox has defied categorization, diving into blues, soul, folk and pop to create songs that captivate and transcend boundaries. In her latest album Nostalgia, Lennox has revealed yet another dimension to her formidable talent.  Although jazz is not the genre for which she is best known, she could no longer resist the magnetic pull of some of the most memorable melodies and lyrics from the American Songbook. Nostalgia, the singer’s seventh solo album, has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

And with the Great Performances special, Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert, the singer’s unique interpretations bring a new intimacy to these timeless classics. The special airs Friday, April 3 at 10 p.m. on PBS. (Check local listings.)

“Great Performances – Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert.” Credit: Robert Sebree

In the 60-minute concert – which was taped at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles in January – Lennox performs songs from the Nostalgia album like “Summertime,” “Strange Fruit,” “I Cover the Waterfront” and “God Bless the Child.”

The special features Lennox’s fresh takes on iconic American compositions by such artists as Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Billie Holiday and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, as she pays tribute to some of the greatest artists of the 20th century, interpreting compositions that have moved her, stripping them down to their emotional and musical core and making them her own, demonstrating how these songs continue to resonate even amid the complexities of modern life.

On the album, Lennox approached each song as if she had never heard it before, boiling each down to its bare essence. Working together with co-producer Mike Stevens, Lennox started with keyboards and added instrumentation sparingly such as the lacerating guitar solo in the middle of “Screaming” Jay Hawkins’ torrid “I Put a Spell on You.” The orchestrations are used on the special.

Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert was directed by Natalie Johns. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.

Great Performances is funded by the Anne Ray Charitable Trust, the Irene Diamond Fund, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Rosalind P. Walter, The Agnes Varis Trust, The Starr Foundation, the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, The Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, and PBS.

THIRTEEN’s American Masters Series Presents the National Broadcast Premiere of Jascha Heifetz: God’s Fiddler

Emmy-winning filmmaker Peter Rosen’s profile of the violin virtuoso features Heifetz’ previously unseen home movies, Itzhak Perlman, Ivry Gitlis, Ida Haendel and Ayke Agus,  April 16 and 17 on PBS (check local listings)

 

Emmy- and Peabody-winning filmmaker Peter Rosen (American Masters — Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes, The Cliburn: Playing on the Edge) uncovers the story of legendary musician Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987), the first truly modern violin virtuoso, for THIRTEEN‘s American Masters series. The one-hour documentary American Masters — Jascha Heifetz: God’s Fiddler premieres nationwide Thursday, April 16 at 8 p.m. and Friday, April 17 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Major market premieres include Thursday, April 16 at 8 p.m. on WTTW11 in Chicago and WHYY-TV in Philadelphia and 10:30 p.m. on THIRTEEN in New York, and Friday, April 17 at 8 p.m. on KERA in Dallas, 8:30 p.m. on WETA TV 26 in Washington, D.C., and 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal in Los Angeles, on KQED in San Francisco, on WGBH 2 in Boston and on Houston Public Media.

Jascha Heifetz, the child prodigy, circa 1907 at age 6. Credit: Library of Congress

Jascha Heifetz. Credit: Library of Congress

Jascha Heifetz, circa 1969-1970. Credit: RCA

The day after the 19-year-old Heifetz’s London debut, George Bernard Shaw wrote him a now legendary letter. “If you provoke a jealous God by playing with such superhuman perfection,” Shaw warned, “you will die young. I earnestly advise you to play something badly every night before going to bed, instead of saying your prayers. No mortal should presume to play so faultlessly.”

Heifetz is widely considered to be one of the most profoundly influential performing artists of all time. Born in Vilnius, Lithuania — then occupied by Russia — on February 2, 1901, he became a U.S. citizen in 1925. Fiercely patriotic to his adopted country, he gave hundreds of concerts for Allied service men and women during World War II, including tours of Central and South America, North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany, often playing from the back of a flatbed truck in dangerous conditions.

In 1928, he published the first of dozens of acclaimed violin transcriptions. Many, including his arrangements of selections from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” are now part of the standard repertoire. Using the pseudonym Jim Hoyl, he even wrote a pop song that became a hit in 1946.

In his later years, Heifetz became a dedicated teacher and a champion of causes he believed in. He led efforts to establish “911” as an emergency phone number, and crusaded for clean air. He and his students at the University of Southern California protested smog by wearing gas masks, and in 1967 he converted his Renault passenger car into an electric vehicle. As a result of his vast recorded legacy, Heifetz’s violin playing is no less influential today than it was in his lifetime. To legions of violinists he remains, quite simply, “The King.”

Jascha Heifetz (right) rehearses with Arturo Toscanini (left), circa 1950. Credit: Library of Congress

Jascha Heifetz at home in his native Vilnius, Lithuania. Credit: Library of Congress

Setting the standard in violin playing for nearly a century, Heifetz’ name became shorthand for excellence for everyone from Jack Benny to The Muppets to Woody Allen. Through vintage performances and master classes, God’s Fiddler portrays an artist for whom only perfection would do. New interviews include other great violinists influenced by Heifetz, including Itzhak Perlman, Ivry Gitlis and Ida Haendel, former student, accompanist and longtime companion Ayke Agus, former student and master assistant in charge of his world-renowned violin class at the University of Southern California Sherry Kloss, and biographers John Anthony Maltese and Arthur Vered. They reveal how Heifetz was a mysterious, idiosyncratic, solitary figure who embodied the paradox of artistic genius: a dedication to his craft at all costs, including two failed marriages, estrangement from his children and very few friends. Characterized as serious and intense while performing and teaching, his students describe him as generous and playful when socializing.