SEPTEMBER 2019 MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS
A STORY OF AMERICA, ONE SONG AT A TIME.
THE FLORENTINE FILMS AND WETA CO-PRODUCTION AIRS SEPT. 15-18 & 22-25, 8PM ON WETA TV 26/HD Tune in or Stream Via the Free PBS Video App
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ear WETA Members, History, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, and The Vietnam War, in addition to films spotlighting American icons Thomas Jefferson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Mark Twain, prizefighter Jack Johnson, and Jackie Robinson. Since the mid-1980s, together we have brought more than 30 productions — 199 hours of superb television — to the American people via PBS, including some of the most-watched documentary films in television history. These projects, which have garnered an astonishing array of honors, perfectly reflect the WETA mission to create and present compelling educational content of great quality, integrity and cultural merit in service to the public. On COUNTRY MUSIC, we are also very pleased to work again with co-producers Dayton Duncan and Julie Dunfey, longtime colleagues of Ken and also good friends to WETA. Dayton, who wrote the series, has served as consultant or consulting producer on the majority of Burns films. His major credits with Burns and WETA include Lewis & Clark, Mark Twain, The National Parks and, most recently, The Dust Bowl. Julie has been associated with Ken since The Civil War and was a producer on The National Parks and The Dust Bowl.
This month, we at WETA are very excited to share with you the new 8-part, 16-hour series COUNTRY MUSIC, the latest stellar production in our 35-year partnership with America’s premier documentary filmmaker, our good friend Ken Burns. With this monumental film, eight years in the Ken Burns & making, Ken again Sharon Percy Rockefeller lives to up to the moniker “America’s Storyteller” — so often and aptly bestowed on him for his explorations of our collective experience and identity as a people. With customary artistry and integrity, Ken and his team have created another dazzling masterwork. We are enormously proud of the many films WETA has co-produced with Ken and his colleagues at Florentine Films, which have included many landmark television events: The Civil War, Baseball, The West, Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Jazz, The War, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, The Central Park Five, The Roosevelts: An Intimate
Jazz The Civil War
Baseball
Unforgivable Blackness
The War
W E TA B R OA D CA S T S A N D S E R V I C E S WETA TV: Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App. See page 8. WETA TV 26 26.4 Over the Air Via Antenna Cox 26, 802 Comcast 26 Fios 26 RCN 26
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WETA UK 26.2 Over the Air Via Antenna Cox 800 Comcast 265 Fios 474
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& Ken Burns Enjoy the new film this month. Just as Ken did in his magnificent series Jazz, in COUNTRY MUSIC he explores our nation’s history through the prism of a uniquely American art form — and the lively stories and songs are captivating. In the film, we learn how the genre evolved over the course of the 20th century and hear iconic music that has been the soundtrack of life for millions of Americans. You will remember the songs, and you will be fascinated by their creators. Stay tuned as well for more great documentaries — Ken, his Florentine Films associates and WETA have many more productions in the works, planning projects years ahead. Coming next are College Behind Bars in November of this year; East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story and Ken Burns Presents The Gene: An Intimate History in Spring 2020; and films on Ernest Hemingway (2020) and Muhammad Ali (2021). Thank you for your generous support of WETA, which helps to bring Ken’s films to viewers in Greater Washington and around the nation.
Sharon Percy Rockefeller, President & CEO, WETA
The National Parks
For more than 30 years, I have proudly partnered with WETA to bring high-quality documentaries to the nation. Every time I come to Washington, I am warmly welcomed by WETA members and viewers who value public television as a place where we can explore our American story. — Ken Burns
Join Us for Special Events September 12 in Washington, D.C.: RSVP at weta.org/countrymusictickets now for a free preview screening of the documentary COUNTRY MUSIC on Thursday, September 12, 7 p.m., at The George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. The event includes a panel discussion featuring filmmakers Ken Burns and Julie Dunfey with special guest Kathy Mattea. Seating is limited and tickets are required. The event is sponsored by Bank of America. September 2 in Winchester, Virginia: Email outreach@weta.org for information about a preview and discussion of the series COUNTRY MUSIC on Monday, September 2, 5:30 p.m., at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Winchester, Virginia. Special guests include Patsy Cline’s daughter Julie Fudge and Florentine Films producer Susan Shumaker. The event features musical performances by Maria Price & Another Fine Mess. Seating is limited and tickets ($10) are required.
The Vietnam War The Roosevelts
For program and membership inquiries, visit weta.org or call 703-998-2724.
WETA Kids 26.3 Over the Air Via Antenna Cox 801 Comcast 266 Fios 472 RCN 38 COVER: COUNTRY MUSIC
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WETA Online weta.org weta.org/learningmedia
Classical WETA WETA 90.9 FM Washington WGMS 89.1 FM Hagerstown WETA 88.9 FM Frederick classicalweta.org vivalavoce.org
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The Florentine Films and WETA co-production airs in 8 parts, Sunday through Wednesday, September 15-18 & 22-25 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD, repeating each night of the broadcasts and streaming via the free PBS Video App
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Charley Pride
LES LEVERETT COLLECTIONS, 1948
Hank Williams
Patsy Cline
LES LEVERETT, 1967
he epic new documentary film COUNTRY MUSIC explores the colorful and engaging history of an authentic American art form. The eight-part, 16-hour series, a Florentine Films and WETA co-production created by Ken Burns and his longtime collaborators Dayton Duncan and Julie Dunfey, airs on WETA TV 26/HD and PBS stations nationwide over the course of eight nights. COUNTRY MUSIC is the latest series in the 35-year partnership between WETA and Florentine Films that has produced some of the most celebrated historical documentaries in American television — including The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, The War and The Vietnam War. WETA has worked closely with Burns to bring more than 30 films to the American public via PBS. Written by Duncan, COUNTRY MUSIC chronicles country music’s early days, from southern Appalachia’s songs of struggle, heartbreak and faith to the rollicking Western swing of Texas, California’s honky-tonks and Nashville’s “Grand Ole Opry.” The film follows the evolution of country music over the course of the 20th century as it eventually emerges to become “America’s music.” Duncan and Dunfey’s most recent collaborations with Burns include The National Parks: America’s Best Idea and The Dust Bowl. Asked why they chose this story to tell, the filmmakers said, “COUNTRY MUSIC fits into the tapestry of American history we’ve been weaving in our films for decades. Like jazz, country music is a uniquely American art form. Like baseball and like the national parks, it’s also
2 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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Dolly Parton
Johnny Cash
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Viewers’ Guide “At the heart of every great country music song is a story. As the songwriter Harlan Howard said, ‘It’s three chords and the truth.’” — Ken Burns something that was “invented” here. And like so many of our other films, it offers yet another window to explore our history, our culture and who we are as Americans.”
A Mammoth Undertaking
NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY, SPECIAL COLL. 1965
SONY MUSIC ARCHIVES, 1960
LES LEVERETT, 1961
ey Pride
Cline
Duncan, Burns and Dunfey spent eight years researching and producing the film, conducting 175 hours of interviews with more than 100 people, including 40 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame (20 of those interviewed have since passed on). Among those storytellers are historian Bill Malone and a wide range of country artists such as Marty Stuart, Rosanne Cash, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, and Naomi and Wynonna Judd, as well as studio musicians, record producers and others. The film uses more than 3,200 photographs from more than 100,000 Florentine’s team collected, and more than two hours of archival footage culled from 700 hours collected, including clips from television programs across the decades such as Stars of the Grand Ole Opry, Flatt & Scruggs, Porter Wagoner, The Johnny
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COUNTRY MUSIC, an 8-part film directed by Ken Burns, premieres September 15-18 & 22-25 on WETA TV 26/HD. Following are program airtimes: Pt 1. The Rub (Beginnings–1933) Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10 p.m. Pt 2. Hard Times (1933–1945) Monday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10 p.m. Pt 3. The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945–1953) Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10 p.m. Pt 4. I Can’t Stop Loving You (1953–1963) Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10 p.m. Pt 5. The Sons and Daughters of America (1964–1968) Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10 p.m. Pt 6. Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (1968–1972) Monday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10 p.m. Pt 7. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973–83) Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10:30 p.m. Pt 8. Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’ (1984–1996) Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m.; Repeats at 10 p.m. Each episode also repeats the following afternoon. Episodes 1-4 repeat Sun., Sept. 22, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Episodes 5-8 repeat Sun., Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Stream all episodes via the free PBS App: Parts 1-4 stream starting Sunday, September 15. Parts 5-8 stream starting Sunday, September 22. All parts stream via WETA Passport starting September 15. To learn more visit weta.org/passport.
Cash Show, Hee Haw and Austin City Limits, and rare and never-before-seen photos and footage. And of course there’s the music: COUNTRY MUSIC features nearly 600 music cues (exceeding those of Burns’s film Jazz) over the 16 hours. The COUNTRY MUSIC team worked with roughly 34 record companies and owners of song masters.
Outlines of a Genre At the film’s heart are the stories of unforgettable songs and the artists who created them: their emergences from humble beginnings, their musical influences and their breakthrough moments. COUNTRY MUSIC also explores the close connection between the genre’s artists and fans, and it notes the enduring influence of particular songs and musicians across generations. The film explores intriguing questions of definition and origin –– “What is country music?” and “Where did it come from?” –– while focusing on the biographies of the trailblazers who created and shaped it –– from the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe and Bob Wills to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks and many
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“You can dance to it, you can cry to it, you can make love to it, you can play it at a funeral — it has something in it for everybody.”
more –– as well as the times in which they lived. Much like the music itself, the film tells engaging stories of hardships and joys shared by everyday people. “At the heart of every great country music song is a story,” said Ken Burns. “As the songwriter Harlan Howard said, ‘It’s three chords and the truth.’ The common experiences and human emotions speak to each of us about love and loss, about hard times and the chance of redemption. As an art form, country music is also forever revisiting its history, sharing and updating old classics and celebrating its roots, which are, in many ways, foundational to our country itself.”
