Thirteen to Celebrate Shakespeare's Legacy with Month-Long Multi-Platform Programming

Shakespeare's Curse, a new documentary about William Shakespeare's final resting place, joins encore presentations of the six installments of Season Two of Shakespeare Uncovered(consecutive Fridays beginning April 8) and three of the plays in the Great Performancesseries "The Hollow Crown" - "Richard II" and "Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2" (April 22 & 23) -for a month-long celebration to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death as THIRTEEN Celebrates Shakespeare's Legacy.

Shakespeare Uncovered: Kim Cattrall at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Photo credit: Andrea Southam

William Shakespeare's final resting place in Stratford-upon-Avon carries a curse against any man who "moves his bones." Shakespeare's Curse, airing April 19 at 9 p.m., documents the first ever scientific investigation of that grave revealing fascinating new evidence about what really lies beneath the infamous warning.

Theater Talk (April 22) will reprise its interview with Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro, who discusses his new book "The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606." In that year, Shakespeare wrote three of the greatest tragedies of all time: "Macbeth," "King Lear" and "Antony & Cleopatra." Shapiro details the circumstances in England that may have influenced the composition of these plays, as well as his take on the personality of the elusive 16th Century playwright.

The GREAT PERFORMANCES presentation of "Hamlet" starring David Tennant, currently onstage at BAM as "Richard II," will be available online at the thirteen.orgwebsite, as well as Season Two of Shakespeare Uncovered.

These offerings will be part of a robust "digital Shakespeare hub" atthirteen.org/Shakespeare including: featured Shakespeare events around the city, weekly editorial features around Shakespeare, fan favorite Shakespeare quotes, notable Shakespeare top 10's, Shakespeare quizzes and trivia, and a map of Shakespeare tributes in New York.

Shakespeare UNCOVERED classroom resources are also available on PBS Learning Media with video segments, discussion questions, and accompanying activities examining Shakespeare's life and work..

Throughout the month, THIRTEEN viewers will enjoy Bard Bits, featuring fun facts and trivia about the Shakespeare canon.

The schedule follows below:

Broadcast on WNET:

4/8, 9-10 p.m.

Shakespeare Uncovered: A Midsummer Night's Dream with Hugh Bonneville

4/8, 10-11 p.m.

Shakespeare Uncovered: King Lear with Christopher Plummer

4/15, 9-10 p.m.

Shakespeare Uncovered: The Taming of the Shrew with Morgan Freeman

4/15, 10-11 p.m.

Shakespeare Uncovered: Othello with David Harewood

4/19, 9-10 p.m.

Shakespeare's Curse

4/22, 9-10 p.m.

Shakespeare Uncovered: Antony & Cleopatra with Kim Cattrall

4/22 10-11 p.m.

Shakespeare Uncovered: Romeo & Juliet with Joseph Fiennes

4/22, 1:30-2 a.m.

Theater Talk: Professor James Shapiro on Shakespeare

4/22, 2-4:30 a.m.

Great Performances: The Hollow Crown: Henry IV Part 1

4/22, 4:30-7 a.m.

Great Performances: The Hollow Crown: Henry IV Part 2

4/23, 1-4 p.m.

Great Performances: The Hollow Crown: Richard II

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