or


[10/13/11 - 09:41 AM]
How Garbage Transformed the World's Great Cities - "Trashopolis" - New Smithsonian Channel Series Premieres Sunday, November 6 at 8PM ET/PT
The five-episode series is narrated by comic book writer and rock musician Jesse Blaze Snider, the son of Twisted Sister front-man Dee Snider.

[via press release from Smithsonian Channel]

HOW GARBAGE TRANSFORMED THE WORLD'S GREAT CITIES

TRASHOPOLIS

NEW SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL SERIES PREMIERES SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 AT 8PM ET/PT

New York, Rome, Paris, Cairo and London Were Not Built In A Day And Were Not Built Without Trash

New York, NY - October 13, 2011 - Beneath the streets of every major global city lies a dark and ugly secret. It's the hidden ingredient that has transformed primitive outposts into wondrous metropolitan areas, forcing mankind into radical urban and architectural directions, propelling advances in science and jump-starting revolutions. From the majestic skyscrapers of New York City to the dank catacombs of Paris, the stunning ruins of Rome, the mysterious sewers of London and the bustling markets of Cairo, a new series, TRASHOPOLIS, premiering Sunday, November 6 at 8 pm. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel, uncovers the startling truth about how these cities rose and flourished because of their garbage.

The five-episode series is narrated by comic book writer and rock musician Jesse Blaze Snider, the son of Twisted Sister front-man Dee Snider.

With the help of local experts, TRASHOPOLIS peels the layers off of rotten corpses, filthy ruins, and smelly garbage to reveal how the fight against rising tides of foul mud and human sewage gradually altered the shapes of the world's great cities from dark, cramped and unsanitary settlements into triumphs of grace, light and vibrant space.

TRASHOPOLIS premiere episodes:

TRASHOPOLIS: NEW YORK - Premieres Sunday, November 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

When the Dutch bought Manhattan, the island was nothing but a swampy marsh. Trash, however, in the form of enormous mounds of giant oyster shells, helped build the New Amsterdam Seaport into the most profitable port in the New World. For many years garbage and recycling became big business-controlled by crooked politicians, and New York's most ruthless gangsters. Urban planner Robert Moses used trash to build New York City's expressways, bridges, and parks. Today, a group of activists known as "freegans," survive on nothing but trash thrown out by supermarkets, and an artist stuffs trash into small plastic boxes and sells them as art. A 50 million dollar project in Brooklyn used a new kind of trash to build a park on the shores of the East River.

TRASHOPOLIS: CAIRO - Premieres Sunday, November 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Cairo's Zabaleen - the traditional garbage people - collect the city's trash by hand and haul it home on donkey drawn carts. Vast slums in the heart of the city are filled with mountains of stinking garbage, and in the alleys and on roof tops, Zabaleen women and children sort trash for recycling. 300,000 pigs raised by the Zabaleen eat what can't be re-sold, a practice that began in the days of King Tut. Following the Romans, a tribe of slave warriors known as the Mamelukes, defeated the Christian Crusaders. Under Islamic rule, Cairo flourished with strict laws regulating the disposal of trash and public sanitation. After Napoleon invaded a large section of Cairo was rebuilt - inspired by the architects and engineers who rescued Paris from its own sewage and trash. Today, Cairo awards sanitation contracts to multinational corporations, while Zablaeen take to the streets for a desperate fight to protect their livelihood.

TRASHOPOLIS: PARIS - Premieres Sunday, November 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

When the walls of Paris's largest cemetery collapsed, decomposing bodies tumbled out - and six thousand corpses were moved into the tunnels of the catacombs. Terrified by ancient beliefs, some Parisians refused to bathe, leading to creation of the art of perfume to mask their body odors. Because of piles of garbage, the chief of police ordered the streets to be paved, and streetlights to be installed. A baron vowed to rid Paris of its filth by demolishing slums, creating the grand avenues of Paris, and building hundreds of miles of new sewers. A Parisian even invented the garbage can. A band of modern day activists refuses to throw anything away, turning trash into sculpture, and dead batteries and wine bottle corks into cash.

TRASHOPOLIS: ROME - Premieres Sunday, November 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Roman Emperors reflected the power and glory of the Empire in their monuments, temples, fountains and aqueducts. Their slaves built the greatest sewer system in the world. After the Visigoths destroyed the city, the Roman Catholic Church regained its glory by rebuilding the aqueducts, restoring the fountains, and passing new trash laws. A malevolent Pope banished the Jewish population to a ghetto within the city walls - and restricted their occupations to trash collecting. Mussolini lusted for immortality - and attempted to associate his rule with the ancient Emperors by championing vast public works, using slave labor. Modern day sanitation experts are excavating Rome's oldest landfill. Rome's ruins compete for space with traffic circles and luxury hotels, and a new kind of visual trash has begun to obscure its glory and beauty.

