Vol 21, issue 5 / may 2013
Mr. Showbiz
American Masters Mel Brooks:
Make a Noise
After 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks
has earned more major awards than any other
living entertainer. The comedy giant has energetically avoided a documentary profile being made—until now.
American Masters Mel Brooks: Make a Noise journeys through Brooks’ colorful
career, from his early years in live television as a writer for Sid Caesar’s Your Show
of Shows to his wildly comedic films such as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles,
and The Producers—which later evolved into the Tony-winning musical of the same
name. Featuring interviews with Brooks, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris
Leachman, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, and many others, it offers a fascinating look at
the Mel Brooks we know and love—and the Mel Brooks we don’t know at all.
To whet your appetite, we’ve gathered some surprising facts about the life, career,
and outrageously amazing world of Mel Brooks.
The Ethel Merman
Fan Club
Brooks saw his first
Broadway musical when
he was nine years old.
The show was Anything
Goes starring Ethel Merman—and it changed his
life forever. “It was one
incredible number after
the other. I was literally crying with happiness,” he tells American Masters.
Master to Master
When Brooks shot High Anxiety, a sendup of Vertigo and other Alfred Hitchcock
films, the master of comedy turned to the
master of suspense. He shared a rough cut
of the film with Hitchcock, who declared
the spoof of the infamous shower scene
in Psycho brilliant. “And then he said you
got one thing wrong,” Brooks reveals in
the American Masters film. “Shower rings,
you have 13. We only had ten.”
Reading is Fundamental
Brooks rarely goes to bed before 3 a.m.
and spends the latenight hours reading
the classics. His 1970 film The Twelve
front COVER: Courtesy of Michael Grecco. this spread: (mel brooks) Pamela Barkentin Blackburn; (ETHEL MERMAN) NBC/Photofest; (high anxiety) 20th Century Fox / Photofest;
(Errol Flynn) Photofest; (Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel, Kenneth Mars) AVCO Embassy Pictures/Photofest
Mon 20th, 9 p.m.; thirteen.org/americanmasters
thirteen.org 1
Chairs, about a young man’s search for
chairs confiscated by the Soviet government, was based on a 1928 Russian novel.
Call Him Irresistible
Brooks first met his late wife Anne
Bancroft on the set of The Perry
Como Show in 1961. She fell in love
with him instantly. “He looked like
my father and he acted like my
mother,” she explains. They were married
for 41 years until her death in 2005.
His Favorite
Year
The 1982 film My
Favorite Year was
inspired by Brooks’
experience with
Errol Flynn, who
appeared in an
episode of Your
Show of Shows.
Brooks, a junior writer on the program,
was asked to chaperone the notorious
ladies’ man. “I was locked in the Waldorf Towers with Errol Flynn and two
red-headed, Cuban sisters,” he said
in a Film Score magazine interview. “It
was the craziest weekend of my life.”
They Like Him. They Really Like Him.
Three of Brooks’ films ranked in
the American Film Institutes’s list
of top 100 comedy films of all time:
Blazing Saddles (#6), The Producers
(#11), and Young Frankenstein (#13). In
June, he will be honored with an AFI Life
Achievement Award, the highest honor
for a career in film.
Want More Mel?
Visit thirteen.org/americanmasters
•Win a pair of tickets to the
New York premiere of American
Masters Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
at the 92nd Street Y Wednesday,
May 15 at 7:15 p.m. The screening
will include a conversation with
Brooks, who will participate live via
satellite from L.A.; choreographer
Susan Stroman; filmmaker Robert
Trachtenberg; and moderator
Joy Behar.
•Join filmmaker Robert Trachtenberg for an online OVEE live-chat
and screening.
•Enter to win the Mel Brooks:
Make a Noise DVD and The Incredible Mel Brooks DVD box set,
watch web-exclusive film outtakes, and check out memorable
Mel Brooks movie moments in our
online slideshow.
American Masters is made possible by the support of the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding for American Masters is provided by Rosalind P. Walter, Cheryl and
Philip Milstein Family, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Rolf and Elizabeth Rosenthal, Jack Rudin, The André
and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, Michael & Helen Schaffer Foundation, and public television viewers. Additional
support for this program is provided by Vital Projects Fund.
2
evening and night
Aired earlier
this month
To be announced
Visit thirteen.org
for related activities
5/02 EARLY THURSDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 The Dust Bowl
3:00 Frontline
4:00 Independent Lens [R]
4:00 Independent Lens [R]
5:00 Invitation to World
Literature
3 FRIDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Washington Week
With Gwen Ifill Repeats
2 THURSDAY
1 Wednesday
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE
Nature: “Legendary
White Stallions” Vienna’s
famous Lipizzaner stallions, bred for courage,
strength and character.
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE NYC-ARTS
With Philippe de Montebello
and Paula Zahn. Repeats
Sat 4th, 9am.
8:30 PREMIERE Need to
Know With Jeff Greenfield,
Maria Hinojosa, Scott
Simon, and Ray Suarez.
