Offair Listings

On D-Day, a roughly 7,000-yard stretch of beach in Normandy, France given the code name “Omaha” proved to be the Allies’ biggest obstacle to the success of Operation Overlord. The assignment to take Omaha Beach, establish a beachhead, and move inland into France was given to two American divisions — the already battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) and the untested 29th Infantry Division (The Blue and the Gray), who had yet to see any combat in World War II. American Naval Combat Demolition Units also hit the beach that day, writing their own individual stories of horror and heroism. Seven decades after the “Boys of Omaha Beach” landed, many veterans are returning to this part of the Normandy coast for the last time. Other soldiers who were there on D-Day have also come back for the first time since that historic day, looking for closure as they enter the final years of their lives. OMAHA BEACH: HONOR AND SACRIFICE shows the very personal stories of several veterans as they return to Omaha Beach and documents the celebration in Normandy that continues to this day as a result of their acts of courage and determination on June 6, 1944.

Airs 5/25 at 7 p.m.

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

On June 6, 1944, thousands of Allied servicemen landed on the shores of northern France, tasked with liberating western Europe from Nazi tyranny. Over the ensuing hours and days, the men faced decimating machine-gun fire, mortars and artillery, eventually fighting their way inland, but not before suffering a staggering number of casualties. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landing, four D-Day veterans gather at the famed Museum of World War II outside of Boston, Mass. to share their experiences from that fateful “Day of Days.” Cameras eavesdrop on their conversations as they vividly recall details from their ordeal — from the perils of the amphibious assault to the invasion’s gruesome aftermath. Their interactions with one another yield long-buried, and often painful, memories. They recount their transformations from boys to men, reveal their uneasiness with the term “hero,” and grapple with why they survived when so many others did not.

Airs 5/25 at 8 p.m.; 5/26 at midnight; 5/26 at 11 p.m.

Following a group of senior citizens who take their first steps into cyber-space under the tutelage of teenage mentors. Their digital exploration reaches a new level in a spirited YouTube competition that reveals hidden talents and competitive spirits.  Airs 5/23 at 1 a.m.

Website

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

Anne Morgan’s War Tells the little-known story of how one American woman became an exemplary force in the recovery of Northern France’s World War I wartime devastation, and highlights the legacy of a woman in the vanguard of feminism and humanitarian action.  Airs 5/21 at 8 p.m.

Full Video

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

Culled from public television stations and independent producers from across the country, LOCAL, USA is a half-hour series featuring fascinating stories of diverse people, curated around a single theme.

• #307 “Ku Kanaka: Stand Tall” – A one-half hour documentary explores the transformation of the late Kanalu Young from an angry 15year-old who becomes quadriplegic to a leader of his Native Hawaiian people. Ku Kanaka/Stand Tall, charts the journey of the late Dr. Young, a Hawaiian history professor at the University of Hawai’i who turned tragedy into triumph.  Angry and defiant through months of rehabilitation, Kanalu begins to change when he learns Hawaiian language and discovers an untold story of Hawaiian history. Fired up to tell Hawai’i’s story, he earns a PhD, gets arrested fighting for Hawaiian rights, and becomes a crusading teacher and leader, eager to instill pride in his people.

Airs 5/21 at 9:30 p.m.; 5/22 at 1:30 a.m., 5/22 at 9:30 a.m.; 5/22 at 3:30 p.m.; 5/25 at 11:30 p.m.; 5/26 at 3:30 a.m.; 5/26 at 10:30 a.m.; 5/26 at 6:30 p.m.

Website

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

The Last Ring Home is the story of Lt Minter Dial and his 1932 Annapolis Naval Academy ring that miraculously made its way home 17 years after he was killed as a POW of the Japanese in WWII. The Last Ring Home is a spellbinding account of one man’s obsession with a family mystery and the product of decades of research and inquiries. It also explores author Minter Dial’s pursuit of the true story of his namesake, his late grandfather Lt. Minter Dial, USN, a celebrated war hero whose suffering and trauma nearly buried his memory forever.

Airs 5/20 at 12:30 a.m.

website

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

A film about injustice, redemption, and a burning desire for all people to be treated equally.  A son of immigrants and forced into a U.S. World War II concentration camp as a child, Norman Mineta became the first Asian American mayor of a major city (San Jose, California); leading to a distinguished 20-year career in Congress; the first Asian American Cabinet member, serving two U.S. Presidents, a Democrat and Republican.  He never forgot his roots or the shame and humiliation he and his family felt during WWII, and led the way for an apology from the U.S. government and redress for Japanese Americans. On September 11, 2001, his leadership as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, would ensure that what happened to Japanese Americans during WWII did not happen to any other group based on ethnicity or religion.

Airs 5/20 at 9 p.m.

Website

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

Celebrate the Apollo 11 moon landing! When Jet reveals he’s built a brand-new super saucer, the friends head to the moon to test it out! But after a rough landing, Jet and Sunspot go missing and it’s up to the rest of the gang to find them. Watch as the friends search for Jet and Sunspot and discover the many exciting things the Apollo 11 astronauts left behind on the moon!

Airs 5/17 at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.; 5/18 at 2 p.m.; 5/19 at 8 a.m.; 5/21 at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.; 5/25 at 7 a.m.; 5/27 at 7 a.m.

Website

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

   – Food – Delicious Science is the thrilling science story of the food on your plate and the physics, chemistry and biology that lies hidden inside every bite. Across three episodes we use the latest imaging techniques to reveal this inner world of food and we reveal along the way why such a variety of foods have ended up in our diet and how they affect our lives. When viewed at the microscopic level, food resembles a vast range of alien landscapes that shift in remarkable ways as we cook them. Each time we eat, a cascade of biological reactions is set off inside our bodies: from flavor explosions in the mouth; to an energy rush; to occasionally triggering waves of disgust.  And how these ingrained human reactions and cravings for food have deep evolutionary roots that offer a whole new way of thinking about our relationship to the modern diet. The science is set against sumptuous location photography shot across the world: from the oldest rice terraces in the Philippines to an ancient variety of potato in the Andes Mountains of Peru; from the corn fields of Mexico to the milk dairies of Bulgaria as we seek the origins of some our favorite foods to deepen our understanding of why we eat them. This is food as you’ve never seen it before.  Airs Thursdays 2-3 a.m. beginning 5/16.

• #101 – Discover how the chemistry in our food affects our brains and creates our deepest cravings.
• #102 – Learn about the science that makes our food taste delicious and the powerful effect it has on our tongue and nose.
• #103 – Learn how the hidden chemistry in every mouthful of food keeps our bodies fit and healthy.

Website

REQUEST THIS RECORDING

Trace the World War II years and those that follow, as Latino Americans serve their new country by the hundreds of thousands – yet still face discrimination and a fight for civil rights in the United States.

Airs 5/15 at 2 a.m.

website

REQUEST THIS RECORDING