tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley.n me next time for a conversation with the remarkable story of a d.c. secretary who is chosen for a small village in ghana. that is next time. we will see you then. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> be more. pbs.

tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. a conversation with a look at the latest on heart health. we will see you then. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. 

tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley.join me next time for a conversation with some actresses nominated for an academy award, viola davis and octavia's spencer. that is next time. we will see you then. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank.

tavis: good evening from los angeles. i am tavon smiley. -- tavis smiley. this is a look at the world of course racing and stars. the show was written and treated by david milch. to have join us for a look at the new series. >> every community has a vermont -- martin luther king boulevard. it is paid cornerstone we all know. it is not a street or boulevard. it is one that gets together with your community to meet every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. films michael mann's include "all day," and "the aviator for a chrome hbo's "locuck." here's a look. >> welcome home, mr. bernstein. with peopleou have been in my apartment, you better get them out. >> i only do this for fun now. >> good for you, kid. so did die. david milch and michael mann, is that like crockett and tubbs? [laughter] >> it is a combination that we have talked about for a long time. tavis: how did you come together on this particular project? >> david asked me if i wanted to direct the pilot. i read it and i did not necessarily want to

tavis: 8 episodes now. you can see the whole thing on netbooks. >> even for network, they watch two or three at a time. that is what people do now. they are a little bit ahead of everybody else now. it is a thing. tavis: we have not even gotten to what "lillehammer" is all about. we know it is about a mafioso who is basically a fish out of water. tell me more about this character. >> he is called frank the fixer. he is a boss in new york. frank gets along with everybody. everybody loves him. you need it parking ticket taken care of, or a speeding ticket -- you know what i am saying. tavis: frank the fixer. >> everybody loves him. the boss suddenly dies. the boss's brother is not cool. it is based a little bit on reality, on the gotti situation. this guy gets intimidated by the fact that everybody loves frank. they try to kill him. the character is so shocked by someone trying to kill him that he overreacts. he wants to get out of the country. he accuses lillehammer. he is a boss. he is a very different char

tavis: i am tavis smiley. to me for a candid conversation with singer-songwriter sinead o'connor. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it is the cornerstone that we all know. it is not just a street or boulevard. it is a place where walmart comes together with your community to make everyday better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with one of the advertising world's most prominent women, charlotte beers, who also served as undersecretary of state for colin powell. she has a book about the business world and advice on how women can navigate their way to a successful career. the text is called "i'd rather be in charge." we are pleased to have advertising executive charlotte beers, coming up right now. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: charlotte beers began her career as j. walter thompson, rising to become the first female vice president in the company's history, and then she became ceo of ogilvy & mather before becoming undersecretary of state for colin powell. she is out with a new text, called "i'd rather be in charge ." "i'd

tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with rock music legend steven van zandt. he is also known for his acting all the iconic television series, "the sopranos." he has a new series on netflix called "lilyhammer." >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: please welcome steven van zandt to this program. he has been a member of music's all-time great band, bruce springsteen and the e street band. they opened the grammy awards with inappropriate song for our time. he played a memorable role in one of the most acclaimed tv series, "the sopranos." he has a new program for netfl ix called "lilyhammer." >> benjamin seigel. do not call him bugsy. he built the world's largest casino in the middle of the desert. everybody laughed, but today that place is c

tavis: keep on trying. you have not gotten there yet. >> you are absolutely right to raise the question. one of the amazing things, it is not just in this country, conservative party since the economic collapse have been on the rise here and in europe. the social democratic party or the democratic party here. social democratic party is, all of them have taken a hit since the economic collapse. there has not been this reaction that you are describing that they may be perfectly rational. who should you be mad at because you are out of work? not obamacare. it does not go into effect until 2014. tavis: it does not equate for me. >> it is not clicking. tavis: since you are covering the presidential race and writing this blog, where do you think this conversation about austerity and scarcity is going to go in the presidential race? if he pulls this off, given his background, given who obama is and who romney is, where does the conversation about austerity and scarcity go? >> mitt romney has staked out a position

tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. first up, a look at this state of the florida race for the white house. polls show mitt romney with a lead over his chief rival, newt gingrich at the moment. a win in florida would be his biggest yet as he tries to secure a republican nomination. also, a conversation with the filmmaker who made take home the oscar top prize next month for "the artist." it is an acclaimed a silent black-and-white project. we have a look at the artist coming up right now. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with better. >> and by contributions from your pbs station -- to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] tavis: ron brown skin is a two- time -- ron brownstein is a two- time award winning journalist. he has been covering this race. good to have you back on the program. >> good to be back. tavis: you just go

tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with the journalist whose work in "rolling stone" led to the ouster of the top general in afghanistan. he is out now with an explosive new look at american involvement in afghanistan. the text is called "the operators." it is built on time he spent with stanley mcchrystal and interviews and trips to the site of what has now become america's longest war. we are glad you have joined us. the conversation with mike wallace -- with michael hastings, coming up right now. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- tavis: michael hastings is a noted journalist who serves as a contributing editor at "rolling stone." his interview with stanley mcchrystal led to