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On 2/3/2022 at 10:53 PM, Hyacinth B said:

DanaK, a belated Thank You for the regular updates, it looks like a fascinating month.

You're welcome

Highlights for March (check your local listings):

Rick Steves: Why We Travel, March 1

Expedition: Unpacked with Steve Backshall, 4 part series, premiering March 16. Details the behind the scenes stuff that happened during the first season of Expedition with Steve Backshall

Frontline: Pelosi's Power, March 22. About House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; The Plot to Overturn the Election, March 29

Great Performances: The Conductor, March 25. The first woman to conduct a major symphony

Independent Lens: Writing with Fire, March 28. India's only all-female news network

Not a lot of new stuff going on. It looks like it's pledge month again at the 2 stations I watch regularly (WETA and MPT in DC and Baltimore)

ETA: Also, something interesting related to the upcoming Ben Franklin doc by Ken Burns is "Benjamin Franklin and American Diplomat: A Ken Burns Public Dialogue Initiative at Georgetown University" to be broadcast by WETA (DC station) on March 26. I don't know if other stations will be playing it, but check to make sure

 

Edited by DanaK
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8 hours ago, DanaK said:

Great Performances: The Conductor, March 25. The first woman to conduct a major symphony

 

Not a lot of new stuff going on. It looks like it's pledge month again at the 2 stations I watch regularly (WETA and MPT in DC and Baltimore)

Looking forward to The Conductor, all about Main Alsop, conductor of the Baltimore Symphony.  She's often a guest on Morning Edition Saturday (NPR).  She and Scott Simon have a great radio chemistry.  I hope she keeps coming on, even though she's retired.

 

And really, @DanaK, WETA and MPT (and WHUT, to a lesser extent) are in pledge drive mode 3 weeks out of every month - or at least it seems like they are.  I know they need the support, but good grief, it's so frustrating.

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FYI, the "Rise of the Nazis" doc series has gotten a second season. "Rise of the Nazis: Dictators at War" (3 episodes) will be shown on Tuesdays at 9pm from April 12 to April 26. Check your local listings of course

Also in April, the documentary "The Trick", about the 2009 Climategate scandal that turned out to be bogus. Premieres April 22

 

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Highlights for April:

The Man Who Destroyed Oscar Wilde, April 2

"Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine", concludes April 3 (check your local listings as this 2 parter started at the end of March on my local PBS stations)

"Princess Diana: Who Do You Think She Was?", April 3

"Benjamin Franklin", 2 parter, April 4 & 5, by Ken Burns

Nature: "Hippo King", April 6; "American Arctic, April 13; "Portugal: Wild Land on the Edge", April 27

Nova: "Determined: Fighting Alzheimer's, April 6

"Great Performances: Now Hear This, Season 3", 4 episodes, premieres April 8

"Chamber Music Society Returns" (returns to performing from the pandemic), 2 parts, premieres April 8

"Rise of the Nazis, Season 2: Dictators At War", 3 episodes, premieres April 12

"POV: On the Divide", follows 3 Latino people on the border, April 18

"Changing Planet", April 20

"Independent Lens: Aware: Glimpse of Consciousness", April 25

Scripted:
"The Trick", British fictional movie about the climategate scandal, April 22

Check your local listings of course

 

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PBS announces new programming in honor of Earth Day and into Fall, for TV and digital https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-announces-new-programming-in-honor-of-earth-month-2022/

Already mentioned for April: Changing Planet, scripted The Trick and Nature: American Arctic

Highlights include:

Frontline's 3 part "The Power of Big Oil", starting April 19

Planet California, about California's biodiversity, 2 episode doc series, premiering June 22

American Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston, 6 episode doc series, about the diverse regions of the US, premiering July 5

The Green Planet, British 5 episode doc series hosted by Sir David Attenborough on plants. Premiering July 6

Rivers of Life (I believe Season 2), 3 episode doc series. Premieres September 28

The Pride, doc on Kenya's March pride of lions. Premieres September 14

Edited by DanaK
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Highlights for May:

