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What’s new on ‘Nature,’ ‘NOVA’ and ‘Independent Lens’ in February?
January 31, 2022 Leave a Comment
From mountain tops to the ocean deep, PBS Wisconsin invites you to travel the globe from the comfort of your home to meet wildlife, celebrate scientific discoveries and explore America’s social issues – past and present – with February’s new episodes of Nature, NOVA and Independent Lens. Watch them when they premiere on PBS Wisconsin or download the free PBS Video App to watch them anytime!
Nature
Pumas: Legends of the Ice Mountains
7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2
Travel to the mountains of Chile to discover the secrets of the puma, the area’s biggest and most elusive predator. Discover how this mountain lion survives and follow the dramatic fate of a puma mother and her cubs.
Penguins – Meet the Family
7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9
Enjoy a celebration of one of Earth’s most iconic and beloved birds, featuring for the first time all 18 species of penguins, from New Zealand, Cape Town, the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica.
The Ocean’s Greatest Feast
7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16
The story of South Africa’s annual sardine migration is brought vividly to life on camera. Each summer, the sardine run sees billions of sardines spawning and traveling up the coast, providing a feast for an array of marine predators.
American Horses
7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23
American horses are icons. Mustang. Appaloosa. Morgan. Quarter Horse. Follow the history of the uniquely American horse breeds that helped shape our nation and meet the people who are continuing in the long tradition of caring for them.
NOVA
Arctic Sinkholes
8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2
Scientists investigate colossal explosions in Siberia and other evidence that suggests rapidly melting soil in the Arctic is releasing vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications for our climate future?
Secrets in the Scat
8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9
Scott Burnett is “Scatman” – an Australian ecologist on the trail of the secrets of poop. By identifying and analyzing animal scat for DNA and hormones, he discovers essential details of their behavior, how they fit in the ecosystem and even how to protect them.
Great Mammoth Mystery
8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16
Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique site in southern England where amateur fossil hunters uncovered giant mammoth bones and evidence of Neanderthals. A team of paleontologists and archaeologists soon discover that the site preserves rare evidence of the extinct beasts and early human inhabitants of Britain dating to over 200,000 years ago. What skills did the early humans have to help them survive during the Ice Age?
Augmented
8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23
Follow the dramatic personal journey of Hugh Herr, a biophysicist working to create brain-controlled robotic limbs. At age 17, Herr’s legs were amputated after a climbing accident. Frustrated by the crude prosthetic limbs he was given, Herr set out to remedy their design, leading him to a career as an inventor of innovative prosthetic devices. Now, Herr is teaming up with an injured climber and a surgeon at a leading Boston hospital to test a new approach to surgical amputation that allows prosthetic limbs to move and feel like the real thing.
Independent Lens
Owned – A Tale of Two Americas
9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7
Is the “American Dream” of home ownership a false promise? While the government’s postwar housing policy created the world’s largest middle class, it also set America on two divergent paths – one of perceived wealth and the other of systematically defunded, segregated communities.
Bulletproof
9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14
What is the cost of feeling safe? In an era of mass shootings, lockdown drills and teacher firearms training are as much a part of life as homecoming dances and basketball practice. Take a provocative look at fear, violence, and what Americans will do to feel safe in schools.
Apart
9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21
Since the beginning of the “War on Drugs,” the number of women in U.S. prisons has grown drastically. The majority are mothers. Three unforgettable formerly incarcerated mothers, jailed for drug-related charges, fight to overcome alienation and a society that labels them “felons” to readjust to life with their families.
