Downton AbbeyS E A S O N 6

Is this really the final season?

Courtesy of Nick Briggs/Carnival Film & Television Limited 2015 for MASTERPIECE

Countess has an exquisitely bejeweled new hat, and Edith is gallivanting around London. Will there be staff cuts — who will be let go? Will Mary’s tryst come back to haunt her? Will Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes finally tie the knot? Will she wear white or something more trendy? Will there be another show-stopping wedding? Who will be the lucky bride and groom? “We’re going to miss the castle,” said one of the cast members, speaking of Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey was filmed. “We realized when we wrapped,” she continued, “it wasn’t our house anymore.” Maggie Smith, with her legendary sharp wit, said in a recent Variety interview, “I must be 110 by now. We’re into the late 1920s.” Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, Gareth Neame, added, “Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up.” Tune in as Season 6 of Downton Abbey premieres on Sunday, January 3 at 9 p.m.

To the dismay of millions of devoted fans, the top PBS drama of all time, Downton Abbey, is embarking on its final season as part of MASTERPIECE. The good news is that you’re in for a treat — there are many more secrets, celebrations, romances and surprises yet to come. Past scandals are also looming. As Season 5 was wrapping up, it was late summer — Robert feared that he had angina, but it turned out to be an ulcer. Bates’ innocence was clearly proven, and it was unlikely that Anna would be rearrested. At Christmas, Carson proposed to Mrs. Hughes, and she delightfully accepted. In a secret moment between Violet and Isobel, Violet revealed that the reason she went to such lengths to locate Princess Irina was because the Princess intercepted Violet and Prince Kuragin as they were about to run off together and saved Violet from a

life of ruin. Now they have both saved one another. As Season 6 unfolds, the year is 1925, and momentous change threatens the great house, its owners and its staff. There are unmistakable signs that it is the end of an era. Even Robert, who

has been most resistant to change, knows the future beckons.

In keeping with the times, Lady Mary’s hair is cut shorter, and the waistlines on her outfits are longer. Dowager

NEWS FROMETV ENDOWMENT OF

SOUTH CAROLINA

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

2016

The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song “celebrates the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression, and cultural understanding, and for inspiring new generations of performers.” It is very fitting that Willie Nelson receive this honor. Rosanne Cash, Edie Brickell, Paul Simon, Neil Young and others will gather in Washington, D.C., to share stories about his life and pay tribute to the singer-songwriter. His amazing career spans six decades. His music pushes the genre boundaries, and his lyrics give voice to America’s heartland. Since his first album, And Then I Wrote, was released in 1962, Nelson has recorded 70 studio albums, nearly a dozen live albums and more than 40 compilations. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard recently paired up again to collaborate on a new album, Django and Jimmie, that was released in June 2015. “It is an honor to be the next recipient of the Gershwin Prize. I appreciate it greatly,” Nelson said. Airs Friday, January 15 at 9 p.m.

American Experience brings to life the remarkable and infamous characters who

have influenced our lives and history. These two new programs combine unparalleled accuracy, intelligence and entertainment.

Bonnie & Clyde Did you read stories about Bonnie and Clyde as a teenager? Much that was written about them was romanticized or fictionalized. Here you’ll discover the true story —

but it’s far from dull or boring. Bonnie Elizabeth Parker met Clyde Chestnut Barrow in January

1930, and they were both smitten immediately. Their crime spree began with small robberies and escalated exponentially. They were joined by friends and relatives, and when the last gun was smoking, the Barrow gang was believed to be responsible for at least 13 murders, including the slaying of two policemen. Why did they turn to a life of crime? Was Bonnie really a cigar-smoking gun moll? Did she write poetry in prison? Tune in to find out. Airs Tuesday, January 19 at 9 p.m. Murder of a President James Abram Garfield, born into abject poverty, became an excellent scholar, a Civil War hero, a congressman and one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Based on the bestseller Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, the program explores James Garfield’s unprecedented rise to power, his shooting by a madman and its bizarre and tragic aftermath, which included a bitter struggle over his administra-tion, the nation’s future and his medical care. You’ll relive a chapter in history that has largely been forgotten. Airs Tuesday, February 2 at 9 p.m.

