CONNECTIONS
STORIES THAT BRING US TOGETHER
Author Rebecca Rule is a dyedin-the-wool Granite Stater. She grew up in Boscawen, is descended from a long line of New Hampshire residents – “New Hampshire all the way back,” as she describes it – and she travels the state leading storytelling workshops. Yet, in her work as the host of the New Hampshire PBS series OUR HOMETOWN, she says she gets to know New Hampshire communities in new and unexpected ways.
“It’s continually surprising,” shared Rule during a recent conversation about the next installment of the series, OUR HOMETOWN: PLYMOUTH. “We think we know these towns. I’ve been to Plymouth many times. I know people who live in Plymouth. I know where it is. But you don’t know the town until you get there.”
Rule credits these new insights to the hands-on process of making the show. “You show an interest, and people respond so generously. They want to share the town with the rest of the world.”
Like the storytellers in the previous eleven installments of OUR HOMETOWN, the residents of Plymouth were filled with enthusiasm for their community. In fact, Rule was impressed by just how close-knit the residents of Plymouth seemed to be. “It’s a college town, so when the kids are there, its population doubles, but at its heart, its a very small town.”
“We were filming, and I remember one of the people we were speaking to went into the street and recruited someone to share a story with us on the spot,” Rule recalled with a laugh. “It speaks to the closeness of this community –people know each other.”
Among the stories featured in OUR HOMETOWN: PLYMOUTH are a behind-the-scenes look at a popular local thrift store, a comeback story about the city’s elm trees, a look at the fellowship that volunteers and visitors, and sometimes even their grandchildren, find at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center, and a coming-of-age story set during a covert visit to The Hoochie Coochie Show at the Plymouth State Fair.
“Never did know the origin of the name,” said storyteller Dick Flanders of The Hoochie Coochie Show. “Basically, it’s a girly show.” Flanders’ memories of the Plymouth State Fair capture the town’s rich history with a wry Yankee understatement.
Plymouth isn’t a town whose heyday is in the past, however. Trombonist Maureen Horgan shared how she came to be a part of the New Hampshire Music Festival, which brings world-class musicians to the town every summer.
“I had low expecations,” recalled Horgan when discussing her first summer at the Festival. “It was just not what I expected at all. It became one of the best orchestras in New England.” For Horgan, the magic of the Festival goes beyond skill. “There was this connection to the community here that was also highly unusual. We came to love our audience, and our audience came to love us.”
Rule believes that desire for connection is at the heart of all stories. “I really believe that stories connect us,” she said. “When you have the town as the impetus for the story, that makes it even richer.”
OUR HOMETOWN: PLYMOUTH will premiere on NHPBS on Thursday, January 23rd at 8:30 PM. You can watch additional stories from Plymouth and other towns at nhpbs.org/hometown
Rebecca Rule Host of OUR HOMETOWN
NHPBS PRIMETIME PICKS
Gregory Maguire: Confessions of a Wicked Writer
THU Jan 9 | 8:30 PM NHPBS
You may have heard of a little musical called Wicked. Now meet Gregory Maguire, the author behind the beloved characters Elphaba and Glinda, as he shares insights from his gravity-defying career and reflects on his personal history.
Nature: Big Cats, Small World
WED Jan 22 | 8 PM NHPBS
On the shores of Botswana’s Gomoti River, three big cats have made themselves a home. An aging lion, a cheetah mother and a male leopard must raise their cubs using their unique skills to avoid lethal encounters, outsmart rivals and thrive in a crowded neighborhood.
All Creatures Great & Small on Masterpiece
SUN Jan 12 | 9 PM NHPBS
It’s Spring 1941, and with World War II fully underway, we return to Darrowby, where baby Jimmy is keeping everyone at Skeldale House on their toes. Meanwhile, Tristan’s surprise return turns out to be more complicated than Siegfried hoped.