Repeats Sat 4th, 9:30am.
Sun 5th, 12noon.
Repeats early Fri 3rd, 1am;
8:30 PREMIERE
MetroFocus Interviews,
in-depth reporting, and
stories from across the
metropolitan region.
Sat 4th, 5pm and early
Repeats Sat 4th, 10am.
9:00 PREMIERE Great
Performances: “Paul
Taylor Dance Company
in Paris” The company
dances Taylor’s masterworks Brandenburgs and
Beloved Renegade.
©René Van Bakel
9:00 PREMIERE Great
Performances at the Met:
“Un Ballo in Maschera”
Marcelo Álvarez, Dmitri
Hvorostovsky and Sondra
Radvanovsky star in David
Alden’s production of
the Verdi opera. Repeats
9:00 PREMIERE NOVA:
“Australia’s First 4 Billion
Years: Strange Creatures”
Bizarre fauna from the land
Down Under. Repeats early
Fri 3rd, 2am.
Sun 5th, 12:30pm.
11:30 Charlie Rose Repeats
Fri 3rd, 1:30pm.
5/03 EARLY FRIDAY AM
12:30 Tavis Smiley Repeats
10:00 PREMIERE Secrets
of the Dead: “Bugging
Hitler’s Soldiers” See highlight on page 3. Repeats
Fri 3rd, 1pm.
early Fri 3rd, 3am and early
1:00 Nature See Wed 1st, 8pm.
Paul B. Goode
Mon 6th, 3am.
10:00 PREMIERE
Dangerous Edge: A Life
of Graham Greene The
acclaimed writer was a
manic-depressive, a doubting Catholic, and a British
spy. Repeats early Sat 4th,
Repeats Sat 4th, 5pm and
2am and early Tue 7th, 4am.
early Mon 6th, 3am.
11:00 Charlie Rose
Mon 6th, 1:30pm.
Mon 6th, 4am.
2:00 NOVA [R]
3:00 Secrets of the Dead
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
See Wed 1st, 10pm. Repeats
Thu 2nd, 1:30pm.
early Mon 6th, 4am.
5/04 EARLY SATURDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
Repeats
© October Films
symbol key
thirteen.org 3
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Theater Talk
1:30 Film School Shorts
2:00 Dangerous Edge: A
Life of Graham Greene [R]
3:00 Masterpiece Classic
4:00 Call the Midwife [R]
5:00 The Bletchley Circle
Sun 5th, 5:10am.
1:10 Reel 13 Classics See
Sat 4th, 9pm. [R]
of 8) Repeats early Tue 7th,
3:10 Reel 13 Indies See
2am and early Sat 11th, 4am.
Sat 4th, 11pm. Repeats early
9:00 PREMIERE
Masterpiece Classic:
“Mr. Selfridge” Two
dead relatives show up at
a store séance prompted
by Sherlock Holmes creator
Arthur Conan Doyle. (Part 6
Wed 8th, 1am. [R]
5 SUNDAY
4 SATURDAY
6:00 Mike Colameco’s
Real Food
6:30 Lidia’s Italy in America
7:00 The This Old House Hour
8:00 Keeping Up
Appearances
8:30 As Time Goes By
9:00 PREMIERE Reel 13
Classics: “Planet of the
Apes” (1968) An astronaut
(Charlton Heston) timetravels to a future planet
ruled by apes who keep
human slaves. Repeats
6:00 PREMIERE Moyers &
Company Repeats Sun 5th,
of 8) Repeats early Tue 7th,
11pm.
1am and early Sat 11th, 3am.
7:00 PREMIERE
Treasures of New York:
“American Museum of
Natural History” Tom
Brokaw hosts this film,
which explores the museum’s history and recent
renovations, including
the North American Hall
of Mammals and the
Teddy Roosevelt Memorial. Repeats Fri 10th, 10pm
and early Mon 13th, 2am.
early Sun 5th, 1:10am.
early Sun 5th, 3:10am and
early Wed 8th, 1am.
5/05 EARLY SUNDAY AM
1:05 PREMIERE Reel 13
Shorts Repeats early
10:00 PREMIERE The
Bletchley Circle
Planting false clues,
the killer leads Susan into
a trap. (Part 3 of 3) Repeats
early Tue 7th, 3am and
early Sat 11th, 5am.
11:00 Moyers & Company
See Sun 5th, 6pm. [R]
5/06 EARLY MONDAY AM
12:00 The Dust Bowl
(Part 2 of 2) [R]
2:00 Frontline. [R]
3:00 Nature See Wed 1st,
8pm. [R]
4:00 Secrets of the Dead
See Wed 1st, 10pm. [R]
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe
©AMNH\D. Finnin
11:00 PREMIERE Reel 13
Indies: “Beijing Bicycle”
(2002) A 17-year-old
courier enlists the help
of a schoolboy to find his
stolen bicycle. Repeats
tuberculosis screening
facilities to Poplar. (Part 6
6 MONDAY
8:00 PREMIERE Call
the Midwife Dr. Turner
campaigns to bring
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
Secrets of the Dead: Bugging Hitler’s Soldiers
Wed 1st, 10 p.m.; thirteen.org/secrets
Spied upon by MI19 in an audacious bugging operation, 4,000
German POWs revealed their inner thoughts about the Third
Reich and military secrets that helped the Allies win World War
II. These secret recordings, dramatically reconstructed in this
film, offer a chilling inside look at the Nazi regime.
