King Fever

NOVA: Secrets of the Shining Knight

SDPB1: Wednesday, March 27, 8pm (7 MT)

SDPB2: Thursday, March 28, 6pm (5 MT) A knight in shining armor may be a storybook character, but once upon a time, knighthood was serious business. For countless medieval fighters, their armor was what stood between life and death. NOVA challenged blacksmith Ric Furrer and master armorer Jeff Wasson to recreate parts of an elite armor originally manufactured in the Royal Workshop founded by King Henry VIII. Trace their successes and setbacks as they rediscover centuries-old metalworking secrets and put their new armor to the ultimate test against a period musket.

Masterpiece: King Charles III

SDPB1: Sunday, March 24, 8pm (7 MT)

Part political thriller, part family drama and a timely examination of contemporary Britain. Prince Charles has waited his entire life to ascend to the British throne, but after the Queen’s death, he finds himself wrestling his conscience over a bill to sign into law. With the future of the monarchy under threat, protests on the streets, and his family in disarray, Charles grapples with his identity and purpose, and whether the British crown retains real power in the twenty-first century.

Secrets of the Dead: King Arthur’s Lost Kingdom

SDPB1: Wednesday, March 27, 9pm (8 MT)

SDPB2: Thursday, March 28, 7pm (6 MT) Exciting new archaeological discoveries decode the myths and piece together a very different story of this turning point in Britain’s history. The excavation of a stone palace complex on the Tintagel peninsula in Cornwall – long believed to be the birthplace of the King Arthur legend — is central to our quest. More than folklore, was Arthur in fact ruler of a prosperous and sophisticated trading village, and the heroic defender of the native Britons against the invading Anglo-Saxons?

Prince Charles at 70

SDPB1: Sunday, March 24, 7pm (6 MT)

SDPB2: Saturday, March 30, 6pm (5 MT) A year with the man who will be king. An intimate look at Prince Charles as he turns 70, including his passions (tree-planting, Wagner) and quirks (talking to animals, having the kids pick up little on holidays) as well as his humanitarian, conservationist and environmentalist efforts. This personal profile includes interviews with Camilla Parker Bowles, his sons, Kate Middleton, and more.