VERMONT PUBLIC TELEVISION PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS FOR

NOVEMBER 15-21

Nov. 15: Sunday at 8 p.m., "Nature: Fellowship of the Whales" follows a young humpback whale in her first year of life, as she learns from her mother. They journey from the subtropical waters of Hawaii to summer feeding grounds off the Alaskan coast.

At 9 p.m. "Masterpiece Contemporary" presents "Collision," a new two-part drama. It's the story of a major road accident and 10 seemingly unconnected people involved. A series of events unfolds afterwards, from government cover-ups to murder.

Nov. 16: Monday at 7:30 p.m. on "Profile," Fran Stoddard talks with Lauren-Glenn Davitian of Burlington. Her commitment to grassroots democracy led to the creation of statewide public access television outlets and other media access initiatives.

At 9 p.m., "Surviving the Dustbowl" continues "American Experience's" month-long look at America in the 1930s. For 10 years, colossal dust storms ravaged the southern plains. Despite the hardships that followed, people refused to give up on the land and their way of life.

At 10 p.m., "Documenting the Face of America" recalls the legendary New Deal photographers who captured the faces of the Depression.

Nov. 17: Tuesday at 8 p.m., "Nova" continues "Becoming Human," probing new discoveries that are transforming the picture of how we became human. Part three asks what really happened to the enigmatic Neanderthals.

At 9 p.m., English comedian Stephen Fry continues his journey to all 50 states in "Stephen Fry in America." He visits the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, witnesses the devastation caused by Katrina, follows the Mississippi River to Chicago and lands in Wisconsin, where he learns to milk sheep.

At 10 p.m., "Frontline: A Death in Tehran" investigates the life and death of Neda Soltani, a young woman shot and killed during this past summer's protests following Iran's controversial presidential election.

Nov. 18: Wednesday at 8 p.m., "Secrets of Shangri-La" travels to the legendary kingdom of Mustang, a remote corner of the Himalayas previously off limits to outsiders. A team of explorers finds human-carved caves thousands of years old and a centuries-old hidden library of sacred texts.

At 9 p.m. "Lost Cave Temples of the Himalayas" follows explorers in Mustang who uncover ancient temples lost to the modern world.

At 10 p.m., "To Brooklyn and Back: A Mohawk Journey" focuses on the women of a community of Quebec's Kahnawake Mohawks who lived in Brooklyn in the mid-20th century, where the men worked on New York's bridges and skyscrapers.

Nov. 19: Thursday at 8 p.m., "Making Sense New England," a new monthly series produced by VPT, New Hampshire Public Television and Maine Public Television, explores how individuals across the region are coping with the financial crisis. In a VPT-produced story, the SMARTvt job club of Burlington brings unemployed professionals together for information, networking and support.

At 8:30 p.m., "VPT Public Square: Vermont Affordability Update" revisits some of the issues the program has explored over the past 18 months and looks at how Vermonters are coping in the current economy. The program covers food, fuel, housing and other topics that are still hitting people in the wallet. Kristin Carlson hosts.

Nov. 20: Friday at 10 p.m., "Independent Lens" presents "No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos." It's an intimate portrait of two giants of modern cinematography -- Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond -- who shared a deep bond of brotherhood. They fled Hungary during the Revolution and pioneered the American New Wave in Hollywood.

Nov. 21: Saturday at 8 p.m. on "Are You Being Served?," Captain Peacock gains privileges to the executive washroom, much to the consternation of Mr. Grainger.

At 10 p.m., classic alternative rockers Pearl Jam perform tunes from their latest release on "Austin City Limits."