September 2010 ushers in the start of TVO’s 40th anniversary season. To mark this major milestone, TVO presents a fresh slate of fall programming that builds on a long-standing tradition of informing, inspiring and engaging Ontarians in the important issues and questions that affect us all.
Beginning Saturday September 25, TVO celebrates 40 years with a special week showcasing the best of past – and future – programming on TVO. In 36 Years of Conversation (September 25 at 8 pm), Saturday Night at the Movies’ new host Thom Ernst digs deep into our rich interview archive to bring you some of the best interview moments from the film series’ history.
Fast forward to Tuesday night, when TVO’s 9 pm Tuesday science strand launches with the Canadian premiere of the five-part How the Earth Changed History (September 28 at 9 pm), looking at how geography and climate have shaped the story of our planet. In fact, Tuesday nights on TVO will anchor a new season-long programming focus on science, math and technology called World of Wonder, aimed at examining the role of science and innovation in our present and future. Other TVO properties including our flagship current affairs show, The Agenda with Steve Paikin, and tvo.org, will support the science and innovation focus throughout the year.
Closing out the special 40th anniversary week is the one-hour Allan Gregg in Conversation Special (Friday October 1 at 10 pm), in which host Allan Gregg revisits his most memorable conversations with key thinkers in the worlds of politics, culture, science and spirituality. Highlights include Conrad Black, Jimmy Carter and scientist Richard Dawkins, to name a few.
Anniversaries are as much about looking forward as they are about looking back. Also ahead this season on TVO are more opportunities for documentary viewing. Viewers can find science, point-of-view and arts docs in a new 9 pm midweek timeslot running Tuesdays to Thursdays, in addition to TVO’s usual 7 and 10 pm weeknight doc offerings. The world broadcast premiere of Corpus (Wednesday October 6, 2010 at 9 pm) opens TVO’s Wednesday point-of-view (POV) nights and chronicles a young woman’s humourous quest to find out what to do with her body when she dies. The film marks the 17th season of Canadian POV docs commissioned by TVO. Watch also for the North American premiere of the three-part Gandhi (Mondays October 25 – November 8 at 10 pm), exploring the controversial, lesser-known side of the revered spiritual leader.
The Agenda with Steve Paikin also has reason to celebrate this fall as it begins its fifth season. Ontario’s premier current affairs show will welcome three guest essayists on Thursday nights, who offer different perspectives on critical issues of the day. Online at tvo.org/theagenda, look for new content to support and extend the broadcast. And the immensely successful Agenda with Steve Paikin: On the Road tour will head back out to cities and towns across the province in 2011, to hear directly from Ontarians about what matters to them.
Since 1970, TVO has been an integral part of the fabric of Ontario, reaching into people’s lives in a multitude of ways. “People today are connecting with TVO like never before: on air, online and right in their communities,” says Lisa de Wilde, Chief Executive Officer, TVO. “That’s because, 40 years on, we keep pushing the boundaries of educational media. We’re a proud reflection of the people, issues and ideas that are shaping life in 21st-century Ontario.”
WORLD OF WONDER
This fall, TVO presents World of Wonder, a season-long initiative promoting a greater awareness of science, math and technology through informative, enlightening, engaging and even thrilling content in our primetime broadcast schedule and value-added online offerings.
TVO’s broadcast lineup will feature expanded programming on the subjects throughout each week, and will include a science strand Tuesday nights beginning September 28 at 9 pm ET. And on the last Tuesday of every month, TVO’s current affairs flagship show, The Agenda with Steve Paikin, will focus on a science and technology related issue with discussion and debate from guest experts.
How the Earth Changed History – Canadian premiere
Tuesdays September 28 to October 26, 2010 at 9 pm ET
5 / 50 minutes
A BBC/National Geographic-US co-production in association with ZDF
The traditional interpretation of history has focused largely on human factors. Yet the planet itself has also shaped history since the dawn of time – but how, and to what extent? In this five-part series, Professor Iain Stewart (Journeys from the Centre of the Earth) reveals how geology, geography and climate have shaped everything from the birth of agriculture to the industrial revolution.
