Culture
Mister Rogers, Doo Wop, and More: a Program Guide for March 2018
By: Emily Votaw
Posted on:
March is finally here, and even though it looks like things aren’t going to get much warmer for a while, the programming on WOUB-HD is just heating up! Check out this program-by-program guide to some of the most exciting shows coming to WOUB-HD throughout the month. If you happen to miss a broadcast, you need not worry. Keep up with https://woub.org/woubtvschedules/ for information on encore presentations of all your favorite programs.
Mister Roger’s Neighborhood/Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Monday, February 26 through Friday, March 2, 9:30 a.m.
Mister Rogers: It’s You That I Like: Tuesday, March 6 at 8 p.m.
2018 marks a big year for Mister Fred Rogers, a man who brought the universal virtues of kindness, understanding, and patience to thousands upon thousands of television screens starting in the mid-’60s. There are numerous film homages to Rogers in the works — including one that will feature America’s sweetheart, Tom Hanks, as the beloved PBS star, and an in-depth documentary, Mister Rogers: It’s You That I Like, that will air on WOUB-HD on Tuesday, March 6 at 8 p.m. Rogers will even be featured on a United States Postal Service stamp this year. Watch woub.org/culture for an interview with John Butler, an Ohio University professor who also worked on Roger’s show for years, and managed to make a couple cameo appearances on screen, as well. That feature will debut on Friday, March 2.
Catch up on all the Mister Rogers you miss during WOUB-HD’s partner programming of the classic show alongside contemporary animated homage to Mister Rogers, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, at 9:30 a.m. every day Monday, February 26 through Friday, March 2. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood takes more than just a page from Mister Rogers, as some of the characters from our old favorite neighborhood manage to pop up in interesting ways in Daniel Tiger’s new one; including Prince Wednesday, the child of King Friday XIII, and Katerina Kittycat, the daughter of Henrietta Pussycat. For this week only, each broadcast of Daniel Tiger will be followed up with the episode of Mister Rogers that inspired it.
Musical Programming
Whether you’ve got love for the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Bee Gees, George Harrison, or Jimmy Buffett, WOUB-HD has something right up your alley in the coming weeks.
He Touched Me: The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley: Saturday, March 3 at 7 p.m.
The tale of Elvis Presley is a melancholy, truly American, and never untuneful story of an outrageously talented poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi that was catapulted to cultural icon status during the hectic mid-century. Although he might be best known for his hip thrusts and contribution to the American institution of rock ‘n’ roll, Presley was at heart a deeply religious man, something that spurred from his rural American roots. He Touched Me: The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley is a documentation of Presley’s unwavering devotion to gospel music, a passion that was again and again tossed off by record label executives and producers. The documentary is narrated by Cleveland’s own veteran newscaster, Sander Vanocur, and features rare footage and photos of the king of rock ‘n’ roll’s rarely documented impromptu offstage gospel performances, as well as interviews and commentary you won’t find too many other places.
Bee Gees One For All Tour — Live Australia 1989: Saturday, March 3 at 8:30 p.m.
Riddle me this: what does it mean to be a Bee Gees fan? This question and much more is explored by an in-depth interview with self-professed Bee Gees fan Ohio University School of Media Arts and Studies professor Eddie Ashworth that will run on woub.org/culture on Wednesday, February 28. That particular piece is intended to promote this program, which features the Bee Gees on their third to final stop during their 1989 One For All World Tour in Melbourne’s National Tennis Centre in Melbourne Park. Everyone’s favorite harmonizing brothers run through everything from crowd delighting chart-toppers, like “Jive Talkin’,” to deep cut fan favorites, like “New York Mining Disaster 1941.”
Jimmy Buffett: Buried Treasure: Saturday, March 3 at 10:30 p.m.
Jimmy Buffett wasn’t always the patron saint of day-drinking, island escapism, and tacky, overpriced souvenir shop wares, he was once just a musician from Mobile, Alabama with some serious hopes and an unstoppable drive to craft his unique brand of music. Jimmy Buffett: Buried Treasure features a pre-beach Buffett and his stripped down tunes, and tells the tale of man who perfected a craft that would make him a whole lot of money through brute touring and determination.