Masterpiece: Ridley Road, 4 episodes (scripted series), premieres May1

Independent Lens: "Try Harder!" (students trying to get into college), May 2; "When Claude Got Shot" (looking closer at Black on Black crime), May 9; "Scenes of the Glittering World" (follows 3 indigenous students), May 16; "A Once and Future Peace" (restorative justice program), May 23

American Experience: "Flood in the Desert" (St. Francis Dam Disaster), May 3; "Plague at the Golden Gate" (anti-Asian sentiment following 1900 plague outbreak), May 24

Frontline: part 3 of "The Power of Big Oil", May 3; "Police on Trial" (reckoning with George Floyd's murder), May 31

"Living with Hitler - parts 2 and 3, May 7 and 14

American Masters: "Waterman: Duke: The Spirit of Aloha" (about surfer Duke Kahanamoku), May 10

Nova: "Dinosaur Apocalypse" (looks more closely at the day the dinosaurs died), 2 episodes back to back, narrated by David Attenborough, May 11; "Why Ships Crash", May 18; "Ice Age Footprints", May 25

"Lucy Worsley Investigates" (4 episodes, 2 this month, 2 in the Fall), May 15 (The Princes in the Tower) and May 22 (Madness of King George)

"Colombia: Wild and Free", 2 parts, premieres May 18

Great Performances: "Keeping Company with Sondheim" (legacy of musical), May 27

"Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March" (about rising anti-Asian hatred), May 31

Check your local listings of course

 

Edited by DanaK
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On 4/28/2022 at 3:56 PM, proserpina65 said:

I have to say I'm not really impressed with a lot of the selections for May.  I am looking forward to the special about Duke Kahanamoku, though.

I think there’s quite a few good things, which is nice given how sparse things have been because of the pandemic. I’m most looking forward to Nova’s Dinosaur Apocalypse

On 5/6/2022 at 10:00 PM, DanaK said:

I think there’s quite a few good things, which is nice given how sparse things have been because of the pandemic. I’m most looking forward to Nova’s Dinosaur Apocalypse

We all have different interests.  The dinosaur one was the only other thing which I might've watched.

17 hours ago, DanaK said:

I can see I'm not going to be spending any time watching POV next season.  Not saying that they shouldn't show the listed programs, just that they don't pique my interest.

Highlights for June:

American Masters: Joe Papp in Five Acts, June 3; Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, June 14

The Doo Wop Project - history of Doo Wop, June 11

Hotel Portofino - scripted British series, 6 episodes, premieres June 19

Planet California - California's amazing biodiversity, 2 parts, premieres June 22

Queer Silicon Valley - history of LGBTQ+ in Silicon Valley, June 23

The Great American Recipe - cooking competition, 8 episodes, premieres June 24

American Anthems - 6 episodes, premieres June 24

Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness - executive produced by Ken Burns, 2 episodes, premieres June 27

As usual, check your local listings

 

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Highlights for July:

The Great American Recipe, cooking competition, 8 episodes, continues through July

American Anthems, 6 episodes (30 minutes), continues into July, finishing July 29

A Capital Fourth, concert special, July 4

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston, 6 part doc series, explores regions of the US and and how they shape us, premieres July 5

The Great Muslim American Road Trip, 3 part doc series, Muslim American couple explores what it means to be Muslim in America, premieres July 5

The Green Planet, 5 part doc series with David Attenborough, about the life of plants, premieres July 6

Expedition with Steve Bachshall, Season 2, 6 part doc series, expedition adventures, premieres July 6

COBRA, Season 2: Cyberwar, 6 part British scripted series, premieres July 10

POV: Wuhan, Wuhan, early days of the Covid pandemic in China, premieres July 11; Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust, 3 groups form an unexpected alliance to deal with water issues, premieres July 18; Winter's Yearning, community in Greenland grapples with upcoming aluminum plant, premieres July 25

Nova: Ultimate Space Telescope, about the James Webb Space Telescope, premieres July 13

For those who get the Washington DC station WETA or your station might otherwise show it, the doc Go-Go City: Displacement and Protest in Washington, DC, is about gentrification threatening a unique music scene, premieres July 25

Frontline: Facing Eviction, grappling with the nation's affordable housing crisis, premieres July 26