GERSHWIN PRIZE RECIPIENTWillie Nelson

Bonnie & Clyde – A N D –

Murder of a President

Dear ETV Endowment Member, Thank you for your support! Do you ever wonder what we do with your generous contribution? Take a look around these pages… Great American and English dramas, documen-taries that go far beyond headline news, a musical portrait of Willie Nelson and wildlife stories that only NATURE can tell. Plus, your membership provides news and music from South Carolina Public Radio and online pro-gramming around the clock. Every program requires funding, whether it is produced here in South Carolina or comes from PBS, NPR or other sources. That funding comes, in large part, from generous members like you. So, as we begin another great season in

January, including Downton Abbey, I hope you will tune in often and reap the rewards of your investment. Best wishes for a Happy New Year from all of us at ETV Endowment.

Sincerely,

Coby C. Hennecy, CPA, CFREExecutive DirectorETV Endowment of South Carolina

2 The Endowment Insider

MembershipETV Endowment 864-591-0046

members@etvendowment.orgwww.etvendowment.orgETV Endowment of SC

401 E. Kennedy St., Suite B-1Spartanburg, SC 29302

ProgrammingETV and South Carolina Pubilc Radio:

803-737-3200 or 800-922-5437 outside Columbia

csr@scetv.orgwww.scetv.org and www.etvradio.org

A Word from … COBY HENNECY

nspired by memoirs and letters from real doctors and nurses at the hospital in Alexandria, the new six-part series, Mercy Street,

chronicles the lives of two volunteer nurses on opposing sides of the Civil War — New England abolitionist Mary Phinney and Confederate supporter Emma Green. Nurse Mary Phinney, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is a feisty New England widow and a newcomer to Mansion House Hospital, which has been established in the luxury hotel owned by the family of Emma Green, played by Hannah James.

The team struggles to save lives while coping with their own individual hardships. Jedediah Foster (Josh Radnor) is a civilian contract surgeon who grew up in a privileged Southern slave-owning household. James Green, Sr., (Gary Cole), patriarch of the Green family, spends most of his time trying

to maintain the family business, while Dr. Alfred Summers (Peter Gerety), chief surgeon, tries to conceal the fact that he has risen to his rank by virtue of his age, not skill. Following the professional careers and

personal experiences of Union doctors, female volunteers, contraband laborers and Southern loyalists vividly brings to life the chaotic world

of Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia, during the most

divisive time in our history. Airs Thursday, January 21 at 9 p.m.

A

BALLERINA’S TA L E

I

Photo credits: Antony Platt/PBS

They are the masters of vanish-ing acts; they’ll trick with a devious

mislead or confuse with their design that deceives. Whether it’s to win a mate

or avoid becoming dinner, these animals will outfox their opponents to survive. NATURE presents a new three-part series, Natural Born Hustlers. “Staying Alive:” Survival isn’t always about being the biggest or fittest — some strategies are more ingenious, involving shape shifting, distraction and decoys. Would they lie, cheat or steal from one another? Of course they would!

“The Hunger Hustle:” Is turnabout fair play? It always is in the animal kingdom. You’ll learn about “aggressive mimicry,” with which

imitation is used to attack, and how animals have adapted their bodies and behavior in extreme ways to create a tantalizing trap. “Sex, Lies & Dirty Tricks:” To win and keep a mate and rear offspring, animals use every trick, from adultery to cross-dressing. Size, style and skill are

all used to best advantage — or faked, if necessary. Airs Wednesday, January 13 at 8 p.m.

