WPBT2 Premieres Season 6 of Check, Please! on Mondays at 7:30 pm Beginning May 16th.

Check, Please! South Florida returns for its sixth season on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. on WPBT2, with a fun, new twist on the typical show concept.  The season opens with three young foodies, local first and second-graders, joining host Michelle Bernstein around the Check, Please!  table to talk about what they liked and disliked about their dining experiences.  

“I thought it would be refreshing to have three kids on the show, talking very honestly (as kids are) about their favorite restaurants,” said host and celebrity chef, Michelle Bernstein. “Kids are just so innocent and untainted by what society thinks. They speak truthfully and straight from their hearts.” 

But, don’t expect a discussion focused on pizza and burgers.  “I was very surprised at the types of restaurants these kids recommended as their favorites,” said show producer Joyce Belloise.  The fact that we can discuss menu items such as sushi, tofu, and filet mignon on a kids’ show says a lot about how our children’s tastes are evolving.”

For now, fans of the show can expect a new line-up of restaurants and guest reviewers, representing dining spots from Jupiter to Kendall, beginning with the special kids episode on May 16th.   South Floridians are encouraged to apply to be a guest reviewer on the show by logging on to the website at www.checkpleasefl.com.

EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS:

SHOW # 601- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 16, 2011

*Our Special Kids Episode!*
See what South Floridians have to say about Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant in Dania Beach; Thai Cafe in Miami Lakes; and Café Abbracci in Coral Gables.

Guest reviewers:  Demi-Nicole Bernadotte, Second-grader; Jude Rivera, Second-grader; Frankie Sanchez, First-grader    

SHOW # 602- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 23, 2011

See what South Floridians have to say about Big Bear Brewing Co. in Coral Springs;
Café Sharaku in Ft. Lauderdale; and Tin Muffin Cafe in Boca Raton.

Guest Reviewers:  Jessica Stein, Art Teacher; Yoshi Kirsch, Car Exporter; Jerry Friedman, Chiropractor
    
SHOW # 603- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 30, 2011

See what South Floridians have to say about Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & Latam Grill in Coconut Grove; Secreto Restaurant in Kendall; and Buena Vista Bistro in Miami.

Guest reviewers: Manuela Menendez, Psychologist; Angel Medina, Banker; Scot Marken, Nonprofit CEO

SHOW # 604- Broadcast Date: Monday, June 6, 2011

See what South Floridians have to say about Capt. Charlie’s Reef Grill in Juno Beach, CW’s BBQ in Hobe Sound; and Havana Restaurant in West Palm Beach.

Guest reviewers: Esse Asker, Manufacturer Representative; Tom Priester, Realtor; Maurissa Jones, Lawyer
   
SHOW # 605- Broadcast Date: Monday, June 13, 2011

See what South Floridians have to say about Moca Café & Lounge in North Miami; Bash Wine Cafe in Sunrise; and Sugar Reef Grill in Hollywood.

Guest reviewers: Rose-Philippe Coriolan, Radio Station Operations Manager; Bob Feinberg, Medical Sales Manager; Richard Miller, Fundraising Consultant

WPBT2 premieres National Memorial Day Concert on May 29th at 8:00 pm.

For more than two decades, PBS has been proud to honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country with the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT. The evening, that has become an American tradition, offers viewers a time to remember, to heal and bring our country together.

The multi award-winning event, broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, will be co-hosted for the sixth year by Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (CSI:NEW YORK) and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (CRIMINAL MINDS), two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veteran’s causes and supporting our troops in active service. Joining co-hosts Sinise and Mantegna will be an all-star line-up of dignitaries, actors and musical artists in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. The U.S Joint Chiefs of Staff will also participate in the event along with the Armed Forces Color Guard and Service Color Teams provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.

The 22nd annual broadcast of THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT will air live in HD before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network.