Our Hometown: Plymouth
THU Jan 23 | 8:30 PM NHPBS
Plymouth, New Hampshire is best known as a college town nestled between the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. These heart-warming, funny and thought-provoking stories explore what makes the town special to those who call it home.
Inauguration of Donald J. Trump: A PBS News Special
MON Jan 20 | 10:30 PM NHPBS
Watch live coverage of Inauguration Day 2025 including the swearing-in of the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and the 50th Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance.
Great Migrations:
A People on the Move
TUE Jan 28 |9 PM NHPBS
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores how a series of Black migrations have shaped the United States, from Black Americans moving North after World War II, returning to the South in the 1970s and an influx of African and Caribbean immigration today.
5 CHANNEL SPOTLIGHT
LA FRONTIÈRE
THU Jan 16 | 8:30 PM NHPBS
This poetic documentary portrait of Maine’s border with Canada explores the history and culture of the borderlands and the people who call them home. The film features stories from Wabanaki and Acadian communities, farmers, people who used to work and live at Loring Air Force Base and others.
SAMANTHA BROWN’S PLACES TO LOVE
FRI Jan 10 | 6:30 PM EXPLORE
Season 8 of PLACES TO LOVE finds Samantha on adventures in Costa Rica, New Orleans, the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Carolina Coast, Traverse City in Michigan and continuing her journey on Route 66. Samantha also celebrates her 25th anniversary as a travel educator with a special episode dedicated to her journey.
NEW YEAR REFRESH MARATHON
FRI Jan 3 | 9 PM NH CREATE
Whether you have a resolution to recommit to your health, or you’re just in the mood for a really good stretch, you can embrace calm in the new year and connect with your mind and body in restorative routines from YNDI YOGA, YOGA IN PRACTICE and CLASSICAL STRETCH: BY ESSENTRICS.
INDEPENDENT LENS: DALLAS, 2019
SAT Jan 4 | 6 PM NH WORLD
Over the course of five episodes, INDEPENDENT LENS: DALLAS, 2019 documents five weeks in one of the nation’s most populous cities, as seen through the eyes of city employees who work to create a government of, by and for the people. As fault lines emerge, what will the future of Dallas look like?
DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD
MON Jan 6 | 10 AM NH KIDS
Daniel Tiger and his neighbors, including Katerina Kittycat, Miss Elaina, Jodi Platypus, Prince Wednesday and others, return for a new season of pre-school adventures.
Go to pbs.org/parents to find Daniel Tiger themed crafts, recipes, games and more!
VIENNA BLOOD SEASON 4
SUN Jan 5 | 10 PM NHPBS
FINDING YOUR ROOTS SEASON 11 TUE Jan 7| 8 PM NHPBS
LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES SEASON 2 TUE Jan 7 | 9 PM NHPBS
MISS SCARLET ON MASTERPIECE SEASON 5
SUN Jan 12 | 8 PM NHPBS
NOVA: WHAT ARE UFOs? WED Jan 22 | 9 PM NHPBS
PBS
JANUARY 2025 PROGRAM SCHEDULE
PBS News Hour* Independent Lens** Dallas, 2019 - Ep. 1 Secrets of the Royal Palaces Agatha Christie's Marple Sister Boniface Mysteries
PBS News Hour*
PBS
PBS News Hour* Nature Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster Nova Black Hole Apocalypse/Black
PBS News Hour*
PBS News Hour* Behind The Scenes of Leonardo da Vinci with Ken Burns
Secrets of the Royal Palaces Buckingham Palace Agatha Christie's Marple Sister Boniface Mysteries
Sister Boniface Mysteries Miss Scarlet On Masterpiece All Creatures Great and Small On Masterpiece
PBS News Hour* Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow
PBS News Hour* Finding Your Roots La Famiglia Lucy Worsley Investigates William The Conqueror
PBS News Hour* Nature Patrick and the Whale Nova Black Hole Universe
PBS News Hour* Leonardo da Vinci**
Secrets of the Royal Palaces Westminster
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JANUARY 2025 PROGRAM SCHEDULE