4
evening and night
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE Antiques
Roadshow: “Rapid City,
South Dakota” Repeats
7 TUESDAY
9:00 Antiques Roadshow:
“Secaucus, New Jersey”
5:30 BBC World News America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Jesse James:
American Experience
Repeats early Wed 8th, 4am. [R]
Repeats early Thu 9th, 1am.
10:00 PREMIERE
Independent Lens:
“Seeking Asian Female”
An elderly American man
and a young Chinese
woman pursue an internet
marriage. Repeats early
9:00 PREMIERE Constitution USA With Peter Sagal:
“A More Perfect Union”
The Constitution’s delicate
balance of power. Repeats
early Wed 8th, 3am.
early Thu 9th, 2am.
6:00 NJ Today With
Mike Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE
Nature: “The Private Life
of Deer” A new view of
white-tailed deer as intelligent, affectionate family
members. Repeats early
Fri 10th, 1am; Sat 11th, 5pm;
and early Mon 13th, 3am.
9:00 NOVA: “Venom:
Nature’s Killer” Natural
toxicity of the planet’s
most deadly creatures.
12mid.
10:00 PREMIERE TED
Talks Education See highlight on this page. Repeats
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
early Thu 9th, 3am and
and early Mon 13th, 4am.
Tue 7th, 1:30pm.
Sun 12th, 7pm.
10:00 PREMIERE Secrets
of the Dead: “Death on
the Railroad” Investigating
the deaths of 57 Irish immigrants hired to lay railroad
tracks in Pennsylvania in
1832. Repeats early Fri 10th,
Thu 9th, 4am and Sun 12th,
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
5/07 EARLY TUESDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley Repeats
Wed 8th, 1:30pm.
Tue 7th, 1pm.
5/08 EARLY WEDNESDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Reel 13 Indies See
12:30 Conversations at
NJPAC
1:00 Masterpiece Classic
See Sun 5th, 9pm. Repeats
Repeats early Fri 10th, 2am
3am.
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
early Sat 11th, 3am. [R]
Sat 4th, 11pm. [R]
2:00 Call the Midwife
3:00 Antiques Roadshow
See Sun 5th, 8pm. Repeats
See Mon 6th, 8pm. [R]
early Sat 11th, 4am.
4:00 Antiques Roadshow
3:00 The Bletchley Circle
See Mon 6th, 9pm. [R]
Thu 9th, 1pm.
See Sun 5th, 10pm. Repeats
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Jesse James:
American Experience [R]
2:00 Constitution USA
With Peter Sagal [R]
early Sat 11th, 5am.
4:00 Dangerous Edge:
A Life of Graham Greene
8 WEDNESDAY
See Fri 3rd, 10pm. [R]
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe
5:30 BBC World News America
TED Talks Education
Tue 7th, 10 p.m.; thirteen.org/tedtalkseducation
Geoffrey Canada, Bill Gates, John Legend, Rita Pierson, Sir
Ken Robinson, and other education leaders deliver inspiring
talks on teaching and learning. In partnership with TED, the
non-profit organization promoting Ideas Worth Sharing, the
program is part of CPB’s American Graduate initiative which
explores innovative solutions to the dropout crisis.
Thu 9th, 1:30pm.
5/09 EARLY THURSDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley Repeats
thirteen.org 5
3:00 TED Talks Education
3:00 Secrets of the Dead
See Tue 7th, 10pm. Repeats
See Wed 8th, 10pm. [R]
Sun 12th, 7pm.
4:00 Globe Trekker [R]
5:00 Invitation to World
Literature
4:00 Independent Lens
[R]
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe
9 THURSDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE NYC-ARTS
With Philippe de Montebello
and Paula Zahn. Repeats
Sun 12th, 12noon.
8:30 PREMIERE
MetroFocus Interviews,
in-depth reporting, and
solutions-oriented stories
from across the metropolitan region. Repeats
10 FRIDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Washington Week
With Gwen Ifill Repeats
Sat 11th, 9am.
8:30 PREMIERE Need to
Know With Jeff Greenfield,
Maria Hinojosa, Scott
Simon, and Ray Suarez.
Repeats Sat 11th, 9:30am.
11 SATURDAY
6:00 Mike Colameco’s
Real Food
6:30 Lidia’s Italy in
America
7:00 The This Old House
Hour
8:00 Keeping Up
Appearances
8:30 As Time Goes By
9:00 Reel 13 Classics:
“Rain Man” (1988) A
wheeler-dealer (Tom
Cruise) meets his brother
(Dustin Hoffman), an
autistic-savant and heir to
millions. Repeats early
Sun 12th, 1:10am.
