The decoding of the Maya hieroglyphic script has unlocked the secrets of one of mankind’s greatest civilizations. Based on the book by Michael Coe, the program charts the decipherment of the script since the 16th century. Ten-city outreach campaign will conduct Maya hieroglyphic decipherment workshops. Web: www.nightfirefilms.org.

Cezanne in Provence Producing organization: WETA. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: production. Major funders: Eugene B. Casey Foundation. WETA executive in charge: Dalton Delan. Executive producer: Karen Kenton. Producer: Jackson Frost. Contact: Dewey Blanton, dblantonweta.com. Inspired by the exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, doc will examine the art and influence of Paul Cezanne, with emphasis on his work in his native Provence.

Curious George

Danger Rangers

Democracy on Deadline

Don Hewitt Presents

Producing organization: The Hewitt Group. Presenting station: South Carolina ETV. Episodes: 6 x 60. Status: fundraising. Budget: $600,000 per episode. Host: Don Hewitt. Contact: Polly Kosko, 803-737-3372. Hewitt, creator of 60 Minutes, will present what he believes are the best moments from the world’s best documentaries.

The Eisenhower Legacy

Producing organization: Starbright Media Corp. Distributor: APT. Episodes: 2 x 60. Status: postproduction. Executive producer: George Colburn. Contact: Tom Davison, Tom_DavisonAPTonline.org, 617-338-4455, ext. 160. Explores the legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower and showcases critical decisions he made as general and president. Web: eisenhowerlegacy.com.

Forgotten Genius

Producing organization: WGBH. Presented by Nova. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: postproduction. Major funders: PBS, CPB, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, NSF, NEH, American Playhouse, Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, American Chemical Society. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Producer/director: Llew Smith. Producer/Writer: Steve Lyons. Lead actor: Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Contact: Melanie Wallace, melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Tells the powerful, little-known story of 20th-century chemist Percy Julian, an African-American who overcame a daunting series of racial obstacles to become a millionaire and achieve world renown. Library resource kits will be sent to 15,000 public libraries. Online guide for middle and high school educators.

The Gold Rush

Producing organizations: A Yellow Jersey Films production for American Experience in association with KQED, San Francisco. Presenting station: WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: production. Major funders: NEH, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Liberty Mutual, Scotts Co., CPB, PBS. Executive producer: Mark Samels. Producer/director: Randall MacLowry. Writer: Michelle Ferrari. Editor: Jon Neuburger. Contact: Jim Dunford, jim_dunfordwgbh.org, 617-300-5959. Traces the evolution of the Gold Rush from the easy riches of the first few months to the later fierce competitions for a few good claims. Online teachers guide planned.

History Through Deaf Eyes

Producing organizations: A co-production of WETA and Florentine Films/Hott Productions in association with Gallaudet University. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: production. Major funders: NEH, CPB, PBS, Annenberg Foundation for the WETA Program Trust, NEA, Sign Language Association. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan, Karen Kenton. Producer/director: Lawrence Hott. Writer: Ken Chowder. Contact: Kristine Barr, Kbarrweta.com. HD doc explores the past 200 years of deaf life in America and includes short concept films by deaf media artists. Educators’ guide (for middle and high schools) and viewers’ guide planned. Outreach and promotion activities will be designed for both hearing and deaf audiences.

Inside the American Empire
with Robert D. Kaplan

Producing organizations: WETA and 3BM TV, U.K. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan, Jeff Bieber. U.K. executive producer: Phil Craig. Producer: Dennis Wilson. Journalist: Robert D. Kaplan. Contact: Dewey Blanton, dblanton@weta.com, 703-998-2875. Examines key international crisis zones and the challenges they portend for the U.S. military. A project backed by CPB’s America at the Crossroads Initiative.

The Kennedy Center Presents:
The 2006 Mark Twain Prize

Producing organizations: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, WETA, Mark Krantz Productions and Comedia. Episodes: 1 x 90. Status: fundraising. Executive producers: Michael N. Kaiser, Mark Krantz, Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky and, for WETA, Dalton Delan and David S. Thompson. Contact: Dewey Blanton, dblantonweta.com. The ceremonies surrounding the presentation of the 2006 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Past honorees include Carl Reiner, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart and Steve Martin.

Operation Homecoming

Producing organizations: PJ Productions and WETA. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan, David S. Thompson. PJP executive producer: Tom Yellin. Producer: Richard Robbins. Contact: Dewey Blanton, dblanton@weta.com, 703-998-2875. A moving look at returning U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars as they come to terms with their battle experiences through their writing. A project backed by CPB’s America at the Crossroads Initiative.

Marie Antoinette

Producing organizations: David Grubin Productions with Cinétévé. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: complete. Budget: $1.5 million. Major funders: CPB, PBS, BBC, ARTE. Director/writer/producer: David Grubin. Co-producer: Rachel Buchanan. Editors: Seth Bomse, Vincent Stenerson. Cinematographer: James Callahan. Narrator: Blair Brown. Production executive: Bruce Mundt. Contact: Bruce Mundt, bmundt@grubin.com. Her name has become synonymous with the French monarchy and all its excesses, but there is more to the story of Marie Antoinette than the simplistic tale of how a frivolous sovereign helped provoke the uprising that became the French Revolution. The film will trace her journey from her childhood in the palaces of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire to her final hours in a squalid French prison cell.

Mind of China (w.t.)

Producing organizations: KQED, San Francisco, and Granada Television. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: production. Budget: $4.5 million. Major funders: Granada International, PBS, CPB, BBC, KQED Program Venture Fund. Executive producer/director: Jonathan Lewis. Executive producer: Louise Lo. Executive in charge of production: John Boland. Contact: Andy Lynch, alynchkqed.org, 415-553-2391. HD production examines China’s history, tracing the fault lines of current problems and examining the roots of current successes in governance, family, environment and individual freedom.