— Dolly Parton
Revelations
LL: GRAND OLE OPRY ARCHIVES, 1961 • EH/DY: JUDY MOCK, 1989
The film digs deep to uncover the roots of the music –– including ballads, minstrel music, hymns and the blues –– and its early years in the 1920s, when it was called “hillbilly music” and was recorded for the first time and played across the airwaves on radio station barn dances. It explores how Hollywood B movies instituted the fad of singing cowboys like Gene Autry and shows how the rise of juke joints after World War II changed the musical style by bringing electric and pedal steel guitars to the forefront. The film witnesses the rise of bluegrass music with Bill Monroe and reveals how one of country music’s
Merle Haggard
JOHN R. VAN BEEKUM, 1972
A Rich History
LES LEVERETT, 1970
“There were lots of surprises for us,” Dayton Duncan said about making the film. “We found stories that take such unexpected turns, a novelist would probably never include them in a work of fiction –– but in this case, they’re true. There are surprising stories about how certain songs came to be written that add a whole new depth to the appreciation of that particular song.” “One of the greatest revelations was that country music isn’t –– and never was –– one type of music; it actually is many styles,” said Duncan. “It sprang from diverse roots, and it sprouted many branches. What unites them all is the way the music connects personal stories and elemental experiences with universal themes that every person can relate to. And as it evolved, from the bottom up, it created a special bond between the artists and fans that is unique among all other musical genres.”
Kris Kristofferson
Loretta Lynn
Emmylou Harris & Dwight Yoakam
4 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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Additional Content Visit pbs.org/countrymusic to learn more about the film, and join the conversation at #CountryMusicPBS. offspring — rockabilly — evolved into rock ’n’ roll in Memphis. Throughout, the documentary focuses on the constant tug of war between the desire to make country music as mainstream as possible and the periodic reflexes to bring it back to its roots. As Burns, Duncan and T. Wynette & G. Jones Dunfey weave together the musical stories, they connect the history of country music to the larger story of America, looking at how artists and songwriting reflected periods of depression, war and cultural upheaval, and the effect of radio and later television on the art form. The series also tells the story of how Nashville became the epicenter of the country music industry. The narrative ends in the mid-1990s as a young Garth Brooks emerges from a small venue in that city to achieve phenomenal success, bringing country music to an entirely new level of popularity.
Special Ryman Concert Surrounding the broadcast of COUNTRY MUSIC is a special Nashville concert hosted by Ken Burns and filmed for TV that features many performers from the film. See page 6 for details.
Country Music in Washington
BILL GOODMAN/NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY SPEC. COLL., 1974
WETA has created shortform videos for TV and web that illuminate stories of country music in Greater Washington. See page 6. Visit weta.org/countrymusic to view content.
At pbs.org/countrymusic — the series website: • Preview the film COUNTRY MUSIC. • Watch clips and special video features. • See a country music history timeline. • Share your country music stories. At weta.org/countrymusic in September, for local stories: • View WETA-created local micro-documentaries. • Find a timeline of local country music milestones. • Find articles about local country music topics in WETA’s history blog, Boundary Stones.
COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM, 1984
A National Conversation
SCOTT NEWTON, 1993
The Judds
On the Web
WETA has launched a nationwide outreach and public engagement campaign for COUNTRY MUSIC to bring people together to connect over this unique American art form and to bring local stories and history to the center stage. More than 200 community events are planned across the country, and WETA has developed national partnerships — including a collaboration with PBS Books and more than 1,300 libraries, and with local country music radio stations. PBS Education and Nashville’s Belmont University are developing teaching materials for educators that will be made accessible via PBS Learning Media. Learn more at pbs.org/countrymusic.
Purchase COUNTRY MUSIC To buy the series companion book by Dayton Duncan, with an introduction by Ken Burns — or the series CD soundtrack, DVD or Blu-ray, visit shopPBS.org. Ray Charles & Willie Nelson Funding for COUNTRY MUSIC was provided by Bank of America, the Annenberg Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Belmont University, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Rosalind P. Walter and by members of ‘The Better Angels Society,’ including: the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Schwartz/Reisman Foundation, The Pfeil Foundation, Diane and Hal Brierley, John & Catherine Debs, the Fullerton Family Charitable Fund, the Perry & Donna Golkin Family Foundation, Jay Alix and Una Jackman, Mercedes T. Bass, Fred and Donna Seigel, Gilchrist and Amy Berg, James R. Berdell Foundation, David Bonderman, Deborah P. and Jonathan T. Dawson, Senator Bill and Tracy Frist, David and Susan Kreisman, Rocco and Debby Landesman, Lillian Lovelace, John and Leslie McQuown, Mindy’s Hope Foundation, the Segal Family Foundation, and Michelle Smith. Major funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS. Funding for the local broadcast of COUNTRY MUSIC is provided by The Birthplace of Country Music.
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Country Music: Live at the Ryman, A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns Sunday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD, repeating Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. and streaming via the free PBS Video App
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Country Music: Live at the Ryman, A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns was made possible with the support of Bank of America, Ken Burns’s corporate underwriter.
COURTESY ERIKA GOLDRING
COURTESY ERIKA GOLDRING
n celebration of the new Ken Burns film COUNTRY MUSIC, a special concert was held at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on March 27 this year, hosted by Burns himself, and many of the artists who appear in the documentary participated. The program Country Music: Live at the Ryman, A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns features those performances — by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Rhiannon Giddens (below), Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart (left, with Gill), Asleep at the Wheel, Holly Williams and Dwight Yoakam. In addition to live performances of iconic country songs, the program presents select clips from the documentary film throughout the evening. The event was produced by Opry Entertainment and Florentine Films. The concert explores country’s roots while also highlighting the diversity of musical styles and artists included in the genre. The production offers a taste of everything from western swing and bluegrass to honky-tonk and cowboy music. Highlights include Gill’s cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” Secor and Giddens’ performance of “Ruby (Are You Mad at Your Man),” and Williams singing her grandfather Hank Williams, Sr.’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” in addition to a rousing rendition of country’s unofficial national anthem, The Carter Family’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
Rhiannon Giddens
Country Music in Washington
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WETA-produced video segments spotlight local stories
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omplementing the Ken Burns film COUNTRY MUSIC, WETA presents shortform video segments spotlighting country music in the national capital area — for viewing on WETA TV 26/HD and online at weta.org/countrymusic. Watch for the following WETA-created segments, airing between television programs in September: The Stoneman Sisters: WETA explores the life and careers of Roni and Donna Stoneman, the surviving members of the legendary Stoneman Family, who brought their music from Appalachia to the Washington area during the Great Depression and dominated the D.C. honky-tonk circuit in the decades following World War II. Country Music on the Dial: WETA profiles country music broadcaster Connie B. Gay and his pioneering work at Arlington, Virginia-based WARL and spotlights country music radio’s resurgence in the 1980s on WMZQ. The Bluegrass Capital: Washington, D.C. becomes an unlikely epicenter for bluegrass, helped along by WAMU’s extensive bluegrass programming, as well as several nationally known groups such as The Seldom Scene. On the website in September, WETA also presents these video stories: The Stoneman Sisters The Singer Scientist: Cardiologist Dr. Cleveland Francis stepped away from medicine to chase a second career as a pioneering African American country music artist in Nashville. Bluegrass at the Old Lucketts Schoolhouse: The old schoolhouse in Lucketts, Virginia, has been called the “Grand Old Opry of Bluegrass.” Experience a bluegrass Saturday night. The Country Gentlemen Tribute Band: A tribute group celebrates the sound of one of the most significant bluegrass bands to come out of Greater Washington. Rob’s Bluegrass Barn: For nearly 30 years The Friendly Inn near Ellicott City, Maryland, was a go-to spot for bluegrass music; when it closed, Rob Miller carried on the tradition. Visit weta.org/countrymusic to find WETA-produced videos and more local features surrounding the Ken Burns film.
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Series 2, a WETA presentation, features 15 half-hour episodes airing Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD
STEWART F. HOUSE/GETTY IMAGES
hat makes a truly great leader? And how can leadership be developed into a force for true achievement? Renowned Washington, D.C.-based financier and philanthropist David Rubenstein pursues these questions as he interviews prominent guests from business, government and other fields of endeavor in his ongoing series, The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations. In a second season of the program that begins Friday, September 6 on WETA TV 26/HD with a discussion with former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Rubenstein explores successful leadership with some of the most influential people in the world today, learning about their personal and professional choices and their paths to success. With rare exceptions such as the September 6 program, each production presents an interview with one leader. Rubenstein asks his guests frank questions, uncovering the moments that define how they think, lead and David Rubenstein interviews Presidents Clinton and Bush give back. The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations is produced by Bloomberg Media and presented on PBS by WETA. The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations, Series 2 features 15 half-hour programs. In addition to Presidents Bush and Clinton, luminaries featured in the September programs include Comcast CEO Brian Roberts; Nike co-founder and chairman emeritus Phil Knight; and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Additional Series 2 guests are Paul Singer, Elliott Management Founder and Co-CEO; Ginni Rometty, International Business Machines Corporation; Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Abigail Johnson, Fidelity Chairman and CEO; Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group Corporation Chairman & CEO; Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO; Jeffrey Immelt, former GE Chairman & CEO; Colin Powell, Retired General; Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin CEO; Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State; and James A. Baker III, former U.S. Secretary of State. David Rubenstein is the co-founder and co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest and most diverse private equity groups. A graduate of Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School, he is chairman of the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, regent of the Smithsonian Institution, president of the Economic Club of Washington, and a noted philanthropist who has loaned his copies of artifacts including the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence and Emancipation Proclamation to national museums. Rubenstein has also helped fund repairs to the Washington Monument. General Motors (GM) is the exclusive corporate underwriter of the PBS broadcast of The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations, Series 2. For full schedules and program information, visit weta.org 7
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Stream WETA Programs Via the Free PBS Video App! Available at pbs.org/videoapp
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atch your WETA favorites where you want, when you want! Stream the WETA television programs you love — the Ken Burns film COUNTRY MUSIC, Poldark on Masterpiece, PBS NewsHour, NOVA, Nature, Frontline and much more — through the free PBS Video App, which you can download on your TV, tablet, streaming device or smartphone to access shows anytime. To get the free PBS Video App, go to pbs.org/videoapp, where a free, safe download is available via links to such platforms as Roku, AppleTV, Google Chromecast, AmazonFireTV, AndroidTV and SamsungTV. Be sure to choose WETA as your local station to access WETA programming! For some prominent series streaming via the App, you’ll even have the opportunity to watch multiple episodes when the very first episode comes to air, ahead of the television broadcasts! You’ll also have access to much more programming than is available on WETA’s air each month, so you can supplement your viewing with archival programs and streaming-only offerings. Need help? Click the “Get Support” icon on the PBS Video App website or call WETA Audience Services at 703-998-2724. Once you have the PBS Video App, to access even more archival WETA programming, join WETA Passport, a WETA member benefit that provides you with an extensive library of the best public television programs and WETA locally produced shows created for viewers in Greater Washington.
