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PBS has unveiled its fall slate, which includes new dramas and murder mysteries from MASTERPIECE, an examination of the relationship between one of the most famous detectives who never lived and the author that created him in LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS DOYLE, Sara Bareilles in GREAT PERFORMANCES “Waitress: The Musical,” nature and science programs, including a captivating look at the day-to-night lives of big cats in Botswana’s Okavango Delta in BIG CATS 24/7, a documentary about the life and work of LEONARDO DA VINCI, the newest addition to the Ken Burns collection, and more PBS favorites.
The full PBS Primetime schedule is listed below.
NEW PBS PRIMETIME PREMIERES
*Please Check Local Listings*
SEPTEMBER 2024
POV “Name Me Lawand”
Premieres: Monday, September 9, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Lawand, deaf from birth, seeks a fresh start with his family in the U.K. after a traumatic year in a refugee camp. At Derby’s Royal School for the Deaf, he learns sign language and discovers a way to communicate with the world. As he thrives, his family faces deportation, challenging their stability. “Name Me Lawand” is a love letter to the power of friendship and community.
PBS NEWS SPECIAL: ABC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SIMULCAST (w.t.)
Premieres: Tuesday, September 10 on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
PBS News will simulcast the ABC presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump on Tuesday, September 10 on PBS stations (check local listings) and stream on PBS News Hour’s website (pbs.org/newshour) and social platforms. Special coverage will be co-anchored by Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz and will include reporting from the News Hour team and analysis from various guests.
RIDLEY (Season 2)
Premieres: Sunday, September 15, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
In the heart-racing second season, retired detective-turned-police consultant Alex Ridley (Adrian Dunbar “Inside No. 9,” “Line of Duty”) is set to rejoin forces with his former protégée, D.I. Carol Farman, portrayed by Bronagh Waugh (“The Suspect,” “Unforgotten,” “The Fall”), who is now at the helm of investigations. Ridley returns to investigating crimes, which will take him from the atmospheric moors, investigating a historic murder, to the pulsating beats of an illegal rave. Ridley must face formidable challenges as he works tirelessly to solve the most intricate and perplexing cases.
MOONFLOWER MURDERS ON MASTERPIECE
New Series Premieres: Sunday, September 15, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville, “The Crown”) has left publishing and is living in Crete with her long-time boyfriend, Andreas. But her idyll is disturbed by the shadow of a murder committed at a British country hotel eight years ago. Alan Conway visited the hotel and wrote a novel based on what happened there. Cecily Treherne, the young woman who helps run the hotel, read the book and believed the wrong man had been arrested. Now she has disappeared. Can Susan uncover the secret hidden in the book and find Cecily before it is too late? MOONFLOWER MURDERS ON MASTERPIECE is based on the bestselling novel by Anthony Horowitz.
Press Release
VAN DER VALK ON MASTERPIECE (Season 4)
New Season Premieres: Sunday, September 15, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Van der Valk (Marc Warren, “The Good Wife,” “Beecham House”) and his team return to investigate new crimes in Amsterdam. In addition to solving murder cases, Van der Valk must deal with an unwelcome past romance resurfacing and find a way to make one of his beloved team members confront their own mortality.
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW (Season 28)
New Episodes Starting Monday, September 16, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW continues Season 28, kicking off September 16 with the start of all-new fan-favorite Vintage episodes. ROADSHOW looks back at memorable objects from 15 years ago to discover what they are worth today and how the market and their value has changed. In October, ROADSHOW celebrates some of the most compelling objects found across seasons from and related to Indigenous Peoples of the United States in the Celebrating Native American Heritage special. November brings the third installment of ROADSHOW’s Extraordinary Finds specials which follow the stories of what happened to items that appeared on the show after cameras left town!
AMERICAN MASTERS and VOCES “Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined”
Premieres: Tuesday, September 17, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Explore the life and career of Julia Alvarez, one of the most influential Latina writers of her generation. Since bursting onto the American literary scene in 1991 with her autobiographical novel, “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents,” the widely acclaimed book that sold 250,000 copies, followed by “In the Time of the Butterflies” (1994), which raised global awareness about three sisters assassinated by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, Alvarez has blazed a trail for Latina authors to break into the literary mainstream. One of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful writers, Alvarez’s work spans multiple genres and audiences, including three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, 11 books for children and young adults, and seven literary novels.
