WHYY Late Night

TV12's late night highlights
Compiled by Anna Christopher

Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland
When San Francisco's famed Winterland Auditorium had to close its doors in 1978, legendary concert promoter Bill Graham decided there could be no better sendoff than a rockin' New Year's Eve show with Winterland's "house band," the Grateful Dead. The Dead's eight-hour show was broadcast live on KQED San Francisco, and included such favorites as "Sugar Magnolia," "St. Stephen," and "Ramble on Rose." Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland presents highlights from the historic concert that have not been seen since its original broadcast, in addition to interviews with band members Mickey Hart and Bob Weir.
Saturday, April 3 at 11:15 p.m.

NOVA "Hunt for the Supertwister"
Most tornados form suddenly and without warning, uprooting trees and flattening buildings in a matter of seconds. But, as the trilling NOVA episode "Hunt for the Supertwister" explores, top meteorologists are on the verge of a breakthrough that may solve the puzzle of how these killer storms spawn and predict where they are likely to strike. During the program, cameras follow expert stormchasers as they probe the weather phenomenon's deadly secrets, and producers visit with University of Oklahoma researchers Joshua Wurman and Howard Bluestein who have perfected the art of tracking tornados and measuring their data with instrument-laden vehicles.
Monday, April 5 at midnight

Applause Online Extra: Experts have no way to measure a tornado's force before or during its touchdown due to the dangerous conditions -- instead, they use the Fujita Scale to estimate its maximum wind speed by looking at the destruction left in its path. In this interactive quiz, use photos of destruction caused by several recent tornados to predict the storm's F-scale rating.

Independent Lens "Love Inventory"
After their father's death, filmmaker David Fisher and his four siblings sifted through family papers and came upon a shocking realization -- their older sister, who their mother mentioned had "mysteriously disappeared" shortly after birth, might still be alive. Fisher persuades his reluctant siblings to begin a search, and turns his camera on them all in this remarkable film about a family's struggle to unlock the past, and reunite in the process. Winner of the Jerusalem Film Festival's "Best Documentary Award" and named "Best Documentary" at the Israeli Academy Awards.
Sunday, April 18 at 11 p.m.

Applause Online Extra: Find out what inspires Love Inventory director David Fisher.

Warrior Challenge: "Knights"
Riot police. Athletes. Military personnel. They may be tough enough for some of today's most demanding jobs, but will the American and British volunteers selected for Warrior Challenge have what it takes to survive a few days as long-lost warriors? In this episode, a mounted policeman and polo player learn the fine arts of dueling, swordplay, and wearing armor when the act as medieval squires.
Tuesday, April 27 at 2 a.m.

ApplauseApplause Online Extra: At the highly interactive "Warrior Challenges" companion site, you can "choose your challenge" and fight as a Roman soldier; tour the Colosseum; arm a knight for battle; or learn how Vikings sailed the mighty seas!