FREE!
Poldark and Durrells on Masterpiece
New episodes Sunday, Sept. 29 on WETA TV 26/HD and streaming via the free PBS Video App
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COURTESY MAMMOTH SCREEN FOR BBC & MASTERPIECE
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The Durrells in Corfu
COURTESY SID GENTLE FILMS & MASTERPIECE
n the action-packed fifth and final season of popular Masterpiece drama Poldark, it is a new century and with it comes the promise of a hopeful future, but the past casts a long shadow over Cornwall. In Series 5, Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) resolves to put Westminster Poldark behind him and spend more time with the people he loves. However, when an old friend needs help, Ross is compelled to challenge the establishment and question his own loyalties to king and country — and Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) must contend with dangers close to home. Meanwhile, George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) courts corrupt powers whose influence spans the Empire. Poldark, Series 5 airs in eight parts Sundays, September 29November 17 at 9 p.m. Masterpiece drama The Durrells in Corfu, Series 4 — also in a new and final season — precedes Poldark on Sundays, premiering at 8 p.m. on September 29 and airing in six episodes through November 3. In the new season following the eccentric family, it is 1939 and Louisa opens the doors of the villa as a guest house, Larry tries to get his risqué Black Book published, and Leslie throws himself back into his job (and shooting). Gerry has ambitions to open his own zoo, and Margo decides to start her own beauty salon. As the series progresses, the Durrells’ happiness is interrupted by the rumblings of war. Funding for Masterpiece is provided by Viking and Raymond James with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The Masterpiece Trust.
8 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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September Highlights on WETA TV 26/HD COURTESY CARNIVAL FILM & TELEVISION LIMITED 2018
Jamestown, Series 2
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Saturdays at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD Available for streaming via WETA Passport
eriod drama Jamestown, from the makers of the series Downton Abbey, returns with a second season spotlighting ventures in love, war and diplomacy in the Virginia colony. Set in 1620, the eight new episodes continue to follow the lives of three dynamic women who left behind dark pasts in England to make a new start in 17th-century America. The three wrestle with the challenges of creating lives in a beautiful yet forbidding land. The colony’s second decade brings a new governor promising change, but new laws lead to power struggles within the town. In Season 2, the tobacco plantations are starting to provide the wealth they promised and trade booms, but the status quo is disrupted by births, deaths and broken marriages. The pioneering settlers find themselves at the heart of adventure once more as a kidnapping, new rivalries and a traitor threaten to disrupt the peace. New romantic connections are made, and even the purest of loves are tested. The series is written by Bill Gallagher (Lark Rise to Candleford, The Paradise) and stars Sophie Rundle, Niamh Walsh and Naomi Battrick (above, on left).
Downton Abbey, Series 1 on Masterpiece
Thursdays, Sept. 5 & 12 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD All six seasons available for streaming via WETA Passport
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THE WOMAN IN WHITE PRODUCTIONS LTD./STEFFAN HILL/ORIGIN PICTURES
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atch it all over again! WETA reprises the first four-part series of the popular period drama that became a global phenomenon in 2011. Follow from the saga’s beginnings as the noble Crawley family and the staff that serves them at their country estate are buffeted by the winds of historical change in Edwardian England, experiencing challenges as events overtake their lives and society evolves around them. In Series 1, it is 1912. The Titanic has just gone down in the North Atlantic, taking with it the two male heirs to Downton Abbey, whose current Lord Grantham has only daughters — albeit marriageable ones. His nearest male relative is a lawyer — a bachelor — living in Manchester, who soon learns the ropes of managing a sprawling country estate, with its army of devoted, bickering servants, and its hunts, garden parties and sexual intrigues. With a superb ensemble cast that includes Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael and Jessica Brown Findlay as the Crawley daughters — and Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill), Maggie Smith (Harry Potter), Elizabeth McGovern (A Room with a View) and Dan Stevens (Sense & Sensibility), the miniseries became Masterpiece’s most popular drama ever.
The Woman in White
Thursdays, Sept. 19 & 26 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD
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ETA presents an encore airing of a 2018 BBC adaptation of the classic 19th-century Wilkie Collins tale considered one of the first mystery novels. The Victorian-era drama follows a young art teacher as he employs sleuthing techniques to come to the aid of a woman he loves who is caught up in a complex intrigue. The five-part series, airing over two nights, stars Jessie Buckley as the strong-minded heroine Marian Halcombe; Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody), at left, as the young teacher Walter Hartright; Olivia Vinall as the heiress Laura Fairlie; Dougray Scott as the villainous Sir Percival Glyde; and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as Frederick Fairlie, the uncle of Laura and Marian. As the story begins, Walter Hartright, a young drawing master, encounters a spectral woman dressed in white on a moonlit road on Hampstead Heath. After offering his assistance, he is shocked to discover that she has just escaped from a nearby insane asylum. The encounter draws him into a web of mystery and deception that transforms his life forever. For full schedules and program information, visit weta.org 9
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September Highlights on WETA TV 26/HD WETA Arts
Corazón Folklórico
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New episode of the TV 26 production premieres Friday, September 20 at 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD
he WETA TV 26 magazine-style series WETA Arts in September celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, exploring thematic stories and profiles that spotlight cultural diversity in the visual and performing arts in Greater Washington. WETA Around Town’s Robert Aubry Davis hosts the program. Segments planned for the September episode explore how local choreographer Alejandro Gongora fuses ballet with traditional Mexican dance in a troupe called Corazón Folklórico (at left); and spotlight Elena Lacayo, whose folk-rock band Elena & Los Fulanos formed in Columbia Heights and integrates her U.S. and Nicaraguan roots. They also include a visit with National Portrait Gallery curator Taína Caragol, who is part of the Smithsonian’s effort to welcome the Latino/Latina population — and with nationally renowned D.C. playwright Karen Zacarias, whose work touches on Latin American themes.
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage: American Masters
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Friday, September 13 at 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD and streaming via the free PBS Video App
COURTESY FAMILY COLLECTION
iography series American Masters and Latino Public Broadcasting’s VOCES series present the first documentary on renowned actor Raúl Juliá. The film offers a revealing portrait of the charismatic, groundbreaking actor’s journey from his native Puerto Rico to the creative hotbed of 1960s New York City, to prominence on Broadway and then in Hollywood through films such as Kiss of the Spider Woman, Moon Over Parador, Romero, Presumed Innocent and The Addams Family. Juliá’s brilliant career was cut short by his untimely death 25 years ago, at age 54. Told in his own voice through archival interviews, the film features interviews with Rita Moreno, Edward James Olmos, John Leguizamo, Anjelica Huston, Jimmy Smits, Esai Morales, James Earl Jones and Andy Garcia. Major support for Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Major support for American Masters is provided by AARP. Additional support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rosalind P. Walter, Seton Melvin, Vital Projects Fund, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, Judith and Burton Resnick, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, and public television viewers.
Hispanic Heritage Month on WETA TV 26/HD Visit weta.org/HispanicHeritage for program descriptions.
WETA Arts Fri 9/20, 9pm; Rpts Sat 9/28, 11pm; Sun 9/29, 11:30pm America Reframed: Councilwoman Fri 9/6, 10:30pm Farewell Ferris Wheel Fri 9/13, 10:30pm We Like It Like That Sat 9/21, 11:35pm Ballet Hispanico Sat 9/14, 11:06pm Beyond La Bamba Mon 9/9, 4:30pm Cuba: The Forgotten Revolution Thur 9/12, 4pm Independent Lens: Dolores Tue 9/3, 3pm Latino Americans: A Peabody Award-winning WETA production Pts 1-6, weekdays at 1pm, 9/16-9/19, 9/23-9/24 Pati’s Mexican Table Saturdays, 11:30am POV: Don’t Tell Anyone Fri 9/20, 4:30pm POV: Voices of the Sea Fri 9/27, 4:30pm
POV: The Silence of Others Mon 9/30, 10pm Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage: American Masters Fri 9/13, 9pm Re-Evolution: The Cuban Dream Sun 9/8, 5pm The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo Fri 9/13, 5pm; Rpts Sun 9/15, 1pm The Salinas Project Tue 9/3, 5pm Salsa! The Dance Sensation Sun 9/8, 5:30pm; Rpts Thur 9/12, 5:30pm; Sat 9/14, 12:30am VOCES on PBS: Children of Giant Sat 9/7, 11:30pm The Pushouts Fri 9/20, 10:30pm; Rpts Thur 9/26, 1pm Adios Amor—The Search for Maria Moreno Fri 9/27, 10pm Willie Velasquez: Your Vote Is Your Voice Fri 9/6, 5pm; Rpts Sat 9/28, 11:30pm
10 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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September Highlights on WETA TV 26/HD s! re u t ea F Mondays at 8 & 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD ble u and streaming via the free PBS Video App Do
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MEREDITH NIERMAN FOR WGBH, ©WGBH 2017.
Antiques Roadshow
ne of the most popular public television series year after year, Antiques Roadshow is part adventure, part history lesson and part treasure hunt. Hosted by veteran television personality Mark L. Walberg, the 13-time Emmy Award-nominated production features surprises in each hour — and now the fun is doubled as WETA broadcasts two episodes each Monday night! In the programs, specialists from the country’s leading auction houses and independent dealers offer free appraisals of antiques and collectibles. Antiques Roadshow cameras capture tales of family heirlooms, flea-market finds and items saved from attics and basements, while experts share the fascinating truths about these items — and their valuation. Can you spot the big finds? Tune in to the September episodes in Indianapolis, Palm Springs, Virginia Beach and Salt Lake City — where, above, Frederick Oster appraises a German violin, circa 1750. Funding for Antiques Roadshow is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Ancestry, and Consumer Cellular. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.