Press Release
BIG CATS 24/7
Premieres: Wednesday, September 18, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
In this six-part series, a team of local and international wildlife filmmakers uses the latest technology to follow a group of African big cats in Botswana’s awe-inspiring Okavango Delta, day and night for six months, revealing their lives like never before.
Press Release
CROSSROADS: A CONVERSATION WITH AMERICA
Premieres: Monday, September 23, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
PBS News presents CROSSROADS: A CONVERSATION WITH AMERICA, moderated by senior correspondent Judy Woodruff. In a one hour “town hall” style setting in the battleground state of Wisconsin, the primetime special will explore the issues at the heart of our divisions, the values that bind us together, regardless of party or politics, and ideas for restoring a measure of civility to the public square. The program will be produced in partnership with Milwaukee PBS.
POV “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?”
Premieres: Monday, September 23, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
At 21, he was a leader of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution. By 23, he became Hong Kong’s youngest elected lawmaker. At 26, he was Most Wanted under the National Security Law. “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?” offers a close look at the city’s most famous dissident to uncover what happens to freedom when an authoritarian power goes unchecked.
Press Release
FRONTLINE “The Choice”
Premieres: Tuesday, September 24, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
FRONTLINE’s critically acclaimed series “The Choice” returns with interwoven investigations of the two presidential candidates.
VOCES “American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos”
Premieres: Friday, September 27, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Actor and playwright John Leguizamo’s work preparing for his 2018 Broadway show, “Latin History for Morons,” produced an obsession with reading and researching the history of the Americas. His frustration over the whitewashing of American history, coupled with his nature as a curious student of the world, resulted in “American Historia.” In this three-part series, Leguizamo travels throughout Mexico and the U.S. to shed light on both the known and lesser-known Latino stories.
Press Release
37TH HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS
Premieres: Friday, September 27, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Celebrate the recipients of the 37TH HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS. The evening commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month includes performances and appearances by some of the country’s most celebrated Hispanic artists and visionaries, including Designer Carolina Herrera, Beautyblender Creator Rea Ann Silva, and NBA Legend Carmelo Anthony.
INDEPENDENT LENS “One Person, One Vote?”
Premieres: Monday, September 30, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
At a time when many Americans question democratic institutions, “One Person, One Vote?” unveils the complexities of the Electoral College while following four presidential electors in the 2020 election.
Press Release
OCTOBER 2024
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “The American Vice President”
Premieres: Monday, October 1, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
What happens when the president is unable to serve due to death or incapacity? This film explores the fraught period between 1963 and 1976, when a grief-stricken, then scandal-stricken America was forced to confront the purpose of the vice president and the succession process through the evolution of the 25th Amendment.
NOVA “The Solar System: Storm Worlds”
Premieres: Wednesday, October 2, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Across the solar system, wild storms are raging. From globe-spanning dust storms to monsoons of liquid methane, to monstrous storms with lightning bolts ten times more energetic than anything on Earth – our solar system is full of weird and wonderful weather. Explore the forces that create the truly awesome and extreme conditions found on our neighboring planets and moons.
VOCES “Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends”
Premieres: Friday, October 4, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
The Mambo Legends Orchestra is committed to keeping the sounds of the great Afro Cuban bandleaders Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodriguez alive for future generations. Comprised of several former members of these legendary orchestras, The Mambo Legends provide a link to the golden era of music in New York in the early 1940s, when the Machito Orchestra fused the big-band sound of popular music with the rhythms of Africa, Cuba, and Puerto Rico to create an enduring musical genre beloved around the world.
POV “In the Rearview”
Premieres: Monday, October 7, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
In a volunteer aid van occupied by multiple generations of civilians, an authentic, intimate observation of the war in Ukraine unfolds. Each passenger is unique in age, origin, and circumstance, but alike in where they find themselves – huddled together in a cramped back seat. Bound for Poland, the vehicle operates as shelter, waiting room, hospital, and confessional.
CITIZEN NATION
Premieres: Tuesday, October 8, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
This four-part documentary series is an inspiring coming-of-age story that follows teenagers from across America as they face off in the nation’s premier civics competition. Culminating in a championship showdown in the nation’s capital, high school students with diverse personal and political backgrounds grapple with critical questions about democracy. Watch the future unfold on CITIZEN NATION as a new generation discovers what it means to show up, be civil and tackle the big issues straight on.
