Culture
Revisit the Obamas' History in Chicago As the Obama Presidential Center Opens
Take a look back on why the Obama Presidential Center is even in Chicago's Jackson Park neighborhood as it opens a decade after the city was selected as its home.
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As the Chicago Pride Parade approaches, look back at a conversation with Malcolm Boyd, one of the first American clergymen to come out of the closet. "The majority loses its rights the moment it doesn't recognize the rights of minorities," he says.
David Rudman plays Cookie Monster on Sesame Street and has created numerous children's shows with his brother Adam and their production company. Hear the stories of David's obsession with puppets and the Rudmans' journey from short cartoons to full-length series.
Do you know how dolphins continue to surface for breath even while sleeping, why trainers use hair dryers on sea otters in aquariums, or the difficulties of beluga whale birth and calf-rearing? Shedd experts Jessica Whiton and Tim Binder have the answers.
The Story of China explores 4,000 years of history of the world's oldest continous state. Host Michael Wood and producer Rebecca Dobbs discuss the massive undertaking, their experiences in the country, and their goals in the six-part series.
Sidney and Geordie are back, and in fine fettle. As Amanda nears the end of her pregnancy, Sidney must determine how to navigate his relationship with her. Meanwhile, when a groom never shows for a wedding, the two detectives investigate his disappearance.
The proximity of an American airbase to the small Irish town of Moybeg causes inevitable tension between the locals and airmen. It doesn't help that a dashing young lieutenant takes a liking to Emma Coyne, and that her mother is attracted to a Captain.
The Great British Baking Show returns June 16 at 9:00 pm with a fourth season. If the thought of delicious bakes from the twelve new contestants has you salivating, try some recipes from Mary, Paul, and contestants from previous seasons.
The PBS Kids show Nature Cat is produced in a small office park in a Chicago suburb by the four-person team of Spiffy Pictures. Explore the process of creating an animated children's show - it involves Skype and comedians from Saturday Night Live - and learn about the origins of Nature Cat.
Season 4 of The Great British Baking Show begins airing on PBS on Friday, June 16. There's a fresh batch of bakers - an aerospace engineer, a garden designer - ready to take on the challenges of Mary and Paul. Meet them all here!
The executive producer of a new IMAX film about a naturalist integral to the theory of evolution talks about Bates's contribution and the importance of science education and film's use in it.
Sample some of the writers who will be appearing at Printers Row Lit Fest this weekend, through interviews on Chicago Tonight and My Chicago. Gillian Flynn, Rita Dove, Amy Dickinson, NPR's Scott Simon and more are all here!
June 7 marks the centenary of Gwendolyn Brooks. The renowned poet was the first black author to win the Pulitzer Prize and Poet Laureate of Illinois from 1968 until her death in 2000. Hear her read two of her poems in this WTTW program from 1966.
JFK's friend Frank Sinatra organized a star-studded gala for the new president's inauguration in 1961, but unforeseen circumstances prevented the performances of Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Gene Kelly, and others from being broadcast - until now.
In The American Epic Session you can see Taj Mahal, Jack White, Nas, Bettye LaVette, The Avett Brothers, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and more record on equipment from the 1920s, with all its warmth and challenges. Meet some of the musicians here.
The Edgewater Beach Hotel played host to weddings, big bands, scandals, and celebrities like Nat King Cole and Bette Davis during its heyday. Experience some of the "Magic by the Lake" in this episode of Chicago Stories.