 

WPBT2 premieres Secrets of the Dead: The Silver Pharaoh on May 18th at 10:00 pm

The royal tomb of Pharaoh Psusennes I is one of the most spectacular of all the ancient Egyptian treasures - even more remarkable than that of Tutankhamen. So why hasn’t the world heard about it? What mysteries does it contain? And what does it reveal about ancient Egypt? The tomb was discovered filled with lavish jewels and treasure almost by accident in 1939 by the French archaeologist Pierre Montet while he was excavating in northern Egypt. The royal burial chamber came as a complete surprise, no Egyptologist had anticipated a tomb  of such grandeur in this area. Unfortunately, the tomb was found on  the eve of World War II in Europe and attracted little attention. One of the most startling discoveries inside the tomb was the sarcophagus in which the body was held: It was made of silver with exquisite detail and craftsmanship. No other silver sarcophagus has ever been found  and it is now recognized by many Egyptologists as one of the most exquisite artifacts of ancient Egypt ever to be found. The elaborate tribute within the tomb suggested it was the burial site of someone very important but as archaeologists, using the hieroglyphs inside the tomb, pieced together the identity of the pharaoh, they were left to wonder who Psuesennes I was and why he received such grand treatment. The investigation reveals political intrigue, a lost city and a leader who united a country in turmoil and became the Silver Pharaoh.

WPBT2 premieres American Experience: Freedom Riders on May 16th at 9:00 pm.

In 1961, segregation seemed to have an overwhelming grip on American society. Many states violently enforced the policy, while the federal government, under the Kennedy administration, remained indifferent, preoccupied with matters abroad. That is, until an integrated band of college students, many of whom were the first in their  families to attend a university, decided, en masse, to risk everything and buy a ticket on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South. They called themselves the Freedom Riders, and they managed to bring the president and the entire American public face to face with the challenge of correcting civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation.

These Freedom Riders experienced many trials and tribulations along the road. At many bus stops there would be gangs of people waiting there to beat them up or harass them Through their no violent protest the Freedom Riders were finally able to get the attention the Civil Rights Movement needed. The film goes into details as the Freedom Riders make their stops along the road to the Deep South. Witness the different ambushes the Riders faced and the jail time they received. The most uplifting part is when more and more people joined the Ride. It was a time when Americans began to realize that every man was equal, no matter what color they were.

WPBT2 premieres Secrets of the Dead: China’s Terracotta Army on May 4th at 10:00 pm.

The extraordinary story of China’s 8,000 terracotta warriors begins two centuries before the birth of Christ. The first emperor of China was preparing an extravagant tomb for his journey into the afterlife, and decreed that he be protected forever by a monumental army. Since then no one has seen these ancient warriors in their original splendor, brightly painted and fully armed, ready to protect their Emperor for all eternity. Now this once mighty army will be returned to its former glory for the first time. Row upon row of life-size, lavishly painted warriors will rise from the dust of two millennia. But how was a terracotta army of this size made in less than two years using the technology of 2200 years ago? Led by archaeologist Agnes Hsu,  SECRETS OF THE DEAD shows that the Chinese may have Henry Ford beat by more than 2,000 years with their own assembly line used to produce the 8,000-strong Ghost Army.

WPBT2 premieres Independent Lens: A Film Unfinished on Tuesday May 3rd at 11:00 pm.

This haunting film about a film examines a classic Nazi propaganda film used by historians for decades to provide insight into the realities of life in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. The recent discovery of a second reel in an East German archive has thrown the  veracity and intent of the Ghetto footage into question. It becomes clear as film and war  historians examine the outtakes reel that Nazi propagandists and the SA had staged elaborate scenes to mislead the general public about what was really happening in Warsaw.

WPBT2 will premiere a four part series, Black in Latin America, a film by Henry Louis Gates Jr. on April 19th at 8:00 pm.

Join Henry Louis Gates Jr. as he unveils the history of African presence in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru. In this four part series Gates witnesses the presence of the African culture through art, music, cuisine, dance, politics, and religion. He also witnesses the palpable presence of anti-black racism in the previous countries. 

Episode one:
Tuesday April 19th at 8:00 pm.
BLACK IN LATIN AMERICA: Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided: In the Dominican Republic, Professor Gates explores how race has been socially constructed in a society whose people reflect centuries of inter-marriage, and how the country's troubled history with Haiti informs notions about racial classification. In Haiti, Professor Gates tells the story of the birth of the first-ever black republic, and finds out how the slaves's hard fought liberation over Napoleon Bonaparte's French Empire became a double-edged sword.

