New KCET, PBS SoCal and Link TV Programs Inspire Viewers to Invest in the Future of the Environment!
New KCET, PBS SoCal and Link TV ProgramsInspire Viewers to Invest in the Future of the Environment
Featuring Broadcast Premieres of Historical Documentaries
Covering Climate Crisis and Activism in California and Beyond
Premieres Throughout April Include
THE GREAT THIRST: WILLIAM MULHOLLAND and BBC Studios CHANGING PLANET; Plus New Episodes ofEmmy® Award-Winning Series THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS Narrated by Sigourney Weaver and Robert Redford
From Left to Right: Image of William Mulholland featured in THE GREAT THIRST, a still from PBS NATURE and Waorani Tribal Chief, Nemonte Nenquimo featured in THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS. (Photo Credits Left to Right: Unknown,Florian Schulz / © Tom Campion Foundation / Terra Mater Factual Studios and Will Parrinello.)
Select programming will also be available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App.
Members of PBS SoCal | KCET get extended access through PBS Passport.
PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations, along with national independent satellite network Link TV, today announced a month-long broadcasting lineup of new series, specials and documentaries that highlight historical activism that have shaped efforts to confront climate change. New titles dedicated to educating audiences on the impact of climate change include the broadcast world premiere of the historical documentary special THE GREAT THIRST: WILLIAM MULHOLLAND exploring California’s emerging success owed to water access, the PBS/BBC Studios co-production CHANGING PLANET following various biomes over the course of six years and the Emmy® Award-winning environmental justice series THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS narrated by Robert Redford and Sigourney Weaver evaluating crises and activism on a global scale.
KCET announced a robust slate of ecological content revealing human impact on the environment and the activists working to reverse the harmful effects of the crisis around the world. The world premiere of the documentary special THE GREAT THIRST: WILLIAM MULHOLLAND, the first installment of a complex and storied history of California through the lens of its relationship with water. Directed by Matthew Justus and inspired bythe book of the same name by acclaimed author and professor Norris Hundley Jr., the special highlights William Mulholland and the creation of modern Los Angeles by illustrating one of engineering’s greatest achievements of the 20th century, and one of its biggest disasters: the St. Francis Dam. THE GREAT THIRST: WILLIAM MULHOLLAND premieres on Sun., April 24 at 8 p.m.
KCET’s month-long lineup of primetime programming dedicated to the planet begins withFOREVER WILD, a stirring portrayal of how everyday citizens can take action to protect our precious natural habitats and resources. The film tells the story of a tenacious community in the historic town of Telluride, Colorado, that unites to save the open land surrounding their town. FOREVER WILD premieres on Sun., April 3 at 4 p.m.
PBS SoCal will continue its commitment to the environment with high-profile premieres of content from PBS stations across the country in honor of Earth Day that will run throughout the month of April. The month features the new season premiere of CHANGING PLANET, as it tracks climate change inreal-time over the course of six years as conservationists are working to preserve ecosystems and save species from extinction.Hailed as the longest environmental project ever commissioned for television, acclaimed filmmakers of BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit closely document key habitats including California, the Arctic, the Maldives and the Amazon rainforest. CHANGING PLANET premieres on Wed., April 20 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Also included in the PBS SoCal lineup are two all-new primetime offerings from PBS’ NATURE episodes. “American Arctic” follows the longest land-animal migration on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska while “Portugal: Wild Land on the Edge” showcases the country’s historical significance as once a great power that linked the Old and New Worlds as the region’s landscapes and wildlife recover from the historical consequences of trade and invasive species. The first of the two new NATURE episodes premiere on Wed., April 13 at 8 p.m.
Link TV Earth Month plans will offer viewers a look into activism on a global level with two new episodes of the three time Emmy® Award-winning environmental justice series narrated by Robert Redford and Sigourney Weaver. THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS details inspiring portraits of passionate and dedicated activists who have placed themselves in harm's way to battle intimidating adversaries while building strong grassroots supportwith the common goal of safeguarding the Earth's natural resources from exploitation and pollution. The first episode of the new season of THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS premieres on Wed., April 6 at 9:30 p.m.
Also on the Earth Month slate for Link TV are three new episodes of POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE premiering on Wed., April 20 at 10 p.m. followingnatural disasters being the direct result of political impact in Australia, Brazil and Pakistan.
KCET and Link TV’s acclaimed original environmental investigative series EARTH FOCUS(produced in partnership with the Thomson ReutersFoundation) will also return showcasing three new episodes providing audiences with urgent local and global environmental coverage that spotlights in-depth reports on key issues. Details surrounding season four will be announced soon.
Original content related to Earth Month programming on related topics ranging from environmental justice to climate activism will be available on the PBS SoCal, KCET and Link TV websites. Contributors will include veteran environmental journalists and other experts.
PBS SoCal, KCET and LinkTV’s Earth Month content and experiences are part of a commitment to addressing the global issues that impact the planet with a goal of opening people’s minds, liftingspirits and connecting people to each other and the world. For a full line-up of environmental-themed programs, please visit pbssocal.org/earthmonth,kcet.org/earthmonth and linktv.org/earthmonth.