As usual, check your local listings

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Note that TV Critics will be having their Summer session with networks over the next few weeks, though most will be virtual. PBS will be having theirs (virtually) for a couple of days next week (Th and Fri I think)

Highlights for August (check your local listings):
POV: "He's My Brother" (family grapples with child w/multiple disabilities), August 1; "President" (the power struggle in Zimbabwe), August 8; "Faya Dayi" (Ethiopian stimulant crop and people harvesting it), premieres August 29

America Outdoors continues with its final 2 episodes, August 2 and 9

The Green Planet has its final episode on August 3

Expedition with Steve Bachshall continues with its final 2 episodes, August 3 and 10

The Great American Recipe continues with its final 2 episodes, August 5 and 12

The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, which I think is a doc series vs scripted, with 3 episodes on Anne Boleyn's troubled family, premieres August 28

Masterpiece: Guilt, Season 2 (scripted; 4 episodes), premieres August 28

We watched the program re: Jackie Kennedy last night. She really was an outstanding First Lady, impressing officials & citizens wherever she traveled. And renovating/restoring the White House...what a dismal place that was when she moved in. Also...her clothes. You could wear her clothes today and still look fashionable (wish I could find some!) And thanks to Jackie, we still have Grand Central ❤️

(edited)

Regarding the PBS press tour and what they will talk about during their various sessions as indicated above, PBS announced other upcoming programming in various press releases:

American Experience will do an episode on author Zora Neale Hurston that will premiere in early 2023 https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-and-american-experience-announce-zora-neale-hurston/

American Masters will do an episode on singer Roberta Flack that will premiere January 24, 2023 https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/american-masters-presents-broadcast-premiere-of-roberta-flack-january-24-on-pbs/

They will also do an episode on Dr. Anthony Fauci that will premiere in Spring 2023 https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/american-masters-tony-a-year-in-the-life-of-dr-anthony-fauci/

PBS has announced they are in production for the second season of Native America, to premiere in 2023 https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-announces-production-for-season-2-of-native-america-to-premiere-in-2023/

PBS announced the 3 part documentary series (and a digital series as well) Southern Storytellers, set to premiere in Summer 2023 https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-announces-southern-storytellers/

The following link talks about all 11 new announcements, including digital segments and kids shows https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2022/07/27/tca-pbs-announcements-daniel-tigers-neighborhood-season-6/

Also to note, PBS chief Paula Kerger is talking to the critics in her executive session and has indicated they are bullish on a second season for the Great American Recipe and hope to make a decision soon about renewal

Edited by DanaK
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More announcements from PBS:

Nova will have a sequel to its "Ultimate Space Telescope" doc (about the James Webb Telescope) in 2023 https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/nova-continues-to-follow-the-ultimate-space-telescope-in-special-set-to-premiere-in-2023-on-pbs/

All Creatures Great and Small Season 3 premieres January 8, 2023 at 9pm ET and there will be a Christmas episode

Miss Scarlet and the Duke was renewed for a 3rd season, which premieres January 8, 2023, while Season 2 premieres October 16 2022

Mrs. Churchill, a 5 part series on Winston's wife, is being developed

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Highlights for September:

"The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family". Anne Boleyn's family. Part 2 (and possibly Pt 1 in some areas) & 3, Sep 4 & 11

POV: "Love & Stuff", what do we leave our families?, Sep 5; "Delikado", Filipinos trying to defend a rain forest, Sep 26

Frontline: "Lies, Politics & Democracy", Sep 6

Scripted series "Masterpiece: Guilt" concludes on Sep 11

Independent Lens: "Hazing", Sep 12

"Facing Suicide", stories of those impacted by suicide, Sep 13

"Lion: The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride", about Kenya's famous pride of lions. Sep 14

"The US and the Holocaust": a 3 part documentary series shown over 3 consecutive nights from Ken Burns, explores America's response to the Holocaust, examining the US's role before, during and after the tragic event. Co-produced by Washington DC station WETA. September 18-20

Nova: "Ending HIV in America", Sep 21; "Saving Venice", Sep 28

"Lucy Worsley Investigates, Season 1: The Black Death", Sep 25

ETA: "Rivers of Life, Season 2", 3 episode doc series, premieres Sep 28

Of course, check your local listings

Edited by DanaK
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On 9/5/2022 at 9:13 AM, SmithW6079 said:

I've been enjoying "The Boleyns," but Tudor history is one of my favorite periods in history. I do wonder about the accuracy of the costumes. I'm not well-versed in clothing of that period.