11:20 Reel 13 Indies: “You
Will Meet a Tall Dark
Stranger” (2010) Two
marriages head for the
rocks. With Josh Brolin,
and Naomi Watts. Directed
by Woody Allen. Repeats
9:00 PREMIERE Jake
Shimabukuro: Life on
Four Strings On the road
with the ukulele virtuoso.
early Sun 12th, 3:30am and
Sat 11th, 10am.
Repeats Sun 12th, 2:30pm and
early Wed 15th, 1am.
9:00 Masterpiece Mystery!:
“Miss Marple, Series V:
The Blue Geranium” Miss
Marple tries to find an
ingenious killer. Repeats
early Mon 13th, 1am.
Sun 5th, 7pm. Repeats early
early Sat 11th, 1:30am.
Mon 13th, 2am. [R]
Sat 11th, 9pm. [R]
10:30 PREMIERE New
York Originals The Lower
East Side business Russ &
Daughters.
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
3:30 Reel 13 Indies See
Mon 13th, 1:30pm.
Sat 11th, 11:20pm. Repeats
Fri 10th, 1:30pm.
Mon 13th, 1pm.
5/10 EARLY FRIDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley Repeats
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Theater Talk
1:30 Masterpiece Mystery
6:00 PREMIERE Moyers &
Company Repeats Sun 12th,
Fri 10th, 1pm.
10:00 Treasures of New
York: “American Museum
of Natural History” See
5/12 EARLY SUNDAY AM
1:05 PREMIERE Reel 13
Shorts [R]
1:10 Reel 13 Classics See
early Wed 15th, 1am. [R]
5/11 EARLY SATURDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley Repeats
12 SUNDAY
11pm.
7:00 TED Talks Education
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Nature See Wed 8th,
See Thu 9th, 9pm. [R]
See Tue 7th, 10pm. [R]
3:00 Masterpiece Classic
8pm. Repeats Sat 11th, 5pm
4:00 Call the Midwife
and early Mon 13th, 3am.
See Sun 5th, 8pm. [R]
8:00 PREMIERE Call the
Midwife Jenny treats a
black mother-to-be, who
faces prejudice. (Part 7 of 8)
[R]
5:00 The Bletchley Circle
Repeats early Tue 14th, 2am
2:00 NOVA [R]
See Sun 5th, 10pm. [R]
and early Sat 18th, 4am.
See Sun 5th, 9pm. [R]
6
evening and night
9:00 PREMIERE
Masterpiece Classic:
“Mr. Selfridge” F.W. Woolworth tries to undercut
Harry. (Part 7 of 8) Repeats
11:30 Charlie Rose Repeats
Tue 14th, 1:30pm.
early Tue 14th, 1am and
5/14 EARLY TUESDAY AM
12:30 Tavis Smiley
1:00 Masterpiece Classic
early Sat 18th, 3am.
See Sun 12th, 9pm. Repeats
10:00 PREMIERE 10
Buildings That Changed
America Repeats early
early Sat 18th, 3am.
Sun 12th, 8pm. Repeats early
Tue 14th, 3am.
Sat 18th, 4am.
11:00 Moyers & Company
3:00 10 Buildings That
Changed America [R]
4:00 Treasures of New
York [R]
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe
See Sun 12th, 6pm. [R]
5/13 EARLY MONDAY AM
12:00 Independent Lens
2:00 Call the Midwife See
See Mon 6th, 10pm. [R]
1:00 Jake Shimabukuro:
Life on Four Strings [R]
2:00 Treasures of New
York See sun 5th, 7pm. [R]
3:00 Nature See Wed 8th,
8pm. [R]
4:00 NOVA [R]
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe.
13 MONDAY
14 TUESDAY
4:45 The Art of Horace
Pippin
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe
15 WEDNESDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE Nature:
“The Great Zebra Exodus”
Spectacular migration of
20,000 zebras across
Botswana’s Kalahari.
Repeats early Fri 17th, 1am
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Annie Oakley:
American Experience
and early Mon 20th, 3:30am.
9:00 PREMIERE NOVA:
“Decoding Neanderthals”
What happened when
Homo Sapiens met Neanderthals over 60,000 years
ago. Repeats early Fri 17th,
2am and early Mon 20th,
Repeats early Thu 16th, 1am.
4:30am.
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With
Mike Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE
Antiques Roadshow:
“Seattle, Washington”
9:00 PREMIERE
Constitution USA With
Peter Sagal: “It’s a Free
Country” The history of the
Bill of Rights. Repeats early
10:00 PREMIERE Secrets
of the Dead: “Caveman
Cold Case” A tomb of
Neanderthal bones is discovered in Spain. Repeats
Repeats early Wed 15th,
2:45am.