Roy Orbison: Black & White Night 30: Sunday March 4 at 9:30 p.m.
Last year Roy Orbison’s legendary 1988 performance in the Ambassador Hotel’s Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles was re-packaged for a special 30th year celebration of the monumental concert. The show features Orbison (who had, at the time, been freshly reintroduced to the public largely thanks to the popularity of David Lynch’s bizarre 1986 film Blue Velvet and it’s show-stopping use of Orbison’s 1954 tune “In Dreams,”) alongside the likes of some of his most devoted fans, such as k.d. lang, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Jackson Browne, and many more. This program features the entire performance plus some extra material that was not included in the original 1988 release.
Queen: Rock the World: Monday, March 5 at 10 p.m.
Regardless of what you think of Queen, this documentary is an interesting behind-the-scenes examination of the band’s recording of their sixth album, News of the World, and embark on a career-changing 1977 North American tour. As a sort of perfect circling, this documentary features footage of the band’s 2017 performances with American Idol’s Adam Lambert as their vocalist, with the group coming back to some of the same cities they visited some 40 years previous.
Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers at the Fonda Theater: Friday, March 9 at 9:30 p.m.
The Rolling Stones have been putting on some of the most electrifying shows in the history of rock ‘n’ roll for the duration of their stunning 50-year-plus career. This program chronicles the band’s 2015 performance of the entirety of their 1971 classic album Sticky Fingers at Los Angeles’ Fonda Theater as an installment of the group’s From the Vault series, which has been releasing a number of otherwise hard to obtain live footage of the beloved group. Check out an in-depth feature on the documentary, as well as the cultural significance of the first Rolling Stones album to be released without founding member Brian Jones, on woub.org/culture on March 7. The editorial piece will include interviews with Kyle Siegrist of Columbus’ Lost Weekend Records, and Ohio University’s Eddie Ashworth.
Doo Wop Generations (My Music): Saturday, March 10 at 3 p.m.
Doo Wop is one of the crucial genres that lies between true roots music — blues, jazz, and before that, West African music — and the contemporary pop music monster. Check woub.org/culture on Friday, March 9 for a feature that examines the cultural significance of doo wop, featuring interviews with Ohio University’s School of Fine Arts Division of Dance’s Tom Berich and local self-professed music nerd Kate Renner. This special features performances by the likes of Frankie Lyman’s Teenagers, The Skyliners, The Duprees, The Belmonts, and more — putting the spotlight on the elder statesmen of the nobel genre passing the torch to the new generation of musicians who will carry it’s traditions on.
Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price: Last of the Breed: Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m.
The 2007 The Last of the Breed tour was an astounding feat completed by three of the most impressive acts in the history of modern country western music: Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Ray Price. Since that time, Haggard and Price have both passed away, leaving only Willie Nelson out of the trio of incredible performers. This special marks an encore presentation of the incredible final performance of that tour, taped in March 2007.
Celtic Thunder X: Friday, March 16 at 8:30 p.m.
Sometime around 2008, Celtic Thunder found fame in the hearts and minds of all of those who claim even a smidgen of Irish heritage — or those who just feel Irish at heart. The group is known for their striking, theatrical and eclectic live show, and this special features the group performing 27 new songs, as well as some traditional favorites.
Concert for George: Saturday, March 17 at 10 p.m.
George Harrison was not only a part of the most important foursome in the history of rock ‘n’ roll — The Beatles — but also an important voice on all matters spiritual, comedic, and musical in his own right. This special is an encore presentation of the November 29, 2002 tribute performance at Royal Albert Hall in London organized one year after Harrison’s death by Olivia Harrison and Eric Clapton. Look for a special editorial feature on Harrison featuring regional Beatles nuts Bryan Gibson (WOUB Public Media) and Chris Pyle (Donkey Coffee) that will run on woub.org/culture Thursday, March 15.
Dailey & Vincent – Alive!: Thursday, March 22 at 8 p.m.
Dailey & Vincent have been nominated for multiple Grammys, and for good reason. This special showcases the duo’s spectacular talent, backed by their 10-person band and a full orchestra, performing a selection of their favorite patriotic tunes, Statler Brother hits, and their own originals in the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia.