Natural Born Hustlers

To give you glimpses into two different aspects of African-American history and

experience, Independent Lens is premiering

two programs: A Ballerina’s Tale and The

Black Panthers: Vanguard of the

Revolution. Few dancers ever make

it to the highest levels of classical

ballet — only a fraction of them are black women. Misty Copeland has earned that distinction. In 2013, after more than a decade at the American Ballet Theatre, Copeland was offered the lead role in Igor Stravin-sky’s The Firebird, a major coup for a soloist. A Ballerina’s Tale is an intimate look at a crucial time in her life and the challenges she and other dancers face. It is a story of how great talent and a powerful will can open doors in a clois-tered world. Airs Monday, February 8 at 10 p.m. The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution explores the evolution of the Black Panthers and their significance to the broader American culture through first-person accounts from the black leaders and people who made history, white supporters, journalists, police, FBI and others. It will give you a much broader understanding of this pivotal movement that birthed a new revolu-tionary culture in America. Airs Tuesday, February 23 at 9 p.m.

Black History MonthI N D E P E N D E N T L E N S H O N O R S

Photo credit: Stanley Nelson

The Endowment Insider 3

SCETVNL01164 The Endowment Insider

The ETV Endowment is proud to share the news of two recent awards. Expeditions with Patrick McMillan won its fourth Southeast Emmy Award, in the Outstanding Informational/Instructional Programming category, for “Humming- birds — Life in Fast-Forward,” an episode that documents hummingbird behavior

using high-speed footage. Filmed in South Carolina, Arizona and Ecua-dor, this episode took more than three years to film. Naturalist, author, educator and Emmy Award-winning host Patrick McMillan, PhD, embarks on fascinating adventures throughout North and South America, showcasing wildlife and wilderness stories. Expeditions with Patrick McMillan, produced by SC ETV in collaboration with Clemson University, airs Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., and ten new episodes are planned for 2016. Amanda McNulty, host of Making It Grow and Clemson Extension Agent, is the 2015 recipient of the Zone VIII Horticulture Commendation from the prestigious Garden Club of America. Zone commendations are awarded to non-member individuals or orga-nizations that have made significant contributions to their communities. Amanda makes presentations at garden clubs across the state, meeting gardeners and sharing her love of horticulture. She was nominated for the commendation by the Palmetto Garden Club of South Carolina. Making It Grow is a live, interactive program that airs on SC ETV Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. You can also hear Amanda’s horticulture tips on SC Public Radio six days a week.

The ETV Endowment, along with SC ETV and SC Public Radio, is excited to offer a free mobile app for users of Apple and Android devices. Launched in November, the app contains full episodes, previews and clips of award-winning local productions such as Palmetto Scene and A Chef’s Life, PBS shows like Masterpiece and PBS KIDS favorites like Wild Kratts and Curious George. The app also allows you to listen live, pause and rewind live audio and view the program schedule for the SC Public Radio News and Classical stations. You can explore On Demand content, search for stories, bookmark a show or story for later and wake up to SC Public Radio with the alarm clock — all for free!

ETV Endowment Internship Applications The highly competitive ETV Endowment Internships will again be made available to rising college sophomores, juniors and seniors for the summer of 2016. Please visit www.etvendowment.org/about/internships for an online application. Applications will be accepted through February 5, 2016.

South Carolina Public Radio is committed to providing hours of classical music to our listeners! In

October, Classical Music from ETV Radio was renamed Sonatas and Soundscapes and was lengthened to two hours, airing live from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday; Friday’s show remains one hour long. Kate McKinney continues as host of this popular series. Sonatas and Soundscapes provides SC Public Radio listeners with a wide range of music — everything from true classical music to newly recorded or composed pieces. Beyond the music, Kate hosts local musicians, composers, theorists, musicologists and others to speak on behalf of South Carolina’s musical community. Kate hosts an active Twitter page, providing an opportunity for listen- ers and classical music fans to interact with her. Tweet suggestions to @kateeemckinney and visit www.southcarolinapublicradio.org for a playlist of the day’s music.

More Classical Music!

That’s why LeeAnn Dickson has included her local public media in her will. If you desire to support charitable interests in your will, please consider making SCETV and SC Public Radio part of your lasting legacy.

important to me that PBS is here for the next generation.”

Find out how you can plan a gift:

Contact Dawn Deck at 877-253-2092.

“It’s really

”It’s really

Two Award-Winning Productions Take SC ETV and SC Public Radio anywhere you go!

Expeditions with Patrick McMillan

Expeditions with Patrick McMillan