Most Honorable Son

Producing organizations: KDN Films and NET Television. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: production, editing. Budget: $250,000. NET executive in charge: Michael Farrell. NET executive producer: Christine Lesiak. Producer/writer/director: Bill Kubota. Contact: Bill Kubota, bill.kubotakdnfilms.com, 248-585-9696. Bio of Ben Kuroki, the only Japanese-American to serve in the U.S. Air Corps in World War II. His heroism won him praise from many and derision from internment camp residents.

Nanotechnology: The Convergence
of Science and Society (w.t.)

Producing organizations: Nanotechnology Consortium, which includes OPB, ICAN Productions and Fred Friendly Seminars. Episodes: 3 x 60. Status: preproduction. Budget: $2 million. Major funder: NSF. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Project director/principal investigator: Cynthia Needham. Program producers: Richard Kilberg, Barbara Margolis. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. Examines the social, legal and political implications of the emerging science of nanotechnology. In the classic Fred Friendly format, a moderator guides discussion among high-profile participants. Major outreach, educational and web elements planned in addition to a companion radio series.

New Orleans (w.t.)

One Nation Under Law: The History of the U.S. Supreme Court (w.t.)

Producing organization: WNET. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: production. Major funders: New York Life, MacArthur Foundation. Executive in charge: Bill Grant. Executive producer: Jody Sheff. Series producer for Hidden Hills Productions: Mark Zwonitzer. Series director for Thomas Lennon Films: Tom Lennon. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Comprehensive history of the U.S. Supreme Court chronicles the dramatic and compelling decisions that have shaped our nation and profiles the individuals behind the institution.

Prime Suspect 7

Producing organizations: Granada and WGBH. Presented by Masterpiece Theatre. Episodes: 2 x 120. Status: preproduction. Series executive producer: Rebecca Eaton. Contact: Steven Ashley, steven_ashleywgbh.org, 617-300-2518. Emmy-winner Helen Mirren returns as Inspector Jane Tennison in a new episode of the groundbreaking series.

SeeMore’s Playhouse

Producing organizations: S4K Entertainment/King Features. Presenting station: Connecticut PTV. Distributor: American Public Television. Episodes: 13 x 30. Status: scripting, production. Executive producers: Michele McDonough (S4K Entertainment), Frank Caruso (King Features). Contact: Lee Newton, lnewton@cptv.org, 860-275-7438. Series for 2- to 6-year-olds blends puppetry and animation to teach health and safety lessons. Web: www.SeeMoresPlayhouse.com.

Stand Up: Muslim-American Comics
Come of Age (w.t.)

Producing organization: Azimuth Media. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. Major funder: CPB. Producer/director: Glenn Baker. Co-director: Omar Naim. Co-producer/writer: Lauren Cardillo. Contact: Glenn Baker, glenn@azimuthmedia.org, 202-797-5265. Showcases Arab- and Muslim-American comedians in the wake of 9/11 and chronicles their struggle to enter the American comic mainstream. A project backed by CPB’s America at the Crossroads Initiative.

Two Valleys

Producing organization: Ironbound Films Inc. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. Budget: $500,000. Executive producers: Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, Jeremy Newberger. Contact: Daniel A. Miller, millerironboundfilms.com. Travels from the Jordan Valley, where a nascent Palestinian democracy seems ripe for the introduction of a digital infrastructure, to Silicon Valley, where planners wrestle with the blueprints.

Washington Irving: Citizen of the World

Producing organization: Muse Film & Television. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: preproduction. Budget: $350,000. Executive producer: Karl Katz. Writer/producer: Karen Kelleher. Director/editor: Steve Kahn. Contact: Karen Kelleher, 646-242-1117. Bio of the first American author, whose celebrated tales of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle define the post-Revolutionary War struggle to establish a unique American voice in international literary circles.

WWJD 2.1: What Would Jesus Do ...
in the 21st Century?

Sometime in 2006

Adoption: An American Revolution

American Getaways

Producing organization: CMPT Productions LLC. Presenting station: Pioneer Public Television, Appleton, Minn. Episodes: 13 x 30 and 2 x 60. Status: preproduction, scripting. Budget: $2.5 million. Producer: Kathleen Thompson. Associate producers: Kathie Pate, Fred Perez. Hosts: Ken Stone, Ellyne Lonergan. Music: Monica Stadler. Contact: Kathleen Thompson, kathleen_cmptyahoo.com, 651-276-9187. Travel series focusing on smaller American communities and neighborhoods within towns and cities—highlighting unique lodgings, regional cuisines, local arts and crafts, antiques, collectibles and the spirit of the people.

Big Ideas: Caltech (w.t.)

Producing organizations: WNET and the California Institute of Technology. Distributor: APT. Episodes: 3 x 60. Status: fundraising. WNET executive in charge: Bill Grant. WNET executive producer: Jared Lipworth. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. An exploration into the questions being asked at one of the most dynamic institutions in the United States, the California Institute of Technology.

The Chosen Pariah: Anti-Semitism
in the 21st Century (w.t.)

Producing organization: Two Cats Productions. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: postproduction. Budget: $500,000. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Executive producer/producer: Andrew Goldberg. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. Explores the reasons behind a recent rise in global anti-Semitism around the world.

City at War

Producing organizations: WNET and Colonial Pictures. Episodes: 2 x 60. Status: production. Executive producer: Stephen Segaller. Producer/director: Alastair Layzell. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Focuses on what London endured during World War II, as seen through the eyes of American journalists who lived in the city and covered these stories. Featuring Walter Cronkite.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo

Producing organization: WNED, Buffalo, N.Y. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: production. Budget: $485,000. Major funder: Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. Executive producer: John Grant. Producer: Paul Lamont. Contact: John Grant, jajgrantaol.com, 814-234-5210. Tells the story of the 30-year friendship between the architect and Buffalo businessman Darwin D. Martin and the significance of Buffalo in Wright’s early career.

