Stories by Daniel Hautzinger

No, not the Kardashians. With King Charles III airing this Sunday, there are now three recent depictions of British monarchs on TV. What's our obsession with kings and queens, Victoria and The Crown? 

Orchids drive people mad, from wealthy Victorian collectors to one of the most important scientists of the last few centuries. A horticulturist from the Chicago Botanic Garden explains what makes orchids unique and attempts to tease out our obsession with them.

Call the Midwife is now slated for nine seasons, while Home Fires was abruptly cancelled after two. The two dramas share some similarities - both based on a book, both focusing on the lives of women in mid-century Britain - so what explains their opposite trajectories? 

In the last ever episode of Home Fires, we are left with some huge questions that will never be resolved. Does an unexpected catastrophe leave anyone dead? Do two awaited joyful occurences end well? Will an abusive marriage ever end? We'll never find out.

The Cuban Missile Crisis hovers over everyone's head like a terrifying fighter plane, as Valerie deals with an unfamiliar cultural tradition that affects a woman's pregnancy and the sisters try to help Sister Mary Cynthia as she transitions out of the mental institution.

The James Beard Awards, held last night in Chicago, are often called the Oscars of Food. If you're one of the acclaimed chefs serving food at the gala, what do you serve? We talked to three of the exceptional chefs at the gala while they prepared their dishes.

As the finale of Home Fires approaches - it airs this Sunday at 8:00 pm, and is the last episode ever of the series - revisit all of the content we've posted around the show, from recaps to a quiz to a timeline of period dramas.

Right at harvest-time, Steph is in danger of losing the farm and endangers her own life trying to save it. Alison becomes more suspicious of dealings at the Barden factory while Frances is forced to confront her husband's affair head-on.

Sister Winifred takes up dental hygiene while Trixie deals with a patient who's terrified of the dentist. After a vulnerable young man with Down syndrome endures a tragedy, Fred and Violet struggle to help him and find him a new home.

The documentary National Bird shows the effect of drone warfare on the pilots operating the drones as well as the victims of strikes.  "The impact of these military drones goes far beyond just killing a civilian," says the documentary's director Sonia Kennebeck. 

There are a lot of British period dramas – so many, in fact, that you can construct a decent narrative of British history. Explore some history, and learn what Masterpiece dramas will return or premiere soon in the process.

Wednesday, April 26 at 10:00 pm, dive into tornadoes, avalanches, and fire whirls with "Wild Weather." You can explore the same phenomena in a Museum of Science and Industry exhibit - "Not everyone has a four-story tornado."

75 years ago on December 2, scientists at the University of Chicago inaugurated the nuclear era by engineering the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Learn about the origins of nuclear power and the upsides and downsides of its future.

Monday, April 24 at 10:00 pm, Independent Lens: The Last Laugh explores what's taboo in comedy, focusing on the Holocaust. Meet some of the controversial and transgressive comedians who appear in the film, including Mel Brooks and Sarah Silverman.

Frances tries to erase Peter's affair from her life, the Campbells receive some good news but Dr. Campbell delivers an upsetting diagnosis to the Brindsleys, Laura finds a new occupation, Pat's affair reaches a crisis, and Teresa goes on a date.