Health and Wellness Programming
Sure, maybe it’s almost three months into the new year and your New Year’s resolutions are probably in the trash. Worry not! WOUB-HD has a wealth of programming that will help you reset your metabolism, age more gracefully, and examine the confines of your own psyche.
On the Psychiatrist’s Couch with Daniel Amen, M.D.: Saturday, March 3 at 1 p.m.
According to the Washington Post, Dr. Daniel Amen is America’s favorite psychiatrist. He’s had numerous American Public Television specials, and on this particular one focuses on the many lessons that he’s learned throughout his decades of work in the field of psychiatry. Dr. Amen takes a pretty strictly neurobiological stance on psychological ills, especially the common woes of generalized anxiety, contemporary ennui, and the good ‘ol blues. After decades of studying brain scans, Dr. Amen has formulated a number of “brain prescriptions” that don’t come in orange plastic pill vials; instead they come in the form of simple lifestyle changes, most of them being nutritionally, behaviorally, or activity-based.
3 Steps to Incredible Health! With Joel Furhman, M.D.: Saturday, March 3 at 4:30 p.m.
Dr. Joel Furhman is a former competitive figure skater turned celebrity doctor who petitions for the importance of a micronutrient-rich diet. He advocates a simple and almost entirely nutrition-based approach to weight loss and preventing disease. This program boils down some of the most important lessons of Dr. Furhman’s general approach into three, easy-to-consume steps.
Food: What The Heck Should I Eat? With Mark Hyman, M.D.: Sunday, March 4 at 12 p.m.
Dr. Mark Hyman is a best-selling author and a columnist for the Huffington Post, who focuses his research and work on the many common misconceptions that have formed around food. He penned a New York Times best-selling book that bears the same name as this special, and in that volume he delves deep into some of the misguided ideas that even the most well-intended wellness-minded people maintain. This program will dispel certain ideas about food, such as the belief that oatmeal is the ultimate best way to start the day and other such general conceptions about our favorite chow.
Incredible Aging: Adding Life to Your Years: Sunday, March 4 at 3:30 p.m.
Television personality Meredith Vieira serves as the host for this informative special, which examines the complex biology behind the aging process. The focus of the program is how one might take simple steps to limit the extent of which one may be impacted by aging.
Survival Guide for Pain-Free Living with Peggy Cappy: Sunday, March 4 at 5 p.m.
Peggy Cappy might be best known for her PBS series Yoga For the Rest of Us DVD series, which boils down the complex nature of a regular yoga practice into a format that even the busiest and least physically inclined of us. In this special she joins forces with neuromuscular therapist Lee Albert to learn how simple stretches and held body positions can alleviate chronic pain, something that impacts more Americans than cancer, heart disease, or diabetes.
Forever Painless With Miranda Esmonde-White: Tuesday, March 6 at 9:30 p.m.
Miranda Esmonde-White is the author of the bestseller Aging Backwards, and in this special for American Public Television, the health guru exposes the common causes of chronic pain, and the simple things that one might do to alleviate it. The program includes interviews with numerous other health experts, and reveals a groundbreaking approach to pain management that does not involve chronic use of opioid drugs.
The Brain Body Mind Connection with Dr. Rudy Tanzi & Dr. Deepak Chopra: Thursday, March 8 at 9:30 p.m.
Rudolph Tanzi is the Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University, so you might say that the man knows a thing or two about brains. Deepak Chopra is a prominent figure in the alternative medicine community, as well as the New Age wellness movement. In this special, the two examine what it takes to maintain brain health, keep up a healthy sleep schedule, and prevent the development of dementia.
Haylie Pomroy Metabolism Revolution: Saturday, March 10 at 11 p.m.
Haylie Pomroy is a nutritional counselor who has penned a number of books about revving up one’s metabolism. Pomroy is an advocate for a style of eating that allows for frequent, nutritionally dense meals, and in this special she lets viewers in on some of the key strategies she gives her clients to speed up their metabolism and get them back on track after overindulging in sugary foods.
Hot Flash Havoc: Thursday, March 22 at 9:30 p.m.
Menopause happens to every woman, typically towards the end of her mid-age, when her ovaries stop producing progesterone and estrogen. At that time a tumult of physical and emotional phenomena take place, and that is just what this feature-length documentary examines. Hosted by the beloved Goldie Hawn, (who must have been pretty amused when her agent approached her with this opportunity) the program is equal parts educational, humorous, entertaining, and profound.
