With half of our primetime schedule devoted to documentary programming, TVO is the destination in Ontario for powerful, provocative and uninterrupted non-fiction films from Canada and around the world. As a proud supporter of independent and emerging filmmakers, TVO presents big, bold ideas and new perspectives on our global village.

This season, TVO offers viewers more opportunities for doc viewing in a new 9 pm midweek timeslot running Tuesdays to Thursdays. Tuesday nights explore the world of science. Wednesday nights showcase point-of-view films from some of the best homegrown and international filmmakers, who challenge us to think differently and critically about the issues that affect us all. TVO is one of the few remaining broadcasters supporting this important genre as a vehicle to tell our stories. Thursday nights put the spotlight on the arts, examining the context behind the work and lives of artists from various disciplines.

Completing TVO’s wide-ranging documentary lineup are films on history, nature, the environment, people and places airing weeknights at 7 pm, and Mondays through Thursdays at 10 pm.

And online at tvo.org, TVO offers docs on demand. You can view – or review – our award-winning documentaries 24/7.

Corpus –  World broadcast premiere
Wednesday October 6, 2010 at 9 pm ET
Encore viewing: Monday October 18 at 10 pm ET and
Wednesday October 27 at 9 pm ET
60 minutes
Written and directed by Connie Diletti
Produced by William Burke in association with TVO 
Available for streaming on demand at tvo.org following the broadcast

At 32 years old, most would consider Canadian filmmaker Connie Diletti a spring chicken with a whole future ahead of her, but lately, death – or the fear of it – is the only thing on her mind. When a routine health card renewal prompts her to contemplate what to do with her body after she dies, she sets out on a cross-America road trip to find the answer. In Corpus, Diletti chronicles her journey as she investigates non-traditional afterlife services. With options such as blasting herself into outerspace, incorporating cremated remains into diamonds, glass or coral reefs, mummification, plastination, cryonic preservation and green burials to consider, will Connie find a way to rest in peace?

Gandhi – North American premiere
Mondays October 25 to November 8, 2010 at 10 pm ET
3 / 50 minutes
Produced by BBC

For many people around the world, the image of Mahatma Gandhi is that of the iconic father of the Indian nation whose peaceful protests served as templates for those who followed, such as Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama and more. While he is revered as the leader of a nation and a symbol of peace, there is a controversial, less well-known side to him. In this definitive three-part series on the life of Gandhi, journalist Mishal Husain charts Gandhi's Establishment beginnings, his move into politics and his campaign to bring independence to India.

The series begins with a look at his early years in India and South Africa, unearthing accusations of racism and hypocrisy against Gandhi that are in sharp contrast to his image as the Indian Messiah. It continues with a look at his rise to fame and how he faced unpopularity, political failure and time in British jails before launching the 240-mile Salt March that succeeded in humiliating the British Raj. The series concludes with the dramatic last years of Gandhi’s life, which culminated in his death by an assassin’s bullet. And Husain gets to the bottom of an enduring mystery: why is Gandhi revered as “Father of the Nation,” when India turned its back on his blueprint for the country?

A Good Man – North American premiere
Wednesday October 20, 2010 at 9 pm ET
60 minutes
Directed by Safina Uberoi
Produced by Divana Films

In this inspiring, against-all-odds story, a devoted husband goes from small-town sheep farmer to brothel owner in a bid to keep his wife, a quadriplegic for all of their 14 married years, out of long-term hospital care. Australian grazier Chris Rohrlach is struggling to make a living off the land, and a drought has only made things worse. All he wants to do is be a husband to his beloved Rachel, and father to their teenage son Kieran and new baby Liam. He’ll give anything a go to keep his family afloat, even if that means sparking the ire of the locals who don’t want to see a red-light district in their outback town. As cameras capture Rohrlach through construction and opening of the brothel and record the words of family members, the film reveals an endlessly optimistic man whose only motivation is love.

Baroque! - From St. Peter's to St. Paul's –  North American premiere
Thursdays October 7, 14 and 21, 2010 at 9 pm ET
3 / 60 minutes
A ZCZ Films Limited production for BBC

Sprawling across Europe and beyond, the Baroque movement dominated painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theatre and literature in the 17th century and spawned some of the world’s greatest works. Synonymous with grandeur, boldness and drama, the style often blurred the line between art and reality. In this three-part series, British art critic Waldemar Januszczak tours the Baroque tradition’s key locations – Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium and England – to find its finest examples of art and architecture. Beginning in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City where he details the birth of Baroque and culminating at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, Januszczak retraces the spread of the movement and its social context, while exploring the works of Caravaggio, Velasquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Dyck, among others.

Also this month:

The Love of Money - The definitive guide to the global economic meltdown
Mondays September 27 – October 11, 2010 at 10 pm ET
3 / 50 minutes
Produced by BBC

September marks the second-year anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse. The biggest bankruptcy filing in America’s history triggered a global financial freefall whose effects continue to ripple through the world’s economies today. In the week that Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to the 1987 Oliver Stone hit film Wall Street, hits theatres, TVO presents a new opportunity to review the real-life dramas behind the market meltdown. With interviews from key financial industry leaders and players, this three-part documentary places the crash in its social context, analyzing how it was reported by the media and how it has changed our lives.

Tiger Island Series 2 – Canadian premiere
Wednesdays October 27 - November 17, 2010 at 7 pm ET
7 / 30 minutes  
Produced by Athena Films

The second instalment of this series makes a roaring return to the Isle of Wight Zoo off the coast of England, to observe the day-to-day lives of the big cats living in one of Europe’s largest tiger sanctuaries. Cameras capture the zoo’s busy working atmosphere and follow devoted animal care professionals through rescue stories, animal treatment and dramas big and small. This season catches up with Zena, the white tiger, brothers Snoopy and Charlie Brown, and welcomes Rambo, the new arrival from America.