YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
If Twin Cities Public Television manufactured cars or widgets at its downtown St. Paul headquarters, it would be smoking. Never in its 50-year history has it had so many projects, national and local, going at once. Here's a partial accounting:
National programming airing now or coming soon
"DragonflyTV" - MTV-style science-education series targeting middle-school kids. Sixth season began in April.
"Life (Part 2)" - weekly series aimed at Americans age 50 and older. Premiered in June.
"Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold" - how Capt. Birdseye invented frozen food and other stories about the uses of cold. The two-hour documentary is scheduled to air this year, probably on PBS' "Nova."
"Good Ol' Charles Schulz"--first in-depth biography of the "Peanuts" creator, targeted to air this October under the "American Masters" imprimatur.
"Depression" (working title) -- two-hour special aimed at helping viewers understand a devastating and misunderstood disease. Target date is April of next year.
"Exploring Time" - two-hour special about the nature of time, due next year. TPT's partners include Britain's Granada International and Japan's NHK.
National programming in development
"DragonflyTV - Nano" - new series of "DragonflyTV" episodes devoted to nanoscience and nanotechnology. Targeted for broadcast in early 2009.
"Make TV" - weekly series produced in partnership with Make magazine, a hot do-it-yourself technology publication. Targeted for broadcast in 2009.
"Aging Ain't for Sissies" (working title) -- one-hour prime-time special for PBS.
"Alzheimer's Science Update" - follow-up to the award-winning documentary "The Forgetting," hosted by David Hyde-Pierce. Targeted for July 2008.
"Dolley Madison" - from the producers of "Liberty! The American Revolution" and "Alexander Hamilton" -- a biography of the celebrated wife of the fourth U.S. president, James Madison. Targeted for broadcast in 2009.
"Telescope: The Quest to See Infinity" (working title) - targeted for telecast in 2009, the 400th anniversary of the invention of the telescope.
"The Science of Smell" - an hour-long documentary about how the sense of smell works and how it affects our lives.
"U.S. Army Chorus" - special celebrating the chorus' 50th anniversary in 2009.
Local programming coming soon on the Minnesota Channel (17)
"East Africa: New Faces, New Experiences" - in partnership with New Americans Community Services (8:30 p.m. Sat).
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