The Earth Month environmental programming lineup includes the following and will broadcast as listed below (*subject to change):
FOREVER WILD – Sun., April 3 at 4 p.m. on KCET and Wed., April 6 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
An out-of-town developer plotted to turn 600 acres of pristine valley floor in Telluride, Colorado into a mammoth lake and golf resort by manipulating local politicians and press. Nothing stood in the way, until a small group of citizens united the residents, rallied the community and fought for the land.
THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS: “New Environmentalists from Malawi to Peru” – Wed., April 6 at 9:30 p.m. on Link TV
Narrated by Sigourney Weaver, six passionate and dedicated activists from around the world – Louisiana, Japan, Bosnia, Peru, Malawi and Vietnam – have placed themselves squarely in harm's way to battle intimidating adversaries for environmental justice in their communities.
Bioneers: “Manual Pastor: Solidarity Economics: Mutuality, Movements and Momentum” – Wed., April 6 at 10 p.m. on Link TV
In a world wracked by income inequality, social divisions and ecological destruction, Manuel Pastorinvestigates alternative economics that can create a more robust, sustainable and equitable economy.
earthrise: “Change of Power: The Green Energy Transition” – Tues., April 6 at 10:30 p.m. on Link TV
The series goes to Norway and the Orkney Islands in the UK to explore two solutions with a part to play in the transition to a carbon neutral world.
NATURE: “American Arctic” – Wed., April 13 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has long protected survivors of the Ice Age, but this once remote and frozen fortress is on the brink of change. Now, for the caribou, musk oxen, polar bears and Arctic foxes, the ice age is slipping away.
ARTBOUND: “Agh20: Silver and Water” – Wed., April 13 at 9 p.m. on KCET
Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio's "AgH2O" project, connects elements like silver and watermined from the Owens Valley to the emergence of the film industry. Silver mined from the Owens Valley was shipped to Rochester, New York, where it was used to make film.
THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS: “New Environmentalists from Accra to Eleuthera Island” – Wed., April 13 at 9:30 p.m. on Link TV
Narrated by Robert Redford, six passionate and dedicated activists from around the world – Myanmar, France, Mexico, Ghana, The Bahamas, and Ecuador – share a common goal: safeguarding the Earth’s natural resources from exploitation and pollution, while fighting for justice in their communities
Bioneers: “Bill McKibben: Why We Actually Need Everyone in the Climate Struggle” – Wed., April 13 at 10 p.m. on Link TV
Bill McKibben explains why older activists not only need to have their backs, but how we can harness the power of the fastest-growing population on earth—people over the age of 60—and move them towards progressive political involvement, foster intergenerational collaboration and deepen the fight for a fairer, more stable planet.
earthrise: “Fixing the Food Cycle” – Tues., April 13 at 10:30 p.m. on Link TV
The global food system fuels climate change, degrades land, pollutes soil and water supplies as well as wipes out wildlife, including the pollinators needed for crops. The result is inhibiting the ability to feed a growing world population.
CHANGING PLANET – Wed., April 20 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sun., April 24 at 10 p.m. on KCET
Every year over seven years, conservationist Dr. M. Sanjayan anchors a global storytelling effort to monitor seven iconic locations across the planet. Featuring the latest science and emphasizing local voices, each location represents a unique biome and a litmus test for change happening from the West Coast of America, the Great Barrier Reef, the East African Plains, the Arctic, the Amazon Basin and coastal Southeast Asia.
EARTH EMERGENCY – Wed., April 20 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Climate scientists explain how human activity causes dangerous warming loops, pushing the climate to a point of no return and discuss what can be done to stop them.
POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: “Australia’s Coal Conundrum” – Wed., April 20 at 10 p.m. on Link TV
Against the backdrop of dwindling water resources, ravaging bushfires and high unemployment, a controversial new mine set to be built in Central Queensland is being met with controversy and passionate resistance.
THE TRICK – Fri., April 22 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Narrative film starring Jason Watkins and Victoria Hamilton based on the real-life story of the 2009"Climategate Scandal" following world-renowned scientist Professor Philip Jones, the director of climate research at the University of East Anglia who found himself at the centre of an international media storm.
THE GREAT THIRST: WILLIAM MULHOLLAND – Sun., April 24 at 8 p.m. on KCET and Wed., April 27 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
The complex and storied history of California through the lens of its relationship with water. From the pre-colonial period through the current day drought crisis, the question of survival and success in California has always been centered on the control and appropriation of this most precious resource on earth. Based on the book of the same name by acclaimed author and professor Norris Hundley Jr., the documentary special highlights William Mulholland and the creation of modern Los Angeles by illustrating one of engineering’s greatest achievements of the 20th century, and one of its biggest disasters.
NATURE: “Portugal: Wild Land on the Edge”- Wed., April 27 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Discover the wildlife and landscapes of Portugal, impacted by its history as a global trading hub. From forest to coast, witness the majesty of the country’s wild horses, storks, monk seals and more.
POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: “Brazil’s Amazonian Battle” – Wed., April 27 at 10 p.m. on Link TV
An investigative journey to reveal deforestation in the Amazon is pushing communities over the edge. The Mundurukku aboriginal tribes and activists fight to stop the destruction of Amazon jungles and seek solutions for a sustainable lifestyle.
EARTH FOCUS PRESENTS: “Inhabitants” – Sun., May 15 at 7:30 p.m. on KCET
A feature documentary that follows five Native American Tribes across deserts, coastlines, forests, and prairies as they restore their traditional land management practices.