Magical Land of Oz
Wednesdays, September 4 & 11 at 10 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD and streaming via the free PBS Video App
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RED STAR, WV, 1908. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
COURTESY MICHAEL DOE
dazzling three-part nature series airing on two Wednesdays in September spotlights fauna of Australia as cameras capture diverse animals and their behavior in the continent’s highest snowy peaks, frigid southern seas and suburban backyards. Episodes 1 and 2, Land and Ocean, air back to back on September 4. Land travels from wintery mountains to tropical Queensland, discovering how animals have learned to thrive across the continent’s harsh and beautiful extremes. In the spotlight are the echidna; the platypus; an endangered native marsupial, the numbat; tree kangaroos; palm cockatoos; and black kites. Ocean visits South Australia to spotlight protected sea lions; a gathering of colorful giant cuttlefish who battle for mates; humpback whales arriving from colder water to give birth; Australian spider crabs, the largest crustaceans in the world, and their predators, stingrays; and in the bird world, petrels and boobies. The third episode, Human, airing September 11, explores humankind’s impact on the continent’s wildlife, documenting species thriving or struggling, including possums, water dragons, a flamboyant species of tiny spider (above), dingos, “walking” fish (yellowtail grunters) and koalas. Also tune in for nature series Animal Babies at 8 p.m. on September 4 and 11.
The Mine Wars: American Experience
Tuesday, September 3 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD and streaming via the free PBS Video App
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t the dawn of the 20th century, coal was the fuel that powered the nation. Yet few Americans thought much about the workers who blasted the black rock from underground and hauled it to the surface. The two-hour American Experience film The Mine Wars tells the story of miners in the mountains of southern West Virginia — native mountaineers, African American migrants and European immigrants — who came together in a protracted struggle for their rights. Decades of violence accompanied their attempts to form a union, culminating in the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War. The West Virginia mine wars raised profound questions about what freedom and democracy meant to working people in an industrial society. Also set in Appalachia this month is the new American Experience documentary The Feud, Tuesday, September 10 at 9 p.m., relating the story behind the famous family conflict between Appalachian clans the Hatfields and the McCoys. Exclusive corporate funding for American Experience provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Major funding provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Major funding for The Mine Wars provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence. Additional funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.
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WETA TV 26 & WETA HD September primetime simulcast listings.
Denotes WETA productions, co-productions and presentations
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8:00
9:00
9:30
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Sun
WETA Viewer Favorites
2
Mon
Antiques Roadshow: Indianapolis, IN (Hour 3)
3
Tue
The Mine Wars: American Experience
4
Wed
Animal Babies: First Year on Earth: Testing Limits
5
Thu
Downton Abbey, Series 1 on Masterpiece (Pt 1 of 4)
6
Fri
Washington Week
7
Sat
Jamestown, Series 2 (Pts 1 & 2 of 8) (to 9:36pm)
8
Sun
COUNTRY MUSIC: Live at the Ryman, A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns
PBS Previews: Country Music
9
Mon
Antiques Roadshow: Palm Springs, CA (Hour 2)
Antiques Roadshow: Palm Springs, CA (Hour 3)
POV: Grit
10
Tue
Finding Your Roots, Series 4 (Encore: Southern Roots)
Feud: American Experience
Frontline: Flint’s Deadly Water
11
Wed
Animal Babies: First Year on Earth: New Frontiers
NOVA: Treasures of the Earth: Gems
Magical Land of Oz (Pt 3 of 3. Human)
12
Thu
Downton Abbey, Series 1 on Masterpiece (Pt 3 of 4)
13
Fri
Washington Week
14
Sat
Jamestown, Series 2 (Pts 3 & 4 of 8) (to 9:36pm)
15
Sun
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 1 of 8. The Rub) (Beginnings-1933)
COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 1 of 8. The Rub) (to 12m)
16
Mon
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 2 of 8. Hard Times) (1933-1945)
COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 2 of 8. Hard Times) (to 12m)
17
Tue
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 3 of 8. The Hillbilly Shakespeare) (1945-1953)
COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 3 of 8. The Hillbilly Shakespeare) (to 12m)
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Wed
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 4 of 8. I Can’t Stop Loving You) (1953-1963)
COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 4 of 8. I Can’t Stop Loving You) (to 12m)
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Thu
The Woman in White (Pts 1-3 of 5)
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Fri
Washington Week
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Sat
Jamestown, Series 2 (Pts 5 & 6 of 8) (to 9:43pm)
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Sun
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 5 of 8. The Sons and Daughters of America) (1964-1968)
COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 5 of 8. The Sons and Daughters of America) (to 12m)
23
Mon
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 6 of 8. Will the Circle Be Unbroken?) (1968-1972)
COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 6 of 8. Will the Circle Be Unbroken?) (to 12m)
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Tue
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 7 of 8. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?) (1973-1983) (to 10:30pm) & COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 7 of 8. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?) (to 1am)
25
Wed
COUNTRY MUSIC (Pt 8 of 8. Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’ ) (1984-1996)
COUNTRY MUSIC (Encore: Pt 8 of 8. Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’ ) (to 12m)
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Thu
The Woman in White (Pts 4 & 5 of 5)
Vera, Series 9: The Seagull (to 11:30pm)
9
27
Fri
Washington Week
Voces on PBS: Adios Amor–The Search for Maria Moreno
1
Sat
Jamestown, Series 2 (Pts 7 & 8 of 8) (to 9:36pm)
Sun
The Durrells in Corfu, Series 4 on Masterpiece (Pt 1 of 6)
Poldark, Series 5 on Masterpiece (Pt 1 of 8)
Golden Years (to 11:30pm)
Mon
Antiques Roadshow: Salt Lake City, UT (Hour 3)
Antiques Roadshow: Virginia Beach, VA (Hour 1)
POV: The Silence of Others (to 11:30pm)
28 29 30
8:00
The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations (Series 2, Ep 1)
The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations (Series 2, Ep 2)
The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations (Series 2, Ep 3)
The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations (Series 2, Ep 4)
8:30
PBS NewsHour airs weeknights at 7 p.m.
Antiques Roadshow: Palm Springs, CA (Hour 1)
POV: Farmsteaders Frontline: Trump’s Trade War
NOVA: Rise of the Superstorms
Magical Land of Oz (Pts 1 & 2 of 3. Land/Ocean) (to 12m)
Downton Abbey, Series 1 on Masterpiece (Pt 2 of 4)
Live from Lincoln Center: Odyssey Chamber Music Society in Greece
America Reframed: Councilwoman (to 11:30pm)
(from 9:36pm:) The WETA Movie: Agnes of God (to 11:30pm)
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Country Music: Live at the Ryman (to 12:30am)
1
2
Downton Abbey, Series 1 on Masterpiece (Pt 4 of 4)
Raúl Juliá: American Masters
America Reframed: Farewell Ferris Wheel (to 11:30pm)
3
(from 9:36pm:) The WETA Movie: High Noon (to 11:06pm)
WETA Arts
Great Performances: Now Hear This: Vivaldi: Something Completely Different
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Voces on PBS: The Pushouts (to 11:30pm)
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(from 9:43pm:) The WETA Movie: Witness (to 11:35pm)
Great Performances: Now Hear This: The Riddle of Bach
(from 9:36pm:) The WETA Movie: Stand By Me (to 11:07pm)
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9:30
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8
10:00
10
1 10:30
Amanpour and Company airs late weeknights (check listings).
12 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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WETA TV 26 & WETA HD
September simulcast primetime listings, plus weekends for WETA TV 26 • Programming on WETA TV 26 and WETA HD is the same — simulcast — Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. through primetime programs, and weekends beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. Sundays. • Please note that Saturday daytime listings that follow are for WETA TV 26 only unless otherwise indicated. For complete 24-hour schedules of programs on WETA TV 26 and WETA HD, visit weta.org/tv. • The weeknight primetime schedule on WETA TV 26 often repeats the next weekday afternoon on WETA TV 26. • WETA TV 26 is devoted to children’s programming 5 a.m.–noon weekdays and 6–9 a.m. Sundays. For 24 hours of children’s programming each day, tune in to the WETA Kids channel. See page 20 for schedule information. Program Key ■ — WETA productions, co-productions or presentations. R — Aired within the month. Listings are accurate as of press time. For late-breaking program updates, visit weta.org/tv or call 703-998-2724.
1 Sunday SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 6AM-5AM: 6AM-5AM WETA VIEWER FAVORITES
3 Tuesday
COURTESY BBC STUDIOS
7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 THE MINE WARS: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE — Go inside the bitter battle to unionize coal miners at the dawn of the 20th century. The struggle over the power that fueled America led to the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War and turned parts of West Virginia into a bloody war zone. Repeats Wed 9/4, 1pm
Wednesdays, September 4 & 11 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD Animal Babies follows the experiences of young animals around the globe as they encounter challenges in their first year of life.
Mondays at 8 & 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD WETA now presents Antiques Roadshow double features on Mondays! Above, in the Sept. 2 Palm Springs episode, Timothy Gordon appraises Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker coat from the show All in the Family.