Press Release
NOVA “The Solar System: Strange Worlds”
Premieres: Wednesday, October 9, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
There’s no other way to describe it: Some worlds in our solar system just look strange. But these worlds, misshapen in the weirdest ways, offer clues to understanding how a fundamental force of nature – gravity – works to shape our solar system. From a dwarf planet that looks like a deflated football, to a tiny moon with cliffs taller than Mt. Everest, to the spectacular rings of Saturn, discover how the effects of gravity produce the amazing variety of bizarre worlds in our solar system.
NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER “Snarky Puppy: The Family We Make”
Premieres: Friday, October 11, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Snarky Puppy, the acclaimed Grammy Award-winning band, brings their genre breaking sound to a sold-out show at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. When one of the main guest artists, Afro-Peruvian icon Susana Baca, falls ill the band quickly come up with a new plan to transform the concert into a loving tribute to her music and influence. Joined on stage by stars from several Spanish-speaking countries: Silvana Estrada (Mexico), Gaby Moreno (Guatemala), Silvia Pérez Cruz (Spain), and Fuensanta (Mexico) – they perform a special “Family Dinner”-style concert playing their own songs along with Susana’s.
POV “Twice Colonized”
Premieres: Monday, October 14, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Aaju Peter is a renowned Inuit lawyer and activist who defends the human rights of Indigenous peoples. She’s a fierce protector of her ancestral lands in the Arctic and works to bring her colonizers to justice. As Aaju launches an inspiring effort to establish an Indigenous forum, she also embarks upon a deeply personal journey to mend her own wounds, including the unexpected passing of her son.
NOVA “The Solar System: Volcano Worlds”
Premieres: Wednesday, October 16, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
All around our solar system, volcanoes are powerful shapers of worlds. Next door on Mars is Olympus Mons, a giant volcanic mountain more than twice the size of Mt. Everest. And closer to the Sun, thousands of volcanoes produce the toxic atmosphere that keeps Venus boiling. Then there’s Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active world in the entire solar system, and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, where clues in its watery eruptions hint at the possibility of life. Discover the explosive forces that molded each of these worlds – and what makes the volcanoes right here on Earth so special.
NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER “Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet: Deep River” (w.t.)
Premieres: Friday, October 18, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Alonzo King LINES Ballet performs the elegant piece “Deep River” in collaboration with Grammy Award®–winning vocalist Lisa Fischer and Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran. Founder and choreographer Alonzo King invites audiences to look at human beings as the pinnacle of creation in this deeply soulful work. The San-Francisco-based, celebrated contemporary dance company is recognized for its impeccable technique, captivating dancers, and rich visual works that challenge the way we look at ballet.
POV “Tokyo Uber Blues”
Premieres: Monday, October 21, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Shot with a mix of smartphones and GoPros from a first-person perspective, filmmaker Taku Aoyagi takes us on his daily bike rides as an Uber Eats worker. But pedaling on Tokyo’s deserted streets, delivering boba tea to cloistered condos, he starts wondering, “What was it that Ken Loach said about the Uberization of society?” “And what does gig-work offer an unemployed person with student debt?”
VOCES LATINO VOTE 2024
Premieres: Tuesday, October 22, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
VOCES LATINO VOTE 2024 is a one-hour documentary and six digital shorts that examine a range of election related issues that matter most to the politically diverse Latino community in battleground states (Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin and Arizona) and states with large Latino populations (California and Florida). The program will also examine the role that Latino evangelical pastors are playing in shaping community perspectives and the role that Spanish-language media will play in the 2024 election.
Press Release
NATURE “Silverback”
Premieres: Wednesday, October 23, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
An observational documentary following cinematographer, Vianet Djenguet (NATURE “My Congo”), as he fulfills his lifelong dream to embed himself within a wild gorilla troop. Follow D’jenguet as he joins the park rangers of Kahuzi-Bienga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With less than 5,000 gorillas left in the wild, the goal is to create vital income from tourism by habituating a family of 23 gorillas, led by Mpungwe, so tourists can safely observe them in the forest. The habituation process has never been filmed before, and it is dangerous and unpredictable as the silverback’s role is to protect its family from perceived threats.