Franny’s Feet

Producing organization: Decode Entertainment Inc. Presenting station: WNET. Distributor: PBS Plus. Episodes: 26 x 22. Status: Complete. Executive in charge: Sandra Sheppard. Executive producers: Steven DeNure, Neil Court, Beth Stevenson. Contact: Lisa Braun, braun@thirteen.org, 212-560-2715. An animated series for preschool children that chronicles the international travels of a curious and independent 5½-year-old, through which viewers learn about different cultures as well as geography and science. Website activities will encourage geographic exploration, creative design, sharing stories, learning new vocabulary, problem solving and making crafts.

Indian Country Diaries

Producing organizations: NAPT and Adanvdo Video Inc. Episodes: 2 x 90. Status: postproduction. Budget: $1.4 million. Major funders: CPB, PBS, Ford, MacArthur Foundation, ITVS. NAPT executive in charge: Frank Blythe. Series executive producer/producer: Carol Cornsilk. Producer: Sam Hurst. Series senior producers: Hanay Geiogamah, Phil Lucas. Contact: Penny Costello, pcostello1unl.edu, 402-472-3522. Two-part series explores issues facing contemporary Native Americans in cities and on reservations. Stories weave themes of identity, sovereignty, health, assimilation, religion and more into a portrait of a people too often invisible in American society. Viewer’s guide, lesson plans for educators and community outreach leaders, workshop events planned. Web: www.nativetelecom.org.

Islam and African-America

Producing organization: Chamba Mediaworks Inc. Episodes: 1 x 90. Status: R&D, scripting, fundraising. Budget: $721,000. Major funder: CPB. Producer/director: St.Clair Bourne. Supervising producer: Michelle Gahee. Co-producer/co-writer: Tom Miller. Writer/story editor: Lou Potter. Script consultant: Robert Gardner. Contact: St.Clair Bourne, chambanotes@earthlink.net. Probes the reactions of the African-American community to the events of 9/11, as well as the past and present relationship between African-Americans and Muslims, both immigrant and domestic. A project backed by CPB’s America at the Crossroads Initiative. Web: www.chambamedia.com.

War Plane

Producing organizations: A Granada Production for WNET in association with Granada International. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: production. Major funders: CPB/PBS, Sloan Foundation. Executive in charge: Bill Grant. WNET executive producer: Jared Lipworth. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Features the extraordinary stories and key technological advances behind the 100-year quest to gain military control of the skies, with a focus on inventors, engineers, pilots and other forgotten heroes of aerial combat.

What’s Next with Andrew Shapiro

Producing station: WNET. Episodes: 26 x 30. Status: R&D. Executive producer: Stephen Segaller. Host/executive producer: Andrew Shapiro. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Explores innovation in every area of life: new technology, global culture, fresh ideas, inventive business models and entrepreneurship.

Winter/Spring 2007

Adirondacks (w.t.)

Alexander Hamilton: A Battle
for America’s Soul (w.t.)

Producing organizations: Twin Cities PTV and Middlemarch Films for American Experience. Presenting station: WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: preproduction, scripting. Major funders: NEH, CPB/PBS Challenge Fund, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Liberty Mutual. American Experience executive producer: Mark Samels. TPT executive producer: Catherine Allan. Producer/director: Muffie Myer. Writer: Ron Blumer. Contact: Jim Dunford, jim_dunford@wgbh.org, 617-300-5959. Story of the underappreciated genius who laid the groundwork for America’s modern economy—including the U.S. banking system, Wall Street and an “opportunity society” in which talent and hard work, not birth, determined success. Online teachers guide.

Behind the Veil in Iran: The Pink Revolution

Producing organization: Mannes Productions Inc. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: preproduction/fundraising. Budget: $500,000. Major funder: CPB. Producer/director/writer: Elena Mannes. Co-producer: Dina Hossain. Contact: Elena Mannes, emannes@mannesproductions.com, 212-988-4326. With Iranian-American author Azadeh Moaveni (Lipstick Jihad) as guide, the program explores the central role of women in Iran’s democratic reform. A project backed by CPB’s America at the Crossroads Initiative.

Fighting Fat: America’s Obesity Epidemic (w.t.)

Producing organization: Twin Cities PTV. Episodes: 1 x 90. Status: fundraising. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Executive producer: Naomi Boak. Producer/director: Tom Spain. Contact: Naomi Boak, nboaktpt.org, 651-229-1125. Comprehensive portrait of the obesity problem: how we got here, biological underpinnings, stories of individuals grappling with obesity, its social implications and the latest research to find medical solutions. Planned outreach includes website with health advocacy portal including materials in Spanish, distribution of educational materials, partnerships with national and local organizations.

From the Top

Heart Disease: The Hidden Epidemic

Jean Chatzky’s Money Club (w.t.)

Juveniles in Crisis (w.t.)

Muslim Spain: Three Faiths in One Land (w.t.)

Peoples Temple (w.t.)

Prince Among Slaves (w.t.)

Standing Bear: Long Road Home

Summer 2007

Iowa State Fair (w.t.)

Fall 2007

Alzheimer’s: A Disease of the Mind . . .
... and the Heart (w.t.)

The Jewish Americans

Make ’Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America

century to today’s contemporary comedy.

The War

Producing organizations: A co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. Episodes: 5 episodes, 14 hours total. Status: postproduction. Major funders: General Motors Corp., PBS, CPB, Lilly Endowment, NEH, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Pew Charitable Trusts, Longaberger Foundation. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan, David S. Thompson. Producers/directors: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick. Contact: Dewey Blanton, Dblantonweta.com. Examines World War II, the pivotal event of the 20th century, through the experiences of those at home and on the front line. Companion book planned.

The War on Cancer

Producing station: WGBH Lifestyle Productions. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: preproduction. Executive producer: Laurie Donnelly. Producer: Elizabeth Arledge. Coordinating producer: Blyth Lord. Contact: Blyth Lord, blyth_lordwgbh.org. Looks at our nation’s multifaceted crusade against this dreaded disease. Celebrity-hosted 30-minute discussion will follow 90-minute doc. One part of a four-part planned series of the Health Initiative, which also includes heart disease, depression and obesity. Outreach campaign tied to the Health Initiative, tentatively called Take One Step, will launch community-based efforts to communicate effective prevention strategies and to increase healthy behaviors.

