Drone Testing, Jane Pauley, DOWNTON ABBEY and More Set for Next Edition of METROFOCUS Tonight

On the next edition of MetroFocus, New York NOW's Jenna Flanagan reports from Syracuse, one of the six sites around the country chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration to test the safety of flying drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, in public airspace. Last year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced the company hopes to use drones to deliver packages. In New Jersey, Rutgers University is partnering with Virginia Tech on drone research. But safety isn't the only concern. "My neighbor can put a camera on the drone and come over my property," Amy Tiffany, of the Syracuse Peace Council, told Flanagan. "How that information is used is going to be where the regulations come in. I think it's going to be very difficult to do."

After many years of hosting NBC's Today, Dateline and her own talk show, TV legend Jane Pauley is now reimagining her life at 63 years old and helping people over fifty reimagine theirs. She joins MetroFocus host Rafael Pi Roman to talk about her new book "Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life." "People who are fifty today are more vital in their outlook, and more interested in staying active, than people who were fifty 10 years ago," Pauley says. "So much is changing. And if you've got this vitality and this new outlook, to be 50, 60, 70 is to want to remain engaged in the world, whether it's of work or whatever it is, in a different way that your parents and grandparents."

This week MetroFocus begins a new series called "Giving Back" featuring philanthropists and their work. Musician Herb Alpert won his ninth Grammy Award this year for his album "Steppin' Out," andhe's also a sculptor and painter, and founder of The Herb Alpert Foundation that underwrites arts, education and music programs. Alpert tells MetroFocus host Rafael Pi Roman, "I want to make sure the legacy of Jazz continues. It's one art form that we can take credit for in this country and it's spread magic all over the world."

Now that we're more than halfway through season four of the PBS Masterpiece series Downton Abbey, are you wondering what it's like behind the scenes at Highclere Castle? WGBH's Jared Bowen talks with Lesley Nicol "Mrs. Patmore," Allen Leech "Tom," and Phyllis Logan "Mrs. Hughes" about their characters and all the drama. "I think Season Foursees an incredible journey for Tom [Branson]," actor Allen Leech told Bowen. "Because after the tragedy of what happened last year, the family have tried to embrace him, give him some purpose within the house." Downstairs, the Downton kitchen is slowly giving way to electronics. "There's a mixer. And she's horrified," actress Lesley Nicol said. "She's always been scared of that stuff."

And forget about Youtube cat videos. The New York Times' Natalia Osipova has the story of Walter Chandoha, a man who's mastered the art of cat and dog photography for over 60 years. "What is it that makes one animal picture outstanding, it is expression; let's say surprise, suspicion, wisdom, glee, and happiness," he tells Osipova. "One of the reasons why I like animal photography is that their appeal is universal."

MetroFocus Series Overview: MetroFocus is an award-winning multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. The MetroFocus television program features interviews, in-depth reporting, content from many partners and solutions-oriented reports from the community. Major areas of coverage include sustainability, education, Science and technology, the environment, transportation, poverty and underserved communities. MetroFocus.orgamplifies that reporting with daily updates and original stories that also cover culture, government and politics, the economy, urban development and other news in the metropolitan region. More information at: thirteen.org/metrofocus/about-us-faq/

MetroFocus is a production of WLIW21 in association with WNET, parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21. For 50 years, THIRTEEN has been making the most of the rich resources and passionate people of New York and the world, reaching millions of people with on-air and online programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of Science and nature, and invites students of all ages to have fun while learning.

Website: thirteen.org/MetroFocus (full episode available to view after 1/22 broadcast)

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Twitter: @MetroFocus

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