Tsunami Impact and More on PBS Hawaii

Here's a look at TV highlights in the first week of this New Year on PBS Hawaii. To kick things off, we're featuring a young man from Hilo who's doing extremely well in a career field that never existed before. If you're a 20-something, you likely already know who 21-year-old Ryan Higa is. The rest of us can meet him on LONG STORY SHORT (Tues., Jan. 3, 2012, 7:30 pm; encore on Sun., Jan. 8, 2012,4:00 pm). As a YouTube phenom, he's breaking new ground in the 21st-century without forsaking where he came from. While he lives in Las Vegas and travels to Los Angeles for business, he tells us that his mother, residing at the family home in Hilo, is his "mom-ager."

Ryan started playing around with his family's video camera when he was growing up in the Waiakea neighborhood of Hilo. He and his friends posted their comedy videos on YouTube and caught the attention of YouTube viewers around the world. Ryan's amazing fan base and meteoric rise to online fame have brought him to the attention of Hollywood. In our conversation, Ryan shares his thoughts on the changing entertainment business, his strategy in maintaining his online success and a deal that tested his integrity.

On HIKI NŌ (Thurs., Jan. 5, 2012, 7:30 pm), the new week's host school is Iao Intermediate on Maui. Iao students will introduce student correspondents from Waianae Intermediate (West Oahu), sharing a poignant story about a classmate's struggle for life. From Central Oahu, Waipahu High School student journalists show how a transfer student was able to come out of his shell by discovering his passion. Other participating schools in this episode are Hawaii Preparatory Academy (Hawaii Island); Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha (Kauai); Kaimuki Middle, Kamehameha Schools - Kapalama, Kawananakoa Middle, Mililani Middle and St. Andrew's Priory (Oahu).

This HIKI NŌ newscast encores Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at 12:30 pm and Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, at 3:00 pm. You may also view this newscast and all past episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino

Adult education offered by the 11 statewide community schools is on the line. INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII (Thurs., Jan. 5, 2012, 8:00 pm) looks at a proposed $5 million budget cut for Community Schools for Adults. Host Dan Boylan moderates a discussion with scheduled guests: Bebi Davis, 2005 Milken National Educator and former community school student; Rose Galera, small business owner and former community school student; Gordon Lum, Vice Principal, Waipahu Community School for Adults; and Calvin Shimomura, Principal, Moanalua/Aiea Community School for Adults.

We want to hear from you! Your questions and comments are welcome via phone, email, Twitter or live blogging. You may also email your questions ahead of time to insights@pbshawaii.org

Here are more highlights of the upcoming week on PBS Hawaii:

I'd like to call your attention to continuing NHK WORLD SPECIAL reports on the impact of last year's Japan earthquake and tsunami, airing at a special time on PBS Hawaii.

-- On Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at 11:00 pm, Doctors Facing the Tsunami looks at the only hospital to remain open and functioning after the earthquake struck Ishinomaki, population 200,000. This program shows vivid footage of doctors at the Japanese Red Cross Hospital struggling to provide disaster medicine to survivors.

-- On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 11:00 pm Can You See Our Lights?: First Festival After the Tsunami shows how cultural traditions are being kept alive in the cities of Rikuzen-Takada, Soma, Minami-Soma and others in the aftermath of the tsunami as organizers hold colorful, centuries-old festivals.

FRONTLINE (Tues., Jan. 3, 2012, 10:00 pm) exposes a new class of victims in Afghanistan's illicit opium trade - young farm girls given to drug-traffickers to repay farmers' debts. In Opium Brides, award-winning Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi reports on the harrowing story of families torn apart and the collateral damage of the counter-narcotics effort in Afghanistan.

From Japan's Mount Fuji to the Sleeping Giant below Naples, Italy to Yellowstone National Park's supervolcano in the U.S., NOVA (Wed., Jan. 4, 2012, 9:00 pm) travels with scientists to the Deadliest Volcanoes, attempting to discover how likely these volcanoes are to erupt, when eruptions might happen and how deadly they could prove to be.

Through a simple act of planting trees, Nobel Peace prize laureate Wangari Maathai (pictured left) helped to change Kenya's political history. INDEPENDENT LENS (Thurs., Jan. 5, 2012, 10:00 pm) looks at this woman's life in Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai. The late activist fostered community solidarity and environmental literacy which brought an end to a 24-year dictatorship.

The LA Philharmonic, with music director Gustavo Dudamel, presents its opening night gala on GREAT PERFORMANCES (Fri. Jan. 6, 2012,9:00 pm), featuring the music of George Gershwin. Highlights from Herbie Hancock, Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil Celebrate Gershwin include An American in Paris, Rhapsody in Blue and a solo performance of Someone to Watch Over Me by virtuoso jazz pianist Hancock (pictured right).

Opera lovers will enjoy this presentation from GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET (Sat., Jan. 7, 2012, 7:00 pm) -- Verdi's Il Trovatore, starring Marcelo Álvarez, Sondra Radvanovsky (both pictured left), Dolora Zajick and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, with James Levine conducting.

For more program listings by genre, click here.

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Comments

[Kaleipineki]

I just watched "Can you see our lights?" and I thought it was so poignant.. 本当に感動しました。 I was wondering if you knew if/where I could get a copy of this documentary. Thank you so much for airing this program..

[Leslie]

Hi Kaleipineki,
The program you're asking about is from NHK World. We had broadcast rights to air the show but we don't have DVD rights. As far as I know, NHK World doesn't make available home copies of this program.
Aloha, Leslie

[Kaleipineki]

Mahalo so much for the response, and for the really amazing programming. "can you see our lights" had me absolutely in tears.. I will cross my fingers and hope to catch it again some time some where. Thank you again.