Sometime in 2007

Adventure Capitalist

Producing organizations: WNET and Beeland Interests. Episodes: 3 x 60. Status: R&D. Executive producers: Stephen Segaller, Marion Lear Swaybill. Host: Jim Rogers. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Adventure travel meets real-world investment strategies. Rogers, whom Time dubbed "the Indiana Jones of finance," travels through war zones, boomtowns and deserts to test his investment strategies.

American Comedy

Producing organizations: Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, Intelligent Television and WETA. Episodes: 2 x 120. Status: fundraising. Executive producers: Bernie Brillstein, Peter B. Kaufman. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan, David S. Thompson. Producer/director: Stephen Ives. Writer: Michelle Ferrari. Contact: Dewey Blanton, dblantonweta.com. A comprehensive, engaging and funny look at how comedy has treated issues of race, religion, sex and language in American history, featuring America’s best comics. Companion book planned.

American General: Benedict Arnold

Producing organizations: Talon Films, WETA and Essex Television Group. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: fundraising. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan, Karen Kenton. Producers: Anthony Vertucci, Tom Mercer, Steve Lettieri. Director: Chris Stearns. Contact: Dewey Blanton, dblantonweta.com. Examines the complicated life of one of America’s most notorious and misunderstood figures, a man whose name is synonymous with treason who nevertheless contributed mightily to the winning of the Revolution.

Barenboim on Beethoven (w.t.)

Producing organizations: WNET, NHK, Bel Air Media, ARTE France, BBC, NPS Netherlands. Distributor: WNET. Episodes: 8 x 90. Status: production, postproduction. WNET executive producer: Barry Schulman. Producers: Margaret Smilow, Francois Duplat. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Daniel Barenboim, one of the greatest living pianists, performs the complete Beethoven Sonata Cycle at Berlin’s Deutsche Staatsoper. Also planned are 7 x 60 master classes exploring the works.

The Day Man Was Born (w.t.)

Producing organization: a Nova production for WGBH. Episodes: 2 x 60. Status: R&D. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Contact: Melanie Wallace, Melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Picks up where the Origins series ended and unfolds the 6-million-year drama of human origins, covering new discoveries such as the Indonesian "Hobbits."

The Day We Chose the Future (w.t.)

Producing organization: a Nova production for WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: R&D. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Writer/director: Nick Copus. Producer: Kirk Wolfinger. Researcher: Barbara Moran. Contact: Melanie Wallace, Melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Combines suspenseful drama with detailed science and expert interviews to explore the very real threat of nuclear terrorism in the United States. A CPB/America at the Crossroads Initiative.

Depression (w.t.)

Producing organizations: Twin Cities PTV and WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 90. Status: fundraising. Executive producers: Paula S. Apsell, Naomi Boak. Producer/director: Larkin McPhee. Contact: Naomi Boak, nboaktpt.org, 651-229-1125. Will help viewers identify symptoms of this fearsome illness in family and friends and will explore the latest in scientific understanding and medical treatment of it. Website with Spanish-language tools will serve as health advocacy portal. Outreach will consist of education initiatives in communities and workplaces nationwide, special screenings and forums, classroom guides.

Exiles in Hollywood

Producing organizations: Film Odyssey and WNET. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: preproduction. Major funders: NEH, NEA. WNET executive producers: Margaret Smilow, Barry Schulman. Writer/director/producer: Karen Thomas. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. One of Hitler’s earliest actions was to ban Jews from Germany’s film industry, forcing pioneering filmmakers to flee to Paris, London and ultimately America, where they would transform Hollywood cinema.

Fabric of the Cosmos

Producing organization: A Nova production for WGBH. Episodes: 2 x 60. Status: R&D, fundraising. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Host: Brian Greene. Contact: Melanie Wallace, Melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. In a sequel to The Elegant Universe, author Brian Greene deepens his exploration of space and time based on his best-selling book, Fabric of the Cosmos, with the help of playful animation and startling effects.

Forensics on Trial (w.t.)

Producing organization: A Nova production for WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: R&D. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Contact: Melanie Wallace, Melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Examines scientific methods that are under increasing scrutiny in the courtroom: ballistics, bite marks and fingerprints. This is the real CSI.

Go Figure (w.t.)

Producing station: WGBH. Episodes: 30 x 30. Status: fundraising. Vice president: Brigid Sullivan. Executive producer: Carol Greenwald. Contact: Susan Barrett, susan_barrettwgbh.org, 617-300-5302. Aiming to help preschoolers develop fundamental mathematical competence, a multimedia series features animated characters who solve interesting problems and have exciting adventures.

Great Giving: The Quest to Make a Difference Producing organization: Great Giving Inc. Episodes: 6 x 60. Status: production, fundraising. Budget: $3.76 million. Major funders: Altria, Carnegie Corp., Surdna Foundation, Sarah Klingenstein Foundation, Tomlinson Family Foundation. Executive producer/director/writer: Gail Freedman. Executive producer: Betsy Ashton. Contact: Gail Freedman, gfreedmanhvc.rr.com, 845-255-3668. Chronicles the history, mission and legacy of American philanthropy and its place in the world. Companion book, fully produced curricula (K-12 to post-graduate) planned. Website will include list of organizations that assist donors in setting up foundations, guidelines for evaluating charities and similar resources.

Herbert Hoover: Tragedy and Triumph (w.t.)

Producing organization: Stamats Communications Inc. Presenting station: Iowa PTV. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. Exexutive producers: Tom Hedges, Stevie Ballard. Manager of local productions: Wayne Bruns. Contact: Wayne Bruns, 515-242-3100. A new look at Hoover, examining his life, work and presidency.

