New Productions Explore Hemingway’s Idaho Years, Remote Idaho Travel Destinations

Two new productions from Idaho Public Television will illuminate the years writer Ernest Hemingway spent in the Gem State and explore some of the state’s hidden landscapes.

“Idaho’s Hemingway” on Idaho Experience

Many Idahoans are familiar with the basics of Ernest Hemingway’s Idaho story: the celebrities, the promotion for the new Sun Valley resort, the love for hunting — and that he died by suicide at his home along the Big Wood River. For a lot of people, that’s about it — until now. An upcoming Ken Burns documentary about Hemingway offered Idaho Public Television’s original series Idaho Experience an opportunity to tell a companion story about Hemingway’s life in Idaho.

“Idaho’s Hemingway” (airing March 4 at 7 PM and repeating March 14 at 6 PM) explores how the time he spent in Idaho from 1939 to 1961 influenced the author’s life, his work, his friends and his wife Mary. By looking for the traces of Hemingway that remain in Ketchum, the film explores what the Hemingway story tells us about our state’s cultural landscape, in Hemingway’s time and ours.

“The Community Library staff helped us examine the most important Hemingway materials in his Ketchum home and in its history center’s collection,” says producer Bill Manny. “The art, the books, the tools of his trade, they all give us a glimpse into the life of this complicated man who redefined writing and celebrity in the 20th century.”

Local broadcast of “Idaho’s Hemingway” is made possible with support from Idaho Central Credit Union. Major funding for Idaho Experience is provided by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Anne Voillequé and Louise Nelson, Judy and Steve Meyer, the Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation, the Friends of Idaho Public Television, the Idaho Public Television Endowment, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

“Off the Beaten Path” on Outdoor Idaho

There’s something special about being in a place where not many people go — and Idaho has plenty of places like that. For that reason, Idaho Public Television’s original series Outdoor Idaho spent 2020 exploring some lesser-known spots in preparation for a new production, “Off the Beaten Path.”

From whitewater on the Bruneau River to alpine lakes in the Sawtooth Mountains, from towering treetops in the Hobo Cedar Grove to an angler’s sanctuary on the Snake River, viewers will be dazzled by the special spots that dot our wondrous state.

Producer Lauren Melink describes the show as having something for everyone. “This show was a collaborative effort and I think viewers will feel that when they watch it,” she says.

Born from a brainstorming session, “Off the Beaten Path” tells the story of 11 distinct landscapes in Idaho through the voices of the people who’ve taken the time and energy to get there. The show will evoke both excitement and contemplation. “There’s a lot of beauty and serenity in this show that’s really appealing after such a tumultuous year,” Melink says.

“Off the Beaten Path” airs March 4 at 8 PM and repeats March 14 at 7 PM.

Outdoor Idaho is made possible through funding from the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation.

New Documentaries and Online Events Examine Life of Ernest Hemingway

Two upcoming documentaries — one national and one produced in Idaho — examine the life and works of writer Ernest Hemingway. Two companion online discussions will give viewers the opportunity to hear from the filmmakers behind these documentaries along with special guests. Look for the registration links in the event descriptions below.

Documentary: ‘Idaho’s Hemingway’ on Idaho Experience

Many Idahoans are familiar with the basics of Ernest Hemingway’s Idaho story: the celebrities, the promotion for the new Sun Valley resort, the love for hunting — and that he died by suicide at his home along the Big Wood River. For a lot of people, that’s about it — until now. The upcoming Ken Burns documentary about Hemingway offered Idaho Public Television’s original series Idaho Experience an opportunity to tell a companion story about Hemingway’s life in Idaho.

Idaho’s Hemingway (airing Thursday, March 4, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 14, at 6 p.m.) explores how the time he spent in Idaho from 1939 to 1961 influenced the writer’s life, his work, his friends and his wife, Mary. By looking for the traces of Hemingway that remain in Ketchum, the film explores what the Hemingway story tells us about our state’s cultural landscape, in Hemingway’s time and ours. “The Community Library staff helped us examine the most important Hemingway materials in his Ketchum home and in its history center’s collection,” says producer Bill Manny. “The art, the books, the tools of his trade, they all give us a glimpse into the life of this complicated man who redefined writing and celebrity in the 20th century.”