10:00 FRONTLINE: TRUMP’S TRADE WAR — Learn the inside story of President Trump’s gamble to confront China over trade. Reporting from the U.S. and China, NPR and Frontline investigate what led the world’s two largest economies to the brink, and the billions at stake. 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
WETA Television
6:00 BBC WORLD NEWS 6:30 NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR — WETA production PBS NewsHour provides in-depth analysis of current events with a news summary, live studio interviews and discussions of domestic and international issues. Judy Woodruff anchors. Visit pbs.org/newshour. 8:00 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Hour 3. A Mucha JOB poster, a Nakashima floor lamp and a Ty Cobb-signed baseball. Which is the big find? Repeats Tue 9/3, 1pm; Wed 9/4, 4pm; Fri 9/6, 4pm 9:00 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: PALM SPRINGS, CA — Hour 1. A 1965 Noah Purifoy sculpture, an Archie Bunker coat, a Franz Bergman lamp. Which is worth $125,000? Repeats Tue 9/3, 2pm; Wed 9/4, 5pm; Mon 9/9, 5pm 10:00 POV: FARMSTEADERS — As agriculture moves toward large-scale farming, the Nolans return home to resurrect their family’s dairy farm. This independent film offers an unexpected voice for those who grow the food that sustains us. 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Christiane Amanpour leads conversations with global thought leaders on contemporary issues. Repeats noon tomorrow
MEREDITH NIERMAN FOR WGBH
2 Monday
4 Wednesday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 ANIMAL BABIES: FIRST YEAR ON EARTH — Meet six baby animals from across the globe. Follow along as they experience joy and hardship, confront near-daily adversities, navigate their habitats, and overcome challenges in their first year of life. Testing Limits. Learn the new challenges baby animals face once they can get around on their own. Every day brings new trials and tribulations, like searching for food, surviving in harsh environments and bonding with family members. Repeats Thur 9/5, 1pm 9:00 NOVA: RISE OF THE SUPERSTORMS — Flash back to the 2017 hurricane season, when the U.S. received a record three Category 4 hurricane landfalls with Harvey, Irma and Maria. Can scientists determine whether these monster storms are a harbinger of more powerful hurricanes to come? Repeats Thur 9/5, 2pm 10:00 MAGICAL LAND OF OZ — Explore Australian animal life as unique species navigate extremes on land and sea. Cameras capture the continent’s diverse animal populations in its highest snowy peaks, frigid southern seas and suburban backyards. Episode 1 of 3. Land. An exploration of one of the most magical lands on the planet examines its unique wildlife, including a tree-dwelling kangaroo, a spider that survives underwater and a bird that spreads fire. Repeats Thur 9/5, 3pm 11:00 MAGICAL LAND OF OZ — Episode 2 of 3. Ocean. A natural history exploration of Australia’s magical coasts and islands spotlights how three oceans create the perfect environment for whales, giant cuttlefish and sharks. Repeats Thur 9/5, 4pm 12M AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
For full schedules and program information, visit weta.org 13
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7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — WETA reprises the first season of the popular Masterpiece drama, which opens in 1912, following the lives of the noble Crawley family and the staff who serve them at their Edwardian country house. Part 1 of 4. When the Titanic goes down, Lord Grantham loses his immediate heirs and his daughter Mary loses her fiancé, throwing Downton Abbey and its servants into turmoil. The new heir turns out to be Matthew, a lowly lawyer with novel ideas about country life. Repeats Fri 9/6, 1pm; Sun 9/8, 2pm 9:30 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — Part 2 of 4. Mary entertains three suitors, including a Turkish diplomat whose boldness leads to a surprising event. Downstairs, the shocking former life of butler Carson is unmasked and Bates risks his health to remain valet. Repeats Fri 9/6, 2:30pm; Sun 9/8, 3:30pm 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
6 Friday
WETA Television
7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 WASHINGTON WEEK — In WETA’s long-running weekly production, join moderator Robert Costa for a robust roundtable discussion with award-winning journalists who provide reporting and analysis of the major news stories emanating from the nation’s capital. Visit pbs.org/washingtonweek. Repeats Sat 9/7, 6:30pm 8:30 THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN SHOW: PEER-TO-PEER CONVERSATIONS, SERIES 2 — The renowned Washington, D.C.-based financier and philanthropist explores successful leadership through the personal and professional choices of the most influential people in prominent fields of endeavor. Rubenstein travels the country talking to leaders to uncover their stories and their paths to success. Episode 1. President George W. Bush & President Bill Clinton. Repeats Sun 9/8, 6:30pm 9:00 LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: ODYSSEY CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY IN GREECE — Join the musicians of the Chamber Music Society on a journey across iconic settings as they perform signature works in venues such as the Ancient Amphitheater of Larissa, the historic Church of the Taxiarchon in Pelion, and more. 10:30 AMERICA REFRAMED: COUNCILWOMAN — The independent documentary series spotlights Carmen Castillo, a first-term city councilwoman who maintains her fulltime job as a hotel housekeeper. She advocates for the working families in her community; and in her quest for workers’ rights she leads the charge of the Fight for $15 in Providence, Rhode Island. She runs a grueling reelection campaign all while working at the hotel, in City Hall and maintaining a family. Will she succeed? 11:30 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon Monday
7 Saturday
MASTERPIECE
ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-5:30PM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING 6:30 JULIE TABOULIE’S LEBANESE KITCHEN 7:00 CIAO ITALIA
Thursdays, September 5 & 12 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD See how it all started! WETA features an encore presentation of Downton Abbey, Series 1 on Masterpiece. Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery and Jessica Brown Findlay portray the Crawley sisters.
COURTESY BLOOMBERG MEDIA
5 Thursday
THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN SHOW: PEER-TO-PEER CONVERSATIONS SERIES 2, A WETA PRESENTATION Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations features the Washington, D.C.-based financier and philanthropist exploring successful leadership in interviews with prominent guests.
7:30 LUCKY CHOW, SERIES 3 — New to WETA! LUCKYRICE culinary festival founder Danielle Chang hosts the series, traveling the world to explore the Asian food landscape. 8:00 JOANNE WEIR GETS FRESH 8:30 RICK STEVES’ EUROPE 9:00 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 10:00 THE THIS OLD HOUSE HOUR 11:00 A CHEF’S LIFE 11:30 PATI’S MEXICAN TABLE 12N YAN CAN COOK: SPICE KINGDOM 12:30 SARA’S WEEKNIGHT MEALS — In a new season (Series 9), Sara Moulton travels in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana to share regional food traditions from local home cooks. 1:00 BAKING WITH JULIA 1:30 LIDIA’S KITCHEN 2:00 IN JULIA’S KITCHEN WITH MASTER CHEFS 2:30 JACQUES PÉPIN: MORE FAST FOOD MY WAY! 3:00 MARTHA STEWART’S COOKING SCHOOL 3:30 MARTHA BAKES 4:00 COOK’S COUNTRY FROM AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN 4:30 AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN FROM COOK’S ILLUSTRATED 5:00 CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL’S MILK STREET TELEVISION SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 5:30PM-1AM: 5:30 SAMANTHA BROWN’S PLACES TO LOVE 6:00 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:30 WASHINGTON WEEK — R 7:00 GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW, SERIES 3 — Follow amateur bakers in a national competition. Judges are Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, and Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins provide comic relief. Part 8 of 10. 7:59 JAMESTOWN, SERIES 2 — A second season of the drama series from the makers of Downton Abbey is set in 1620 in the British colony, following new adventures in love, war and diplomacy. Loves will be tested, and the power of politics will affect the whole community as the battle for supremacy continues. Part 1 of 8. Jamestown’s first baby brings joy to the settlement, but the discovery of a terrible crime throws suspicion upon new and old inhabitants. When Jocelyn’s position and influence in the colony comes under threat, she forges a surprising new connection. Part 2 of 8. The Rutters embark on a money-making adventure that has brutal consequences. Pedro has a plan for advancement but it requires Jocelyn’s help. The Sharrows look for a way out of a compromising situation that Alice accidentally makes much worse. 9:36 THE WETA MOVIE: AGNES OF GOD — In Norman Jewison’s 1985 drama-mystery, a psychiatrist (Jane Fonda) probes the mind of a nun (Meg Tilly) in whose room a dead newborn infant has been found. Anne Bancroft co-stars. (1:40) Repeats Sun 9/8, 11:30am 11:30 VOCES ON PBS: CHILDREN OF GIANT — In 1955, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean and a massive crew descended on the Texas town of Marfa to begin production on the film, Giant. Now, more than 60 years later, Children of Giant explores the feature film’s still timely examination of racial prejudice. (90 min.)
14 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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COURTESY CARNIVAL FILM & TELEVISION LIMITED 2018
Sunday, September 8 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD Country Music: Live at the Ryman, A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns features a special concert by country music luminaries in addition to clips from the documentary COUNTRY MUSIC. Above, center: Rodney Crowell and Kathy Mattea in the concert’s finale.