9:00 Antiques Roadshow:
“Houston, Texas” Repeats
early Wed 15th, 3:45am. [R]
Thu 16th, 2am.
early Fri 17th, 3am and early
10:00 Frontline
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
Mon 20th, 2:30am.
Wed 15th, 1:30pm.
Thu 16th, 1:30pm.
5/15 EARLY WEDNESDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Reel 13 Indies
5/16 EARLY THURSDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Annie Oakley:
American Experience [R]
2:00 Constitution USA
With Peter Sagal [R]
3:00 Frontline Episode TBA.
4:00 POV [R]
5:00 Rick Steves’ Europe
10:00 PREMIERE
Independent Lens: “The
Invisible War” The rape
epidemic within the U.S. military. Repeats early Sat 18th,
2:45 Antiques Roadshow
1:30am and Sun 19th, 12mid.
See Mon 13th, 9pm. [R]
See Sat 11th, 11:20pm. [R]
See Mon 13th, 8pm. [R]
3:45 Antiques Roadshow
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
thirteen.org 7
ART MEETS IDEAS MEETS YOU
Exhibitions | Talks | Family Programs | Free Friday Nights | Films | Concerts | Shop | Café
RMA nyc.org
150 West 17th Street, NYC 10011
Image credits: (top row) Gatekeeper Vajrasphota; western Tibet; 11th–12th century; silver with copper inlay and traces of pigment with copper alloy base; long-term loan from the Nyingjei Lam
Collection; L2005.9.30 (HAR 68449), (middle row) Buddha Western Himalayas; ca. 12th–13th century Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; C2004.11.1 (HAR 65355), (bottom row) Homai
Vyawawalla, Indian (1913–2012); Nehru releasing a dove, sign of peace at a public function at the National Stadium in New Delhi; mid 1950’s Gelatin Silver Print; Alkazi Collection of Photography
8
evening and night
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE Supertorm Sandy: Six Months
Later & Counting See
highlight on this page.
Repeats Sat 18th, 4pm.
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
Fri 17th, 1:30pm.
5/17 EARLY FRIDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Nature See Wed 15th,
8pm. Repeats early Mon 20th,
3:30am.
2:00 NOVA
3:00 Secrets of the Dead
See Wed 15th, 10pm. Repeats
early Mon 20th, 2:30am.
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Washington Week
With Gwen Ifill
8:30 PREMIERE Need to
Know With Jeff Greenfield,
Maria Hinojosa, Scott
Simon, and Ray Suarez.
Repeats Sat 18th, 9:30am.
8:30 As Time Goes By
9:00 PREMIERE Reel 13
Classics: “Witness for the
Prosecution” (1957) A
barrister (Charles
Laughton) defends an
accused murderer (Tyrone
Power) despite damaging
testimony from his wife
(Marlene Dietrich). Repeats
9:00 PREMIERE Great
Performances at the Met:
“Rigoletto” Director
Michael Mayer’s production
is set in 1960 Las Vegas.
With Piotr Beczala, Željko
Lucic, and Diana Damrau.
Renée Fleming hosts.
early Sun 19th, 1:10am.
Repeats Sun 19th, 12:30pm.
early Wed 22nd, 1am.
11:05 PREMIERE Reel 13
Indies: “The Company”
(2003) Neve Campbell
as a ballet dancer poised
for stardom. Directed by
Robert Altman. Repeats
early Sun 19th, 3:15am and
11:30 Charlie Rose Repeats
Mon 20th, 1:30pm.
5/18 EARLY SATURDAY AM
12:30 Tavis Smiley
1:00 Theater Talk
1:30 Independent Lens [R]
3:00 Masterpiece Classic
5/19 EARLY SUNDAY AM
1:05 PREMIERE Reel 13
Shorts [R]
1:10 Reel 13 Classics See
Sat 18th, 9pm. [R]
3:15 Reel 13 Indies See
Sat 18th, 11:05pm. [R]
See Sun 12th, 9pm. [R]
4:00 Call the Midwife
4:00 Globe Trekker [R]
5:00 Invitation to World
Literature
See Sun 12th, 8pm. [R]
17 FRIDAY
18 SATURDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
7:00 The This Old House
Hour
8:00 Keeping Up
Appearances
5:00 Journey of the
Bonesetter’s Daughter
19 SUNDAY
6:00 PREMIERE Moyers &
Company Repeats Sun 19th,
11pm.
7:00 PREMIERE Service:
When Women Come
Marching Home Disabled
female veterans return to
civilian life. Repeats early
Tue 21st, 3:30am.
Superstorm Sandy: Six Months Later & Counting
Thu 16th, 8 p.m.; thirteen.org
In this live broadcast airing simultaneously on THIRTEEN,
WLIW21, and NJTV, NJ Today’s Mike Schneider moderates a town hall
with area experts and studio audiences. It includes correspondent
reports from around the region to assess the recovery of local
communities hardest hit by the hurricane.
Joseph sinnott/©wnet
16 THURSDAY
thirteen.org 9
Repeats early Tue 21st,
2:30am and early Sat 25th,
4:30am.