NOVA “The Solar System: Icy Worlds”
Premieres: Wednesday, October 23, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Ice might seem familiar to us on Earth, but out in the solar system, it can get quite exotic. From Uranus’s ultra hot superionic ice to glaciers of nitrogen ice on Pluto, to carbon dioxide snow on Mars, ice is a fundamental building block throughout our cosmic neighborhood. Visit some of the strange, frozen worlds of our solar system to discover why the ice here on Earth is so special – and why we wouldn’t be here without it.
GREAT PERFORMANCES “Émigré”
Premieres: Friday, October 25, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Enjoy this semi-staged oratorio, featuring the New York Philharmonic and an international cast telling the story of Jewish refugees during World War II. Following Kristallnacht in 1938, two brothers are sent halfway around the world to Shanghai to escape the threat of Nazis. Otto cherishes his heritage, while Josef seeks a new path, and falls in love with Lina, a Chinese woman recovering from the loss of her mother in the Nanjing Massacre. A sweeping tale of love and loss, “Émigré” is set to music by film and concert composer Aaron Zigman with lyrics by Grammy-winning librettist Mark Campbell and additional lyrics by Brock Walsh. Long Yu conducts this New York Philharmonic co-commission with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.
THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB ON MASTERPIECE
New Series Premieres: Sunday, October 27, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Retired archaeologist Judith (Samantha Bond, “Downton Abbey”), vicar’s wife Becks and local dog-walker Suzie, forge an unlikely friendship as amateur sleuths as they race against time to stop a serial killer in their town. Based on the bestselling novel by Robert Thorogood.
VOCES “Battleground Texas” (w.t.)
Premieres: Monday, October 28, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
On the eve of the 2024 presidential election, acclaimed filmmaker Hector Galán takes viewers inside the largest Latino voter registration mobilization in Texas history, led by a new generation on the frontlines of one of the most crucial battleground states that neither political party can ignore.
NATURE “Dracula’s Hidden Kingdom”
Premieres: Wednesday, October 30, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Discover Transylvania, a region in central Romania that most people have heard of, but few can place on a map. It is a land of mystery and mythology and home to some of the biggest wolf packs in the world who roam across seemingly endless untouched mountain ranges. A sanctuary to vast ancient forests, the land has never seen a chainsaw and is the realm of the magnificent lynx and European brown bear. It is a land where crumbling medieval villages abandoned by humans long ago have been resettled by elegant storks – the mythical child-bearers of olden times. Bats shelter in the crumbling castles and in the Basilica. Follow one family of mouse-eared bats as they struggle to bring up their fragile young in the ruined walls.
NOVA “The Solar System: Wandering Worlds”
Premieres: Wednesday, October 30, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
The classic view of our solar system contains eight orderly planets, some with moons in neat orbits – but when we look closer, we discover a bunch of stuff missing from this simple, clockwork model. Wandering worlds that seem out of place, found in the gaps between and beyond the planets, offer clues that our cosmic neighborhood is far more dynamic than we once thought. From the meteorites that impact Earth, to a moon that orbits backwards, to an imposter lurking in the asteroid belt, these wandering worlds are rewriting what we know – and even how we think about – our solar system.
NOVEMBER 2024
GREAT PERFORMANCES “Land of Gold”
Premieres: Friday, November 1, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
This documentary explores the making of John Adams and Peter Sellars’ San Francisco Opera premiere of their latest collaboration, “Girls of the Golden West,” dramatizing the turbulent history of the California gold rush. With the new opera’s title referencing Puccini’s 1910 romantic favorite “The Girl of the Golden West,” Adams and Sellars’ work tells a harsher and more complex story through the letters of writer Louise Clappe, who lived in a miners’ settlement for a year and a half. “Land of Gold” examines the historical characters of 1851 on a cultural collision course and goes behind the scenes at San Francisco Opera with the cast and creatives excavating that same history within today’s cultural turmoil. Amid the backstage hubbub, composer Adams, singers Julia Bullock, Paul Appleby, J’Nai Bridges, and director Sellars wrestle their bittersweet opera onto the stage.
PBS NEWS ELECTION COVERAGE (w.t.)