Local broadcast of Idaho’s Hemingway is made possible with support from Idaho Central Credit Union.

Documentary: ‘Hemingway’

Ernest Hemingway, the iconic literary figure considered one of the greatest American writers and among the first to live and work at the treacherous nexus of art and celebrity, is the subject of this three-part, six-hour documentary series directed by filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Hemingway airs Monday-Wednesday, April 5-7, at 7 p.m. and again at 9 p.m.) on Idaho Public Television.

The film paints an intimate picture of the writer — who captured on paper the complexities of the human condition in spare and profound prose, and whose work remains deeply influential around the world — while also penetrating the myth of Hemingway the man’s man, to reveal a deeply troubled and ultimately tragic figure. The film also explores Hemingway’s limitations and biases as an artist. It interweaves a close study of the biographical events of the author’s life with excerpts from his fiction, nonfiction and short stories, informed by interviews with celebrated writers, scholars and Hemingway’s son, Patrick.

Local broadcast of Hemingway is made possible with support from Delta Dental of Idaho and the Idaho Humanities Council.

Online Event: ‘Hemingway and the Natural World’

PBS is hosting a series of eight free online discussions to illuminate topics discussed in the Burns/Novick documentary. Conversations on Hemingway: A Virtual Event Series will take place via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Feb. 23 and continuing through March 18, with a final event on March 24.

On March 2 at 5/4 p.m. Mountain/Pacific, Idaho Public Television and The Community Library in Ketchum will present one of these discussions, “Hemingway and the Natural World.” The conversation will include Ken Burns, producer Sarah Botstein, and writer Terry Tempest Williams, who was The Community Library’s 2019 Hemingway Distinguished Lecturer. The discussion about Hemingway’s connection to the natural world will be moderated by The Community Library’s executive director, Jenny Emery Davidson, and will feature clips from the Burns/Novick documentary. Register for this free event here.

Online Event: ‘Idaho’s Hemingway: A Free Virtual Discussion’

On Thursday, March 25, at 6/5 p.m. Mountain/Pacific, Idaho Public Television will host a free discussion as a companion to the Idaho Experience documentary Idaho’s Hemingway. The film’s producer, Bill Manny, will lead a conversation from the Hemingway House in Ketchum with special guests Jenny Emery Davidson, executive director of The Community Library in Ketchum; poet Richard Blanco; and Hemingway scholar Stacey Guill. Manny will discuss the making of the documentary and discuss the impact of Hemingway’s years in Idaho on his life, works and personal relationships. Register for this free event here.

‘Idaho Experience’ Recaptures Final Log Drives on the Clearwater River

In early-1900s Idaho, timber was king. The supply of coveted western white pine seemed endless. To the newly arrived Weyerhaeuser family, it was as if money grew on trees. Although Idaho forests promised jobs, the work of cutting timber and transporting it to the mill in Lewiston across rugged, roadless mountains would take innovation and hard work. North Idaho’s Clearwater River would serve as a channel to transport the valuable timber in annual log drives that would span a half century.

Idaho Public Television’s original series Idaho Experience takes viewers along for The Last Log Drive on the Clearwater River to chronicle the 100-mile journey to Lewiston, life on the river, and the company that ran it all—plus, what caused the log drive to come to an abrupt end in 1971.

The film airs Thursday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 PM and repeats Sunday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 PM. It will be available for early streaming beginning Feb. 11 on the PBS Video app or online at video.idahoptv.org.

“These drives were hard,” says producer Aaron Kunz. “It took young, strong, agile men working all day in 37-degree water. We interviewed some of the men who worked those log drives. Their stories take viewers back to a different time in Idaho.”

Major funding for Idaho Experience is provided by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Anne Voillequé and Louise Nelson, Judy and Steve Meyer, the Futura Corporation, the Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation, the Friends of Idaho Public Television, the Idaho Public Television Endowment, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

‘Resilient Idaho’ Offers Hope After Traumatic Experiences

Child abuse, neglect and growing up in a seriously dysfunctional household are all Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs for short. Left unresolved or untreated, these experiences can create childhood trauma and toxic stress that can last a lifetime.