I'm one of those who don't care for Lucy Worsley. I find her difficult to listen to.

I haven't seen "The Boleyns" series yet but I'm recording it. Not sure when I'll get to it

The PBS station WNET that produces PBS's Nature series put out a press release that details the episodes for the 41st season. Sounds like some good stuff coming up https://www.thirteen.org/13pressroom/press-release/nature-returns-for-41st-season-with-stories-of-conservation-and-climate-change-wednesdays-at-8-p-m-beginning-october-19-on-pbs/

A programming FYI for September. If you were planning on watching certain shows and missed them, it's likely due to the preemption of regular programming to show the UK Queen's funeral and programming getting shifted around as a result, especially "The US and the Holocaust". Look for the programming you missed to repeat in the early or late hours of the days following. This especially affected the Holocaust 3-parter and the Wednesday science programs, like Season 2 of "Rivers of Life" and Nova's "Ending HIV in America". The January 6 Committee hearings will resume this coming Wednesday, September 28 at 1pm ET. If your PBS channel repeats the hearing in the evening like one of mine will do, then look for repeats of the "Rivers of Life" 2nd episode and Nova's "Saving Venice" in the early morning hours of the next day and hopefully more repeats over the next few days. Depending on your station, it looks like Nova's preempted "Ending HIV in America" will be shown on October 5. It's not clear when Nova's "Rebuilding Notre Dame" will be shown

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Programming highlights for October (barring preemptions):

"Lucy Worsley Investigates" will end its first season with "The Witch Hunts" on Oct 2

POV: "The Last Out" (about Cuban baseball players' harrowing journey to the US), Oct 3; "Accepted" (abt controversial prep school), Oct 10; "An Act of Worship" (looks at the diverse range of American Muslims), Oct 17

Dr. Henry Louis Gates' 4-part series "Making Black America: Through the Grapevine", about Black America's social networks, premieres October 4 and continues Oct 11, 18 and 25

"Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom" (doc on former slave turned freedom fighter who conducted the Underground Railroad), Oct 4

"Rivers of Life" season 2 continues with episode 2 about the Danube on Oct 5 and the Yukon October 12

Nova: "Ending HIV in America" is rescheduled for October 5; "Computer vs Crime" (Is AI making policing fairer or increasing bias?), Oct 12; "Can Psychedelics Cure?", Oct 19; "Ocean Invaders" (looks at invasive lungfish), Oct 26

"PBS Newshour: Ricochet: An American Trauma" (the US's gun violence crisis), Oct 5

Secrets of the Dead (new season): "Archeology at Althorp (excavating millennial old Anglo-Saxon village), Oct 9 (special Sunday premiere and repeated Wed Oct 12); "Last Days of Pompeii", Oct 19; "The End of the Romans" (clues to the collapse of the Roman Empire), Oct 26

"Becoming Fredrick Douglass" (doc on former slave who became a prominent statesman and speaker and worked to end slavery), Oct 11

"Next at the Kennedy Center" is a multi-season exploration of cultural changemakers in the arts. The first season is 5 episodes spread throughout this TV season. The first episode celebrates late composer and musician Charles Mingus with "Let My Children Hear Mingus" on October 14

Scripted Masterpiece series "Magpie Murders" and "Annika", each composed of 6 episodes, premiere Oct 16 back-to-back

Frontline: "Michael Flynn's Holy War" (how General Flynn became a leading conspiracy theorist"), Oct 18; "Putin's Attack on Ukraine: Documenting War Crimes", Oct 25

Nature (new season): "Running with the Beest" (East Africa's annual wildebeest migration), Oct 19; "Canada: Surviving the Wild North", Oct 26

Independent Lens: "TikTok, Boom" (about the controversial app), Oct 24

As usual, please check your local listings for exact dates and times

Edited by DanaK
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On 9/5/2022 at 9:13 AM, SmithW6079 said:

I've been enjoying "The Boleyns," but Tudor history is one of my favorite periods in history. I do wonder about the accuracy of the costumes. I'm not well-versed in clothing of that period.

