FEATURED PROGRAMS on Blue Ridge PBS
Be sure to check our schedule for additional air times!
American Experience: The Riot Report
Tuesday, May 21 @ 9pm
Revisit 1967, when inner cities across America erupted in violence. LBJ appointed the Kerner Commission to investigate and the Commission’s final report would offer a shockingly unvarnished assessment of race relations that still resonates today.
Antiques Roadshow
Mondays @ 8pm
Part adventure, part history lesson, part treasure hunt.
May 6 – Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Hour 2
Get wowed by treasures at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, including a 1953 Marilyn Monroe pin-up poster, a diamond & platinum ring, ca.1960 and a 1910 - 1911 Philadelphia Athletics trophy, card & pin. One has a value of $65,300 to $125,000!
May 13 – Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Hour 3
Visit Akron, OH for astonishing finds, including a Fox Kids promotion kit, a Thurman Munson-signed baseball, ca. 1975 and Fernando Amorsolo oil paintings from 1955. Guess the top $120,000 to $180,000 find!
May 20 – Junk in the Trunk 13
Travel to all five cities of ROADSHOW's Season 28 Tour for never-before-seen appraisals, including a 1976 Mark Hamill-signed Star Wars poster, a 1979 Bob Ross landscape oil, and a 1973 Iditarod Race sled!
May 27 – I Was There
Hear ROADSHOW guests’ stories and see some incredible mementos from their experiences, including Disney animation art, ca. 1938, a 1970 Jimi Hendrix collection, and a Norman Rockwell oil painting and chair, ca. 1952. One is $230,000.
Becoming Trauma Responsive
Thursday, May 30 @ 8pm
Explore the effects of childhood trauma on learning, behavior, and developing relationships. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the United States strained to meet the social and emotional needs of students. Most school districts reported significant increases in depression and general anxiety from students and educators alike, underscoring the need for trauma-informed training, practices and resources.
Call the Midwife, Season 13
Sunday, May 5 @ 8pm
On the Season Finale, Miss Higgins receives an unexpected visitor, and Sister Monica Joan ruffles feathers. Poplar votes for its Mother of the Year.
Craftsman’s Legacy
Back-to-Back Episodes, Thursdays, May 2, 9, 16 & 23 @ 8pm
Join host Eric Gorges as he combs the country for America’s finest craftsmen, documenting what it means to be a modern day maker. Traveling across the U.S. to Kentucky, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma and Indiana, Eric interviews the men and women who are carrying the tools, trade and traditions of fine craftsmanship into the 21st century. In season four, Eric takes a stab at sword-smithing with master bladesmith Kevin Cashen, learning about the mystical world of metallurgy. He also travels to Detroit where he meets Eric Yelsma, a sewer whose shop makes jeans from American-sourced, sustainable fabric. Next up, Eric travels to Texas to meet master hatter Nate Funmaker, one of the only Native American master hatters in the nation. Lastly, while in the Lone Star state, Eric visits Texas cowboy and master craftsman Wilson Capron, who creates spurs that truly are a thing of function and beauty.
The Express Way with Dule Hill
Tuesdays @ 9pm
Led by renowned actor, dancer, and singer, Dulé Hill, the series captures diverse artists’ stories from across America, celebrating community, humanity, and the transformative potential of creative expression.
May 7 – Texas
In Texas, Dulé Hill connects with an Aztec dancer, blind painter and latino theater director, each breaking down cultural barriers and becoming leaders for the next generation.
May 14 – Chicago
Chicago is a city known for its rich history and culture. But for some, it’s been marred by crime and violence. In this episode, Dulé Hill meets the city’s talented artists to explore why art and activism are often synonymous in the Midwest.
Great Performances
Fridays @ 9pm
Travel with host, Mexico City Philharmonic chief conductor Scott Yoo, in this special mini-series taking viewers on a voyage of musical discovery for aficionados and neophytes alike.
May 3 – Now Hear this: The Composer is Yoo
For the first time in his life, Scott Yoo has agreed to compose a piece of music, and he has no idea how to begin. Follow Yoo's surprising journey of discovery, allowing viewers to experience the challenges and rewards of creating his Opus 1.
May 10 – Hamlet
Experience this Shakespearean classic directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon from The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park starring Tony Award nominee Ato Blankson-Wood.
May 17 – Audra McDonald at the London Palladium
Enjoy Broadway hits and more performed by the six-time Tony Award winner including “I Am What I Am,” “Climb Every Mountain,” “Summertime,” “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and many more.
