April 5, 2018
For immediate release
Contacts:
Tom Williams, APR | | 410-581-4031
Ari Hamilton | | 410-568-8807
NOTE: A complete program schedule is available at mpt.org/bayweek. Interviews with producers and photos are available on request.
MPT presents14th annual Chesapeake Bay Week®
Chesapeake Bay’s history, food and environment in spotlight during programming event
OWINGS MILLS, MD – Maryland Public Television (MPT) is celebrating the Chesapeake Bay during the week of April 22 - 28 by bringing viewersa schedule of 20-plus hours of Chesapeake Bay Week® programs, including eight programs viewers will see on MPT for the first time.
This year’s Chesapeake Bay Week lineup on MPT-HD includes premieres of the latest installment in the station’s “Eatin’” series –Eatin’ the Chesapeake: The Five Feasts, along with Healing Baltimore’s Harbor: A Pipe Dream?,High Tide in Dorchester,and the fourth installment of MPT’s annualChesapeake Bay Summit.
MPT’s annual Chesapeake Bay Week is a unique broadcasting initiative and part of the state TV network’s ongoing commitment to celebrating the bay’s natural resources, beauty, and history, and examining critical environmental issues faced by communities throughout Chesapeake Bay region.
New programsduring Chesapeake Bay Week 2018
Eatin’ the Chesapeake: The Five Feasts – Monday, April 23 at 9 p.m.
This half-hour program takes viewers around the bay to rediscover and recreateChesapeake-born dishes and introduce the people who treasure and preserve these recipes. The five feasts consist of: German Sour Beef and Dumplings (Zion Lutheran Church, Baltimore City); Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham (St. Mary’s County); Seafood Feast including Smith Island Cake (Smith Island); Eastern Shore Fried Chicken (St. James AME Church, Salisbury); and Historic Feast featuring fine dining from Colonial times (Hammond-Harwood House Museum, Annapolis). MPT is publishing a companion cookbook containing “Five Feast” recipes and other time-tested Chesapeake regional dishes.Eatin’ the Chesapeake: The Five Feasts “Stuffed Ham” clip is available at this link.
Healing Baltimore’s Harbor: A Pipe Dream? – Tuesday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
The environmental status of the Baltimore Harbor is a major regional concern. Pollution, litter, and the city’s failing sewage infrastructure all have a direct impact on the harbor. Healing Baltimore’s Harbor: A Pipe Dream? looks atBaltimore's aging sewage system, efforts to address this issue, and people who are determined to help make the Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2030.Watch the trailer at this link.
High Tide in Dorchester–Tuesday, April 24 at 9 p.m.
According to the National Ocean Service, sea levels are rising at a rate of about one-eighth inch per year. While some may not think this is an immediate concern for the environment, Maryland’s Dorchester County has already experienced loss of land from rising sea levels. In High Tide in Dorchester, local filmmakers document and explore these land losses in low-lying Dorchester County.Watch the trailer at this link.
Storyline– Wednesday, April 25 at 9 p.m.
Storyline, a 90-minute anthology series, showcases five short films produced by independent filmmakers that examine conservation issues. Among the offerings are the film Waterman, which explores a man’s look back on his days as a Chesapeake fisherman, and Saba: The Unspoiled Queen, which showcases an island the filmmaker believes to be an exemplary model of proper conservation. Watch the trailer at this link.
Chesapeake Bay Summit 2018–Thursday, April 26 at 8 p.m.
Award-winning journalist and former CNN correspondent,Frank Sesno,once again drives compelling conversation in this one-hour forum that this year delves into the controversial topics of climate change and sea level rise. During this year’s Chesapeake Bay SummitSesno is joined by some of the world’s foremost experts on these issues who will separate fact from fiction.
Good Catch: The Garden of Floating Oysters – Saturday, April 28 at 3 p.m.
In the series’ first episode, Chef Jeremiah Langhorne, owner of The Dabney in Washington, D.C., visits White Stone Oysters, where watermen grow oysters in floating cages atop a tumultuous strip of the Chesapeake Bay. Chef Jeremiahconsiders these "the best oysters in the region, hands-down." Cooking on an open hearth, heshows how to make grilled oysters withcrispy country ham andshishito peppers, creates an Aronia Berry Mignonette and offers tips on the "local" method forshucking an oyster.
Good Catch: Beautiful Blue Swimmers– Saturday, April 28 at 3:30 p.m.
Chef Spike Gjerde of Baltimore's famed Woodberry Kitchen heads out on local waters alongside waterman Tony Conrad whose eye toward sustainability is helping bring back the bay, one crab at a time. In the kitchen, Chef Spike then cooks a Maryland crab crepe and uses his wood-fired oven to roast a local whole porgy stuffed with Maryland blue crab.
Good Catch: Eating the Invasives– Saturday, April 28 at 4 p.m.
With bow and arrow in hand, Chef Jenn Carroll heads out on a nighttime adventure on the bay to catch snakehead. Then, it’s time to reel in blue catfish. It's all part of her mission to prepare delicious recipes using invasive species that are wreaking havoc on local waters. In the kitchen, Chef Jenn offers tips on purchasing and cooking quality seafood of all kinds. With simple and versatile recipes, she shows how to make her popular blue catfish rillette and a seared snakehead with tahini couscous and grilled vegetables.
Good Catch is a new culinary series that follows America’s best chefs as they head out of the kitchen for action‐filled adventures at sea in search of the best, most sustainable seafood in America. The series, from Warner Hanson Television, is presented by MPT. Clips of Good Catch are available at this link.
About MPT
Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). MPT’s six transmitters cover Maryland plus portions of contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards, MPT creates local, regional, and national television shows. Beyond broadcast, MPT’s commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through year-round instructional events and the super-website Thinkport, which garners in excess of 14 million page views annually. For more information visit mpt.org.
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