Research shows that at least five of the ten leading causes of death, such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, can be rooted in ACEs. They can even shorten a person’s lifespan by up to 20 years.

The new documentary Resilient Idaho: Hope Lives Here looks into the ACEs research and how ACES affect people here in Idaho. Most importantly, the film explores resilience, which could be considered an antidote to ACEs.

Community health experts uncover what makes people resilient and share powerful stories of how people have overcome tragedies. Data clearly show that ACEs don’t have to be predictive, and resilience can help people bounce forward after trauma and tragedy.

The film airs on Idaho Public Television on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. and repeats Monday, Feb. 22, at 9 p.m. It will also be available for free streaming beginning Feb. 16 on the PBS Video app and online at video.idahoptv.org.

“Idaho is not immune to the impact of childhood trauma and, in fact, we experience higher rates than much of the broader United States,” says Jean Mutchie, Community Health Manager at St. Luke’s Health System. “The stories shared in Resilient Idaho: Hope Lives Here are profound and powerful, yet they are not unique. It is imperative that we link arms to address trauma and work collaboratively to foster resilient communities where children and families thrive.”

Roger Sherman, Executive Director of Idaho Children’s Trust Fund/Prevent Child Abuse Idaho, says, “The pandemic has shown us what we too often take for granted: We need each other. Resilient Idaho: Hope Lives Here is not just a study on the impacts of childhood trauma; it is much more about how family and community support makes us resilient, makes us stronger, even in the face of adversity.”

Resilient Idaho: Hope Lives Here is made possible through funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leaders, Optum Idaho, the Friends of Idaho Public Television, the Idaho Public Television Endowment, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “We are proud to produce this project for the citizens of Idaho,” says Jeff Tucker, Director of Content at Idaho Public Television. “It’s what we do best, telling the stories that have an impact and to help educate our viewers.”

Participants in the Film

Tracey Karst, Sandpoint – Tracey Karst is a teacher and adoptive parent of four special needs children. She sees the effects of ACEs on a daily basis both in her classroom and in her home. Meet her family and hear their encouraging story of overcoming trauma.

Sean Blackwell, Boise – Sean Blackwell is a criminology professor, but he can’t remember much of his childhood — a telling sign of trauma. Hear what helped him become resilient and how he is getting involved in the community to promote healing and change.

Keith Orchard, Coeur d’Alene – Keith Orchard is the Mental Health Specialist for the Coeur d’Alene School District.For the past several years, he has presented trauma informed training in the district with the goal to shift how adults see and respond to children who are struggling by understanding root causes and working to meet the need behind the behavior.Keith’s training equips teachers and administrators with understanding and tools to support, respond and teach self-regulation skills to children who are acting out. This has completely transformed their approach.

Luis Granados, Nampa – Luis Granados grew up in the gang culture and found himself in jail as a young person. He was able to turn the negative experiences he faced growing up and use them as a skill to help him reach young people in a unique and meaningful way. He is the Executive Director of Breaking Chains Academy of Development. The nonprofit in Canyon County works with gang-involved youth to attain their education and develop life skills.

Shannon McGuire, Boise – Shannon McGuire is a community-minded entrepreneur and leader in Idaho. Her life today is a stark contrast to where she grew up: South Central Los Angeles. She lost her brother in a traumatic and tragic accident at the age of nine. Even worse, people blamed her for his death. Learn how she is able to choose joy and positivity even after such a rough start to life.

Dr. Bryan Taylor, PhD, JD, Caldwell – Dr. Bryan Taylor is the Prosecuting Attorney for Canyon County. His office is very familiar with the ACEs study and takes a proactive approach in looking for ways to identify trauma and better support victims. His team works hard to reduce crime while pursuing justice. Bryan is very involved in the community and believes that civic engagement is key to building a safer and healthier community.

Becky Johnson, Meridian – Becky Johnson is a therapist and former youth pastor with two masters degrees. Growing up, she experienced massive trauma and has a 10 out of 10 ACE score. Abuse and neglect could have determined her life, but instead she overcame unthinkable tragedy and now lives a successful and meaningful life where she helps others heal.