TRASHOPOLIS: LONDON - Premieres Sunday, December 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

In the year 43 AD, Londinium was a rapidly expanding outpost of the Roman Empire situated on the banks of the Thames River. To support the docks of the new port there, Roman builders used trash. Today that trash reveals fascinating details of daily life in the ancient city. While London grew into a teeming metropolis, there was and continues to be a constant struggle with trash that has generated huge public works projects that have altered the shape of the city and affected the lives of every Londoner. An Englishman invented the world's first toilet. Trash helped Britain win two World Wars but also lead to the tragic deaths of thousands from overwhelming smog. Today, London continues to experiment with new ways of converting trash to energy, such as the construction of the world's largest trash incinerator.

ABOUT SMITHSONIAN NETWORKS

Smithsonian Networks is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, whose programs are largely inspired by the assets of the world's largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available to customers of DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.





  [october 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· TRASHOPOLIS (SMITH)





[11/13/24 - 02:02 PM]
Hit Detective Drama, "Shetland," Returns December 11 for Season Nine on BritBox
A double missing person's case blurs the lines between the personal and the professional, as Calder and Tosh are drawn into a labyrinthine investigation.

[11/13/24 - 01:59 PM]
Dascha Polanco and Paige Hurd Each to Star in New "Ripped from the Headlines" Originals for Lifetime
The former stars in "Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story" on January 11; while the latter leads "Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story" on January 18.

[11/13/24 - 01:08 PM]
ESPN to Exclusively Present 2025 MLB Opening Day Doubleheader Featuring Both World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League Champion New York Yankees
The doubleheader begins on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 27 when Aaron Judge and the Yankees host Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers, who won the National League Central in 2024.

[11/13/24 - 11:30 AM]
"Doctor Odyssey" Series Premiere Swells +482% Over Live+Same Day Audience in Adults 18-49
Plus: "9-1-1" kicked off season eight with an action-packed three-episode story arc rising +156% in Total Viewers (12.64 million vs. 4.93 million) and +519% in Adults 18-49 (2.91 rating vs. 0.47 rating) over its initial Live+Same Day audience.

[11/13/24 - 11:12 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Golden State Warriors Visit New Orleans Pelicans on November 22
This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks game.

[11/13/24 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "The Night Agent" Season 2 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Based on the novel by Matthew Quirk, "The Night Agent" is a sophisticated, character-based, action-thriller centering on a low level FBI Agent, Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), whose efforts to save The President in Season 1 earn him an opportunity to become a Night Agent in Season 2.

[11/13/24 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Announces Winter Premiere Dates for 2024-25 Primetime Season
"Hollywood Squares," starring award-winning actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore as the center square, and hosted by Nate Burleson, premieres Thursday, January 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT).

[11/13/24 - 10:08 AM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art Debut - Hulu Exclusive "Family Guy" Holiday Special
The special episode premieres on Monday, November 25 only on Hulu as a part of the year-round "Family Guy" 25th Anniversary Celebration!

[11/13/24 - 10:01 AM]
Onyx Collective's Sexy Legal Drama "Reasonable Doubt" Renewed for Season Three on Hulu
"Reasonable Doubt" centers on Los Angeles-based high-powered criminal defense attorney Jacqueline "Jax" Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi) as she deals with past traumas, a struggling marriage, motherhood and a murder case, all while trying to keep her life together.

[11/13/24 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Say Nothing" - Official Trailer 2 - FX
FX's limited series is a gripping story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland during The Troubles.

[11/13/24 - 10:00 AM]
Video: Let The Games Begin! Prime Video Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for Holiday Special "Amazon Wish List Games"
All five episodes of the special are set to debut on Prime Video on November 20.

[11/13/24 - 09:01 AM]
Disney Channel's "Fa-La-La-Lidays" and Disney Jr.'s "Magical Holidays" Unwrap Festive Programming for the Whole Family
Highlights of "Disney Channel's Fa-la-la-lidays" include new animated holiday episodes of "Big City Greens" and "ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series."

[11/13/24 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "The Later Daters" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Six older singles shake off the dust and wade back into the dating pool with the help of their family and friends and a renowned relationship expert in this uplifting docuseries that proves it's never too late to find lasting love.

[11/13/24 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Presents "Blue Bloods: Celebrating a Family Legacy," An "Entertainment Tonight" Special, to Air Friday, Nov. 29
This one-hour special, celebrating 293 episodes of "Blue Bloods," includes new exclusive interviews with the stars and recurring guest stars who share favorite memories and behind-the-scenes moments from the past 14 years.

[11/13/24 - 09:00 AM]
Acorn TV to Debut "Acorn TV X TED: Transform Your Thinking"
The new series will consist of six episodes, each featuring five TED Talks with a common theme.