9:00 PREMIERE
Masterpiece Classic:
“Mr. Selfridge” Tragedy
strikes on the day explorer
Sir Ernest Shackleton
visits. (Part 8 of 8) Repeats
early Tue 21st, 1am and early
Sat 25th, 3am.
10:30 NYC-ARTS With
Philippe de Montebello and
Paula Zahn. [R]
11:00 Moyers & Company
See Sun 19th, 6pm. [R]
Repeats early Wed 22nd, 3am
and Sun 26th, 9:30pm.
10:30 Pioneers of
Television: “Carol Burnett
& the Funny Ladies” The
pioneering entertainers
who paved the way for
today’s TV comediennes.
Repeats early Sat 25th,
5:30am.
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
Tue 21st, 1:30pm.
5/21 EARLY TUESDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 Conversations at
NJPAC
1:00 Masterpiece Classic
See Sun 19th, 9pm. Repeats
early Sat 25th, 3am. [R]
2:30 Call the Midwife See
5/20 EARLY MONDAY AM
12:00 Independent Lens [R]
1:30 POV [R]
2:30 Secrets of the Dead
See Wed 15th, 10pm. [R]
3:30 Nature See Wed 15th,
8pm. [R]
Sun 19th, 8pm. Repeats early
Sat 25th, 4:30am. [R]
3:30 Service: When
Women Come Marching
Home See Sun 19th, 7pm. [R]
4:30 Anna May Wong: In
Her Own Words
4:30 NOVA [R]
20 MONDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE Antiques
Roadshow: “Seattle,
Washington” Repeats
early Wed 22nd, 4:30am.
9:00 PREMIERE
American Masters: “Mel
Brooks: Make a Noise” The
comedy giant’s life and
career, from his early days
in live television to his outrageous movies, Broadway
musicals, and more.
Special
Member Offer
21 TUESDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE Ghost
Army The true story of
American G.I.s who tricked
the enemy with sound
effects and visual illusions during World War II.
Serino/Coyne
8:00 PREMIERE Call the
Midwife The local convent
comes under threat of
demolition. (Part 8 of 8)
Tony winner
Nathan Lane is
back on Broadway
with his Producers
co-star Cady Huffman in The Nance,
Douglas Carter
Beane’s new play set
in the world of 1930s
burlesque. Join us at
the Lyceum Theatre
on Wednesday,
May 29 at 8 p.m.,
Thursday, May 30 at
8 p.m., or Saturday,
June 1 at 2 p.m. Your
donation includes a
pair of tickets plus
the official show
poster – and it’s a
wonderful way to
support THIRTEEN!
Repeats early Thu 23rd,
1am and Sun 26th, 7pm.
9:00 PREMIERE
Constitution USA With
Peter Sagal: “Created
Equal” The Fourteenth
Go online to
thirteen.org/tickets
or call 800-468-9913
to make a donation.
10
evening and night
5/22 EARLY WEDNESDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley Repeats
Wed 22nd, 1pm.
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Reel 13 Indies See
Sat 18th, 11:05pm. [R]
3:00 Mel Brooks: American
Masters See Mon 20th, 9pm.
Repeats Sun 26th, 9:30pm.
[R]
4:30 Antiques Roadshow
See Mon 20th, 8pm. [R]
22 WEDNESDAY
5/23 EARLY THURSDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley Repeats
Thu 23rd, 1pm.
[R]
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Ghost Army [R]
2:00 Constitution USA
With Peter Sagal [R]
3:00 Frontline
4:00 Hold at All Costs
2:00 NOVA [R]
3:00 Secrets of the Dead
See Wed 22nd, 10pm. Repeats
early Mon 27th, 4:30am. [R]
4:00 Independent Lens [R]
24 FRIDAY
23 THURSDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Washington Week
With Gwen Ifill
8:30 PREMIERE Need to
Know With Jeff Greenfield,
Maria Hinojosa, Scott
Simon, and Ray Suarez.
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE NYC-ARTS
With Philippe de Montebello
and Paula Zahn. Repeats
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Nature: “The White
Lions” Two extremely
rare white lion cubs face
survival challenges on the
South African savanna.
Sun 26th, 12noon.
Repeats early Fri 24th, 1am
early Sat 25th, 1:30am.
and Sat 25th, 5pm.
10:30 PREMIERE Maggie’s
War: A True Story of Courage, Leadership and Valor
in World War II James
Megellas of the 82nd Airborne Division revisits the
scenes of his war service
in Europe. Repeats Sat 25th,
9:00 NOVA: “Secrets of
the Sun” The mystery of
hazardous solar storms.
10:00 Secrets of the Dead:
“The Airmen and the
Headhunters” The story
of airmen shot down over
the jungles of Japaneseoccupied Borneo during
World War II. Repeats early
1:00 Nature See Wed 22nd,
8pm. Repeats Sat 25th, 5pm.
8:30 PREMIERE
MetroFocus Interviews,
in-depth reporting, and
stories from across the
metropolitan region.