May 24 – Purlie Victorious
Enjoy this comedic play starring Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr. telling the story of a Black preacher’s scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church from a plantation owner. Written by Ossie Davis with direction by Tony winner Kenny Leon.
May 31 – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary
Explore the vast repertoire of these musical theater pioneers in a star-studded concert from London.
Guilt on Masterpiece
Sundays through May 19 @ 10pm
The brothers are back together but enemies, old and new, cause them to seek ever more desperate solutions to their problems. Digging deep into their past, Max and Jake hope to finally find a future free of danger...and each other.
MaryLand on Masterpiece
Sundays May 5, 12 & 19 @ 9pm
Sisters Becca (Suranne Jones, “Gentleman Jack,” “Vigil”) and Rosaline Eve Best, (“House of the Dragon,” “Nurse Jackie”) find themselves thrown together by the sudden death of their mother, Mary. They come to find out that she was living an entirely secret life on the Isle of Man, far from her home with her husband, Becca and Rosaline’s father. As the sisters travel through the early days of grief and discover their mother’s secrets, they meet their mother’s quirky friend Cathy (Stockard Channing, “The Good Wife,” “The West Wing”) who seems to know more about their mother than they do. Mary’s death offers Becca and Rosaline a chance to not only reframe their relationship but fundamentally reshape who they are. At its heart, MaryLand is a love story of two sisters.
National Memorial Day Concert 2024
Sunday, May 26 @ 8pm & 9:30pm
America’s national night of remembrance returns live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for a special 35th anniversary broadcast taking us back to the real meaning of Memorial Day through personal stories and tributes interwoven with musical performances. Featuring world-renowned artists with the National Symphony Orchestra, the deeply moving annual event unlike anything else on television brings us together as one family of Americans to honor the service of generations of our men and women in uniform, our military families, and pay tribute to all those who have given their lives for our country.
Nature
Wednesdays @ 8pm
NATURE on PBS brings rich and rewarding stories from the wild to homes across America. Forty years on, it is the premier voice for the natural world, an essential lens on the creatures, great and small, that sustain us all on our living planet.
May 1 – Season of the Osprey
A veteran pair of ospreys return home to a Connecticut saltmarsh. Over one summer they must battle their enemies, withstand the elements, and hunt hundreds of fish, all to raise the next generation of these consummate sea hawks.
May 8 – Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons
The most famous bear in the Tetons attempts to raise four cubs. But she makes increasingly unexpected and consequential choices to protect her family, Grizzly 399 stands as a symbol of the clash between humans and the wild.
May 15 – Saving the Animals of Ukraine
From the heart of war-torn Ukraine, stories of survival, love, and resilience emerge beyond the battles. Witness an extraordinary view into the effects of war on animals, and the humans who help them. Directed by Ukrainian YouTuber Anton Ptushkin.
May 22 – Wild Ireland: Kingdom of Stone
Follow the story of a pine marten as she takes us on a journey through a landscape of grey stone called the Burren, home to some of Ireland’s most enchanting wildlife.
May 29 – Niagara Falls
Embark to Niagara Falls and witness its amazing beauty and the wildlife that call it home.
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story
Monday, May 13 @ 10pm
Using his camera as a “weapon against injustice,” Chinese American photographer Corky Lee’s art is his activism. His unforgettable images of Asian American life empowered generations. This film’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.
Pompeii: The New Dig
Wednesdays, May 15, 22, & 29 @ 10pm
Follow the most extensive archaeological excavation in Pompeii for a generation. Nearly two years in the making, with exclusive access to the dig and the all-Italian team of archaeologists, the series follows the excavation of an entire city block, unearthing what life was like in Pompeii before the eruption and the horror faced by the victims, and those who survived, when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.
The Real Story of Mr. Bates vs The Post Office
Sunday, May 5 @ 7pm
Uncover the true story of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history. The Post Office wrongfully blamed hundreds of Subpostmasters for theft and fraud due to errors in its own computer system – something it denied for years.
Through Our Eyes
Mondays @ 7:30pm
From the producers of Sesame Street, this series is an intimate and inspiring journey into the lives of American families from the perspective of children as they navigate formidable yet all-too-common challenges along with parents and siblings. Each stand-alone half-hour film is directed by an award-winning filmmaker and is designed as a co-viewing experience for adults and kids ages eight and up. The series reveals the strength and perseverance of kids experiencing parental incarceration, climate displacement, the wounds of war, and homelessness. Episodes also delve into kids learning about their own race, ethnicity, and culture; facing and fighting racism; and taking positive steps towards building the future they wish to inhabit.