eight-part, 16-hour series directed by Ken Burns — and produced by Burns and his long-time collaborators Dayton Duncan and Julie Dunfey. The film begins airing on September 15. Repeats tonight; Mon 9/9, 3pm 10:30 COUNTRY MUSIC: LIVE AT THE RYMAN, A CONCERT CELEBRATING THE FILM BY KEN BURNS — R 12:30AM PBS PREVIEWS: COUNTRY MUSIC — R
9 Monday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: PALM SPRINGS, CA — Hour 2. A Roy Lichtenstein screenprint, a NASA archive and a Tiffany Studios mosaic. One is appraised at $100,000$150,000. Repeats Tue 9/10, 1pm 9:00 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: PALM SPRINGS, CA — Hour 3. A Charles Schreyvogel oil, Disneyland elevations and Brooke Shields’ Mackie gown. One is worth $75,000. Repeats Tue 9/10, 2pm 10:00 POV: GRIT — In this independent film, after her East Java village is left submerged by a tsunami of mud, Dian, a politically active teenager, galvanizes her neighbors to demand reparations from the corporate powers accused of one of the largest environmental disasters in recent history. 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
WETA Television
ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-11:30AM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM-9AM WETA KIDS PROGRAMMING 9:00 WHITE HOUSE CHRONICLE 9:30 TO THE CONTRARY WITH BONNIE ERBE 10:00 THIS IS AMERICA AND THE WORLD WITH DENNIS WHOLEY 10:30 THE OPEN MIND 11:00 FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 11:30AM-1AM: 11:30 THE WETA MOVIE: AGNES OF GOD — (1:40) R 1:30 PBS PREVIEWS: COUNTRY MUSIC — See tonight’s 10 p.m. listing. 2:00 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — Part 1 of 4. R 3:30 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — Part 2 of 4. R 5:00 RE-EVOLUTION: THE CUBAN DREAM — Dive into the streets of Havana to meet a social worker, an ethnographer and three artists. Their stories provide unique perspectives on how Cuba is shaped by an ongoing culture of revolution that is more nuanced than meets the eye. This program explores pillars of Cuban society that are evolving today. Repeats Fri 9/13, 4:30pm 5:30 SALSA!: THE DANCE SENSATION — Learn about what may be the most popular social dance in the world, practiced today by people of all ages, ethnicities and cultures. In South Florida, this Latin-flavored dance, infused with Caribbean and African roots, is performed with passion and artistry. What began as a folk tradition has exploded into the mainstream and features an array of styles and traditions. Repeats Sat 9/14, 12:30am 6:00 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:30 THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN SHOW: PEER-TO-PEER CONVERSATIONS, SERIES 2 — Episode 1. President George W. Bush & President Bill Clinton. R 7:00 CHARLEY PRIDE: I’M JUST ME: AMERICAN MASTERS — Explore the complicated history of the American South and its music through the life of the country star. Raised in segregated Mississippi, his journey shows the ways that artistic expression can triumph over prejudice and injustice. Repeats Wed 9/11, 3:30pm 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC: LIVE AT THE RYMAN, A CONCERT CELEBRATING THE FILM BY KEN BURNS — Join marquee musicians for a concert celebrating the new film COUNTRY MUSIC by Ken Burns. Hosted by Burns, the concert took place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, and features performances and appearances by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Rhiannon Giddens, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Marty Stuart, Dwight Yoakam and others. In addition to live performances of iconic country songs, select clips from the new film are highlighted. Repeats tonight; Mon 9/9, 1pm; Tue 9/10, 4pm; Sun 9/15, 6pm 10:00 PBS PREVIEWS: COUNTRY MUSIC — Go behind the scenes of the upcoming Florentine Films and WETA co-production COUNTRY MUSIC, a sweeping new
COURTESY ERIKA GOLDRING
8 Sunday
10 Tuesday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. — In this WETA co-production, join Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. as he uncovers the surprising ancestral stories of guest-participants. WETA reprises the Season 4 episode Southern Roots: Three guests of disparate Southern backgrounds, DJ and producer Questlove, talk show host Dr. Phil and journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, find astonishing tales of bondage in their family histories. Repeats Wed 9/11, 1pm 9:00 FEUD: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE — Discover the real story behind the most famous family conflict in American history: the bloody backwoods battle between Appalachian clans, the Hatfields and McCoys. This new film goes beyond the myth to show how the feud was ignited. Repeats Wed 9/11, 2pm 10:00 FRONTLINE: FLINT’S DEADLY WATER — Exposing the deadly toll from the Flint water crisis, a two-year Frontline investigation uncovers the roots and extent of a deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak during the water crisis, and how officials failed to stop it. 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
11 Wednesday Saturdays at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD Jamestown, Series 2, a drama from the makers of Downton Abbey, follows developments and relationships in the early Virginia colony. Above: Kalani Queypo as Chacrow, a warrior of the Pamunkey tribe.
7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 ANIMAL BABIES: FIRST YEAR ON EARTH — Meet six baby animals from across the globe and follow along as they experience joy and hardship, confront neardaily adversities, navigate their habitats and overcome challenges in their first year of life. New Frontiers. Join
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at the struggles of an industry trying to stay alive by employing Mexican migrant workers. 11:30 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon Monday
WETA Television
Wednesday, September 11 at 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD NOVA: Treasures of the Earth: Gems spotlights how gems are forged underground and why the precious stones are so alluring.
the baby animals as they near the end of their first year of life. It’s time for these young ones to branch off from the comfort of their mothers and learn to explore the great unknown on their own. Repeats Thur 9/12, 1pm 9:00 NOVA: TREASURES OF THE EARTH: GEMS — Gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, opal and jade are the ultimate treasures. Delve into Earth’s depths to discover how these precious stones are forged — and explore the unique allure of each captivating gemstone. Repeats Thur 9/12, 2pm 10:00 MAGICAL LAND OF OZ — Explore Australian animal life on land and sea. Episode 3 of 3. Human. An exploration of Australia’s mesmerizing wildlife and how it has adapted to survive in the human environment includes a flamboyant dancing peacock spider in a suburban garden. Repeats Thur 9/12, 3pm 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
12 Thursday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — Part 3 of 4. Growing into his role as heir, Matthew brings out the bitter rivalry between sisters Mary and Edith. Servants Thomas and O’Brien scheme against Bates, while head housemaid Anna is increasingly attracted to him. Lady Violet’s winning streak in the flower show is threatened. Repeats Fri 9/13, 1pm; Sun 9/15, 2pm 9:30 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — Part 4 of 4. The heir crisis at Downton Abbey takes an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, rumors fly about Mary’s virtue. Her sister Sybil takes a risk in her secret political life. Anna unearths Bates’ mysterious past and O’Brien and Thomas plot their exit strategy. Repeats Fri 9/13, 2:30pm; Sun 9/15, 3:30pm 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
13 Friday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 WASHINGTON WEEK — In WETA’s long-running weekly production, join moderator Robert Costa for a robust roundtable discussion with award-winning journalists who provide reporting and analysis of the major news stories emanating from the nation’s capital. Visit pbs.org/washingtonweek. Repeats Sat 9/14, 6:30pm 8:30 THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN SHOW: PEER-TO-PEER CONVERSATIONS, SERIES 2 — The renowned Washington, D.C.-based financier and philanthropist interviews leaders to uncover their stories and their paths to success. Episode 2. Brian Roberts, Comcast CEO. Repeats Sun 9/15, 5pm 9:00 RAUL JULIA: THE WORLD’S A STAGE: AMERICAN MASTERS — In this co-presentation of Voces and biography series American Masters, discover the career of Raúl Juliá, the charismatic, award-winning actor and humanitarian known for his roles on stage and screen, from Shakespearean plays to The Addams Family films. 10:30 AMERICA REFRAMED: FAREWELL FERRIS WHEEL — The documentary series spotlights carnivals, which have a delightful place in the American imagination yet are nearly extinct as a result of rising expenses and changes in U.S. labor patterns. Follow an inside look
ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-5:30PM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM-5:30PM See the Saturday, September 7 listings. SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 5:30PM-1AM: 5:30 SAMANTHA BROWN’S PLACES TO LOVE 6:00 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:30 WASHINGTON WEEK — R 7:00 GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW, SERIES 3 — Part 9 of 10. 7:59 JAMESTOWN, SERIES 2 — Part 3 of 8. A challenge from The Pamunkey leads to heartache for the Sharrows and tests Yeardley’s ability to defuse the conflict. Maria’s behavior comes under scrutiny by Temperance while Christopher joins in the town’s political games to impress Jocelyn. Part 4 of 8. A ship spotted off shore heralds the arrival of James Read’s new wife. Jocelyn uses a devious plan to exploit the Sharrows’ special relationship with the Pamunkey for political gain, and the Rutters face Massinger’s vengeance. 9:36 THE WETA MOVIE: HIGH NOON — In Fred Zinnemann’s classic 1952 western, a marshal (Gary Cooper) on the verge of retirement is abandoned by the townsfolk he serves and must stand alone to face a vengeful gunman and his gang. Grace Kelly plays Marshall Will Kane’s newly wedded wife. (1:30) Repeats Sun 9/15, 11:30am 11:06 BALLET HISPANICO FROM LINCOLN CENTER — Enjoy two iconic works from the country’s premier Latino dance company: Carmen.maquia, a modern take on Bizet’s passionate opera, and Club Havana, a virtuosic reimagining of a sizzling nightclub by Cuban-born choreographer Pedro Ruiz. 12:30AM SALSA!: THE DANCE SENSATION — R (30 min.)
15 Sunday ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-11:30AM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM-11:30AM See the Sunday, September 8 listings. SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 11:30AM-2AM: 11:30 THE WETA MOVIE: HIGH NOON — (1:30) R 1:00 THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BROWN BUFFALO — Explore the life of radical Chicano lawyer, author and countercultural icon Oscar Zeta Acosta — the basis for the character Dr. Gonzo in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” written by journalist-provocateur Hunter S. Thompson. Acosta’s powerful literary voice, brash courtroom style and notorious revolutionary antics made him a revered figure within the Chicano movement of the 1960s and ’70s. 2:00 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — Part 3 of 4. R 3:30 DOWNTON ABBEY, SERIES 1 ON MASTERPIECE — Part 4 of 4. R 5:00 THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN SHOW: PEER-TO-PEER CONVERSATIONS, SERIES 2 — Episode 2. Brian Roberts, Comcast CEO. R
WARNER BROS./PHOTOFEST
DOUG HAMILTON
14 Saturday
Friday, September 13 at 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage: American Masters, airing as part of WETA’s Hispanic Heritage Month programming, spotlights the actor from his roots in Puerto Rico to stardom on stage and in Hollywood.
16 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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MUSICIANS, CIRCA 1900. THE JIM BOLLMAN COLLECTION
bluegrass sound spreads in post-war America, and meet honky-tonk star Hank Williams, whose songs of surprising emotional depth are derived from his troubled and tragically short life. Repeats tonight; Wed 9/18, 2pm, 4pm; Sun 9/22, 3:30pm 10:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 3 of 8. The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 –1953). R 12M AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
18 Wednesday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — The Ken Burns film, a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA, continues. Part 4 of 8. I Can’t Stop Living You (1953 –1963). Travel to Memphis, where Sun Studios artists Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley usher in the era of rockabilly. Ray Charles crosses America’s racial divide by recording a country album. Patsy Cline shows off Music City’s smooth new Nashville Sound. Repeats tonight; Thur 9/19, 2pm, 4pm; Sun 9/22, 6pm 10:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 4 of 8. I Can’t Stop Loving You (1953 –1963). R 12M AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
COUNTRY MUSIC, A FILM BY KEN BURNS A WETA CO-PRODUCTION
Sun.-Wed, September 15-18 & 22-25 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD COUNTRY MUSIC, a new film by Ken Burns, explores the history of the uniquely American art form from its origins to worldwide popularity. The series airs over the course of eight evenings, repeating nightly.