Repeats Sat 25th, 9:30am.
9:00 PREMIERE Live
From Lincoln Center:
“Audra McDonald: Go
Back Home” The Broadway star sings personal
favorites and selections
from her new album,
Go Back Home. Repeats
Repeats Sat 25th, 10am.
9:00 Masterpiece Mystery!:
“Poirot X: Third Girl” Poirot
team ups with a crime novelist to solve the death of
an heiress’ nanny. Repeats
3pm.
Sun 26th, 12:30pm.
Chase Newhart
Amendment, passed in
1868, made equality a
constitutional right.
10:00 Frontline
11:00 Charlie Rose
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
5/24 EARLY FRIDAY AM
12:30 Tavis Smiley Repeats
10:00 PREMIERE An
Evening With Berry Gordy
Gwen Ifill interviews the
founder of Motown
Records. Repeats early
Thu 23rd, 1:30pm.
Fri 24th, 1pm.
Wed 29th, 2:35am.
11:30 Charlie Rose Repeats
Fri 24th, 1:30pm.
Fri 24th, 3am and early
Mon 27th, 4:30am.
thirteen.org 11
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
26 SUNDAY
Mon 27th, 1:30pm.
5/25 EARLY SATURDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley Repeats
6:00 PREMIERE Moyers &
Company Repeats Sun 26th,
11pm.
Mon 27th, 1pm.
7:00 Ghost Army see
12:30 One-on-One
1:00 Theater Talk
1:30 Masterpiece Mystery!
tue 21st, 8pm. [R]
See Thu 23rd, 9pm. [R]
3:00 Masterpiece Classic
See Sun 19th, 9pm. [R]
4:30 Call the Midwife See
Sun 19th, 8pm. [R]
25 SATURDAY
6:00 Mike Colameco’s Real
Food
6:30 Lidia’s Italy in America
7:00 The This Old House Hour
8:00 Keeping Up
Appearances
8:30 As Time Goes By
9:00 PREMIERE Reel 13
Classics: “Hoosiers” (1986)
Gene Hackman as the
coach of a high-school
basketball team. Repeats
early Sun 26th, 12:40am.
11:00 PREMIERE Reel 13
Indies: “Barney’s Version”
(2010) The politically
incorrect life of a man with
Alzheimer’s Disease. With
Paul Giamatti. Repeats
early Sun 26th, 2:40am and
early Wed 29th, 1am.
5/26 EARLY SUNDAY AM
12:35 PREMIERE Reel 13
Shorts [R]
12:40 Reel 13 Classics See
Sat 25th, 9pm. [R]
2:40 Reel 13 Indies See
Sat 25th, 11pm. Repeats early
Wed 29th, 1am. [R]
4:15 Reel 13 Shorts [R]
4:20 Film School Shorts
4:50 Globe Trekker [R]
11:30 Charlie Rose Repeats
Tue 28th, 1:30pm.
8:00 PREMIERE
National Memorial Day
Concert Joe Mantegna
and Gary Sinese honor
our troops with an all-star
lineup and the National
Symphony Orchestra at the
U.S. Capitol. Repeats early
5/28 EARLY TUESDAY AM
12:30 Tavis Smiley
1:00 National Memorial
Day Concert [R]
2:30 Into Harm’s Way [R]
4:00 Every Day Is a
Holiday
5:00 Invitation to World
Literature
28 TUESDAY
Tue 28th, 1am.
9:30 American Masters:
“Mel Brooks: Make a
Noise” See Mon 20th, 9pm.
[R]
11:00 Moyers & Company
See Sun 26th, 6pm. [R]
5/27 EARLY MONDAY AM
12:00 Into Harm’s Way
1:30 Hold at All Costs [R]
3:00 Independent Lens [R]
4:30 Secrets of the Dead
See Wed 22nd, 10pm. [R]
27 MONDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE Antiques
Roadshow: “Seattle,
Washington”
9:00 Antiques Roadshow:
“Atlanta, Georgia”
10:00 PREMIERE
Independent Lens:
“Detropia” Post-industrial
Detroit rises from the
ashes. Repeats early
Thu 30th, 4am.
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 TBA
9:00 PREMIERE
Constitution USA With
Peter Sagal: “Built to
Last?” How our founding
document has lasted more
than 225 years.
10:00 Frontline
11:00 Charlie Rose
5/29 EARLY WEDNESDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Reel 13 Indies [R]
2:35 An Evening with Berry
Gordy See Fri 24th, 10pm. [R]
3:35 Antiques Roadshow
See Mon 27th, 8pm. [R]
4:30 Antiques Roadshow
See Mon 27th, 9pm. [R]
29 WEDNESDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
12
evening and night
6:00 NJ Today With
Mike Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Nature: “The
Himalayas” Wildlife and
habitat diversity among
the world’s highest peaks.
Repeats early Fri 31st,
1am.
9:00 NOVA: “The
Deadliest Tornadoes” The
science behind the April
2011 tornadoes.