Premieres: Tuesday, November 5, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Live special coverage of the 2024 presidential and congressional elections will air on PBS stations and stream on PBS News’ digital and social platforms on Tuesday, November 5. Co-anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett, coverage will include reporting from the PBS News Hour team, analysis from guests, and results for the presidential, vice presidential, House of Representatives and Senate elections.
NATURE “San Diego: America’s Wildest City”
Premieres: Wednesday, November 6, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
This is a story of dazzling biological diversity thriving incongruously in a transformed landscape of manmade wilderness. Despite its 3.3 million human residents and utterly transformed landscape, San Diego County is the most biologically diverse county in America. Follow three animal families through the ups and downs of life in San Diego: western grebes, California ground squirrels, and harbor seals. Woven through these three main stories are cameos by a colorful cast of supporting characters, whose lives have been equally transformed by our re-shaping of San Diego’s ecosystems: gray whales, coyotes, skunks, hummingbirds, leopard sharks, and mountain lions.
Press Release
NOVA “Decoding the Universe: Quantum”
Premieres: Wednesday, November 6, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
When we look at the world at the tiniest scales, the subatomic realm, things get weird – very weird. Welcome to the quantum universe, where particles can spin in two directions at once, observing something changes it, and a thing on one side of the galaxy can instantly affect something on the other, as if the space between them didn’t exist. Buckle up for a wild ride through the discoveries that proved all of this to be true and paved the way for the digital technologies we enjoy today – and the powerful quantum sensors and computers of tomorrow.
SALUTE TO SERVICE: A VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION (w.t.)
Premieres: Friday, November 8, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
On Veterans Day, Country Music superstar Mickey Guyton hosts SALUTE TO SERVICE, a musical celebration of our nation’s heroes past and present. Country music legend Craig Morgan joins jazz bassist Christian McBride and pop trombonist Aubrey Logan with the United States Army Field Band for this hour long special, which also shares inspiring stories of distinguished veterans such as General Patrick Brady, our nations most decorated living veteran and Colonel Danielle Ngo who escaped Saigon just before it’s fall and went from refugee to Army Colonel. This program unites the nation in gratitude and serves as a reminder that servicemembers represent the American ideal of unity, regardless of backgrounds or beliefs.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Wilmington 1898: An American Coup” (w.t.)
Premieres: Tuesday, November 12, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Discover the little-known story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’état in Wilmington, North Carolina, when white supremacists overthrew the multi-racial government of the state’s largest city through a campaign of violence and intimidation that destroyed Black political and economic power and imposed white control. The film combines the story of the coup with an examination of present-day efforts to seek the truth about this intentionally buried history.
Press Release
NATURE “Lions of the Skeleton Coast”
Premieres: Wednesday, November 13, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Expert lion filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp (NATURE “The Leopard Legacy”) have set their sights on the lions of the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, a place they know well. Here they have been following three orphaned cubs, left abandoned by their mother who died unexpectedly. At less than a year old, they were not expected to live, but they defied the odds. Over the course of five years, the Steenkamps returned to the desert to follow the story of the cubs as they matured – starting with their scavenging abilities that secured their survival as orphaned youngsters, to their specialized bird hunting strategies at the oases, and their endless explorations across unknown desert territory to their newfound food source on the coast.
NOVA “Building Stuff: Boost It!”
Premieres: Wednesday, November 13, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Around the world, engineers are finding ingenious ways to amplify our abilities and senses – allowing us to access and shape the world way beyond our natural abilities. From helping a blind man see without the use of his eyes to building a sling so powerful it can shoot rockets into space, see why engineering just might be the closest thing to a superpower we humans have.
GREAT PERFORMANCES “Waitress: The Musical”
Premieres: Friday, November 15, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Starring composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles as Jenna Hunterson, this presentation is about a waitress and expert pie-maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When a baking contest in a nearby county offers her a chance at escape, Jenna fights to reclaim a long-forgotten part of herself. Through the support of her fellow waitresses and an unexpected romance, Jenna begins to find the courage to take a long-abandoned dream off the shelf. “Waitress: The Musical” celebrates the power of friendship, dreams, the family we choose and the beauty of a well-baked pie.
