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Watch PBS » | About WLRN TV » | TV Schedules » | Producing for WLRN »About WLRN Public TelevisionWLRN-TV Channel 17 is a PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) member station licensed to the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida. During an average month, Channel 17 reaches over 600,000 TV households in the Miami - Ft. Lauderdale area with a viewing audience in four South Florida counties, from Palm Beach to Key West. WLRN is South Florida’s leading PBS Ready to Learn station airing thirteen hours of award-winning children’s programming daily. WLRN-TV also presents the best of the PBS nationally recognized series to compliment locally produced content. Our prime time schedule features an eclectic array of arts, performance, science, and WLRN original documentary specials to address the diverse interests of the South Florida community.Printable Monthly Schedules »WLRN Original DocumentariesProducing award winning original programs remains a high priority for WLRN. Take a closer look at some of the incredible stories that we have had the pleasure of producing for our South Florida viewers.Learn More »

Reliving America's journey into the Space Age

June 14th - June 20th WLRN CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APOLLO 11 MOON LANDING WITH A WEEK OF SPECIAL PROGRAMMING. 

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: CHASING THE MOON - Historical documentary  - A look at the people, the politics and the promise that launched America into the Space Age. 

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AIRS: July, 16th, 17th and 18th at 8pm
ENCORE PRESENTATION: Saturday July 20th from 3pm to 10pm 

“Chasing the Moon,” a film by Robert Stone, reimagines the race to the moon for a new generation, upending much of the conventional mythology surrounding the effort. The series recasts the Space Age as a fascinating stew of scientific innovation, political calculation, media spectacle, visionary impulses and personal drama. Utilizing a visual feast of previously overlooked and lost archival material — much of which has never before been seen by the public — the film features a diverse cast of characters who played key roles in these historic events. Among those included are astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Frank Borman and Bill Anders; Sergei Khrushchev, son of the former Soviet premier and a leading Soviet rocket engineer; Poppy Northcutt, a 25-year old “mathematics whiz” who gained worldwide attention as the first woman to serve in the all-male bastion of NASA’s Mission Control; and Ed Dwight, the Air Force pilot selected by the Kennedy administration to train as America’s first black astronaut.

July 16th PART ONE: A Place Beyond the Sky begins in 1957 and tracks the early years of the space race as the United States struggles to catch up with the Soviet Union. The episode reveals breathtaking failures and successes of the nascent American space program and demonstrates the stakes and costs of reaching the moon.

July 17th PART TWO: Earthrise covers 1964-1968, four heady, dangerous years in the history of the space race, focusing on the events surrounding the Apollo 1 and Apollo 8 missions. As Americans moved through the 60s and reflect on the challenges ahead, many begin to wonder: What exactly is it going to take to beat the Soviets to the moon?

July 18th PART THREE: Magnificent Desolation, which covers 1969-1970, takes Americans to the moon and back. Dreams of space dramatically intersect with dreams of democracy on American soil, raising questions of national priorities and national identity. The final episode also considers what happens to scientific and engineering programs — and to a country — after ambitious national goals have been achieved.
 

 

 
WHEN WE WERE APOLLO - Historical Documentary - An intimate and personal look at the Apollo Space Program through the lives and experiences of some of its most inspiring behind-the-scenes figures: engineers, technicians, builders and contractors who spent the better part of a decade working to get us to the moon and back.   

AIRS: July 15th at 8pm and July 16th at 10pm

 

We know the stories of the astronauts who went to the moon and the figureheads who inspired us to go. But what about the rest of Project Apollo's workforce––the 400,000 men and women who spent the better part of a decade to get us to our planetary neighbor and back?  When We Were Apollo shares their story.

 
LANDING ON AIRWAVES - Historical Documentary - A collection of stories from those who remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television.

AIRS: Monday July 15th at 9:15pm IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING When We Were Apollo

 

Landing on Airwaves
Landing on Airwaves

On July 20, 1969, an estimated 530 million people from around the world watched the Apollo 11 moon landing on television.  Landing on Airwaves includes a series of interviews from those who remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television on July 20, 1969. The film uses archival footage and stories from an array of filmmakers who were given total creative control to complete a single task: Film the moon.

 

 
As South Florida's Storyteller we could not let this important milestone go by without sharing local stories of those who love space, science and technology.  From stargazers to astronauts and those who reflect on where they were when man walked on the moon, we've produced  a series of short films to complement our week long celebration.   So go ahead, look up to the stars, but don't forget to tune in or set that DVR!    

AIRING: Monday July 15th IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING Landing on Airwaves

  • MOMENTS IN TIME - Meet South Floridians who recall the historic moment when Apollo 11 landed on the moon.  They discuss where they were, what they were doing and how the epic event affected their lives.  

 

  • HOMETOWN HERO - Meet Coconut Grove native and former astronaut Winston Scott.  With over 24 days logged in space, Mr. Scott gives a firsthand account of life on the final frontier. 

 

  • STARWATCHERS - The term “staring into space” takes on a whole new definition.   Meet a group of South Floridian amateur astronomers who gather to discuss all things space…outer and otherwise! 

 

  • SEAMSTRESS TO THE STARS - Jean Wright’s passion for outer space and love of sewing helped her to outfit astronauts and space shuttles. 

 

  • TIES THAT BIND - Newlyweds Mary Beth and Danny Licata moved to the Space Coast in the 1960’s to be a part of the space program.  It would prove to be the adventure of a lifetime! 

 

 
 

Mia Laurenzo is a 35-year veteran of public television in Miami. She began her career learning every aspect of video production. Currently she is a writer, producer, on-air host and promotions coordinator for TV, radio and the web.  Her experiences include producing for a series, special events and historical documentaries.  As a native Floridian, she is a perfect fit for South Florida's Storyteller Station, WLRN.  She has produced several award winning, nationally distributed documentaries and is the recipient of three Suncoast Regional Emmys.  
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