Sneak Preview

Spring forward: A look at what's coming to TV12 in May!
By Anna Christopher

Colonial House
Indentured servitude. Bi-monthly baths. Public punishment. Twenty-six volunteers find out the hard way what early American colonial life was like when they take up residence for five months on an isolated stretch of Maine coast in PBS' latest hands-on history experiment -- Colonial House. The eight-part series shatters historical myths by tracking the modern-day colonists as they struggle to create a functioning and profitable 17th century colony using only the rustic tools and technology of the time.
Begins Monday, May 17 at 8 p.m.

Secrets of the Dead "D-Day"
In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day, this two-hour special tells the story of how two years of planning, 3,000 planes with five times as many paratroopers, and almost 160,000 soldiers came together victoriously on June 6, 1944. Using the day itself as a narrative spine, the film shows step by step how the Allies succeeded, and investigates at what points the invaders failed. Each part of "D-Day" revolves around a particular technology the Allies designed in order to overcome the Nazi defenses, and also calls upon first-person testimony from German soldiers who guarded the Normandy coastline, and the Americans, English and Canadians who delivered the three-pronged attack from land, sea and sky.
Wednesday, May 19 at 9 p.m.

Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire
Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance," a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan evolved from chaos and violence to ritual refinement and peace. The three-hour special Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire sheds new light on the private country that was concealed from the western world for more than two centuries. Through vivid and authentic reenactments, watch as the once-hidden empire builds its relationship with the West and eventually emerges as one of the most important countries in the world.
Wednesday, May 26 at 8 p.m.