WXXI TV

Lucy Lawless stars in this modern-day Australian drama series as retired cop Alexa Crowe

My Life is Murders airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

With her old boss regularly asking for her insight on cold cases and a young police data-analyst eager to be mentored–whether Alexa wants to or not–Alexa can’t seem to stop solving crime.

Lividity in Lycra, Ep. 3 airs April 18 – When Hugh Miller, the CFO of a hospitality empire, dies on a cycling ride with friends, the coroner rules it death by misadventure. But Kieran suspects the involvement of Hugh’s boss, hard-driving entrepreneur Roger Simms, and asks Alexa to look into it.

Can’t Stand The Heat, Ep. 4 airs April 25 – When culinary student Ivan Zhang is found dead in the school’s kitchen after slipping on oil and smacking his head, Kieran considers the scene suspicious—where did the oil come from, when the dish Ivan was preparing didn’t call for it? It might all boil down to Ivan’s archrival, Ling, the last person to see him alive. Alexa goes undercover to the cooking class to smoke out the killer.

Feet of Clay, Ep. 5 airs May 2 – A year ago, beautiful young PR assistant Christina Cortez was killed in a hit-and-run by a drunk driver who turned herself in a few days later. It seems like a tragic—but closed—case. But who sent Christina the mysterious message that prompted her to be at that fatal spot in the first place? Alexa investigates Christina’s boss, glamourous social-media queen Morgana Finch, for answers.

Another Bloody Podcast, Ep. 6 airs May 9 – When a true-crime podcast blames Kieran for the lack of progress on an investigation into the killing of a young gay man, who was found with a cult-like symbol on his forehead, Alexa is determined to help Kieran out. It soon becomes clear that not only does the podcaster want to remain anonymous, but that he or she knows intimate details about the victim.

Old School, Ep. 7 airs May 16 – Alexa revisits better days—or at least younger ones—after her beloved high-school teacher is crushed to death by a boat rack. Acting on Kieran’s hunch that the rack didn’t collapse by accident, Alexa looks into Miranda Lee, the new principal–who also happens to be her old classmate and frenemy.

Remains to Be Seen, Ep. 8 airs May 23 – While jogging one morning, Alexa collapses on the bridge named in honor of her late husband. As she confronts her mortality, Kieran takes the opportunity to hand her the case of Patrick Mandel, a gambling addict found buried in an already occupied grave. Alexa investigates the victim’s girlfriend—who is suspiciously a funeral director.

Fake Empire, Ep. 9 airs May 30 –When Kieran presents Alexa with another unsolved murder—a nurse stabbed in the back a week after proposing to his girlfriend—Alexa declines until Kieran mentions the involvement of clairvoyant Chloe Angel, who knows details about the case not released to the public. Ever the skeptic, Alexa is determined to find the killer and prove that Chloe is a phony.

Mirror, Mirror, Ep. 10 airs June 6– As Alexa’s birthday approaches, Kieran gives her an early present: the case of a plastic surgeon obsessed with getting her own cosmetic procedures, who died after self-administering an anti-wrinkle drug she developed. Alexa questions the husband-and-wife team that owns the clinic where the victim worked.

Explore a unique documentary series about our futures and how we can reimagine them.

A Brief History of the Future, a three-part series, concludes Wednesday, April 24, at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

How do the stories we tell shape the boundaries of our beliefs about what is possible? From the dawn of time, stories are how humans have made sense of the world. A Brief History of the Future: Once Upon a Time emphasizes the fundamental role stories play in our lives, our inclination towards dystopian narratives, and the potential for bigger, better stories to unleash the power of human imagination and creativity moving forward.

This week David visits with talented young musicians Tray Wellington and Lakota John Locklear. 

David Holt’s State of Music “Lakota John Locklear and Tray Wellington “ airs Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Tray Wellington is an African American banjo player who has won the IBMA Momentum Award; John Locklear is a member of the Lumbee tribe who excels at the blues. 

This beautifully shot documentary spotlights the restoration of Boynton House –  the Frank Lloyd Wright house located on East Boulevard in Rochester, New York.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Boynton House: The Next Hundred Years airs Sunday, August 11 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Owners Fran Cosentino and Jane Parker share how they acquired Frank Lloyd Wright’s Boynton House, and how they worked to restore it to its original beauty using materials and processes that Wright himself intended.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Boynton House: The Next Hundred Years, gives you an inside look into every room in the house and the amazing transformation that occurs during the restoration process. More than 150 talented individuals worked on the home over a two-year span to make Cosentino and Parker’s dream home a reality. The documentary shares details about the home’s structural repair, the unexpected insect infestation, the restoration of the 253 art glass panels, roof replacement, conservation of 17 pieces of the home’s original furniture,  landscaping, and much more.

The history of the house, and that of its original owner Mr. Edward Boynton are also told by many experts including Jean France, Boynton Historian and Architectural Scholar; Carol Boynton Atwood, descendent of the Boynton Family; Eric Norden, owner of Eric Norden Restorations; and John E. Page, owner of Bero Architecture. The Landmark Society’s Executive Director Wayne Goodman also talks about the importance of preserving this national treasure.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Boynton House: The Next Hundred Years is a co-production of WXXI Public Broadcasting, Fran Cosentino and Jane Parker.

A one-hour special documentary that follows the actor, author, humorist, and renowned performer as he goes back to school, to demonstrate the transformative power of arts education. 

Art Happens Here with John Lithgow airs Friday, April 26 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV. It repeats Sunday, April 28 at 5 p.m.

John immerses himself with teachers and students to explore four arts disciplines: dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing and vocal jazz ensemble. Art Happens Here with John Lithgow celebrates arts education as a tool to nurture and inspire the hearts and minds of students of all ages. 

Downloadable Discussion Guide

• "Art Happens Here" Discussion Guide

Tells the dramatic and inspiring story of the ordinary women who fought against overwhelming odds for the health and safety of their families.

American Experience “Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy of Love Canal” airs Sunday, April 28, at 1 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

 In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal, a working-class neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, discovered that their homes, schools and playgrounds were built on top of a former chemical waste dump, which was now leaking toxic substances and wreaking havoc on their health. Through interviews with many of the extraordinary housewives turned activists, the film shows how they effectively challenged those in power, forced America to reckon with the human cost of unregulated industry, and created a grassroots movement that galvanized the landmark Superfund Bill.

The story of Love Canal began in the late 19th century, when William T. Love, hoping to harness the power of Niagara Falls, began to dig, but later abandoned, an enormous canal. Decades later, in the late 1940s, local company Hooker Chemical decided that Love’s Canal was the perfect site for a waste dump. For nearly a decade, Hooker dumped roughly 22,000 tons of dangerous chemical waste into the defunct waterway, a common disposal practice and one largely unregulated by the local government.

Photo caption:

 Surrounded by the media, Lois Gibbs waits outside the Love Canal Homeowners Association for a phone call from the White House. May 1980.
Credit: Mickey H. Osterreicher