tavis: i'm sure he feels the danny boyle is no slouch himself. movie, in case you ain't seen franco everywhere, it's called "127 hours." it's quite a remarkable story based on a true story. starring james franco and this rock, directed by danny boyle. good to have you on. you're always welcome here. >> thank you. tavis: up next, religious scholar, reza aslan. stay with us. tavis: reza aslan has established himself as one of the brightest religious scholars of his generation, with books like "no god but god." his latest is an anthology called "tablet & pen," literary landscapes from the modern middle east. reza, good to have you on the program. >> good to see you again. tavis: let me start with some news of the week, then we'll jump into the text of "tablet & pen." so roll back to sunday. sunday past. iran says to the world that they have made -- confesses to the world they've made advances with uranium. that's significant. not unexpected, but significant in part because those advances could lead to being able to fuel reactors, could lead to even

please welcome danny boyle! ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: danny boyle, welcome to our show.mmy: oh, my gosh, you can do it. you can do it. does your hair come off? [ light laughter ] and then it might be difficult. yeah. hey, you're such a great director, but i have to ask, as a director, did you grow up like directing like crazy home movies or were you a little kid that had like a camera running around or -- >> no, i think that's one of the differences between americans -- well, not here, but spielberg and people like that when they were kids running around with 8-mils -- >> jimmy: yeah. >> --cameras. we never had that in britain. it was always -- if you were any good, you went into music. you would join the band. you know played instruments. i couldn't. >> jimmy: oh, really? >> i was tone-deaf, so i couldn't do that. so eventually i went into the theater eventually actually. that was the quick, easiest thing to get into. >> jimmy: really? >> yes. >> jimmy: acting? >> no, no, no. i mean i did a bit of acting. i've got quite a loud voice, so they picked me for all the parts

tavis smiley at pbs.org tavis: the join me next time for conversation with oscar-winning filmmaker danny boyle on "127 hours." >> all i know is his name is james, and he needs extra help with his reading. >> i am james. >> yes. >> to everyone making a difference -- >> thank you. >> you help us all live better. >> nationwide insurance supports tavis smiley. with every question and every answer, nationwide insurance is proud to join tavis in working to improve financial literacy and remove obstacles to economic empowerment, one conversation at a time. nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs.

. >> i don't think, first period in buffalo, the puck ricochets off danny boyle before going in.2, douglas murray winds up, scores his first goal to have the season to get the sharks within one t sabres score twice in the final minute, buffalo wins 6-3, the sharks finish their five-game road trip 3-2. and the thursday night top 5. peyton manning and gargon, avehicle due [ speaking french ] >> the coats beat the titans tonight. >>> at number 4, guys take note, nothing more says more than proposing at a hockey game. she said yes. the coyotes beat the rockies. >>> capitals goalie varlamov denies steve brew neigh but gives the old kick save and the panthers beat the capitals. >> number 2, final seconds, down to the 76ers, celtics, rajon rondo to kevin garnett for if the game winner, boston won 9 straight. >> you come, cody ross, here is a guy that wanted to be a rodeo clown. >> i watched it last night on tv back in arizona where i live and i was thinking to myself "man i'm glad i didn't pick that sport." >> cody ross had a front row seat to a record setting night. i thought i did cir

it's danny boyle with the rooster. and it's 1-1 with the coyotes. joe sorton will score his two tkpwoáel goal and the sharks will lead it for good. 4-1 final, nice way to go to a little preday christmas break for the sharks. thursday night football, not a game anyone is really going to remember through the ages. do the steelers ever not make the play offs. do they ever press restart. what a great organization. winning is what they do. and ben roethlisberger hits ben wallis. big ben 320 yards passing, that was the only thing that could stop him, knocked the defense. nobody could tackle him. you know what, college bowled over the next few weeks. to the poinsettia bowl, 63 yards 14-0. all hands on deck for navy but it would do no good. four touchdowns tonight, 428 yards rushing and there's 37 of them right there for one of the scores, 35-14 your poinsettia bowl final. >>> if it's true, you only get what you give, c.c. sabathia is. his christmas caravan in town. four days of giving. c.c. sabathia is -- sabathia did have a little time to talk about the y