Holly Whitworth, Idaho Falls – Holly Whitworth is the Program Manager of the Parents as Teachers Program through Eastern Idaho Public Health. This free service helps to support families by building their child’s intellectual, language, social and physical development from birth to age three. Holly has personally seen the power of this mentorship program break the cycle of trauma in families.

Preview of Resilient Idaho: Hope Lives Here

Young Writers! It’s Time to Enter the PBS KIDS Writers Contest

For the 27th year, Idaho Public Television is hosting the PBS KIDS Writers Contest. IdahoPTV’s three regional stations — KUID/Moscow, KISU/Pocatello and KAID/Boise — encourage young authors and artists in kindergarten through third grade to write and illustrate their own imaginative story and submit it by Saturday, March 20, for a chance to win prizes and have their work published online.

Entry forms, rules, FAQs and teacher tips are available at idahoptv.org/writers.  The contest is open to children in grades K-3 residing within IdahoPTV’s over-the-air service area, which includes all of Idaho and parts of Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon and Nevada.

Regional volunteer panels will judge the entries on creativity, originality, language skills and illustrations. Winners in each grade level from each of the three Idaho regions will be selected and will receive prizes including toys, books, and a $100 contribution to an IDeal – Idaho College Savings Program account. Winners will be announced on or around April 1, 2021.

In May, a virtual awards ceremony will be held in each region of Idaho to celebrate the winners and their stories. The winning stories will then be uploaded in full color onto the IdahoPTV website: idahoptv.org/writers.

IdahoPTV thanks the sponsors of this year’s contest: The F.M., Anne G. & Beverly B. Bistline Foundation in the Idaho Community Foundation and IDeal – Idaho College Savings Program.

‘Classroom Idaho’ Spring Session Broadcasts Home Learning Lessons

Access to the internet can be a challenge in Idaho, especially in the state’s rural areas. That’s why, with online learning continuing in many districts until the end of the current school year, Idaho Public Television is continuing to bring the classroom into viewers’ homes with free broadcasts of Classroom Idaho: Learn@Home on our CREATE Channel.

Last spring when schools across the state shut down and moved to distance learning, IdahoPTV knew there were thousands of parents and students without internet access and/or devices with which to access high-quality instruction. In response to that need, we launched Classroom Idaho, a free broadcast service that allows students to receive over-the-air instruction each weekday from certified Idaho teachers. Each lesson is aligned to Idaho content standards.

The Classroom Idaho broadcasts will continue for a spring 2021 session (Feb. 1-May 21 with a pause from March 22-26 for spring break).

Lessons for students in grades K-6 will broadcast each weekday on our CREATE Channel (one of our five free broadcast channels) at the times listed below. Late afternoon hours will be a mix of English Language Learning (ELL) programs for all ages and PBS At-Home Learning programs for grades 7-12.

Classroom Idaho spring session 2021 is available for free across the entire state via an over-the-air antenna. Additionally, many cable providers carry the CREATE Channel in areas around the state. Check with your local cable provider for availability.

Idaho Public Television General Manager Ron Pisaneschi shared the station’s enthusiasm for the project. “We are pleased to partner with the Boise School District, Jannus, and the Idaho State Board of Education to use the power of public television to deliver these lessons to students and families in homes throughout Idaho. PBS has always been America’s largest classroom, but now we are bringing Idaho’s teachers and their lessons directly into students’ homes.”

Classroom Idaho: Learn@Home is a partnership of Idaho Public Television and the Boise School District, the English Language Center and the Idaho Office for Refugees (projects of Jannus), and the Idaho State Board of Education.

Find Idaho Political Coverage on ‘Idaho Reports’ and ‘Idaho in Session’

Idaho Public Television has it covered — Idaho’s government, that is — with Idaho Reports and Idaho in Session.

Idaho Reports, IdahoPTV’s weekly legislative news show, will continue to provide Friday evening coverage on COVID-19 in Idaho while also bringing viewers highlights from the Idaho Legislature, beginning with a half-hour legislative preview on Friday, Jan. 8, at 8 PM.

