WFSU Program Highlights

Nature - Invasion of the Giant Pythons

Florida’s Everglades National Park is one of the last great wildlife refuges in the United States, home to numerous unique and endangered mammals, trees, plants, birds and turtles, as well as half a million alligators. However, the Everglades is also the dumping ground for many animal invaders — more than 15 species of parrot, 75 kinds of fish and 30 different reptiles from places as far away as Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. All of the intruders found their way into the park either by accidental escape from pet owners or intentional release by people no longer wishing to care for an exotic species. Add to the
mix tens of thousands of giant pythons, snakes that can grow to 20 feet and weigh nearly 300 pounds, some released into the wild by irresponsible pet owners, some escapees from almost 200 wildlife facilities destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The predatory pythons slithered into this protected wilderness and thrived, and the refuge has consequently become less a haven than a killing ground every day since then.
Showtimes: Wednesday, June 19, 8:00 pm ET

NOVA - Extreme Cave Diving

This program follows the charismatic Dr. Kenny Broad as he dives into blue holes — underwater caves that formed during the last ice age when sea level was nearly 400 feet below what it is today. The holes are Earth’s least explored and perhaps most dangerous frontiers. With an interdisciplinary team of climatologists, paleontologists and anthropologists, Broad investigates the hidden history of Earth’s climate as revealed by finds in this spectacularly beautiful “alternate universe.” Showtimes: Wednesday, June 19, 9:00 pm ET

MASTERPIECE: MYSTERY! - Inspector Lewis, Series VI: The Ramblin' Boy

With DS Hathaway on holiday, Inspector Lewis is assigned a new partner to investigate the discovery of an elderly man’s body in a field. Finding that the man had already been embalmed, the inquiry leads to a funeral home and those connected to it, including one of Lewis’ former colleagues. Peter Davison (“Doctor Who”) guest stars. Showtimes: Sunday, June 23, 9:00 pm ET

American Experience - Henry Ford

HENRY FORD paints a fascinating portrait of a farm boy who rose from obscurity to become the most influential American innovator of the 20th century. Ford’s Model T automobile and his five-dollar-a-day wage ushered in the modern world, earning Ford reverence from millions of Americans. Yet many of the changes he wrought deeply troubled the carmaker. In frustration, he lashed out at enemies, real and imagined, blamed Jews for the country’s problems, bullied those who worked for him and exhibited great cruelty to his only son, often, it seemed, wishing to retreat to an idyllic fantasy of the past. Showtimes: Tuesday, June 25, 8:00 pm ET

NOVA - Earth From Space

This groundbreaking special reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of Earth. Produced in consultation with NASA scientists, “Earth From Space” takes data from earth-observing satellites and transforms them into dazzling visual sequences, each one exposing the intricate web of forces that sustain life on earth. See the astonishing beauty and complexity of our dynamic planet: how dust blown from the Sahara fertilizes the Amazon; how a vast submarine “waterfall” off Antarctica helps drive ocean currents around the world; and how the sun’s heating of the southern Atlantic gives birth to a colossally powerful hurricane. Showtimes: Wednesday, June 26, 9:00 pm ET

Annie - It's the Hard Knock Life, From Script to Stage

The show-stopping musical Annie, its characters and its songs are timeless and classic. It’s been 35 years since the little orphan Annie first stepped onto a Broadway stage. For Annie’s return to Broadway, this documentary offers a memorable behind-the-scenes
look at every step of a single Annie production number, from the earliest phases of discussion among the creative team, rehearsals with actors, to opening night on Broadway. Through the staging of the song “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” viewers are introduced to the work of the actors who play the orphans and the professionals who shape and contribute to the final production of the song.
Showtimes: Friday, June 28, 10:00 pm ET

Secrets of Henry VIII's Palace

Hampton Court is the ultimate royal pleasure palace — embodying the indulgent and grandiose kingship built by Cardinal Wolsey and developed by Henry VIII. Through its rooms, chart King Henry VIII’s decline from fit young warrior to bloated womanizer and recall the vivid stories of the ladies who became his queens. Learn how William and Mary demolished half of the Tudor palace to replace it with an exquisite baroque structure, making Hampton Court one of the most unusual palaces in the world. Go beneath the brick and stone of this true pleasure palace and now thriving tourist location to uncover an abundance of art and stories that bring Hampton Court alive. Showtimes: Sunday, June 30, 8:00 pm ET

MASTERPIECE: MYSTERY! - Inspector Lewis, Series VI: Intelligent Design

Lewis and Hathaway are called in to examine the brutal death of a chemistry professor recently released from prison. There may be a connection to the discovery of a murdered Oxford student reported lost for 15 years. As more casualties and suspects emerge, Lewis considers his future on the force. Edward Fox (Ghandi, “Foyle’s War”) guest stars. Showtimes: Sunday, June 30, 9:00 pm ET

The Statue of Liberty

This 1985 Ken Burns film explores the creation and history of the remarkable Statue of Liberty and what she represents to all Americans. Narrated by David McCullough, the film traces the development of the monument — from its conception to its fascinating and often controversial construction to its final dedication — and offers interviews with a wide range of Americans, including former New York governor Mario Cuomo, the late congresswoman Barbara Jordan and the late writers James Baldwin and Jerzy Kosinski, to explore the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. Nominated for both the Academy Award ® and the Emmy Award ®, the film received the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle and the Christopher Award. Showtimes: Tuesday, July 2, 8:00 pm ET

A Capitol Fourth (2013)

"It's a star spangled party." - The New York Times. A CAPITOL FOURTH welcomes back Emmy Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron (“Dancing With the Stars”) to host America’s national Independence Day celebration live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Bergeron will lead an all-star cast during the top-rated musical and fireworks extravaganza that has become America’s favorite birthday party. With 20 cameras positioned around the city, viewers at home are front and center for the greatest display of fireworks anywhere in the nation. A CAPITOL FOURTH also airs on National Public Radio and to our troops around the world on the American Forces Network. Showtimes: Thursday, July 4, 8:00 pm ET; Thursday, July 4, 9:30 pm ET