The Human Spark

Producing organization: Graham Chedd Productions for WNET. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: fundraising. Major funder: NSF. WNET executive in charge: Bill Grant. WNET executive producer: Jared Lipworth. Host: Alan Alda. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Explores one central question: What does it mean to be human? Presenting the work of top scientists and highlighting the process by which science advances and redefines our understanding of ourselves, the series will delve into evolution, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, anthropology and artificial intelligence. Lesson plans, museum materials, panel discussions, screenings, and interactive slideshows for website planned.

Idaho Legislature

Producing organizations: Zipporah Films International and WNET. Episodes: 1 x 180. Status: R&D. WNET executive in charge: Stephen Segaller. Producer/director: Frederick Wiseman. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Wiseman looks at the state capital, Boise. [Current article about the program in production.]

Living the Military Life

Producing organizations: Florentine Films and WNET. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: R&D. WNET executive in charge: Stephen Segaller. Producer/director: Roger Sherman. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. A cultural portrait of today’s military, looking at the people who make up America’s fighting forces—and the culture of what the Defense Department calls "America’s oldest corporation."

Marathon (w.t.)

Producing organization: A Nova production for WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: R&D, fundraising. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Contact: Melanie Wallace, Melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Follows six hopeful novices as they train for the 26-mile race in Boston. Top coaches, doctors and nutritionists will turn these aspiring athletes into fit, focused competitors.

Martha Speaks

Producing organization: WGBH. Episodes: 30 x 30. Status: R&D. Executive producer: Carol Greenwald. Contact: Susan Barrett, susan_barrettwgbh.org, 617-300-5302. Animated series with live-action interstitials designed for 3- to 6-year-olds. Martha, from the books of Susan Meddaugh, is a lovable family dog who acquires the ability to speak when she eats alphabet soup. Series and outreach campaign aim to bolster vocabulary development and help at-risk children develop into better readers.

The Mysterious Human Heart

Producing organizations: David Grubin Productions for WNET and WETA. Episodes: 3 x 60. Status: fundraising. Major funders: AstraZeneca, Medtronic, Nash Family Foundation, Rippel Foundation. WNET executive in charge: Bill Grant. WNET executive producer: Jared Lipworth. Executive producer: David Grubin. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Focuses on the heart in all its dimensions—the genius of its design, the intricacies of its workings and the myriad ways it can break down. Outreach activities will include screenings, family workshops, partnering with local and national heart health organizations, printed materials.

Nate the Great

Producing organizations: WNET and Moe Greene Entertainment. Episodes: 40 x 30. Status: fundraising. Project executives: Sandra Sheppard, Tom DeFeo. Contact: Lisa Braun, 212-560-2715. PBS Kids Go! series targeting 5- to 8-year-olds, based on the books of Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. Nate, the world’s foremost kid detective, uses critical thinking skills to solve fast-paced mysteries. Website will have original mysteries and downloadable activity guides for parents and teachers. Planned outreach includes classroom clubs, American
Library Association activities.

The Power: The Information Revolution in Our Lives

Producing organizations: Sconset Media and WETA. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. Executive producers: Dalton Delan, John Potthast, Jonathan Conrad. Host: Frank Sesno. Contacts: Dewey Blanton, dblantonweta.com, and Jonathan Conrad, jconradinterserv.com. Travels the world to examine the promise and the peril of the Information Revolution—and its effects on security, democracy and the growing global divide.

Simon Schama’s The Power of Art

Producing organizations: BBC and WNET. Episodes: 8 x 60. Status: production. Major funders: CPB/PBS Challenge Fund, Dorothy and Lewis Cullman Foundation. WNET executive producers: Margaret Smilow, Barry Schulman. BBC producer: Claire Beavan. Writer/host: Simon Schama. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. The acclaimed art historian recounts the dramatic stories behind the creation of groundbreaking works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Rothko and Picasso.

The Storm That Swept Mexico (w.t.)

Producing organizations: Paradigm Productions and KERA, Dallas. Episodes: 3 x 60. Status: scripting, fundraising, preproduction. Budget: $3 million. Major funders: NEH, PBS, Latino Public Broadcasting. KERA executive in charge: Sylvia Komatsu. Executive producer: Rob Tranchin. Series producer/director: Raymond Telles. Contact: Rob Tranchin, rtranchinkera.org. Bilingual HD series will introduce viewers to the powerful politicians, revolutionary leaders and ordinary citizens whose colliding ambitions shaped the Mexican Revolution, the first major social revolution of the 20th century.

Underdogs

Producing organizations: WNET and Tigress Productions. Episodes: 6 x 60. Status: R&D. WNET executive in charge: Bill Grant. Executive producer: Fred Kaufman. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. In each episode of this emotional and unpredictable "reality" series, two or three abandoned dogs in shelters get a second chance at life, transformed by trainers into happy, healthy working dogs. Viewers’ guide, VHS/DVD planned.

Wall Street (w.t.)

Producing organization: David Grubin Productions for the WGBH History Unit. Episodes: 2 x 90. Status: fundraising. Major funders: CPB/PBS Challenge Fund. Executive producer: Mark Samels. Producer/director: David Grubin. Contact: Jim Dunford, jim_dunfordwgbh.org, 617-300-5959. Will show how a few blocks in lower Manhattan are linked to the political, cultural, social and economic forces that have shaped this nation. Web: www.pbs.org/wallstreet.

Water Stories

Producing organization: WNET. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: R&D. Executive producer: Stephen Segaller. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Series about water worldwide and related issues such as pollution, irrigation and dams.

Winter/Spring 2008

China 2024 (w.t.)

Producing organizations: Ambrica Productions in association with WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: fundraising, production. Executive producer: Judith Vecchione. Producer/director/writer: Sue Williams. Producer: Kathryn Dietz. Editor: Howard Sharp. Contact: Judith Vecchione, Judith_veccionewgbh.org 617-300-3789. Explores China’s economic transformation through the lives of 10 newly minted Chinese MBAs. First in a projected four-part series that will follow these entrepreneurs through 2024.

