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Jonathan Miller set his well-known production of The Mikado, staged for the English National Opera, in a British seaside resort of the 1920s. The result, complete with a chorus of gentlemen of Japan as cartoon-like British peers, emphatically underscores the Englishness of the satire. The occasional non sequiturs, like a bunch of gentry dressed for Ascot and singing in Japanese, are loonily fun, and no more absurd than the fantasyland Japan that Gilbert and Sullivan invented. The time frame, though, seems little more than an excuse for a smart black-and-white production design.

Recorded Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center s Frederick P. Rose Hall on February 10, 2009. Once in a while the stars align and something magical happens...as on the night Jazz at Lincoln Center presented a salute to the late, great bluesman, Ray Charles. Two musical iconoclasts, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, along with the stunning songstress Norah Jones, collectively brought their unique musical perspective to the legendary artist s hits such as Hallelujah I Love Her So, Hit the Road Jack, and Unchain My Heart. The evening s musicians are supported by insightful and vibrant performances from saxaphonist Walter Blanding, pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Carlos Henriquez, drummer Ali Jackson, and harmonica great Mickey Raphael.

The deadliest weapon on the battlefield is neither the bullet nor the gun-it's the lone sniper. Through the scopes of the world's most precise marksmen SNIPER: INSIDE THE CROSSHAIRS takes you on a journey to discover the science and psychology behind the most extreme shots in military history. Deconstruct well-known missions from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan by hearing firsthand recollections from the soldiers who were there and whose fingers pulled the triggers. Finally meet Canadian sniper Rob Furlong who for the first time on American television tells the story of his history-making shot in Afghanistan-striking a Taliban fighter from 1.5 miles away. Ballistics tactics weaponry stalking--this feature-length special examines these critical components in vivid detail and uses compelling interviews cinematic reenactments CGI technology and modern-day shooting demonstrations to put you squarely inside the crosshairs.

The tale had been kept alive for generations but the intriguing story of Vinland seemed more legendary than true. But a landmark discovery rewrote the history of human exploration and showed he had indeed visited North America. Five hundred years before Christopher Columbus Leif Ericson and the Vikings sailed from Greenland to a new land sighted further west. For centuries their story was shrouded in mystery. But a remarkable discovery by archeologist Anne Ingstad uncovered the site of the legendary Vinland a Viking settlement in Newfoundland. BIOGRAPHY journeys to the Dark Ages to tell the story of one of the greatest explorers of all time and the extraordinary journey that made him a legend. Tour the site where Ericson set foot on the New World and learn what is known of his life from the world's leading scholars. Set sail for history in this unique program which re-creates one of the most important journeys in human history and introduces the legendary explorer at its heart.

It was an epic battle of brains versus brawn that determined the course of human history. Witness our prehistoric ancestors as they clash with a completely different species of humans, the Neanderthals, some 30,000 years ago in Ice Age Europe. Neanderthals, stocky, powerful and able to tolerate intense pain versus their foes, the Cro-Magnons, weaker and more fragile but with a superior brain. Cutting-edge archaeological and anthropological research, including data from the ongoing Neanderthal genome mapping project at Germany's Max Planck Institute, lends up-to-the-minute realism and accuracy to this cataclysmic fight to the finish.

The life of legendary actor Anthony Perkins is recounted by friends and family, colleagues and co-stars, revealing the man underneath Norman Bates.

It is the most despicable act a person can commit to eat the flesh of another human being. Yet this gruesome practice was never confined to backward tribes in distant jungles, and may in fact survive to this day. Explore the long and mysterious history of cannibalism with this compelling program. Experts explore its ancient origins, searching for an answer to the troubling question what makes people cannibals? Famous cases of cannibalism are examined, including the tragic Donner Party and the horrific crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer. And venture into the dense jungles of New Guinea, where isolated tribes may still practice ritual cannibalism.

At age 18, Frederick Douglass boarded a train to the north and escaped the brutal life of slavery he'd known since childhood. Once there, he joined the anti-slavery movement and began lecturing, later becoming one of the most influential abolitionists of his time, even advising Lincoln during the Civil War. This A&E biography presents the compelling life of a talented writer and orator who worked tirelessly to promote justice and freedom.

Some people believe it was sent by God to punish the sins of the world. First recognized in 542 AD, the plague swept from Egypt through Asia Minor and Europe on a path of destruction, killing more than 100 million in countless outbreaks and plunging the world into the Dark Ages. Today, much is known about this ancient scourge, and modern medicine is largely able to contain it. But its origins remain unclear, and there is always the threat that a new, disease-resistant strain could once again prove to be a major threat to mankind. THE SCOURGE OF THE BLACK DEATH is a comprehensive look at the deadliest disease to ever strike mankind. Historians trace its incredible, apocalyptic spread and detail the sweeping changes it forced.