Washington in the 2000s
When a Baby Panda at the National Zoo Captured DC Hearts
Clip | 2m 31sVideo has Closed Captions
Witness the heartwarming arrival of a baby panda to the National Zoo.
Witness the heartwarming arrival of a baby panda to the National Zoo in Washington, DC in 2005, capturing the city's attention and uniting its residents in awe and adoration. As Chef José Andrés explains, the excitement in Washington, DC was palpable when the adorable cub, initially known as Butterstick, was born. But an online competition to choose the Panda's name became heated.
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Washington in the 2000s is a local public television program presented by WETA
Washington in the 2000s
When a Baby Panda at the National Zoo Captured DC Hearts
Clip | 2m 31sVideo has Closed Captions
Witness the heartwarming arrival of a baby panda to the National Zoo in Washington, DC in 2005, capturing the city's attention and uniting its residents in awe and adoration. As Chef José Andrés explains, the excitement in Washington, DC was palpable when the adorable cub, initially known as Butterstick, was born. But an online competition to choose the Panda's name became heated.
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(grunts) MAN: Shh.
WOMAN: His first words.
NARRATOR: In 2005, Washington welcomed a newcomer to town.
ROXANNE: Understand how important it was to the zoo after all these years, after all the breeding fails.
JOSE: The panda was a very big thing, a huge thing.
It's been part of the DNA of Washington.
ROXANNE: There are certain moments where everybody in Washington can come together.
It was kind of like we finally got a baby panda, and look how unbelievably cute he was.
DAN: You don't even have to have kids to feel that way.
You could find the most grizzled, cynical person and show them a picture of the baby panda, and they're like, "Oh, that's pretty cute."
NARRATOR: While zookeepers kept watch over the new panda, attention turned to the cub's name.
ROXANNE: The official naming of a panda doesn't happen for 100 days, so D.C. decided that while we were waiting, we would pick the name that we liked, and the name we liked was Butterstick.
AMANDA: When the new baby was born, they said he's about the size of a stick of butter, and so my friends Catherine and Tommy named him Butterstick and put up a "DCist" post about it, and it took off like wildfire.
ROXANNE: It was a dumb name, and it was also really cute.
AMANDA: We had, like, Butterstick happy hours, where everyone wore black and white and yellow.
ANDREA: You had bloggers who didn't think the panda should be named anything but Butterstick, but that's not the way it works.
NARRATOR: The zoo let the public weigh in on the new name.
ANDREA: It got so serious that the bloggers who wanted Butterstick even tried to hack the poll numbers.
AMANDA: We may have rigged the poll with some very minor hacking.
NARRATOR: After 100 days, the zoo announced the winner.
MAN: Tai Shan!
ANDREA: The name means peaceful mountain, so how about that?
After a tumultuous year, another thing we could smile about.
NARRATOR: For more clips, and to watch the full program visit weta.org/decades
When 'Snowpocalypse' and 'Snowmageddon' Rocked DC
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 55s | Snowpocalypse and Snowmageddon blanketed the D.C. region with over three feet of snow. (1m 55s)
When DC Became a Fine Dining Capital Courtesy of José Andrés
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 57s | Chef José Andrés helped turn Washington into a dynamic food town. (1m 57s)
Now PlayingWhen a Baby Panda at the National Zoo Captured DC Hearts
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 31s | Witness the heartwarming arrival of a baby panda to the National Zoo. (2m 31s)
The Party Animals and Borf Leave Their Mark on DC Streets
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 2s | In the 2000s, political statues and graffiti by Borf left their mark on D.C. streets. (2m 2s)
Mayor Tony Williams Survives a Scandal and Gentrifies D.C.
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 3m 7s | In 2004, DC Mayor Tony Williams' re-election campaign hit a snag. (3m 7s)
Preview: Washington in the 2000s
Preview: Special | 30s | WETA revisits the people and events that shaped Washington in the new millennium. (30s)
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Washington in the 2000s is a local public television program presented by WETA