Fall 2008

Money and Medicine (w.t.)

Producing organizations: WNET and Public Policy Productions Inc. Episodes: 1 x 90. Status: production. Executive producer: Stephen Segaller. Producer:Roger Weisberg. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. To put a human face on the current health insurance crisis, doc follows two years in the life of six uninsured patients as they cope with serious illness.

Secrets Beneath the Ice (w.t.)

Producing organizations: NET and Nova Production Unit, WGBH. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: preproduction, production. Budget: $1.3 million. NET executive in charge: Michael Farrell. Executive producer: Paula Apsell. Producer: Gary Hochman. Contact: David Feingold, dfeingoldnetNebraska.org, 402-472-9333, ext. 440. Geological sleuths unearth rock and fossil records deep beneath the Antarctic ice with a revolutionary drilling rig. Their goal: detecting how cycles of icescapes may affect future global climate and coastlines. Educational activities include inquiry-based activity middle school modules in collaboration with the University of Nebraska State Museum, 4-H and Girls Inc.

Sometime in 2008

Artopia (w.t.)

Producing organization: WNET. Episodes: 26 x 30. Status: R&D, fundraising. Executive producers: Jill Peters, Sandra Sheppard. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Animated series for 5- to 8-year-olds, in which pals Nina and Danny learn about art as they zip around the world and go back in time, rescuing friends and thwarting foes. Website will feature immersive games, downloadable activity guides for teachers and parents. Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Girl Scouts and Association of Children’s Museums have made preliminary commitments to integrating Artopia into local programs.

The Bushes (w.t.)

Producing organization: An American Experience production for WGBH. Episodes: 2 x 90. Status: R&D. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Executive producer: Mark Samels. Contact: Jim Dunford, jim_dunfordwgbh.org, 617-300-5959. A nuanced, revealing portrait of father and son—the 41st and 43rd presidents—examining the Bushes’ political agenda, their accomplishments and failures, and their domestic and international legacies. Content-rich website as part of the Presidents Collection.

Clinton (w.t.)

Producing organization: An American Experience production for WGBH. Episodes: 2 x 90. Status: R&D. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Executive producer: Mark Samels. Contact: Jim Dunford, jim_dunfordwgbh.org, 617-300-5959. An intimate, honest, balanced look at the 42nd president—his life and career, the highs and lows of his tumultuous presidency and the post-presidential years. Content-rich website as part of the Presidents Collection.

George Washington Carver

Producing organization: Iowa PTV, Stamats Communications Inc. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. Executive producer: Jack Shepard. Contact: Wayne Bruns, 515-242-3100. First comprehensive bio of Carver’s life and times, assessing his contributions as a scientist, educator and important symbol of African-American achievement.

Human Nature (w.t.)

Producing organizations: WGBH/Nova Science Unit and Vulcan Productions Inc. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: R&D. Senior executive producer for Nova: Paula S. Apsell. Executive producer for Vulcan: Richard Hutton. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Contact: Melanie Wallace, melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Explores how our understanding of human nature has changed, asking: What is biological, what is cultural and what, if anything, is changeable?

The Last Homesteads (w.t.)

Producing station: NET. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: R&D. Major funder: NEH. Budget: $500,000-$700,000. NET executive in charge: Michael Farrell. Executive producer: Christine Lesiak. Producer/director/writer: Michele Wolford. Contact: David Feingold, dfeingoldnetNebraska.org, 402-472-9333, ext. 440. HD doc explores the parallels and contrasts between 20th-century homesteaders in Alaska and homesteaders on the Great Plains a century earlier.

Louisa May Alcott (w.t.)

Producing organizations: Nancy Porter Productions Inc., Filmmakers Collaborative. Episodes: 1 x 90. Status: preproduction, scripting, fundraising. Budget: $1.2 million. Major funders: NEH, NEA, PBS. Project co-directors: Nancy Porter, Harriet Reisen. Producer/director: Nancy Porter. Producer/writer: Harriet Reisen. Contact: Harriet Reisen, hreisenmac.com, or Nancy Porter, nancynpproductions.net. Bio of the author of Little Women—her secret literary identity, forceful personality, remarkable family and participation in transcendentalism, abolition, suffrage, the Civil War and the Gilded Age. Companion book, classroom guide, book club guide planned.

Movieland

Producing organization: Rose Ganguzza and WETA. Episodes: 5 x 60. Status: fundraising. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan and John Potthast. Executive producer: Rose Ganguzza. Contact: Dewey Blanton, dblantonweta.com. Fast-paced series will explore how five locales have been portrayed in the cinema: New York, Los Angeles, Great Britain, France and Italy.

Paris: The Luminous Years

Producing organizations: The Eloquent Image and WNET. Episodes: 2 x 60. Status: R&D, fundraising. WNET executive producers: Margaret Smilow and Barry Schulman. Writer/director/producer: Perry Miller Adato. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. From 1905 into the 1930s, Paris was the artistic center of the Western world. This documentary explores how the city became the ultimate destination for pioneering artists of all kinds.

People of the Covenant (w.t.)

Producing organization: Nova Science Unit for WGBH. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: R&D, fundraising. Major funders: Goldman Foundation. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Producer: Gary Glassman. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Contact: Melanie Wallace, melanie_wallace wgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Explores the roots of ancient Judaism and the clash between Old Testament traditions and the latest findings of biblical archaeologists.

The Planets

Producing organization: A Nova production for WGBH. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: R&D, fundraising. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Producer: David Axelrod. Director: Peter Jones. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Contact: Melanie Wallace, melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Based on the book of the same name by Dava Sobel, author of Longitude, on how the planets have influenced the course of human knowledge.