Idaho in Session is IdahoPTV’s gavel-to-gavel service that includes live on-air and online coverage of the Idaho Legislature. Coverage may look different this year due to social distancing, but meetings of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) and all other committees will be available online at idahoptv.org/insession. Coverage of the House and the Senate can be viewed live over the air on our PLUS and WORLD channels.

Idaho Public Television thanks the sponsors who make Idaho in Session possible: Union Pacific Foundation, Boise State University School of Public Service, Idaho State Broadcasters Association, Idaho Cable Broadband Association, Association of Idaho Cities, University of Idaho James A. & Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research, and the Idaho Public Television Endowment.

Idaho Public Television Offers Free Streaming of Our IDAHO Channel

Do you want to watch Idaho Public Television but don’t have an antenna, cable or satellite TV? Now it’s no problem with IdahoPTV’s new live stream, available online and on most smart devices through the free PBS Video app.

The IDAHO Channel, our main broadcast channel, is now streaming live across our service area. The live stream is available to anyone with an internet-connected device such as a computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone and a major web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge) by visiting idahoptv.org/streaming.

The live stream is also available through streaming devices such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and many smart TVs by downloading the free PBS Video app, which is available for most smart devices.

The addition of the IDAHO Channel live stream expands access to Idaho Public Television for households across the state. The IDAHO Channel live stream is one more way for people to find educational and entertaining PBS programming without the expense of cable or satellite television, and may be a better option for rural or remote areas where over-the-air reception is unreliable.

“One of Idaho Public Television’s three major initiatives is to allow for all Idahoans to have access to our content when they want and how they want,” says Ron Pisaneschi, IdahoPTV general manager. “From our educational PBS KIDS programs during the day, to our current affairs and science shows in the evening, to our beloved dramas on the weekends, now, more than ever, there are more ways to watch our IDAHO Channel!”

Holiday Music and Family Specials in December

December is filled with local and international Christmas musical performances and family holiday specials to warm your nights.

Reprising the original Kingston Trio lineup’s 1960 holiday album The Last Month of the Year, the current trio (comprised of George Grove, Bill Zorn and Rick Dougherty) perform this unique collection of holiday tunes in The Kingston Trio: Holiday Cheers (Monday, Dec. 7, at 9 PM). The special includes a pre-recorded appearance by the legendary Bob Shane, co-founder and sole surviving member of the original trio, making what would be his final concert appearance.

In Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir Featuring Kelli O’Hara and Richard Thomas (Monday, Dec. 14, at 8 PM), the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, and Bells at Temple Square join with actress and singer Kelli O’Hara and actor Richard Thomas to celebrate the message of Christmas — a message of love, selfless service, and gratitude for a savior who brings peace. With vocalists, instrumentalists, bell ringers, dancers, the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble, and the Cold Creek bluegrass band, the concert is a visual and musical spectacle.

The University of Idaho Holiday Concert (Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 7 PM and Friday, Dec. 18, at 10:30 PM) celebrates the holidays Idaho style. Local middle- and high-school choral groups, orchestras, bell choirs, flute choirs and jazz ensembles perform holiday classics together with musicians from the U of I’s Lionel Hampton School of Music. It’s a University of Idaho holiday tradition with an eclectic selection of old (and maybe new) seasonal favorites for the entire family to enjoy.

Enjoy an evening celebrating jazz great Ella Fitzgerald’s entire iconic album of holiday classics presented by the American Pops Orchestra and special guest performers in Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas With Vanessa Williams (Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 8 PM). Williams is joined by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Norm Lewis, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Nova Payton, Dave Detwiler and Morgan James to sing new life into this collection of holiday favorites originally recorded by Fitzgerald in 1960 at the peak of her interpretive prowess.

For many families over several generations, the celebration of the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany season begins with the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival, a century-old tradition of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. The college is unable to offer an in-person celebration this year, but The St. Olaf Christmas Festival: A New Song of Joy and Hope will still air (Monday, Dec. 21, at 9 PM). The special will feature treasured musical performances captured from recent St. Olaf Christmas Festival presentations with additional material from past festivals not seen in many years.