I'm one of those who don't care for Lucy Worsley. I find her difficult to listen to.

I liked the Boleyns Anne's only crime was not having a son. I hope her father regetted choosing politics over his children.

Highlights for Nov:

Frontline: "Putin's War at Home", Nov 1

Nature: "Woodpeckers: The Hole Story", Nov 2; "American Ocelot", Nov 9

Nova: "Nazca Desert Mystery" (abt Peru's mysterious Nazca lines), Nov 2; "Crypto Decoded" (explaining crypto), Nov 9; "Zero to Infinity" (abt key math concepts), Nov 16

Secrets of the Dead: "Decoding Hieroglyphics" (how ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics were translated", Nov 2; "Hidden in the Amazon" (early indigenous societies of the Amazon), Nov 9

Independent Lens: "Move Me" (dancer adapts to life of disability), Nov 7

American Experience: "Taken Hostage" (abt 1979 Iranian hostage crisis), Part 1: Nov 14, 9-11pm ET, Part 2: Nov 15, 9-11pm ET

Next at the Kennedy Center: Season 1, Episode 2: "A Joni Mitchell Songbook", Nov 18

POV: "Midwives" (makeshift medical clinic in Myanmar), Nov 21

American Masters: "Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On", Nov 22

“Tutankhamun: Allies & Enemies”, 2 part doc on the life and legacy of the Egyptian pharaoh, both parts Nov 23

There's also POV Shorts' new season starting this month as described in the post above

The Masterpiece scripted series Magpie Murders and Annika have their season finales on Nov 20

Check your local listings of course

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As previously noted, Judy Woodruff will step down as PBS Newshour anchor to focus on election topics. Deadline is reporting that Judy will step down on December 30 and begin a 2 year project reporting on American political divisions and will be called "Judy Woodruff Presents: America At a Crossroads"

https://deadline.com/2022/11/judy-woodruff-steps-down-pbs-newshour-1235169993/

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Speaking of Masterpiece, they have released a preview of their upcoming slate for Winter  http://www.thefutoncritic.com/video/2022/11/21/video-masterpiece-winter-spring-2023-preview-258111/20221121pbs01/

It includes the schedule for Scarlet and the Duke Season 3 and Season 3 of All Creatures Great and Small. Tom Jones Season 1 and Sanditon Season 3 will premiere in the Spring

Edited by DanaK
On 11/21/2022 at 8:36 PM, DanaK said:

Speaking of Masterpiece, they have released a preview of their upcoming slate for Winter  http://www.thefutoncritic.com/video/2022/11/21/video-masterpiece-winter-spring-2023-preview-258111/20221121pbs01/

It includes the schedule for Scarlet and the Duke Season 3 and Season 3 of All Creatures Great and Small. Tom Jones Season 1 and Sanditon Season 3 will premiere in the Spring

Might check out Tom Jones, but otherwise, ugh.

Highlights for December:

"Musician's Green Book: An Enduring Legacy" - Dec 4, about the musicians who relied on the traveler's book to navigate racial segregation

Frontline: "Crime Scene Bucha", Dec 6

American Masters: "The Adventures of Saul Bellows", Dec 12, about author; "Groucho & Cavett", Dec 27, about the friendship between Groucho Marx and Dick Cavett

POV: "Let the Little Light Shine", Dec 12, Black-oriented elementary school in Chicago fights closure

"In a Different Key" - Dec 13, about autism and the fight to belong

"The Earthshot Prize 2022" - Dec 14, special, awards ceremony from Britain on those working on environmental challenges

Nova: "Rebuilding Notre Dame", Dec 14 (rescheduled after preemption)

"The Letter: A Message for Our Earth", Dec 21, letter from Pope Francis calling on us to care for the planet

"Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas"; Dec 24, from Britain, British chef puts together the ultimate Christmas feast

As usual, check your local listings as there is Christmas programming I haven't mentioned and lots of repeats and marathons, plus programs mentioned above could be shown on different days by local stations

Edited by DanaK
Correction on POV title
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