‘P.O.V.’ kicks off its new documentaries with facts about HIV

“P.O.V.,” PBS’ award-winning series of independent nonfiction films (the acronym title stands for Point of View) will kick off its new season June 18 with “Absolutely Positive,” Peter Adair’s film about living with HIV antibodies, the precursor to AIDS. More than 20 documentaries will air this season on “P.O.V.”

Lisa Dean Ryan, Georganne Johnson and Joe Sciacca have just completed production on an upcoming “CBS Schoolbreak Special: Dedicated to the One I Love.” The drama deals with a teen-age girl coping with her former boyfriend’s death of AIDS.

John Martin, who created the role of super-sleuth lawyer Jonathan Russell on ABC’s daytime “One Life to Live” in 1985, has returned to the role for a limited engagement. The Buchanan family asks their old friend Jonathan to defend Viki (Erika Slezak), who has been charged with the murder of Johnny Dee.

The two-hour CBS movie “Gunsmoke III,” is currently shooting in Southern Arizona for broadcast at a later date. James Arness returns in the Western as legendary Marshall Matt Dillon. Amy Stock-Payton plays his daughter, Beth.

Production has begun on “Mission of the Shark,” a two-hour CBS docudrama starring Richard Thomas and Stacy Keach. “Mission” chronicles the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, which carried the first nuclear bomb to Japan during World War II. No air date has been set for the film.

Bravo presents “The 10th Annual Independent Spirit Awards,” on April 20. The awards, which were March 23, honor filmmakers and companies who are changing the face of American film. The keynote speaker for this year’s ceremony is actor-director Kevin Costner.