Friday, March 28
7pm ONR – Oklahomans are trying to beat the enrollment deadline for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, but many are finding they don’t qualify… Over the next eight years, the state will spend several billion dollars on roads and bridges, but other needed infrastructure repairs will cost billions more… As the state wrestles with crumbling infrastructure, fixing Oklahoma’s capitol building take on a sense of urgency… An extension of the Oklahoma film rebate program is on its way to the governor. We hear debate on the measure in an ONR Extra… Legislation to repeal Common Core State Standards for education, adopted by Oklahoma in 2010, is advancing through the legislature. In an ONR Extra, we bring you some of the impassioned discussion about the bill… Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits an Oklahoma classroom to kick off a campaign to boost the vocabulary and brain power of Oklahoma children… Rapid growth in Oklahoma’s Hispanic population leads to new business development… An Oklahoma “owl-cam” becomes an Internet sensation… We discuss news from the capitol with eCapitol News Director Shawn Ashley… And, Ted Streuli, Editor of The Journal Record, reviews the week in business.
9pm MASTERPIECE “Mr. Selfridge, Season 1 Finale” – This is a two-hour episode. It preempts RED GREEN and moves DOCTOR WHO down to 11pm.
11pm DOCTOR WHO “Rings of Akhaten”—This starts at 11pm tonight instead of 10:30pm due to the long MASTERPIECE at 9pm. It’s Clara’s first visit to an alien planet. She asks to see something awesome and the Doctor takes her there. They witness the Festival of Offerings, meet the young Queen of Years and discover the most important leaf in history. (I’m getting goosebumps just typing that last bit. It’s my favorite part of the whole episode.)
Saturday, March 29
11:30am GROWING A GREENER WORLD – You may notice that we’re repeating an episode from earlier in the season. We’re doing that so that we can start a brand new series next month: VICTORY GARDEN’S EDIBLE FEAST. It’s more of a cooking program than gardening, but it’s the VICTORY GARDEN! It’s classic PBS! And it’s right before lunch, so bon appetit!
8pm LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER “Patina Miller in Concert” – Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Patina Miller is both a bright new face and a performer at the very top of her game. She brings her first concert special to Lincoln Center, with music ranging from classic R&B to Broadway's best.
11pm THE MAKING OF A LADY – We usually air a repeat of MASTERPIECE in this timeslot. Since we aired the entire first season of Mr. Selfridge this week, we couldn’t repeat it all here. Instead, here’s an encore of this British drama about a poor woman accepting an unromantic marriage proposal and soon finding that her life is in danger.
OKLA – 4:30pm to 7pm – GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET “Tosca” -- Puccini's timeless verismo score is well served by an exceptional cast, led by Patricia Racette.
Sunday, March 30
12:30pm OKLAHOMA FORUM – “Capitol Reporters Roundtable” – Discussion of the latest developments from the legislative session with State Capitol Reporters: Sean Murphy, Capitol Correspondent, The Associated Press… Shawn Ashley, News Director, eCapitol… M. Scott Carter, Capitol Bureau Chief, The Journal Record… Patrick McGuigan, CapitolBeatOK
1:30pm OKLAHOMA CAPITOL CONNECTION “Rep. Scott Inman/Sen. Clark Jolley” -- Dan Schiedel sits down with Oklahoma's state senators and representatives, providing citizens with a look inside the State Capitol, the state's distinct legislative districts and those elected to serve.
8:30am AVIATORS – This will be our final episode for a while. We’re out of new episodes, but as soon as we have more new ones, we’ll schedule them. Next Sunday at 8:30am, we’ll bring you a new local series, LAND DOCTORS.
7pm CALL THE MIDWIFE – Season Three premiere! The nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House move into their new premises, and Sister Winifred, a warm-hearted, slightly innocent young woman, arrives from the Mother House. Sister Monica Joan’s increasingly eccentric behavior causes concern, yet she’s the one who solves a perplexing medical mystery. New housewife and mother Chummy spearheads an Open Day at the Community Centre. After helping to deliver a neighbor’s baby, she decides she wants to return to midwifery.
8pm MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “Mr. Selfridge” – Season Two premiere! Spend a second season with London’s retail king, Harry Gordon Selfridge, and his entourage. In tonight’s 2-hour season opener, witness the welcome, and unwelcome, return of Rose, Agnes and Lord Loxley.
British Comedy Changes – We began airing spots last week, letting everyone know about the new British comedies coming to Sunday nights on OETA. Tonight, we’ll have a crawl at 10pm and 10:30pm, alerting viewers of the coming change. More information can be found here. Basically, our broadcast rights for KEEPING UP APPEARANCES and AS TIME GOES BY run out on March 31st. We conducted an online survey among our members and e-newsletter subscribers and asked what British series they’d like to see replace the old ones. We went with the two series they chose: ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE and THE CAFÉ. **LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE will continue to air Monday through Thursday during the 11 o’clock hour.
Monday, March 31
9pm INDEPENDENT LENS “Medora” -- A community beset by a crippled economy and dwindling population is the setting for this documentary, following a down-but-not-out varsity basketball team over a season. The team's struggle to compete parallels the town's own fight for survival. (90min)
Tuesday, April 1
7pm to 10pm THE STORY OF THE JEWS WITH SIMON SCHAMA (Parts 3-5) – This history series is classic example of how PBS does it best. Fantastic story-telling, top-notch production. You won’t find this on the History Channel. If you missed Parts 1 and 2, they are available to view online here.
10pm OKLAHOMA CAPITOL CONNECTION “Rep. Scott Inman/Sen. Clark Jolley” -- Dan Schiedel sits down with Oklahoma's state senators and representatives, providing citizens with a look inside the State Capitol, the state's distinct legislative districts and those elected to serve.
10:30pm RENO HISTORIC RACES -- Each May, vintage car enthusiasts from around the United States converge on Nevada's Reno-Fernley Raceway to view classic race cars and mingle with millionaire racers, mechanics, self-described "gearheads" and collectors. The documentary features scenes from the 2008 event, including footage of the restoration of a vintage car, a visit to Reno-Fernley track (racing's "field of dreams"), a tour of one of the world's great Porsche collections and racing etiquette lessons for the million-dollar-car circuit. In addition, racers describe the adrenaline-fueled thrills of driving these historic automobiles.
Wednesday, April 2
7pm THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS – Host Bob Sands and his guests will take calls, tweets and emails about the subject of K-12 education. Use #PeoplesBusiness to join the conversation on social media or call in at 1-800-947-4529. NATURE moves to 10pm tonight and every Wednesday through the end of May. NATURE also repeats on Saturdays at 2pm and Sundays at 10am.
8pm NOVA “Wild Predator Invasion” -- Scientists return apex predators to their environments to restore the balance of their ecosystems.
9pm SECRETS OF THE DEAD “Carthage’s Lost Warriors” -- Examines whether Carthaginians fled the marauding Romans by escaping across the Atlantic Ocean.
10pm NATURE “White Falcon, White Wolf” -- The enormous falcons and Arctic wolves raise their families on Canada's remote Ellesmere Island.
Thursday, April 3
7pm GALLERY #1406 “The Digital Realm of Alain Viesca”
8pm MIDSOMER MURDERS “The Killings at Badger’s Drift, Part 1” – New series on OETA! The rural countryside of a fictional county in England provides the backdrop for this long-running BBC crime series based on the novels of Caroline Graham. A lush visual style, quirky characters and ubiquitous red herrings recall classic public television British mysteries of the past. At the center of the MIDSOMER MURDERS investigations is Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, played by actor John Nettles (Bergerac), and Detective Sergeant Daniel "Dan" Scott (John Hopkins). Tonight is the first part of “The Killings at Badger’s Drift.” It’s conclusion will air next week at 8pm.
9pm DOC MARTIN “Dry Your Tears” -- Determined to get to grips with fatherhood, Martin asks Louisa to move into his house.
10pm DEATH IN PARADISE “Arriving in Paradise” – News series on OETA! This warm, light-hearted detective series takes place against a stunning Caribbean island backdrop. Detective Inspector Richard Poole is a quintessential British cop who loves London, but he finds himself assigned to a case in “paradise.” He may be stuck there, but he's not going to let his standards slip. He'll bring British rigor to this relaxed Caribbean workplace. Always in a suit and tie, eschewing sandals for a stout brogue, he's the very embodiment of the Englishman abroad. He can get through his ordeal, if only he could find a decent cup of tea. (Doesn’t that sound simply smashing!?)
OKLA – Fridays at 8pm and 9pm – MIDSOMER MURDERS and DEATH IN PARADISE will air the Friday night following the Thursday night premiere on Main. DOC MARTIN repeats on OKLA on Saturday nights at 8pm.