To manage the country, we must first control the waters, is an ancient Chinese saying that is more true today than ever. This program documents farmers' hardships-droughts that leave Shanxi Province bone-dry and floods that inundate the lands bordering the Yangtze River-and discusses the exacerbating effects of deforestation and urban growth. Also, potential remedies are showcased, including new dams, increased water conservation, sustainable agricultural...

Historically, the traditional extended family has been China's built-in social security system. Today, under the pressures of family size limits, rapid urbanization, and Western cultural influences, China's social stability is being stressed to the breaking point. This program captures a transitional phase of Chinese history in which many parents are struggling to instill Confucian values and their own received wisdom about life into their children-teens...

This program seeks to understand how the Chinese government, arguably the world's most elaborate and long-lived bureaucracy, has managed to balance the tension between controlling its people and keeping them contented enough to sustain national stability. Events unfolding at the village level in Sichuan Province demonstrate the dynamics of an evolving system of rule modeled on Marxism and informed by the legacies of Qin Shihuangdi and Confucius. Can...

Most of us have had trouble getting to sleep once in a while, but for some people that "once in a while" is every night. They have insomnia, a common condition for which there are many types of treatment. Before sufferers can be effectively treated, however, they must bring their condition to the attention of a medical professional. This program educates viewers on how insomnia can make people gain weight, increase their risk for serious conditions...

China's first industrial revolution occurred more than two millennia before Europe's. Today, there is a new wave of industrialization in China as the awakened dragon prepares to test its wings. This program draws on historical evidence and expert commentary to vividly illustrate China's early mastery of crucial industrial processes and to explain how they contributed to the wealth and progress of Chinese civilization. Pivotal events that hampered...

Historically, the traditional extended family has been China's built-in social security system. Today, under the pressures of family size limits, rapid urbanization, and Western cultural influences, China's social stability is being stressed to the breaking point. This program captures a transitional phase of Chinese history in which many parents are struggling to instill Confucian values and their own received wisdom about life into their children...

To mark the Olympics' 2004 return to its birthplace of Athens, this two-part documentary tells the 'real' story of the original games. It combines lavish reconstruction of the ancient Greek games with dramatic highlights from the modern Olympics.

Arthur Chipping is the new Latin master at an English boy's boarding school. The eccentric schoolmaster lives a full, rich life within the cloistered school, defined by his role as the intellectual shepherd of generations of young students. Then while traveling through the countryside on summer holiday, he unexpected falls in love. His new wife ignites his passion and brings him out of his shell. Spans over 50 years in the life of Mr. Chipping.