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Best Bets - Week of 1/25/10

Posted by Greg Petersen on 01/25 at 10:58 AM

THE NATIONAL PARKS returns. Also, a discussion on “end of life” decisions.

Radio: Affordable Housing – Tuesday at 7:33am & 8:33am during “Morning Edition” – Affordable housing is in short supply in Central Pennsylvania, and the demand is only growing.  According to a new study by a team of Penn State geographers, mobile homes might be the answer for residents in rural Pennsylvania—despite the shortcomings of trailer life. The report was published last week in the journal Applied Geography.

Radio: Interview: Actor Tim Robbins on Vietnam – Monday, Feb 1 at 7:33am and 8:33am during “Morning Edition” – The play “Trial of the Catonsville Nine” is based on the true story of nine Catholic activists who protested the Vietnam war.  On Feb 2, this play will be performed at Penn State-University Park by the Actor’s Gang, a Los Angeles-based theater company. Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins is the co-founder and director of the group. WPSU’s Lindsey Whissel talks to Robbins about the play’ relationship to today’s issues (Vietnam War vs. Iraq) and his own anti-war activism.

TV: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – “Wyatt Earp” – Monday at 9pm – A profile of Old West lawman Wyatt Earp (1848-1929), best remembered for his involvement in the infamous 1881 shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Ariz. The doc delves into what led to the incident, including what initially brought him to Tombstone.

FRONTLINE – “The Card Game” – Tuesday, 9pm – The future of the credit-card industry as it faces new regulations and the possibility of a consumer finance protection agency, featuring CardWeb.com CEO Robert McKinley, former Providian Financial Corporation chairman-CEO Shailesh Mehta.

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA – Thursday, 8pm – “The Scripture of Nature (1851-1890)” – The sumptuously filmed history of America’s national parks begins in 1851, when California’s beautiful Yosemite Valley started to attract people who wished to exploit the land, and others, like John Muir, who believed it should be preserved. (The weekly run of this series moves to its regular night, Wednesday, next week at 9pm.)

WHOSE DEATH IS IT ANYWAY? TOUGH CHOICES – Sunday, 6pm – Nancy Snyderman hosts this round-table discussion of “end-of-life decision making.” Included: a discussion of living wills and choosing a health-care proxy; videotaped segments featuring patients contemplating how they want their lives to end.