LEONARDO DA VINCI
Premieres: Monday – Tuesday, November 18 – 19, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
LEONARDO DA VINCI, Ken Burns’s first non-American subject, explores the life and work of the 15th century polymath Leonardo da Vinci. The film looks at how the artist influenced and inspired future generations, and it finds in his soaring imagination and profound intellect the foundation for a conversation we are still having today: what our relationship is with nature and what it means to be human. Set against the rich and dynamic backdrop of Renaissance Italy, at a time of skepticism and freethinking, regional war and religious upheaval, LEONARDO DA VINCI brings the artist’s towering achievements to life through his prolific personal notebooks, primary and secondary accounts of his life, and on-camera interviews with modern scholars, artists, engineers, inventors, and admirers.
Press Release
NATURE “Attenborough’s Life Journey” (w.t.)
Premieres: Wednesday, November 20, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
As Sir David Attenborough enters his 98th year, this unique and charming film documents the highlights of his incredible life. Follow Attenborough’s journey from his boyhood days as a fossil hunter, through his early days as a host on Zoo Quest, to his programs using pioneering technology of the day such as 3D and 4K. This intimate portrait depicts Attenborough’s years on the road, from the islands of the Galapagos to the mountains of Canada to the jungles of Borneo. Combining exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, candid interviews with Sir David on location, and stunning excerpts from his ground-breaking documentaries, this episode captures an Attenborough you have never seen before.
NOVA “Building Stuff: Reach It!”
Premieres: Wednesday, November 20, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
From the time our species first evolved, we’ve been on the move. Not content to stay in one place, we’ve schemed and invented and built our way from one place to the next. From affordable deep-sea subs to flying taxis to next-gen space habitats, see how today’s engineers are designing and building creative new ways for us to get all around – and even off – our planet.
GREAT PERFORMANCES “Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight”
Premieres: Friday, November 22, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
With her music transcending generations, country music legend Patsy Cline was a crossover trailblazer in her genre, paving the way for artists who followed in her footsteps. Featuring commentary from fellow artists and those who knew Patsy Cline, the star-studded concert filmed from the Ryman Auditorium celebrating her life, legacy and music includes performances by Annie Bosko, Ashley McBryde, Beverly D’Angelo, Crystal Gayle, Grace Potter, Home Free, The Isaacs, Kellie Pickler, Kristin Chenoweth, Mandy Barnett, Mickey Guyton, Natalie Grant, Rita Wilson, Pam Tillis, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Reyna Roberts, Tami Neilson, Tiera Kennedy, Tigirlily Gold, Wynonna and more. Music legend Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline’s husband Charlie Dick, and other personal friends also share anecdotes about her life and music.
Press Release
POV “The Body Politic”
Premieres: Monday, November 25, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
The Body Politic is a harbinger of hope in a country plagued by gun violence. In Baltimore, Brandon Scott, an idealistic young leader with an ambitious plan to stop chronic violence in the city, is elected mayor. Throughout his first year in office, we follow him as he fights powerful political forces to save lives in Baltimore and reveals a pathway toward healing for the nation.
LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA “The Changemakers” (w.t.)
Premieres: Tuesday, November 26, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Celebrity Chef Lidia Bastianich was born in Pula, a small city on the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula. While she grew up in a poor community where food was scarce, when it came to cooking, and eating, she and her neighbors demonstrated a remarkable spirit of ingenuity. Resourcefulness remains a fundamental part of who Lidia is today, a chef bolstered by the belief that food is increasingly being wasted, and increasingly scarce. With this in mind, LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA will follow Lidia on her 13th journey across America – this time meeting up with chefs, farmers, and artisans who are all actively trying to rechart what the future of food could look like.
NOVA “Building Stuff: Change It!”
Premieres: Wednesday, November 27, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
For as long as humans have been around, we’ve been altering the spaces around us to better suit our needs. From accessing ancient wisdom to build a better water filter to designing a robot that uses acoustics to bring coral reefs back to health, see how today’s engineers are applying their craft to reshape the natural world and create new human-made environments to enhance our lives in amazing ways.