Stuff: The Materials That Shape Our World

Producing organizations: A Nova production in association with the Materials Research Society. Presenting station: WGBH. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: R&D, fundraising. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Executive producer: Larry Klein. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Host: David Macaulay. Contact: Melanie Wallace, melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4340. Explores how new materials led to giant advances in technology and civilization and are now the focus of the exploding science of nanotechnology.

War of 1812 (w.t.)

Producing organization: WNED, Buffalo, N.Y. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: fundraising. Budget: $1.2 million. Executive producer: John Grant. Producer: Larry Hott. Writer: Ken Chowder. Contact: John Grant, jajgrantaol.com, 814-234-5210. Explores the dramatic events and lasting legacy of this little-understood conflict that profoundly changed the social and political landscape of 19th-century North America.

We Shall Remain (w.t.)

Producing organization: An American Experience production for WGBH. Episodes: 5 x 60. Status: preproduction. Major funders: Ford Foundation, NAPT, Liberty Mutual, CPB, PBS. Executive producer: Mark Samels. Series producer: Sharon Grimberg. Contact: Jim Dunford, jim_dunfordwgbh.org, 617-300-5959. Explores the daunting challenges—cultural, religious, demographic, legislative, military—to Native Americans’ survival and how they fought back with subtle political maneuvering, international diplomacy, spiritual revival and precedent-setting federal lawsuits.

2009 and beyond

America’s Best Idea: Our National Parks

Producing organizations: Florentine Films and WETA. Episodes: 5 x 120. Status: production. Major funders: General Motors Corp., PBS, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Park Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, National Parks Foundation, Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund. WETA executive producers: Dalton Delan, David S. Thompson. Producer/director: Ken Burns. Producer/writer: Dayton Duncan. Contact: Dewey Blanton, Dblantonweta.com. Illuminates not only the beauty of America’s national parks but also the largely untold human story of their creation and history.

Forbidden Fruit: America During Prohibition

Producing organization: Florentine Films and WETA. Episodes: 2 x 120. Status: fundraising. Major funders: General Motors Corp., PBS, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Producers: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick; Director: Ken Burns. Contact: Dewey Blanton, Dblantonweta.com. Explores the rise, rule and fall of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution and the era it encompassed. Companion book planned.

Freedom Tower

Producing organization: A Nova production for WGBH. Episodes: 2 x 60. Status: R&D. Major funders: PBS, CPB. Senior executive producer: Paula S. Apsell. Senior series producer: Melanie Wallace. Contact: Melanie Wallace, melanie_wallacewgbh.org, 617-300-4418. With exclusive access to the team of engineers and architects rebuilding ground zero, doc captures the inspiring story of the Freedom Tower, a new symbol of American resilience.

Airdate to be determined

Absolute Power: The History of the Papacy (w.t.)

Producing station: WNET. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: fundraising, R&D. Executive in charge: Bill Grant. Executive producer: Jody Sheff. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Examines the evolution and development of the Papacy from its earliest incarnations to its role in the modern world, documenting how it has outlasted great empires and shaped the destinies of millions.

The Arab Predicament (w.t.)

Producing organization: WGBH and Ben Loeterman Productions Inc. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. Executive producer: Zvi Dor-Ner. Producer: Ben Loeterman. Contact: Fay Sutherland, fay_sutherlandwgbh.org, 617-300-2680. Despite its glorious past and obvious potential, the Arab world lags far behind much of the rest of the world economically. Doc follows recent college graduates as they enter the real world and try to make their hopes and dreams come true. A CPB/America at the Crossroads Initiative.

Chasing Ogawa (w.t.)

Producing organization: Meixell Productions. Presenting station: WXXI, Rochester, N.Y. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: production/postproduction. Budget: $400,000. Producer/writer/: Steve Meixell. Contact: Elissa Orlando, eorlandowxxi.org, 585-258-0349. In 1944 an American GI finds a dead Japanese soldier’s diary during battle and returns it to his family in Tokyo after the war. Sixty years later, the GI’s son visits the Japanese family and learns the surprising implications of this act. Companion book, radio tie-in planned. Educational efforts to include classroom guide, DVD, outreach materials for U.S./Japanese schools and libraries. Website will have additional interviews. [Current article about the documentary.]

Discovering Frankenstein

Producing organization: OPB. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: development. Budget: $800,000. Major funder: NEH. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Producer/director/writer: Margaret Koval. Contact: Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. Explores the writing of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tale and the sweeping political and social changes that gave rise to this enduring story.

Don’t Forget This Song:
The History of the Carter Family

Producing organization: Beth Harrington. Presenting station: OPB. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: development. Budget: $800,000. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Producer/director: Beth Harrington. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. HD history of the first family of traditional American and country music, as told by members of the Carter/Cash family, including Rosanne and Johnny Cash, and other musicians, performers and music historians.

Egalite for All: Human Rights
and the Haitian Revolution

Producing organization: Koval Films. Presenting station: OPB. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: development. Major funder: NEH. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Producer: Pat Aste. Writer: Margaret Koval. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. Explores the Haitian revolution of the 18th century—the only successful slave revolution in history.

Gates on Latin America

Producing organizations: WNET and Wall to Wall Television. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: fundraising. Major funders: PBS/CPB Challenge Fund, Inter-American Development Bank. Executive producers: William R. Grant, Jonathan Hewes. Host: Henry Louis Gates Jr. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Following Wonders of the African World and America: Beyond the Color Line, Gates completes his trilogy about the connection between Africa and the New World. Here he explores how Africa and Europe combined to create Latin America’s vibrant cultures.

A Girl’s Life

Producing organizations: Powderhouse Productions and OPB. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: development. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Co-executive producers/producers: Tug Yourgrau, Joel Olicker. Host: Michael Thompson. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-195+9. Psychologist Thompson explores what it means to grow up female in America. Parenting guide planned.

Ground War (w.t.)

Producing station: WNET. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: R&D. Executive in charge: Bill Grant. Executive producer: Jared Lipworth. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Surveys the latest technologies and achievements of ground warfare, helping viewers to understand the innovations, strategies and events that have changed the way war is waged. Companion VHS/DVD.