A BYU-Idaho Christmas is an annual tradition that draws audiences from throughout eastern Idaho for a holiday concert that features nationally renowned singers performing with the symphony orchestra, dancers, and an array of choirs from Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg. This year’s broadcast (Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 7 PM and Friday, Dec. 25, at 9:30 PM) features acclaimed opera singer Frederica Von Stade and the San Francisco-based Sonos Handbell Ensemble.

In a concert tradition that began in the 1930s, the Crane Chorus and Crane Symphony Orchestra at SUNY Potsdam come together each year to present a special holiday performance. Crane Candlelight Concert: Go Tell It on the Mountain (Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 9 PM) features Broadway and opera star Lisa Vroman performing holiday favorites “O Holy Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and her unique arrangements of “The Secret of Christmas” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”

Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2020 (Friday, Dec. 25, at 8 PM) takes viewers to 1965, where Nonnatus House staff are looking forward to traditional celebrations with all the trimmings, but nothing goes quite as planned. Sister Monica Joan is rushed to the hospital and Trixie is incensed to receive a subscription to a matchmaking service as a Christmas gift. In addition to new friendships, new experiences, and an exciting adventure for Nurse Crane, the circus rolls into Poplar with Peter Davison (Doctor Who) taking the role of circus ringmaster, Mr. Percival.

Say goodbye to 2020 with a concert celebrating the irrepressible strength of Americans with United in Song: Celebrating the Resilience of America (Thursday, Dec. 31, at 9 PM). The concert, recorded at Mt. Vernon, features a fireworks finale and performances by Renée Fleming, Joshua Bell, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, Audra McDonald, Denyce Graves, Anna Deavere Smith, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Patti LaBelle, the National Symphony Orchestra, the American Pops Orchestra and the Military Brass Ensemble.

Scale Idaho’s Highest Peaks and Explore Gem State History

Two new films from Outdoor Idaho and Idaho Experience journey to all nine of Idaho’s 12,000-foot mountain peaks and explore moments from Gem State history. The episodes air Sunday, Dec. 6, as part of the final night of our fall on-air fundraiser, DecemberFest.

 “Idaho’s 12ers” on Outdoor Idaho

Some seek thrills, some seek records, some push themselves to the edge of physical and mental endurance. But for most Idaho climbers, standing on the top of Idaho’s tallest mountains is reward enough. For the DecemberFest special Idaho’s 12ers (Sunday, Dec. 6, at 7 PM), the Outdoor Idaho production crew spent time on all nine of the Gem State’s 12,000-foot peaks (and a few 11,000-footers) with 44 intrepid climbers of a variety of ages and experience levels — Idaho natives and newcomers, experts and novices, men and women.

“Our climbing partners ranged from the 7-, 8- and 9-year-old kids who are the youngest people to climb all the 12ers, to the retired Boise State University math professors who have climbed all 123 Idaho peaks 11,000 feet and higher,” says producer Bill Manny. “It was a lot of work, and a lot of fun.”

Outdoor Idaho explores Idaho’s 12ers and gets to know the people who cherish Idaho’s highest places from close-up and from afar.

“Books, Boats and Embezzlers” on Idaho Experience

For the DecemberFest special Books, Boats and Embezzlers (Sunday, Dec. 6, at 8:30 PM), our Idaho Experience team shares a collection of short stories drawn from Idaho’s rich and varied history: a publisher who maintains hands-on printing traditions; how Ernest Hemingway’s time in Idaho influenced him; the steamboats that thrived on Lake Pend Oreille at the turn of the 20th century; an infamous Idaho criminal from a pioneer family; and drive-in theaters that keep movie-watching traditions alive.

For Marcia Franklin, who produced a piece on the Ardingers of Limberlost Press, it was a chance to step back in time and watch as the couple lovingly crafted a chapbook of poems — from printing on a century-old letterpress to sewing each book by hand. It was also an homage to Franklin’s father, who had a similar press in their home on which the two of them would print holiday cards. “Nostalgic feelings seem to be coming to the fore for many of us these days,” says Franklin. “This edition of Idaho Experience will take viewers on a drive down a country lane of the past, and hopefully help uplift spirits. And like a good story, watch for more! Many of these pieces will be expanded in future seasons into full-length programs.”