GREAT PERFORMANCES “Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl”
Premieres: Friday, November 29, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, along with special guests, celebrate the centennial birthday of Henry Mancini, the peerless composer for film, television and popular song. The four-time Oscar and 20-time Grammy-winning composer of “Moon River” and the “Pink Panther” made 29 conducting appearances on the iconic Bowl’s stage. Michael Bublé, Cynthia Erivo, saxophonist Dave Koz and Mancini’s daughter Monica Mancini gathered to perform classic renditions of Mancini’s signature songs, interspersed with clips from Mancini’s beloved movies and TV shows. In addition, behind-the-scenes documentary footage captures the recording sessions for “The Henry Mancini 100th Sessions – Henry Has Company,” a new, all-star album featuring a diverse range of artists including Gustavo Dudamel, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Lizzo, Stevie Wonder, Pat Metheny, Take 6, Snarky Puppy, and more.
DECEMBER 2024
LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS DOYLE
Premieres: Sunday, December 8, 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Sherlock Holmes is the most famous detective in the world. For more than a century, he’s intrigued and excited his fans with his intellect and powers of deduction. He made his author, Arthur Conan Doyle, rich and famous. But the writer came to hate his fictional character. In this series, historian and lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan, Lucy Worsley investigates this curious relationship between Holmes and Doyle – detective and author.
Press Release
VIOLENT FEMMES: 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY (w.t.)
Premieres: Friday, December 13, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album, the folk punk group Violent Femmes invited the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra to be their “back-up band” in this electrifying concert which mixes classical and rock. Violent Femmes formed in 1981 playing on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their first album “Violent Femmes” amplified teenage angst and alienation with such songs as “Kiss Off,” “Add It Up,” and “Gone Daddy Gone” written by lead vocalist and guitarist Gordon Gano before he’d even gotten his driver’s license. Today, that debut release stands as a pillar of an American underground movement, and this concert pays homage to the band’s lasting influence.
TOO HOT TO HANDEL: GOSPEL MESSIAH
Premieres: Tuesday, December 17, 9:30 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Handel’s 18th-century masterpiece “The Messiah” is reimagined by Conductor Marin Alsop and colleagues Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson. Handel’s arias, choruses, and orchestration are infused with gospel, jazz, and R&B, creating an uplifting reinterpretation of this seasonal favourite. TOO HOT TO HANDEL: THE GOSPEL MESSIAH has been seen regularly across the United States since its premiere in New York in 1993. This performance in front of nearly 5,000 people at London’s Royal Albert Hall marks its European premiere. Presented by choirmaster and broadcaster Gareth Malone, the program sees The BBC Concert Orchestra joined by The BBC Symphony Chorus and The London Adventist Chorale, along with soloists Vanessa Haynes and Zwakele Tshabalala.
NOVA “Lost Tombs of Notre Dame”
Premieres: Wednesday, December 18, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
During restoration work after the devastating 2019 fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, two anonymous sarcophaguses were discovered under the cathedral’s stone floor. Who is buried in them? And what secrets will these lead caskets reveal? Follow a team of archaeologists and historians as they attempt to solve centuries-old mysteries using the latest scientific investigation techniques. What can DNA and chemical analysis of the remains reveal about the history of Notre Dame and those who devoted their lives to it?
CRAFT IN AMERICA (Season 16)
Premieres: Friday, December 27, 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
CRAFT IN AMERICA explores America’s creative spirit through the language and traditions of the handmade. Episode 1 “Science” investigates the unexpected intersection between art and the sciences, featuring Erik & Martin Demaine, John Luebtow, Chris Maynard, Karen Nyberg, Joan Takayama-Ogawa, Joseph & Sergio Youngblood Lugo. Episode 2 “Collectors” reveals the essential role that craft appreciators play in the community, featuring Fleur Bresler, Judith Chernoff & Jeffrey Bernstein, Yolanda González, Sonny & Gloria Kamm, Cynthia Lockhart, Cheech Marin, Carolyn Mazloomi, Francisco Palomares, Frank Romero, Norm Sartorius, Peter Shire, Sara Vance Waddell, Jaime “Germs” Zacarias.
POV “Who I Am Not”
Premieres: Monday, December 30, 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Sharon-Rose Khumalo, a South African beauty queen, faces an identity crisis after discovering she’s intersex. Her path crosses with Dimakatso Sebidi, a masculine-presenting intersex activist, as they both navigate a journey marked by society’s stigma and inner struggles. Intertwining raw reality with poetic beauty, “Who I am Not” captures the heart-wrenching fight for acceptance in a binary world.
