Offair Listings

Trace the history of women pioneers in the U.S. Space program. Some, like aviators Wally Funk and Jerrie Cobb, passed the same grueling tests as male astronauts, only to be dismissed by NASA, the military and even Lyndon Johnson, as a distraction. It wasn’t until 1995 that Eileen Collins became the first woman to pilot a spacecraft. The program includes interviews with Collins, as well as Sally Ride’s classmates, Shannon Lucid, Rhea Seddon and Kathryn Sullivan, and features Mae Jemison, the first woman of color astronaut, and Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station. The hour ends with the next generation of women engineers, mathematicians and astronauts-the new group of pioneers, like Marleen Martinez and Dava Newman, who continue to make small but significant steps forward.

Airs on WXXI March 19, 2018 at 3:00 am (1 hour long)
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With permission from Queen Elizabeth, this program covers a year in Buckingham Palace Garden, exploring the history and the natural history of this remarkable hidden royal treasure in the heart of London.

Airs on WXXI-TV March 18, 2018 at 7:00 pm (1 hour long)
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1916 is a landmark documentary giving a comprehensive overview of the Easter Rising, looking at the enormous impact it had both here and around the world and the crucial role played by Irish America in the lead up to the rebellion, narrated by actor Liam Neeson. Told in a series of three episodes, each episode is one hour long.

Episode One Awakening Crucial in setting up the context for our dramatic story for the events of Easter week.

Episode Two Insurrection The story of the Easter Rising rebellion. The separatist Irish Republican Brotherhood infiltrated the Irish Volunteer Movement and attempted to secure help from Germany. Also: what the British intelligence service knew beforehand.

Episode Three When Myth and History Rhyme An examination of the aftermath and response to the Easter Rising in Ireland and abroad. Although it failed, the rebellion changed the course of Irish history by creating the conditions for a national revolution.

Airs on WXXI-TV March 18, 2018 at 8:00 pm (3 hour long episodes back to back)
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On any day, at any time, the person driving in the next lane could be impaired. Increasingly, health care, safety and law enforcement experts point to a dangerous new trend — driving impaired from illegal drugs, pills or even common prescription medicines. The threat is the greatest during the evening hours on weekends when as many as one in four drivers could be impaired, according to studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Drugged Driving” addresses this new and dangerous trend and what is being done to improve safety. It explores how medications can impair vision and balance, cause drowsiness or even render a driver unconscious.

Airs on WXXI-TV March 7, 2018 at 3:00 am (Half hour long)

The rich history of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) began before the end of slavery, flourished in the 20th century, and profoundly influenced the course of the nation for over 150 years — yet remains largely unknown. With Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities, the latest documentary from Stanley Nelson (Black Panthers, Freedom Riders) and Marco Williams, the powerful story of the rise, influence, and evolution of HBCUs comes to life. A haven for Black intellectuals, artists, and revolutionaries — and a path of promise toward the American dream — HBCUs have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field while remaining unapologetically Black for more than 150 years.

These institutions have nurtured some of the most influential Americans of our time, from Booker T. Washington to Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois to Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison to Oprah Winfrey, Alice Walker to Spike Lee to Common. A key driver of Black social, political and economic progress, HBCUs were also a place of unprecedented freedom for African American students and a refuge from the rampant racism that raged outside the campus walls. Tell Them We Are Rising captures this important history to tell the dynamic story of Americans who refused to be denied a higher education and — in their resistance — created a set of institutions that would influence and shape the landscape of the country for centuries to come.

Aired on WXXI-HD March 5, 2018 at 9:00 pm
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Author Beverly Cleary created some of the most loved characters in children’s literature, including Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins and Ralph S. Mouse, among many others. In Discovering Beverly Cleary, we will celebrate her life, her literature and her legacy.

Aired on WXXI-TV March 5, 2018 at 1:00 am (Half hour long)
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