19 Thursday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 THE WOMAN IN WHITE — In this adaptation of the Wilkie Collins novel, when a young drawing master encounters a spectral woman dressed all in white on a moonlit road on Hampstead Heath, he is drawn into a web of intrigue that will transform his life forever. Jessie Buckley and Ben Hardy star. Part 1 of 5. Walter Hartright encounters Anne on Hampstead Heath and learns she has escaped from a nearby asylum. Walter falls in love with his pupil, Laura Fairlie, but she’s set to marry Sir Percival Glyde, who put Anne in the asylum. Repeats Fri 9/20, 1pm 9:00 THE WOMAN IN WHITE — Part 2 of 5. Walter is sent away before he can learn the truth about Anne. Laura confesses her feelings about Walter to Sir Percival, who in turn moves up their wedding. Anne’s mother visits the newlyweds’ home in search of her daughter, who’s been seen nearby. Repeats Fri 9/20, 2pm 10:00 THE WOMAN IN WHITE — Part 3 of 5. As Sir Percival faces money troubles, Laura learns the truth about her new husband. Marian begins to suspect that Count Fosco is up to no good and resolves to find out what he and Sir Percival are plotting. Repeats Fri 9/20, 3pm 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
WETA Television
5:30 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:00 COUNTRY MUSIC: LIVE AT THE RYMAN: A CONCERT CELEBRATING THE FILM BY KEN BURNS — Join celebrated musicians for a concert celebrating the new film COUNTRY MUSIC by Ken Burns. Hosted by Burns, the concert took place at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, and features performances and appearances by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Rhiannon Giddens, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Marty Stuart, Dwight Yoakam and others. In addition to live performances of iconic country songs, select clips from the new film are highlighted. R 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — In a new Ken Burns film, explore the history of a uniquely American art form: country music. From its deep and tangled roots in ballads, blues and hymns performed in small settings, to its worldwide popularity, learn how country music evolved over the course of the twentieth century. Directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan, the co-production of Florentine Films and WETA features neverbefore-seen footage and photographs, plus interviews with a wide array of country music artists. Part 1 of 8. The Rub (Beginnings–1933). See how what was first called “hillbilly music” reaches new audiences through phonographs and radio, and launches the careers of country music’s first big stars, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. Repeats tonight; Mon 9/16, 2pm, 4pm; Sun 9/22, 11:30am 10:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Pt 1 of 8. The Rub (Beginnings–1933). R 12M BIG FAMILY: THE STORY OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC — Examine the history of bluegrass music, from its origins to its eventual global popularity, and hear from dozens of musicians who explain the ways bluegrass music transcends generational, cultural and geographic boundaries. (2 hrs.)
20 Friday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 WASHINGTON WEEK — In WETA’s long-running weekly production, join moderator Robert Costa for a robust roundtable discussion with award-winning journalists who provide reporting and analysis of the major news stories emanating from the nation’s capital. Visit pbs.org/washingtonweek. Repeats Sat 9/21, 6:30pm
16 Monday THE WOMAN IN WHITE PRODUCTIONS LTD./ORIGIN PICTURES
7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — The Ken Burns film, a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA, continues. Part 2 of 8. Hard Times (1933 –1945). Watch as Nashville becomes the heart of the country music industry. The genre grows in popularity during the Great Depression and World War II as America falls in love with singing cowboys, Texas Swing and the Grand Ole Opry’s Roy Acuff. Repeats tonight; Tue 9/17, 2pm, 4pm; Sun 9/22, 1:30pm 10:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Pt 2 of 8. Hard Times (1933 –1945). R 12M AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
17 Tuesday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — The Ken Burns film, a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA, continues. Part 3 of 8. The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 –1953). See how the
Thursdays, September 19 & 26 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD The Woman in White, an adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ 1859 mysteryintrigue novel, stars Olivia Vinall, Jessie Buckley and Ben Hardy.
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WETA
WETA ARTS A WETA TV 26 PRODUCTION
WETA Television
Friday, September 20 at 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD WETA TV 26 production WETA Arts this month presents stories celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Above: A segment spotlights Elena Lacayo, member of local folk-rock band Elena & Los Fulanos.
8:30 THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN SHOW: PEER-TO-PEER CONVERSATIONS, SERIES 2 — The renowned Washington, D.C.-based financier and philanthropist interviews leaders to uncover their stories and their paths to success. Episode 3. Phil Knight, Nike Co-Founder and Chairman emeritus. 9:00 WETA ARTS — The WETA TV 26 magazine-style series celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, exploring thematic stories in the arts in Greater Washington. WETA Around Town’s Robert Aubry Davis hosts. The program discovers how local choreographer Alejandro Gongora fuses ballet with traditional Mexican dance in a troupe called Corazón Folklórico; meets Elena Lacayo, whose folk-rock band Elena & Los Fulanos formed in Columbia Heights and integrates her U.S. and Nicaraguan roots; visits with National Portrait Gallery curator Taína Caragol, who is part of the Smithsonian’s effort to welcome the Latino/Latina population; and meets nationally renowned D.C. playwright Karen Zacarias, whose work often touches on Latin American themes. Repeats Sat 9/28, 11:07pm; Sun 9/29, 11:30pm 9:30 GREAT PERFORMANCES: NOW HEAR THIS: VIVALDI: SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT — In a fourpart miniseries, travel across Europe on a journey of musical discovery. Explore northern Italy with host Scott Yoo and discover how Italian baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi’s masterwork The Four Seasons merged religious melodies, opera and virtuosic violin-playing to create a new era of music. Repeats Mon 9/30, 2pm 10:30 VOCES ON PBS: THE PUSHOUTS — Meet Victor Rios, a high school dropout and former gang member-turnedaward-winning professor, author and expert on the school to prison pipeline, who works with young people who have been “pushed out” of school for reasons beyond their control. Repeats Thur 9/26, 1pm 11:30 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon Monday
21 Saturday ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-5:30PM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM-5:30PM See the Saturday, September 7 listings. SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 5:30PM-4AM: 5:30 SAMANTHA BROWN’S PLACES TO LOVE 6:00 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:30 WASHINGTON WEEK — R 7:00 GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW, SERIES 3 — Pt 10 of 10. 7:58 JAMESTOWN, SERIES 2 — Part 5 of 8. Secretary Farlow returns with an intriguing alchemist in tow, which leads to an unusual revelation. The Sharrows await their first tobacco profits from overseas, while Maria and Pedro seek help from the Rutters when they’re framed for a crime. Part 6 of 8. Yeardley reveals that the colony faces a new and potentially devastating threat, while Massinger finds himself in a vulnerable position. An eclipse darkens the sky and ghostly happenings finally “out” the Catholic spy and Samuel’s true murderer. 9:43 THE WETA MOVIE: WITNESS — In Peter Weir’s 1985 mystery, a hunted Philadelphia detective (Harrison Ford) moves in with an Amish widow (Kelly McGillis) and her son after the boy witnesses a brutal murder. Alexander Godunov co-stars. (1:52)
11:35 AMERICA REFRAMED: WE LIKE IT LIKE THAT — The independent documentary series explores boogaloo music. Learn how the boogaloo sound, created by largely Puerto Rican, Cuban and African American youths living alongside each other in the 1960s, served as an authentic and vibrant cultural expression. The film explores a pivotal moment in ’60s music history. 1AM LATINO AMERICANS — A Peabody Award-winning production of WETA; Bosch and Co., Inc.; and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB); in association with ITVS chronicles the rich and varied history of Latinos, who for more than 500 years have helped shape what is today the United States. Actor Benjamin Bratt narrates. Part 1 of 6. Foreigners in Their Own Land. The series surveys the history and people from 1565-1880 as the first Spanish explorers enter North America, as the U.S. expands into territories in the Southwest that had been home to Native Americans and English and Spanish colonies, and as the Mexican-American War strips Mexico of half its territories by 1848. 2AM LATINO AMERICANS — Part 2 of 6. Empire of Dreams. The American population is reshaped by Latino immigration starting in 1880 and continuing into the 1940s as Cubans, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans begin arriving in the U.S. and build communities in South Florida, Los Angeles and New York. 3AM LATINO AMERICANS — Part 3 of 6. War and Peace. During the World War II years and those that follow, Latino Americans serve their new country by the hundreds of thousands — yet still face discrimination and a fight for civil rights in the United States.