Episode two:
Tuesday April 26th at 8:00 pm.
BLACK IN LATIN AMERICA: Cuba: The Next Revolution: In Cuba, Professor Gates finds out how the culture, religion, politics and music of this island are inextricably linked to the huge amount of slave labor imported to produce its enormously profitable 19th century sugar industry, and how race and racism have fared since Fidel Castro's Communist revolution in 1959.

Episode three:
Tuesday May 3rd at 8:00 pm.
BLACK IN LATIN AMERICA: Brazil: A Racial Paradise?: In Brazil, Professor Gates delves behind the façade of Carnival to discover how this ‘rainbow nation’ is waking up to its legacy as the world’s largest slave economy.

Episode four:
Tuesday May 10th at 8:00 pm.
BLACK IN LATIN AMERICA: Mexico & Peru: The Black Grandma in the Closet: In Mexico and Peru,   Professor Gates explores the almost unknown history of the significant numbers of black people — the two countries together received far more slaves than did the United States —brought to these countries as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, and the worlds of culture that their descendants have created in Vera Cruz on the Gulf of Mexico, the Costa Chica region on the Pacific and in and around Lima, Peru.

 

 

WPBT2 premieres a new series, Ashes to Ashes, beginning April 14th at 9:30 pm.

Ashes to Ashes, the follow up to fan-favorite Life on Mars, sees DCI Gene Hunt and his sidekicks back on our screens. But this time, it’s the 80s calling. Alex Drake, a DCI who uses psychological profiling rather than brute force to nail her men, finds herself in a London of New Romantic pan-sexuality, Two Tone ska and rolled-up suit sleeves after a horrific car accident. And whilst she gets to grips with the self-styled Sherriff of Manchester's 'unorthodox' methods, Gene has to wrestle with the fact that not only does he have to show Alex (a bird!) some professional respect, he also sort of fancies her.

Ashes to Ashes allows us to peek behind the bluff exterior of the hugely popular DCI Hunt, whilst giving  viewers access to a very different, tumultuous world, where poll tax riots, androgynous fashion and angular pop sit side-by-side with Charles'n'Di commemorative plates.

WPBT2 Broadcasts BBC One Live Coverage of the Royal Wedding on April 29th at 3:00 am.

 

WPBT2 invites you to be a guest at one of the most eagerly anticipated events of our century, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  WPBT2 will air the live BBC One coverage of the wedding on April 29 at 3:00am.  Coverage of the wedding begins 3 hours ahead of the wedding service, which allows viewers to watch the excitement and anticipation build up around Central London as well as other key locations such as St. Andrews and Kate's home village of Bucklebury.

A team of presenters will be stationed around Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and The Mall. They will watch all the preparations as they unfold, report on all the movements and speak to members of the crowd who have traveled from all over to witness this little piece of history. Hear from guest experts, for example, Royal historians and correspondents, fashion experts and possibly some guests who are attending the wedding service.

In this transmission watch the journey of all the members of the Royal Family and the bride as they make their way to the Abbey. See the arrivals of all the key guests and watch the full coverage of the wedding service. Following the service, viewers will see the full procession back to Buckingham Palace and then reflect on how the wedding has made an impact all over the United Kingdom and possibly around the world. This programme will end just after William and Kate and close members of the Royal Family make the historic balcony appearance.

WPBT2 premieres Looking for Lincoln on April 12th at 8:00 pm.

This documentary follows one of the country’s best and enigmatic presidents. It is presented and written by Henry Louis Gates Jr. In the film, Gates shows how the Lincoln legend grew out of controversy, greed, love, clashing political perspectives, power struggles, and considerable disagreement over how our 16th president should be remembered. His quest to piece together Lincoln’s complex life takes him from Illinois to Gettysburg to Washington, D.C., and face-to-face with people who live with Lincoln every day – relic hunters, re-enactors, and others for whom the study of Lincoln is a passion.

The program gives an in-depth look at the famous almost mythological president. It discusses Lincoln’s childhood and his depression stage of his life. Furthermore, it explains Lincoln’s relationships with women and how he ended up with Mary Todd. It illustrates how Lincoln believed that there was strength in intelligence and he was not afraid to ask for help by enlisting his ex-opponents to be apart of his presidential cabinet.  He truly believed it would be the best for the country to succeed, as would freeing the slaves. President Abraham Lincoln left a mark on this country with more than just freeing the slaves and it shows in the documentary.