History of The New York Times (w.t.) Producing organizations: Steeplechase Films Inc. and WNET. Episodes: 2 x 120. Status: R&D. WNET executive in charge: Stephen Segaller. Producer/director/writer: Ric Burns. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. A detailed look at the story behind one of the country’s most respected newspapers.

History of the U.S. Marine Corps

Producing organization: WNED, Buffalo, N.Y. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: fundraising. Budget: $350,000. Executive producer: John Grant. Contact: John Grant, jajgrantaol.com, 814-234-5210. A look at the rich and colorful history of the Marine Corps, using the new Marine Corps museum at Quantico, Va., as a narrative point.

Imagining York

Producing organizations: OPB, Red Hill Productions and Filmworks Northwest. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: development. Budget: $300,000. Major funders: National Park Service, ITVS. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Producers: Carl Byker, Ron Craig. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. Profile of the slave who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Doc will explore what we know and don’t know about York, how historical accounts are created, and less traditional ways of exploring history.

Jerome Robbins (w.t.)

Producing organization: WNET. A Great Performances presentation. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: R&D. Executive in charge: Barry Schulman. Producer/director: Judy Kinberg. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Doc charts how this son of a deli owner-turned-corset-maker became one of the most acclaimed and influential artists of ballet and Broadway.

Journey of a Thousand Miles

Producing organization: KQED, San Francisco. Episodes: 4 x 60. Status: fundraising. Budget: $2.6 million. Executive producer: Louise Lo. Contact: Andy Lynch, alynchkqed.org, 415-553-2391. An in-depth examination of the struggle for Asian-American civil rights, telling the stories of the major Asian immigrant groups to the United States, whether they arrived in the Gold Rush or this century.

The Mark & Clark Expedition

Producing organization: Al Roker Productions in association with WNET. Distributor: APT. Episodes: 13 x 30. Status: fundraising. WNET executive in charge: Bill Grant. WNET executive producer: Jody Sheff. Executive producer: Al Roker. Hosts: Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier.Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Gardening and cooking series featuring chefs Gaier and Frasier, co-owners of two acclaimed restaurants in Ogunquit, Maine. They present new ideas about how to grow and use organic vegetables, herbs and edible flowers to create exquisite meals and memorable dinner parties in a seasonal context.

The Music Instinct: Science and Song

Producing organization: WNET and Mannes Productions. Episodes: 3 x 60. Status: fundraising. Major funders: NSF, NEA, International Foundation of Music, ARTE France. WNET executive producers: Margaret Smilow, Barry Schulman. Executive producer: Elena Mannes. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Explores the impact of music on human physiology, psychology and the functioning of the brain, revealing connections between music and the natural world and even the cosmos.

Ooomph!

Producing organization: Ooomph Productions. Presenting station: OPB. Distributor: APT. Episodes: 13 x 30. Status: development. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Producers: Carl Byker, Ron Craig. Producers: David Dowell, Tammy O’Connor, Grady Candler. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. Profiles people who are defying the norm and redefining age. The science of aging with a sense of humor.

The Poetry Project

Producing organizations: WGBH and David Grubin Productions. Episodes: 5 x 60, plus 40 1- to 3-minute interstitials. Status: development. Executive producer: Brigid Sullivan. Producer: David Grubin. Contact: Lisa A. Jones, lisa_joneswgbh.org, 617-300-3976. A multimedia initiative designed to make poetry a more integral part of people’s lives, encompassing the series, interstitials for use throughout the schedule, website, new media, and outreach.

Real Travel with Pauline Frommer

Producing organization: Issues TV. Presenting station: OPB. Distributor: APT. Episodes: 13 x 30. Status: development. Budget: $1.2 million. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Executive producer/series producer: Fred Silverman. Host: Pauline Frommer. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. From the folks who brought us the world’s most popular travel guides, this series tags along with real people taking real vacations on modest budgets.

Showstoppers (w.t.)

Producing station: WNET. Episodes: 6 x 60. Status: fundraising. Major funder: CPB/PBS Challenge Fund. Executive producer: Barry Schulman. Producer: David Horn. Contact: Lisa Braun, braunthirteen.org, 212-560-2715. Series will initiate a nationwide talent search for overlooked Broadway talent and catapult a few hardworking individuals into a primetime spotlight—and ultimately, the cast of a hit Broadway show.

Simon Bolivar and the Liberation of South America

Producing organizations: Koval Films and OPB. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: fundraising. Budget: $1 million. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Executive producers/series producers: Margaret Koval, Pat Aste. David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. The story of how the general won independence for several countries, using extensive location footage, first-person accounts and re-enactments.

Sketching the Silk Road

Producing organization: D3 Productions Inc. Episodes: 1 x 120. Status: postproduction. Executive producer: Duffy Wang. Producer: Alison Gibson. Cinematographer/editor: Alex Chiang. Research editor: Anna Sophie Loewenberg. Contact: Nicole Marsh, nikkiinsidechina.org, 510-635-8603. Viewers follow two American painters as they trace an ancient trade route to China’s most famous Buddhist artwork grottoes, armed only with their sketchbooks and creativity. Web: www.d3mediagroup.com.

Thoroughly Modern Peggy: The Vanguard Guggenheim

Producing organizations: Koval Films in association with OPB. Episodes: 1 x 60. Status: development. Major funder: NEH. OPB executive in charge: Jack Galmiche. OPB executive producer: David Davis. Executive producers/ producers: Margaret Koval, Pat Aste. Director: Margaret Koval. Contact: David Davis, david_davisopb.org, 503-293-1959. Bio of the woman with the means, the energy and the vision to turn a generation of modern artists into a cultural juggernaut in New York in the ’30s and ’40s.

End

Web page posted Nov. 2, 2005,
revised Dec. 19, 2005;, Jan. 24, 2006; and April 11, 2006
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