In the first episode, “Water,” Professor Stewart shows how control over water has been central to human existence. He visits the foothills of the Himalayas to show how villagers have built a living bridge to cope with the monsoon, and goes to Egypt to reveal the secret of the pharaohs’ success. In “Deep Earth” he discovers a strange connection humans have to fault lines as he visits an extraordinary crystal cave in Mexico, drops down a hole in the Iranian desert and crawls through 7,000-year-old tunnels in Israel. Humanity’s turbulent relationship with the atmosphere is explored in “Wind,” taking Professor Stewart to the Sahara desert, the coast of West Africa and the South Pacific. In “Fire” Professor Stewart looks at the role our millennia-old, primary energy source had in Britain’s industrial revolution, while holding back China’s development. In the final episode, “Human Planet,” Professor Stewart takes a different tack, examining the effect of human activity as a force on the planet.
Blown Apart – North American premiere
Sundays October 3 to 24, 2010 at 8 pm ET
4 / 50 minutes
Directed by Jeremy Gibson
Produced by Sevenstones Media for BBC
The quest to develop clean, renewable energy is one of the great scientific endeavours of our time, and wind power is becoming increasingly popular around the world as an option. But sometimes science runs into politics. In Ontario, there is growing debate about its use as local opponents cite the noise produced by turbines, the impact on bird populations, reduction of property values and destruction of scenery as concerns.
This timely four-part documentary series examines what happens when a wind farm of nine 120-metre high turbines is planned to be built on a sensitive English landscape. Filmed over four turbulent years, the series reveals a deeply divided community and explores in candid and intimate detail a story that goes to the very heart of the question of renewable energy, our attitudes toward it and the future for on-shore wind around the world. It’s a story that adds valuable insight to our conversation about wind power in Ontario.
Have your say on wind farms: Play Persuasion at tvo.org
Wind farms – and the issues they raise – are one of several topics users can discuss this September in a new online interactive game called Persuasion. Hosted on tvo.org’s citizen engagement site, Civics 101, the game is designed to demonstrate how communication, discussion and information exchange are critical elements in getting fellow citizens active and involved in issues that matter to them and their communities. Players gather online to share information and engage in negotiations. The more people a player sways to their argument, the better the chance that their solution to an issue gets adopted. In addition to wind farms, some of the other topics players will be able to tackle this fall are public transit, healthcare and education.
The Museum of Life – North American premiere
October 25 to November 29, 2010 at 7 pm ET
6 / 50 minutes
Produced by BBC
London’s Natural History Museum is home to a wealth of scientific knowledge, where 350 scientists work with a collection of 70 million objects to try to understand the complexities and resolve some of the problems of the natural world. Presenter Jimmy Doherty, who as a young man volunteered at the museum, returns with a camera crew who are granted unprecedented access to the building’s natural treasures. The six-part series shot at the museum and around the world traces the dramatic, pioneering and often surprising scientific work of a much-loved institution.
DOCUMENTARIES
With half of our primetime schedule devoted to documentary programming, TVO is the destination in Ontario for powerful, provocative and uninterrupted non-fiction films from Canada and around the world. As a proud supporter of independent and emerging filmmakers, TVO presents big, bold ideas and new perspectives on our global village.
This season, TVO offers viewers more opportunities for doc viewing in a new 9 pm midweek timeslot running Tuesdays to Thursdays. Tuesday nights explore the world of science. Wednesday nights showcase point-of-view films from some of the best homegrown and international filmmakers, who challenge us to think differently and critically about the issues that affect us all. TVO is one of the few remaining broadcasters supporting this important genre as a vehicle to tell our stories. Thursday nights put the spotlight on the arts, examining the context behind the work and lives of artists from various disciplines.
Completing TVO’s wide-ranging documentary lineup are films on history, nature, the environment, people and places airing weeknights at 7 pm, and Mondays through Thursdays at 10 pm.
And online at tvo.org, TVO offers docs on demand. You can view – or review – our award-winning documentaries 24/7.
Corpus – World broadcast premiere
Wednesday October 6, 2010 at 9 pm ET
Encore viewing: Monday October 18 at 10 pm ET and
Wednesday October 27 at 9 pm ET
60 minutes
Written and directed by Connie Diletti
Produced by William Burke in association with TVO
Available for streaming on demand at tvo.org following the broadcast
At 32 years old, most would consider Canadian filmmaker Connie Diletti a spring chicken with a whole future ahead of her, but lately, death – or the fear of it – is the only thing on her mind. When a routine health card renewal prompts her to contemplate what to do with her body after she dies, she sets out on a cross-America road trip to find the answer. In Corpus, Diletti chronicles her journey as she investigates non-traditional afterlife services. With options such as blasting herself into outerspace, incorporating cremated remains into diamonds, glass or coral reefs, mummification, plastination, cryonic preservation and green burials to consider, will Connie find a way to rest in peace?
Gandhi – North American premiere
Mondays October 25 to November 8, 2010 at 10 pm ET
3 / 50 minutes
Produced by BBC
For many people around the world, the image of Mahatma Gandhi is that of the iconic father of the Indian nation whose peaceful protests served as templates for those who followed, such as Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama and more. While he is revered as the leader of a nation and a symbol of peace, there is a controversial, less well-known side to him. In this definitive three-part series on the life of Gandhi, journalist Mishal Husain charts Gandhi’s Establishment beginnings, his move into politics and his campaign to bring independence to India.
The series begins with a look at his early years in India and South Africa, unearthing accusations of racism and hypocrisy against Gandhi that are in sharp contrast to his image as the Indian Messiah. It continues with a look at his rise to fame and how he faced unpopularity, political failure and time in British jails before launching the 240-mile Salt March that succeeded in humiliating the British Raj. The series concludes with the dramatic last years of Gandhi’s life, which culminated in his death by an assassin’s bullet. And Husain gets to the bottom of an enduring mystery: why is Gandhi revered as “Father of the Nation,” when India turned its back on his blueprint for the country?
A Good Man – North American premiere
Wednesday October 20, 2010 at 9 pm ET
60 minutes
Directed by Safina Uberoi
Produced by Divana Films
In this inspiring, against-all-odds story, a devoted husband goes from small-town sheep farmer to brothel owner in a bid to keep his wife, a quadriplegic for all of their 14 married years, out of long-term hospital care. Australian grazier Chris Rohrlach is struggling to make a living off the land, and a drought has only made things worse. All he wants to do is be a husband to his beloved Rachel, and father to their teenage son Kieran and new baby Liam. He’ll give anything a go to keep his family afloat, even if that means sparking the ire of the locals who don’t want to see a red-light district in their outback town. As cameras capture Rohrlach through construction and opening of the brothel and record the words of family members, the film reveals an endlessly optimistic man whose only motivation is love.
Baroque! – From St. Peter’s to St. Paul’s – North American premiere
Thursdays October 7, 14 and 21, 2010 at 9 pm ET
3 / 60 minutes
A ZCZ Films Limited production for BBC
Sprawling across Europe and beyond, the Baroque movement dominated painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theatre and literature in the 17th century and spawned some of the world’s greatest works. Synonymous with grandeur, boldness and drama, the style often blurred the line between art and reality. In this three-part series, British art critic Waldemar Januszczak tours the Baroque tradition’s key locations – Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium and England – to find its finest examples of art and architecture. Beginning in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City where he details the birth of Baroque and culminating at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, Januszczak retraces the spread of the movement and its social context, while exploring the works of Caravaggio, Velasquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Dyck, among others.
Also this month:
The Love of Money – The definitive guide to the global economic meltdown
Mondays September 27 – October 11, 2010 at 10 pm ET
3 / 50 minutes
Produced by BBC
September marks the second-year anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse. The biggest bankruptcy filing in America’s history triggered a global financial freefall whose effects continue to ripple through the world’s economies today. In the week that Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to the 1987 Oliver Stone hit film Wall Street, hits theatres, TVO presents a new opportunity to review the real-life dramas behind the market meltdown. With interviews from key financial industry leaders and players, this three-part documentary places the crash in its social context, analyzing how it was reported by the media and how it has changed our lives.
Tiger Island Series 2 – Canadian premiere
Wednesdays October 27 – November 17, 2010 at 7 pm ET
7 / 30 minutes
Produced by Athena Films
The second instalment of this series makes a roaring return to the Isle of Wight Zoo off the coast of England, to observe the day-to-day lives of the big cats living in one of Europe’s largest tiger sanctuaries. Cameras capture the zoo’s busy working atmosphere and follow devoted animal care professionals through rescue stories, animal treatment and dramas big and small. This season catches up with Zena, the white tiger, brothers Snoopy and Charlie Brown, and welcomes Rambo, the new arrival from America.
SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
Viewers will see a new face this fall on TVO’s long-running film series as veteran Saturday Night at the Movies (SNAM) producer/interviewer Thom Ernst steps out from behind the camera and into his new role as on-screen host. Thom will offer viewers a “curated” experience by introducing each film, placing them in context and providing behind-the-scenes insights on a broad spectrum of movies including art-house gems and lost treasures.
Prior to his official début as host with SNAM’s October 2 season launch, Thom travels back into the past to review more than three decades worth of memorable interviews from SNAM’s priceless archive in an hour-long retrospective special.
36 Years of Conversation
Saturday September 25, 2010 at 8 pm ET
60 minutes
Produced by TVO
In honour of TVO’s 40th anniversary, Saturday Night at the Movies presents an encore broadcast of an hour-long special of some of the best and most interesting moments from The Interviews. Host Thom Ernst takes viewers down memory lane in an hour full of interviews with acclaimed filmmakers, actors and industry insiders who have all made an impact in film throughout the years. Highlights from the show include interviews with Oliver Stone, Cybill Shepherd, Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, Susan Sarandon and Gregory Peck.
Saturday Night at the Movies and The Interviews – 37th season
Saturdays beginning at 8 pm ET
New season starts October 2, 2010
Produced by TVO
TVO’s film and filmmakers’ series presents thought-provoking contemporary, socially relevant stories. To complement the wide range of compelling films that air every Saturday night, The Interviews is SNAM’s all-access pass to the actors, directors and producers who make the films you love. Airing in between films, The Interviews examine the themes, myths and conflicts presented in SNAM’s weekly featured films, placing them in the context of today’s society.
Saturday October 2, 2010: Student and Teacher Dynamics
Music of the Heart (1999) / Half Nelson (2006)
Music of the Heart, directed by Wes Craven and starring Meryl Streep, and Half Nelson starring Ryan Gosling, present the complex relationship between students and teachers in inner-city high schools. The dynamics of this relationship are further explored in The Interviews with Music of the Heart producer Marianne Maddalena.
Saturday October 9, 2010: Age and Crime
The Late Show (1977) / The Limey (1999)
The Late Show starring Art Carney, Lily Tomlin and Bill Macy, and The Limey, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Lesley Ann Warren, both look at two aging male characters in a contemporary world of crime and justice. The Interviews explores themes of age and crime in conversation with Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren and Bill Macy.
Saturday October 16, 2010: The Abortion Issue
The Cider House Rules (1999) / Citizen Ruth (1996)
The never-ending debate surrounding the issue of abortion continues in interviews with Cider House Rules editor Lisa Churgin, author John Irving, producer Richard Gladstein and actor Evan Parke, and from Citizen Ruth, actress Mary Kay Place, editor Kevin Tent and producer Albert Berger.
Saturday October 23, 2010: The Simple Life of Robert Benton
Nobody’s Fool (1994) / Places in the Heart (1984)
Actress Catherine Dent (Nobody’s Fool) and actor Ray Baker (Places in the Heart) join the discussion in an evening that showcases films by American screenwriter and film director, Robert Benton.
Saturday October 30, 2010: Death Scenes
The Host (2006) / Videodrome (1983)
Saturday Night at the Movies celebrates Halloween with its examination of death scenes from David Cronenberg’s film, Videodrome, and South Korean horror film, The Host. Filmmaker David Cronenberg and actress Sonja Smits from Videodrome join the discussion in The Interviews.
Also this season:
Later in the year, The Interviews features conversations with actors Frank Langella and Gordon Pinsent (December 4); actor Wil Wheaton of Stand by Me (December 18); internationally acclaimed filmmaker, Deepha Mehta (January 8); and Larry Flynt, subject of the film The People vs. Larry Flynt (January 15).
CURRENT AFFAIRS
TVO’s current affairs programs explain critical issues and provide in-depth coverage of important news and events that are relevant to Ontarians today.