22 Sunday ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-11:30AM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM-11:30AM See the Sunday, September 8 listings. SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 11:30AM-12M: 11:30 COUNTRY MUSIC — Pt 1 of 8. The Rub (Beginnings–1933). R 1:30 COUNTRY MUSIC — Pt 2 of 8. Hard Times (1933 –1945). R 3:30 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 3 of 8. The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 –1953). R 5:30 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 4 of 8. I Can’t Stop Living You (1953 –1963). R 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — The new Ken Burns film continues, exploring the history of the uniquely American art form. The co-production of Florentine Films and WETA is directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan. Part 5 of 8. The Sons and Daughters of America (1964 –1968). See how country music reflects a changing America, with Loretta Lynn speaking to women everywhere, Merle Haggard becoming “The Poet of the Common Man” and audiences looking beyond race to embrace Charley Pride. Repeats tonight; Mon 9/23, 2pm, 4pm; Sun 9/29, 11am 10:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 5 of 8. The Sons and Daughters of America. (1964 –1968). R
23 Monday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — The Ken Burns film, a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA, continues. Part 6 of 8. Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (1968 –1972). Learn how country music responds to a nation divided by the Vietnam War, as Army captain turned songwriter Kris Kristofferson sets a new lyrical standard, and artists like Bob Dylan and the Byrds record in Nashville. Repeats tonight; Tue 9/24, 2pm, 4pm; Sun 9/29, 1pm 10:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 6 of 8. Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (1968 –1972). R 12M AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
24 Tuesday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — The Ken Burns film, a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA, continues. Part 7 of 8. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973 –1983). Witness a vibrant era in country music, with Dolly Parton finding mainstream success; Hank Williams, Jr. and Rosanne Cash emerging from their famous fathers’ shadows; and Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings launching the “Outlaw” movement. Repeats tonight; Wed 9/25, 1pm, 3:30pm; Sun 9/29, 3pm
18 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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COURTESY MAMMOTH SCREEN FOR BBC & MASTERPIECE
8:30 THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN SHOW: PEER-TO-PEER CONVERSATIONS, SERIES 2 — The renowned Washington, D.C.-based financier and philanthropist interviews leaders to uncover their stories and their paths to success. Episode 4. Yo-Yo Ma, cellist. 9:00 GREAT PERFORMANCES: NOW HEAR THIS: THE RIDDLE OF BACH — In a four-part miniseries, travel across Europe on a journey of musical discovery. Travel to Germany and France to explore Johann Sebastian Bach’s sonatas and partitas for solo violin. Host Scott Yoo and his wife, leading flutist Alice Dade, discover a melodic similarity with Vivaldi and a riddle hidden in Bach’s portrait. 10:00 VOCES ON PBS: ADIOS AMOR–THE SEARCH FOR MARIA MORENO — See how the discovery of lost photographs sparks the search for a hero that history forgot: Maria Moreno, a migrant mother of 12 who became an outspoken leader for farmworker rights. Repeats Mon 9/30, 1pm 11:00 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon Monday
28 Saturday
10:30 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 7 of 8. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973 –1983). R 1AM AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
25 Wednesday
26 Thursday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 THE WOMAN IN WHITE — Part 4 of 5. Count Fosco and Sir Percival set their sinister plan into motion with tragic results. Marian and Walter make a horrifying discovery. Repeats Fri 9/27, 1pm 9:00 THE WOMAN IN WHITE — Part 5 of 5. Sir Percival’s secret is exposed, and Walter risks everything for the woman he loves. Repeats Fri 9/27, 2pm 10:00 VERA, SERIES 9 — Brenda Blethyn reprises her role as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope. The Seagull. Stanhope opens up a cold case when a skeleton is discovered underneath the site of an infamous burnt-out night club in Whitley Bay. She must uncover a web of secrets and corruption to understand the circumstances that led to murder. Repeats Fri 9/27, 3pm 11:30 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
27 Friday 7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 WASHINGTON WEEK — In WETA’s long-running weekly production, join moderator Robert Costa for a robust roundtable discussion with award-winning journalists who provide reporting and analysis of the major news stories emanating from the nation’s capital. Visit pbs.org/washingtonweek. Repeats Sat 9/28, 6:30pm
WETA Television
7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — The Ken Burns film, a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA, concludes. Part 8 of 8. Don’t Get Above Your Raisin' (1984 –1996). Learn how “New Traditionalists” like George Strait, Randy Travis and the Judds help country music stay true to its roots. Witness both the rise of superstar Garth Brooks and the return of an aging Johnny Cash to the industry he helped create. Repeats tonight; Thur 9/26, 2pm, 4pm; Sun 9/29, 6pm 10:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 8 of 8. Don’t Get Above Your Raisin' (1984 –1996). R 12M AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-5:30PM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM-5:30PM See the Saturday, September 7 listings. SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 5:30PM-4AM: 5:30 SAMANTHA BROWN’S PLACES TO LOVE 6:00 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:30 WASHINGTON WEEK — R 7:00 GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW, SERIES 4 — Part 1 of 10. 7:58 JAMESTOWN, SERIES 2 — Part 7 of 8. When Maria’s trust is betrayed, she runs away into the wilderness and leaves a life hanging in the balance. Silas and Henry make a business deal that compromises their principles, while Jocelyn forms a pact with a most unlikely ally. Part 8 of 8. Jocelyn uses secret intelligence to claim a stronghold in the town but Yeardley forms an audacious plan that will change life in Jamestown forever. Silas’ collusion with the Pamunkey comes to a head, as Jocelyn learns what it means to lose everything. 9:36 THE WETA MOVIE: STAND BY ME — In Rob Reiner’s 1986 drama, a boy (Wil Wheaton) and his three buddies set out in the summer of 1959 on a hike to find a dead body and learn about friendship on their adventure. River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O’Connell co-star. (1:30) 11:07 WETA ARTS — R 11:30 WILLIE VELASQUEZ: YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE — The charismatic and pioneering activist, whose rallying cry of “su voto es su voz” (your vote is your voice), started a grassroots movement that helped to transform the power of the Latino vote.
COURTESY RLJ ENTERTAINMENT/ACORN MEDIA
Sunday, September 29 at 9 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD Action-romance drama Poldark, Series 5 on Masterpiece, starring Aidan Turner, begins its final, 8-part season. Preceding Poldark, The Durrells in Corfu also enters its final season on Masterpiece.
Sunday, September 29 at 10 p.m. on WETA TV 26/HD Heist caper Golden Years, featuring an ensemble cast, follows a group of retirees who face poverty and start robbing banks.
WETA Magazine is published monthly by the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for its members. Three dollars of each member’s dues are designated for its subscription. WETA occasionally exchanges member names with other organizations. If you wish that your name not be exchanged, please call Audience Services at 703-998-2724. ©2019 by Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Periodical postage paid at Arlington, VA 22210 and additional offices. Send address changes to WETA, 3939 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, Virginia 22206. Volume 32, Number 9. ISSN No. 1041-2700. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Publisher Mary Stewart Editor Jeff Giese Design MANIFEST LLC Editorial and Advertising Offices 3939 Campbell Ave. Arlington, VA 22206
For full schedules and program information, visit weta.org 19
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12:30AM BBC ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 1AM LATINO AMERICANS — A Peabody Award-winning WETA co-production chronicles the rich and varied history of Latinos. Part 4 of 6. The New Latinos. In the decades after World War II through the early 1960s, increasing numbers of immigrants from Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic seek economic opportunities in the United States. 2AM LATINO AMERICANS — Part 5 of 6. Prejudice and Pride. A proud “Chicano” identity is created as labor leaders organize farm workers in California, and as activists push for better educational opportunities for Latinos, the inclusion of Latino studies in curricula, and empowerment in the political process. 3AM LATINO AMERICANS — Part 6 of 6. Peril and Promise. During the past 30 years, Cubans, Salvadorans, Nicaraguans and Guatemalans flee to the U.S., creating a debate over undocumented immigrants that leads to calls for tightened borders, English-only laws, and efforts to brand the undocumented as a drain on public resources. Simultaneously, the Latino influence booms and Latino Americans become the largest and youngest growing sector of the American population.
WETA Television
29 Sunday ON WETA TV 26, 6AM-11AM. See weta.org/hd for WETA HD. 6AM-11AM See the Sunday, September 8 listings. SIMULCAST ON WETA TV 26 & WETA HD, 11AM-12M: 11:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 5 of 8. The Sons and Daughters of America (1964-1968). R 1:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 6 of 8. Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (1968-1972). R 3:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 7 of 8. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973-1983). R 5:30 PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND 6:00 COUNTRY MUSIC — Part 8 of 8. Don’t Get Above Your Raisin' (1984-1996). R 8:00 THE DURRELLS IN CORFU, SERIES 4 ON MASTERPIECE — In a new season of the drama based on the life of the eccentric Durrell family on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu, the future looks bright. Louisa, Gerry and Margo have business ambitions, and Leslie throws himself into his job. Part 1 of 6. Louisa opens a new boarding house, but the arrival of a mysterious guest places it under police scrutiny. Gerry announces plans to open his own zoo. Margo struggles to find clients for her beauty treatments. Repeats Mon 9/30, 3pm 9:00 POLDARK, SERIES 5 ON MASTERPIECE — The historical drama-romance set in Cornwall launches its final season, starring Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson and Jack Farthing. Part 1 of 8. The Poldarks look forward to life together in peace, but a plea from Ned Depard compels Ross to return to the capital. Back in Cornwall, Demelza encounters a new opponent. George struggles to engage with the world after Elizabeth’s demise. Repeats Mon 9/30, 4pm 10:00 GOLDEN YEARS — After five decades of law-abiding, tax-paying citizenship, retired couple Martha (Virginia McKenna) and Arthur (Bernard Hill) are forced into a life of crime in this star-studded comedy heist caper. Britain’s financial crisis has emptied their pension accounts, so the couple decides to replenish their funds through a series of bank robberies, at the same time helping friends who are down on their luck. The cast features Sue Johnston, Phil Davis, Brad Moore, Una Stubbs, Simon Callow and Alun Armstrong. 11:30 WETA ARTS — R
26.3 Over the Air Comcast 266 Cox 801 FiOS 472 RCN 38
The WETA Kids channel offers a safe haven for young viewers, presenting educational programming 24 hours each day, seven days a week. WETA KIDS ON WEEKDAYS WETA KIDS AIRINGS IN BLACK; WETA TV 26 IN BLUE • Curious George, 5am • Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, 5:30am • Sesame Street, 6am • Peg + Cat, 6:30am (6am) • Arthur, 7am (6:30am) • Ready Jet Go!, 7:30am (7am) • Nature Cat, 8am (7:30am) • Wild Kratts, 8:30am (8am) • Molly of Denali, 9am (8:30am) • Curious George, 9:30am (9am) • Let’s Go Luna!, 10am (9:30am) • Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, 10:30am, 11am (10am, 10:30am) • Sesame Street, 11:30am (11am) • Pinkalicious & Peterrific, 12N (11:30am) • Dinosaur Train, 12:30pm • The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, 1pm • Sesame Street, 1:30pm • Splash and Bubbles, 2pm • Pinkalicious & Peterrific, 2:30pm • Let’s Go Luna!, 3pm • Nature Cat, 3:30pm • Wild Kratts, 4pm Visit weta.org/kids • Molly of Denali, 4:30pm for full listings of • Odd Squad, 5pm, 5:30pm children’s programs • Arthur, 6pm, 6:30pm on WETA Kids • Ready Jet Go!, 7pm & WETA TV 26. • WordGirl, 7:30pm • Sesame Street, 8pm, 8:30pm • Cyberchase, 9pm (5:30am) • Odd Squad, 9:30pm • SciGirls, 10pm • Maya & Miguel, 10:30pm • Let’s Go Luna!, 11pm • Ready Jet Go!, 11:30pm
7:00 PBS NEWSHOUR 8:00 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Hour 3. Watson & Crick-signed books, Art Deco jewelry and a Japanese Arita vase. Guess the top find! 9:00 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Hour 1. A John Wayne mug collection; a 1977 Frank McCarthy oil; and 1943-1944 Albert Einstein letters. Which is worth up to $100,000? 10:00 POV: THE SILENCE OF OTHERS — Learn about the struggle of victims and survivors of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco as they organize the groundbreaking “Argentine Lawsuit” and fight a stateimposed amnesia of crimes against humanity. 11:30 AMANPOUR AND COMPANY — