Art and life in the middle ages: the Luttrell psalter
The illuminated psalm book of Sir Geoffrey Luttrell is a priceless treasure, containing beautiful calligraphy and extremely fine illustrations. Packed with scenes from the Bible and from everyday life - plus all manner of creatures, including bizarr...
Too close to heaven: the history of gospel music. Pt. 3 of 3
Deeply rooted in African rhythms, the first gospel music, as sung on southern plantations, expressed the collective sorrow of American slaves, and the history of their diaspora. Using narration and thrilling performance footage, these programs trace...
Digestion
This program provides a thorough introduction to the structure and functions of the digestive tract. Using modern body-imaging techniques, the program explores where fat is located and how its distribution within the body differs from person to pers...
Geisha
Their world is ruled by a strict code of privacy and silence, and in Japan their title is a byword for exotic allure. Called "entertainers" by some and "prostitutes" by others, the geisha are a secretive sorority in high demand by members of Japan's...
The Islamic state
Islamic movements throughout the Muslim world are demanding an Islamic state. What is an Islamic state? What is its relationship to the people, and how democratic can it be? In this program, Dr. Hassan Turabi, widely regarded as the architect of the...
Risky business: insuring against the future
Life is risky - which is why people buy insurance. But when disaster overwhelms conventional insurance systems, should the state step in? In this program, economics expert Niall Ferguson travels to post-Katrina New Orleans to evaluate the free marke...
Muscles
In this program, the diverse nature of muscle tissue is examined, from its gross structure to its detailed microstructure, where chemical energy is harnessed to produce movement. As muscle forms the basis for much of a person's body shape, we explor...
Islam and war
Seen as the spiritual head of the Hezbollah, Sayed Fadlallah - a leading political figure in the Lebanese Islamic Movement - gives his views of Jihad or Holy War, its rules, its origins, and the role of terror in such a war. The program also examine...
Escaping ISIS
This film provides first-hand accounts of ISIS' brutal reign and treatment of women. In Syria, ISIS recruits women to form the Al Khansaa Brigade. From Iraq, Khalil al-Dakhi leads an underground network of volunteers who work to free women held in c...
Hitler vs. Stalin
From the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact to the launch of Operation Barbarossa, this program explores in detail the efforts of Hitler and Stalin to outwit each other during the so-called period of cooperation lasting from August 1939 to June 1941—a...