The Agenda with Steve Paikin – Fifth season begins Tuesday September 7, 2010
Weeknights at 8 pm ET and repeated at 11 pm and 5 am the following day
Returning for its fifth exciting season, The Agenda with Steve Paikin offers the kind of thoughtful, free-flowing exchange of ideas and valuable information Ontarians have come to rely on. The combination of Steve Paikin’s one-on-one conversations with newsmakers, lively debates on the big issues of the day, and unparalleled coverage of key events impacting every citizen of Ontario provide a depth and scope of knowledge and understanding available nowhere else in our hectic, sound bite-driven world.
New this season, The Agenda with Steve Paikin welcomes guest essayists on Thursdays (excluding the last Thursday of the month when The Agenda broadcasts live from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs). Three essayists will offer different perspectives on critical issues and ideas to further explore topics that are important in Ontario today:
– Akaash Maharaj, CEO of Equine Canada, the national governing body for Olympic, international and national equestrianism. An active participant in the political process, his past work includes roles as National Policy Chair and National Executive Member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Maharaj is also a committed volunteer who contributes to a number of philanthropic and community organizations in various capacities, including UNICEF.
– Tony Keller, journalist and editor. As the former Managing Editor, Special Projects at Maclean’s, he oversaw the publication’s annual University Rankings issue and the Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities. He was also the founding editor of the Financial Post magazine and previously worked at The Globe and Mail as an editorial writer, columnist and editorial page editor. He is currently a visiting fellow at the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation.
– Carla Lucchetta, a Toronto-based freelance writer, journalist and television producer. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen, National Post, More magazine and various online publications.
Also new this fall, on the last Tuesday of every month, the program will examine important stories in science as a regular monthly feature.
Returning this year with some of the most penetrating topics covered to date, “Your Agenda” will get to the core of issues that matter to viewers and online users. Every Thursday, The Agenda with Steve Paikin will select a topic that has been suggested by the public.
The Agenda with Steve Paikin online
tvo.org/theagenda
Starting this fall, look for more original content online as The Agenda with Steve Paikin gives audiences added opportunities to get engaged and continue the conversation online.
Watch also for updates to popular blogs such as The Inside Agenda, a behind-the-scenes take on each night’s program; producer Mike Miner’s Fifth Column on the internet, media and culture; and Steve Paikin’s own blog where Ontarians can share their thoughts with him on topics raised on the program. The site will also host more live chats, guest blogs and Q&A sessions with program guests.
Users can also download videos of past episodes or subscribe to podcasts on any given topic.
The Agenda with Steve Paikin: On the Road
Stay tuned for dates for this year’s Agenda with Steve Paikin: On the Road tour, which travels to cities across the province later this season. Each two-day, interactive event will feature a daylong workshop on Sunday called AgendaCamp, where communities across the province will have the opportunity to discuss important local issues in-depth, and an AgendaCamp-inspired, live on-location broadcast of The Agenda with Steve Paikin will air the following Monday at 8 pm.
Allan Gregg in Conversation
Fridays at 10 pm ET
New season begins Friday September 17, 2010
Produced by TVO
Allan Gregg in Conversation features host Allan Gregg in engaging discussion with some of the world’s foremost thinkers on social, cultural, political and economic issues.
Annie Leonard (Friday September 17)
Activist turned filmmaker Annie Leonard talks about her book, The Story of Stuff, based on her travels around the globe, tracking what happens to the stuff we produce, consume and throw away.
Fatima Bhutto (Friday September 24)
Fatima Bhutto, niece of the assassinated former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, talks about her memoir, Songs of Blood and Sword. It’s about the Bhutto family dynasty whose tragic and violent story mirrors the history of modern Pakistan.
Allan Gregg in Conversation Special (Friday October 1)
In a one-hour special celebrating TVO’s 40th anniversary, Allan Gregg reflects on his conversations over the years with some of Canada’s – and the world’s – most influential and interesting people. From politics and culture to science and spirituality, it’s a revealing and sometimes amusing look at how much things have changed, and how much they stay the same.
The program features a montage of excerpts from some of Allan Gregg’s most memorable interviews, including: Jean Chrétien, Jimmy Carter, David Suzuki, Germaine Greer, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison, Conrad Black, Naomi Klein, Richard Dawkins, Margaret MacMillan, Jane Goodall and Malcolm Gladwell.
