TREASURES OF NEW YORK to Celebrate Cultural Diversity in All-New Season

TREASURES OF NEW YORK announced today a spectacular new season line-up featuring a stunning array of twelve brand-new documentaries when the series returns this fall. Powerful themes of diversity, resilience, tolerance and understanding resonate throughout the captivating new season, which explores the compelling history of our region and celebrates some of the most vibrant cultural establishments. Treasures of New York premieres on Thursdays at 8 p.m. on WLIW21 and Sundays 7 p.m. on THIRTEEN, beginning September 1, 2016. Full episodes of many of the new programs and past episodes are also available for online streaming at wliw.org/treasures.

The Irish Catskills will lead-off the new season of Treasures of New York, in a programming schedule that includes the following films:

The Irish Catskills
Premieres Thursday, September 1 at 8pm on WLIW21 and
Sunday, September 4 at 7pm on THIRTEEN
The series looks at the history, legacy, and dance culture of the Irish Catskills, an enclave of inns, hotels, and bungalows in New York's famed vacation spot, which was a popular summer getaway for Irish Americans. Interweaving dozens of contemporary interviews with archival film, photos, home movies and film verité, the documentary explores the influence that Irish culture and the Catskills have had on each other-with a particular emphasis on traditional music and dance, and the link between the region and the Irish ballroom era from the 1940s to the 1960s.

The Trees
Premieres on Thursday, September 8 at 8pm on WLIW21 and
Sunday, September 11 at 7pm on THIRTEEN
To mark the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2016, Treasures of New York brings viewers the untold story of life returning to Ground Zero. Filmed over the course of five years with the cooperation of the National September 11th Memorial & Museum and featuring unprecedented access to the construction site, The Trees is a film that depicts the emotional story behind the design and building of the outdoor living tree memorial at the World Trade Center site. It features world-renowned architect Michael Arad, landscape architect Peter Walker and the hundreds of builders, artists and arborists who painstakingly grew, transported and implemented the 420 oak tree urban forest at the 9/11 Memorial Park site beginning in 2010. At the film's core is the story of The SURVIVOR Tree, the charred callery pear tree that was the last living thing to be saved from the rubble of the WTC site after the 2001 attacks.

Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center
Premieres Thursday, October 20 at 8pm on WLIW21 and
Sunday, October 23 at 7pm on THIRTEEN
This installment of Treasures of New York presents a unique cultural institution acting as a voice for tolerance and resilience across Long Island. Established on the grounds of a former Pratt Estate in Glen Cove, New York, this facility is dedicated to building bridges with diverse communities, many of which have faced similar histories of suffering and victimization. The state-of-the-art museum captures the lives of Long Island's Holocaust survivors and transports visitors back to a critical time in history, empowering students and adults alike with vital lessons about understanding.

Hearst Tower (encore presentation), Hosted by Paula Zahn
Airs Thursday, November 10 at 8pm on WLIW21 and
Sunday, November 13 at 7pm on THIRTEEN
To mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Hearst Tower, Treasures of New York is airing a special encore presentation of this film, which gives exclusive access inside Hearst's world headquarters and New York City's first completed "green" office building. Hosted by award-winning veteran journalist Paula Zahn, the program explores the soaring glass-and-steel modern skyscraper that pioneered a sustainable architectural vision for the 21st century when it opened a decade ago, and highlights the history and growth of one of America's largest diversified media, information and service companies.

Settlement Houses
Premieres Thursday, November 17 at 8pm on WLIW21 and
Sunday, November 20 at 7pm on THIRTEEN
In the late 19th century, settlement houses sprang up in New York City as havens for new immigrants and the existing population of Manhattan's impoverished lower east side. Over 130 years later, more than three dozen organizations following the settlement house model offer a wide array of services and activities to New York City's ever-changing population in communities throughout the five boroughs. Nestled in our neighborhoods, these safe zones for children and adults of all ages are opportunities for teaching, learning and connecting with our neighbors that play an integral role in New York City's social fabric. Treasures of New York explores the unique history of this dynamic social service movement, which boasts distinguished alumni such as George and Ira Gershwin, Abraham Beame, Jacob Javits, James Cagney, and Burt Lancaster.

Other Treasures of New York premiere episodes include Drama League, Museum of the City of New York, US Open, The Julliard School, The Frick Collection, UJA-Federation of New York, The Jerome L. Greene Science Center, and Rails to Trails.