10:00 NOVA: “The
Deadliest Earthquakes”
U.S. geologists in Haiti
hunt for evidence to
determine the risk of
a new killer quake.
30 THURSDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business
Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 PREMIERE NYC-ARTS
With Philippe de Montebello
and Paula Zahn.
8:30 PREMIERE
MetroFocus Interviews,
in-depth reporting, and
stories from across the
metropolitan region.
9:00 Masterpiece Mystery!:
“Poirot X: Appointment
with Death” Murder at
an archaeological site in
Syria. Repeats early Sat 1st,
Repeats early Fri 31st,
1:30am.
3am.
10:30 PREMIERE New
York Originals The Lemon
Ice King of Corona.
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
11:00 Charlie Rose Repeats
Thu 30th, 1:30pm.
5/30 EARLY THURSDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 TBA
2:00 Constitution USA
With Peter Sagal
3:00 Frontline
4:00 Independent Lens
Fri 31st, 1:30pm.
5/31 EARLY FRIDAY AM
12:00 Tavis Smiley
12:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
1:00 Nature See Wed 29th,
3:00 NOVA [R]
4:00 Krakatoa
31 FRIDAY
5:30 BBC World News
America
6:00 NJ Today With Mike
Schneider
6:30 Nightly Business Report
7:00 PBS NewsHour
8:00 Washington Week
With Gwen Ifill
8:30 PREMIERE Need to
Know
9:00 Ellen DeGeneres: The
Mark Twain Prize Repeats
early Sat 1st, 3am.
10:30 American Masters:
“I.M. Pei: Building China
Modern” The architect
designs a museum to house
the antiquities of Suzhou in
his native China.
11:30 Charlie Rose
6/01 EARLY SATURDAY AM
12:30 Tavis Smiley
1:00 Theater Talk
1:30 Masterpiece Mystery!
See Thu 30th, 9pm. [R]
3:00 Ellen DeGeneres: The
Mark Twain Prize See
8pm. [R]
Fri 31st, 9pm. [R]
2:00 NOVA [R]
4:30 Krakatoa
[R]
More ways to watch
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thirteen.org 13
weekends
SATURDAYS
6:00 Teaching Channel
Presents
7:00 Expeditions
With Patrick McMillan
7:30 One-on-One With
Steve Adubato
8:00 Consuelo Mack
WealthTrack
8:30 New Jersey
Capitol Report
9:00 Washington Week [R]
9:30 Need to Know
10:00 MetroFocus
10:30 Religion & Ethics
NewsWeekly
11:00 New York NOW
11:30 To the Contrary With
Bonnie Erbe
12:00 Richard Heffner’s
Open Mind
12:30 Caucus: New Jersey
1:00 Designing Healthy
Communities: “Retrofitting
Suburbia” (4th);
“Rebuilding the Places of
the Heart” (11th); “Social
Policy in Concrete” (18th);
“A Town Hall Meeting”
(25th)
2:00 The Dust Bowl:
“Repeating the Whirlwind”
(4th) Chinese New Year
Celebration: The Year of
the Snake (11th) Designing
Healthy Communities:
“Searching for Shangri-La”
“The Private Life of Deer”
[R] (11th); “The White Lions”
[R] (25th)
SUNDAYS
12:00 NYC-ARTS [R]
12:30 Great Performances
at the Met: “Un Ballo in
Maschera” [R] (5th) Great
Performances: “Tanglewood 75th Anniversary
Celebration – PBS Arts”
(12th) Great Performances
at the Met: “Rigoletto” [R]
(19th); Live From Lincoln
Center: “Audra McDonald:
Go Back Home” [R] (26th)
1:30 West Encounters East
(26th)
2:30 Jake Shimabukuro:
Life on Four Strings (12th)
Anna Mae Wong: In Her
Own Words (26th)
3:00 Invitation to World
Literature (5th, 19th)
3:30 Simply Ming
4:00 Joanne Weir’s Cooking Confidence (5th, 12th)
Chef John Besh’s Family
Table (19th, 26th)
4:30 Martha Stewart’s
Cooking School
5:00 America’s Test Kitchen from Cook’s Illustrated
5:30 Religion & Ethics
NewsWeekly
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(18th)
3:00 Intelligence Squared:
“Should College Football
Be Banned?” (18th)
Maggie’s War: A True Story
of Courage, Leadership
and Valor (25th)
3:30 Invitation to World
Literature (11th)
4:00 Globe Trekker (4th,
11th, 25th) Superstorm
Sandy: Six Months Later &
Counting [R] (18th)
5:00 Nature : “Legendary
White Stallions” [R] (4th);
A Note to Members
You may notice that
Kids listings aren’t included
in this month’s program
guide. This will happen
occasionally due to space
limitations. We apologize
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Please visit thirteen.org/
schedule for the complete
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Great Performances
at the Met: Rigoletto
Fri 17th, 9 p.m.
Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
thirteen.org/gperf