KET’s TeleFund 2016 packs in the stars, with specials featuring Kentucky’s own Loretta Lynn, plus James Taylor, Carole King, The Carpenters, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga and Celtic Woman, as well as the must-see series finale of Downton Abbey. TeleFund 2016 airs March 5-20.

TeleFund offers an opportunity for viewers to support KET’s mission to provide quality, trusted programs that educate, inspire and entertain.

During TeleFund, viewers may donate by calling 1-800-866-0366 or visiting KET.org/donate. Donations allow KET to continue to deliver programming that provides insights, discoveries, culture and entertainment to communities throughout Kentucky – as well as a safe haven for the Commonwealth’s youngest citizens through award-winning PBS children’s programming.

Those who donate during TeleFund will also have the chance to receive tickets to a wide range of upcoming concerts and experiences, including Celtic Woman’s and James Taylor’s Kentucky performances, among many others.

TeleFund 2016 programming highlights include:

SERIES FINALE

• Downton Abbey comes to an end
  After six passionate and poignant seasons, the curtain comes down on Downton Abbey. Viewers will finally learn how fate resolves the stories of beloved characters Edith, Mary, Thomas, Anna, Robert, Cora, Daisy, Carson, Violet, and Isobel – as well as the other occupants of the unforgettable Downton landscape.
  KET: Sunday, March 6 at 9/8 pm
  KET2: Wednesday, March 9 at 9/8 pm
  

DOCUMENTARIES

• American Masters – Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl
  Inducted into more music Halls of Fame than any other female recording artist to date, Loretta Lynn has sold more than 45 million records and has earned four Grammy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. This new documentary features never-before-seen home movies, performances and photos from Lynn’s 50-plus years in the industry, tracing her story from her Appalachian roots in Kentucky to her recent recording of Full Circle – her first new studio album in more than 10 years. The documentary includes interviews with Sissy Spacek, who famously portrayed Lynn in the Oscar-winning biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter, as well as friends and fellow musicians, including Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and more.
  KET: Tuesday, March 8 at 8:30/7:30 pm
  KET2: Sunday, March 13 at 12:30/11:30 pm
  

• Carpenters: Close to You (My Music Presents)
  This music-filled documentary traces the Carpenters’ career through the eyes of Richard Carpenter and the group’s friends in the music business. Many of the duo’s most beloved hits, including “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” “Top of the World,” “For All We Know,” “Superstar,” “Yesterday Once More,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and “We’ve Only Just Begun,” are featured.
  KET2: Saturday, March 5 at 2:30/1:30 pm
  KET: Sunday, March 6 at 6:30/5:30 pm

• Blenko: Behind the Scenes
  Viewers delve into the heat and heart of the Blenko Glass Company to see how its beautiful, handmade glassware is created. Each Blenko piece is unique – and so are the artisans and members of the Blenko family, who continue the company’s time-honored, 100-year tradition.
  KET: Saturday, March 12 at 8/7 pm
  KET2: Monday, March 14 at 4/3 pm
  

PERFORMANCE SPECIALS

• Carole King – James Taylor Live at the Troubadour
  James Taylor and Carole King reunite to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Los Angeles Troubadour club – joined by the same LA-based band that played with them when they first performed there in 1971. To commemorate their special ties to the venue, the pair perform some of their most beloved hits, including King’s “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” as well as Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind,” “Sweet Baby James” and “Fire and Rain.”
  KET: Saturday, March 5 at 10/9 pm and Monday, March 7 at 9:30/8:30 pm

• Great Performances: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live!
  The legendary singer and pop diva perform swinging selections from their collaborative classic jazz recording, Cheek to Cheek.
  KET2: Sunday, March 6 at 4:30/3:30 pm
  KET: Monday, March 7 at 8/7 pm
  

• Celtic Woman: Destiny
  Recorded at Ireland’s historic Mansion House in Dublin, Celtic Woman perform songs from their latest CD, Destiny, which features a blend of traditional Irish songs and contemporary standards.
  KET: Saturday, March 5 at 8/7 pm
  KET2: Sunday, March 6 at 6/5 pm

LIFESTYLE PROGRAMMING

• Suze Orman’s Financial Solutions For You
  Suze Orman provides advice to help viewers find financial security, by helping them understand the real “goal of money” in their lives.
  KET2: Saturday, March 5 at 4/3 pm
  KET: Sunday, March 6 at 3/2 pm

TICKETED CONCERTS AND EVENTS 

Viewers who donate to TeleFund 2016 may choose to receive tickets for an array of upcoming concerts and experiences, including:

• Celtic Woman’s March 8 concert at Owensboro’s RiverPark Center
• Celtic Woman’s March 9 concert at the Louisville Palace
• Celtic Woman’s March 11 concert at Paducah’s Carson Center
• Tony Bennett’s March 18 concert at the Louisville Palace
• Celtic Woman’s March 23 concert at Bowling Green’s SKyPAC
• The Moody Blues’ March 30 concert at the Louisville Palace
• Loretta Lynn’s April 9 concert at the Country Tonite Theatre, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
• Under the Streetlamp’s April 9 concert at Danville’s Norton Center
• KET’s Fabby Abbey event, April 16 at Lexington’s Spindletop Hall
• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live on April 17 at Louisville’s Brown Theatre
• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live on April 24 at Danville’s Norton Center
• James Taylor’s April 24 concert at Rupp Arena, Lexington

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, serving more than one million people each week via television, online and mobile. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization on Twitter @KET and facebook.com/KET and at KET.org.

Contact:

Todd Piccirilli
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
859-258-7242
tpiccirilli@ket.org