it's danny boyle with the rooster. and it's 1-1 with the coyotes. joe sorton will score his two tkpwoáel goal and the sharks will lead it for good. 4-1 final, nice way to go to a little preday christmas break for the sharks. thursday night football, not a game anyone is really going to remember through the ages. do the steelers ever not make the play offs. do they ever press restart. what a great organization. winning is what they do. and ben roethlisberger hits ben wallis. big ben 320 yards passing, that was the only thing that could stop him, knocked the defense. nobody could tackle him. you know what, college bowled over the next few weeks. to the poinsettia bowl, 63 yards 14-0. all hands on deck for navy but it would do no good. four touchdowns tonight, 428 yards rushing and there's 37 of them right there for one of the scores, 35-14 your poinsettia bowl final. >>> if it's true, you only get what you give, c.c. sabathia is. his christmas caravan in town. four days of giving. c.c. sabathia is -- sabathia did have a little time to talk about the y

. >> jimmy: danny boyle directed the movie, and there's some great stuff which i won't spoil by going we do have a clip. you need to set it up a little bit for us, if you can. >> so, one of the amazing things about the story, or at least what was very fortunate for us -- >> jimmy: not so much the guy who cut his arm off. >> well -- no, actually, fortunate for him, too, is he brought this video camera with his on the hike, so originally, just to film the scenery and, you know, beautiful nail suture. but once he was trapped he started using the camera to record these video messages. and aaron really did that. and so we could then use that as device in the movie for the character to talk about, you know, how he's feeling and show his emotional journey and deterioration and everything. so, the scene that you're going to see right now is when the character is really starting to lose it, because he's been there for days. he's running out of water. and -- he knows that the situation he's in is partly his own fault, so he's starting to face that and face the possibility of his own death but h

danny heatly returning to ottawa. and quickly dan boylected here but patrick marlow with the put back. the rookie justin brown, one timer sharks win it 4-0. 28 saves for his first shut out as a shark. >>> all the well documented problems with the 49ers in the past few years. but place kicking not a problem. but with the niners today signing jeff reed could indicate netnie's knee. fifteenthmost accurate kicker in the nfl's history but having an off year. and another stellar performance for michael vick. counting for seven it'ds all told. vick hits owen smith 5-yard td. eagles on the big end. the raiders could have had mr. vick for a song, instead the raider quarterback situation has them today signing niner j.t. sullivan, he's been a former a lot of things. this is his 11th team drafted by in 2002. it is a done deal, adam dunn, $58 million to sign with the chicago white sox. the a's hoping to make a big splash as they made a huge offer to adrian beltre o we'll see what -- we'll see what happens there. nice to see the fans in cleveland as yo

danny heatly returning to ottawa. and quickly dan boyles rejected here but patrick marlow with the put back. the rookie justin brown, one timer sharks win it 4-0. 28 saves for his first shut out as a shark. >>> all the well documented problems with the 49ers in the past few years. but place kicking not a problem. but with the niners today signing jeff reed could indicate netnie's knee. fifteenthmost accurate kicker in the nfl's history but having an off year. and another stellar performance for michael vick. counting for seven it'ds all told. vick hits owen smith 5-yard td. eagles on the big end. the raiders could have had mr. vick for a song, instead the raider quarterback situation has them today signing niner j.t. sullivan, he's been a former a lot of things. this is his 11th team drafted by in 2002. it is a done deal, adam dunn, $58 million to sign with the chicago white sox. the a's hoping to make a big splash as they made a huge offer to adrian beltre o we'll see what -- we'll see what happens there. nice to see the fans in cleveland