BrainFit: 50 Ways to Grow Your Brain: Tuesday, March 20 at 9:30 p.m.
Hosted by Dr. Amen, a bestselling author and incredibly successful psychiatrist and his wife, nurse Tana Amen (also a bestselling author,) this special delves deep into the steps you can take to literally make your brain bigger, stronger, and more efficient. All of them are simple, and some of them are even enjoyable, like indulging in dark chocolate — which has been shown to ward of dementia in seniors who regularly consumed it.
Travel Programming
If you’ve been feeling a sense of wanderlust recently, make sure to check out the wealth of travel programming that WOUB-HD has to offer in March. Regardless of whether you area a seasoned nomad looking for your next adventure or a homebody who just likes to take trips within the confines of their own skull, WOUB-HD has some features for you that you doubtlessly enjoy.
Pasquale Esposito Celebrates Italian Piazzas: Saturday, March 3 at 6 p.m.
Italian piazzas are something akin to town squares, although they are certainly more grand than that. In this program, which marks Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito’s second special for American Public Television, explores some of the grandest piazzas and performs some of the gorgeous music that they have inspired. Part live concert, part travel documentary, Esposito takes viewers all around Italy to some particularly stunning portions of the country. Esposito’s primary performance takes place in the historic Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples, Italy with the Orchestra Talenti Napoletani conducted by Maestro Adriano Pennino. Some of his guests include Grammy nominated Mayssa Karaa, actress and singer Lina Shastri, and 12-year-old Victoria McDowell.
National Park Symphony – The Mighty Five: Sunday, March 11 at 7 p.m.
Last year the National Park Service celebrated their centennial, and in accordance with that the University of Utah’s KUED Public Media produced a stirring visual portrait of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks. The portrait is accompanied by a score by the Utah Symphony, under the direction of Thierry Fischer. Musical selections include “Szene am Bach (Andante molto mosso)” from Symphony No. 6, Op. 68 “Pastorale” by Ludwig van Beethoven, “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” by Claude Debussy, Largo from Symphony No. 9, Op. 95 “From the New World” by Antonin Dvořák, “Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père” from L’Ascension by Olivier Messiaen (With the permission of Alphonse Leduc and G. Schirmer Inc.), “Bryce Canyon et les rochers rouge-orange,” “La Grive des bois,” and “Zion Park et la Cité Céleste” from Des Canyons aux étoiles… by Olivier Messiaen (With the permission of Alphonse Leduc and G. Schirmer Inc.), Adagio from Symphony No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff, “Danse religeuse” and “Lever du jour” from Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel, and “Dreams and Memories” from EOS by Augusta Read Thomas (with the permission of G. Schirmer Inc., a Utah Symphony commission).
Rick Steves’ Dynamic Europe: Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin: Sunday, March 11 at 3 p.m.
Rick Steves is more than an experienced traveller, he’s also an expert on art, literature, architecture, and cuisine. Join your favorite nomad as he journey though the lively cities of Amsterdam, Prague, and Berlin, sampling the culture of each as he makes his way through them.
Ireland’s Wild Coast: Wednesday, March 14 at 8 p.m.
In this visually stunning special, critically acclaimed wildlife photographer Colin Stafford-Johnson takes viewers on a narrated odyssey along Ireland’s Atlantic coast. Ireland hangs off of Europe like a bedazzled jagged tooth and it’s rugged west coast is the final stretch of rock before the glistening, unknowable stretches of the Atlantic Ocean. Stafford-Johnson, who has allowed his profession to take him all over the world, ultimately chose to live on this coast, which he knows intimately.
Rick Steves’ Special European Easter: Monday, March 19 at 9:30 p.m.
Although Easter throughout North America may consist mainly of pastel bunny plush animals, sugary, chick shaped treats colored like toxic waste, and eggs from factory farms dyed with overpriced food coloring bought in supermarkets, Easter in Europe is quite another animal altogether. Join veteran nomad Rick Steves as he explores Italy, Greece, Slovenia, and Spain during one of the most festive times of the year in this hour-long special.