THIRTEEN/WNET NEW YORK LAUNCHES INNOVATION, AN EIGHT-PART SERIES EXPLORING THE STORIES BEHIND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES THAT ARE IMPACTING OUR LIVES, PREMIERING ON PBS IN FEBRUARY 2004

Curing blindness by implanting electrodes directly onto the brain? Reading the minds of accused criminals? Building skyscrapers that reach half a mile into the air? Such examples may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but they're rapidly becoming science fact. Across the country, researchers are developing all kinds of cutting-edge technologies with the power to change our lives.

Coming in winter/spring 2004 to PBS, Thirteen/WNET New York's eight-part series INNOVATION tells the dramatic stories behind some of today's most exciting breakthroughs, delving beyond the "wow" of technology and into the personalities, politics, inspirations, and serendipity that take them from concept to reality. The first four episodes premiere on consecutive Tuesdays, February 10, 17 and 24 and March 2, 2004 at 9 p.m. (ET) (check local listings). The series continues with four new episodes in the spring.

"As a major provider of science programming for PBS, Thirteen has a long tradition of making science and technology themes accessible to everyone," said Beth Hoppe, the series' executive producer. "With INNOVATION, we're not only exploring some of the scientific advances that are shaping our lives; we're taking it a step further by looking at the stories behind these intellectual adventures - the real-life human drive to solve problems and the factors along the way that contribute to the success or failure of any breakthrough."

INNOVATION's eight, one-hour episodes, narrated by Billy Crudup, spotlight technological advances in aircraft design, the emerging field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, espionage, bionics, fiber optics, skyscrapers, weaponry, and lie detection. To ensure accurate and timely content for each episode, the producers worked with a prestigious advisory panel comprised of academics, scientists and journalists.

"What's unique about INNOVATION is the way it puts a personal spin on cutting-edge technology," said series producer Jared Lipworth. "The series looks not only at the advancements themselves, but also at the people who make them happen or are most affected by them. This helps viewers connect with the programs - they're not just learning about impersonal or abstract ideas, they're witnessing real people with compelling stories, problems and passions."

Viewers will meet Karen Grisdale, a blind woman who has gone to Portugal for a risky brain implant surgery that she hopes will give her back some of her sight. They will also meet Tony and Jonna Mendez, retired C.I.A. "masters of disguise," who recount tales from their spying days during the Cold War and go undercover to help train F.B.I. agents in anti-terror surveillance. Audiences will follow a new stem cell treatment for heart attack patients and learn about Joy Veron, a Texan paraplegic who is being treated with a stem cell therapy that may restore utility in her lower body. Joy was injured when she threw herself under her SUV as it began rolling towards a cliff with her children inside. Since surgery, she has regained sensation in her legs and, more recently, is able to use a stationary bike. Also featured is 19-year-old Laura Gonzales who, thanks to stem cell therapy, has made remarkable progress less than a year after a car accident left her paralyzed from the neck down. Laura's latest triumph: the ability to stand up and move her foot on the command of her therapists.

Viewers are introduced to World Trade Center engineer Les Robertson; architects including David Childs, William Pederson, and Cesar Pelli; and a host of others in an installment on skyscrapers, which follows the construction of Taipei 101 and shows how builders are overcoming everything from cultural differences to earthquakes to 9/11 in their quest to build the world's tallest building. INNOVATION also presents a step-by-step account of the weapons technology used in the recent war in Iraq, with vivid accounts from the soldiers who used them and the engineers who designed them.

Outreach events will dovetail with the series to bring INNOVATION-related activities to communities around the country. Through partnerships between local public television stations and regional science and learning centers, such events will include preview screenings, exhibits, talks, seminars, and other tie-ins with technology professionals, colleges, museums, and institutions. A 36-page magazine entitled Sparks of Innovation will go beyond the broadcasts with engaging articles and interviews relating to series themes and topics, while an ambitious Web site will deepen and broaden understanding of the featured content. The site is being produced by Thirteen's award-winning Interactive and Broadband unit, and will be accessible on www.pbs.org and www.thirteen.org.

Major funding for INNOVATION is provided by Siemens USA, a leading global electronics and engineering company, and by the National Science Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. The series is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York in association with Carlton International. At Thirteen, Beth Hoppe is executive producer, Jared Lipworth is series producer and William R. Grant is executive in charge.

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Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Stage on Screen, EGG the arts show, and Cyberchase - as well as the work of Bill Moyers - to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The New York Walking Tours, New York Voices, Reel New York, and its MetroArts/Thirteen cable arts programming. With educational and community outreach projects that extend the impact of its television productions, Thirteen takes television "out of the box." And as broadcast and digital media converge, Thirteen is blazing trails in the creation of Web sites, enhanced television, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, educational software, and other cutting-edge media products. More information about Thirteen can be found at: www.thirteen.org.