BackTalk with Becca

"The Game is on!" announces a youthful Sherlock Holmes. That's right, the Victorian lingo has been left in the library in this modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.

Shot on locations in London and Cardiff, the new spin on the old classic is produced by the BBC and WGBH for the Masterpiece anthology series. Here's what the producers have to say about ditching the top hats and frock coats to focus on friendship and mystery.

We are wondering if KTEH Mystery fans will bond with the new Sherlock. Tell me what you think. Here's a sneak peak:

In addition to this week's Killer Friday mystery line-up, KTEH has mysteries on Monday & Tuesday nights as well.

The mayhem begins right after Doc Martin on Monday at 9pm when an artist is found dead and Poirot thinks he's seen the killer in Four and Twenty Blackbirds. Then Miss Marple pays a visit to Bertram's hotel where guests have gathered to hear the reading of a will - you know that spells trouble.
Here's a sneak peak.

There are more mysteries to be solved on Tuesday at 9pm when Insp. Lewis returns to the Thames Valley Police five years after the death of his long-time police partner, Inspector Morse. Lewis has a new, young partner and they'll be investigating the death of an American college student.

On Friday our Killer Line-up includes Poirot, Holmes and Marple. It all starts at 7pm - don't forget to lock the doors!

This morning KQED hosted families and friends at one of the first screenings of the newest PBS KIDS series: The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! KQED was Proud to Honor Congresswoman Anna Eshoo for her committed service to children’s issues and public media.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! is for preschoolers and features the voice of Martin Short as the Cat. Science literacy has been labeled as a top priority for education, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! will give children and parents the tools needed for scientific exploration and discovery. KQED Public Media is the national presenting station for The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

Prior to the screening, KQED’s president and CEO, John Boland, and KCSM’s General Manager, Marilyn Lawrence, honored Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. Ms. Eshoo has been a tireless defender of public media and children’s issues and is the recipient of the 2010 Association of Public Television Stations’ Champion of Public Broadcasting Award. The award is given to members of Congress and other individuals who have had a tremendous impact on the ability of local public television stations to meet the most critical needs of the communities they serve.

This morning KQED launched the new Cat in the Hat series at the PBS Annual Meeting in Austin, TX. The series will begin on KTEH September 6th and teaches science as only The Cat ( Martin Short) can. His Zany assistants Things 1 and 2 add to the fun.

I had the fun of escorting Thing 2 through all his photo ops with PBS luminaries.

Last night KTEH hosted a party for the volunteers who worked on the Antique Roadshow episodes that were taped here in San Jose. Many arrived for the party dressed in their "Antiques Roadshow Staff" shirts covered in autographs. We loved it!

We heard a lot of amazing "war stories" from behind the scenes. My favorite was from the man who's wife tripped over a light in her excitement to meet the Keno Brothers. She injured her elbow but in true volunteer fashion, she kept working. Finally her persuaded her to leave the convention center and go to the emergency room. She returned, within the hour, arm in a sling and finished the day. Now that's a serious volunteer!

We also heard some great stories from Steve Yvaska, The Seasoned Collector. He took a break from his Mercury News column to join us and share tips with the audience on how to judge if an old item is valuable or…just old. There were plenty of questions and Steve had the answers.

Party goers also got a sneak peek at the first of the 3 San Jose episodes. The programs are scheduled to air on KTEH this month Thursdays at 9pm on May 13, 20 & 27.

Here's a clip from hour 1.

Cool cars and hot designs were the big draw at the 20TH Annual Pacific Coast Dream Machines that recently took place at the Half Moon Bay Airport. KTEH’s Sr. Producer, John Gregg, and the crew took the opportunity to check out some of the cars that you can only dream about - like this Lamborghini!

Forget about Botticelli, Caravaggio or Modigliani. Here’s an Italian masterpiece that hits about 208 miles per hour – a dream come true for only $375 grand!

On a budget? John talked with a DYI mechanic who bought a car kit for the bargain price of $15K. After three years of working alone in his garage, he wound up with a 427 Cobra. If you feel the need for speed, you can commune with the ghost of Steve McQueen and still have a little left for the college fund with this ”paint by numbers” vision.

However, if you're the essence cool and want to travel in style… well, then there’s nothing better a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. Elegance and horsepower made the ‘53 Caddy one of the coolest rides at the Pacific Coast Dream Machines. John got to sit behind the wheel of, legendary designer, Harley Earl’s finest creation. As soon as we can get John out of the car and back to his desk, he’ll write a piece about the event for KTEH then you will see the “Dream Machines” and meet the men who built them. Stay tuned!

…and dancing is one of them." So goes the quote from author/musician Vicki Baum. This is National Dance week ( 4/23 -5/2). There are 400 free events in the Bay Area where you can "shake a tail feather." So put on your dancing shoes and take the shortcut to happiness.

Before you go, here are some tips on a dancer's mindset from San Jose's own Prima Ballerina, Karen Gabay.

Last August, San Jose and KTEH hosted one of PBS’s most popular programs, Antiques Roadshow. San Jose audiences set a record with the long-running program for having the most people apply for tickets (more than 32,000), as well as the most people attending in one day (more than 7,000 – with more than 15,000 items appraised.)

KTEH and KQED audience members were treated to a spectacle and a once-in-a-lifetime look behind the scenes of the show. In addition to having their items appraised, everyone learned a bit about what it takes to make great television as they watched camera persons find the best angles, producers running with headsets, and more than 100 volunteers working hard and fast to assure everyone a great experience. Although the lines could seem long but time passed easily as everyone got to meet other fans of the shows and other collectors like themselves.

Appraisers found a few 6-figure items and some genuine clunkers. Many people enjoyed showing off their wares by having a photo taken at the KTEH/KQED photo booth. You can view many of these treasures online. Don’t miss Antiques Roadshow – San Jose Edition. The three-part series will air on KTEH on Thursdays at 9pm, beginning May 13.

Tactless as ever, the abrasive doctor (Martin Clunes) returns to Cornwall for a fourth season. The new episodes begin Monday, April 26 with the return of Martin's former fiance, Louisa, who has some big news.

Then, at 9pm, stay tuned for Doc Martin's Islands of Britain. The three part special features Martin Clunes as he explores some of Great Britain's 6,000 islands. Clunes, a sometime documentarian, takes the road less traveled and sees people and places you won't find on any tour map. Vikings and pirates; smugglers and saints, Clunes charms them all.

EastEnders will end its run on KTEH Public Television on April 27. EastEnders is one of KTEH’s longest-running programs, has enjoyed a run on KTEH since at least 1993. The long-running serial, part of KTEH’s “Brilliantly British” series of classic British programming, has enjoyed one of the healthiest runs of any program in the Bay Area. In the past few years, however, EastEnders has experienced a steep drop-off in viewership and its rating has plummeted to approximately half of the audience it enjoyed last year.

KTEH has tried several times to find a solution to keep EastEnders on the air, including adjusting its airtime to not compete with Pledge periods, as well as Pledging the program, itself. These efforts were not successful and the public did not support this program through the fundraising plea.

While we regret the end of any program, we know that our loyal audiences will continue to seek out the quality programming that we have to offer on KTEH.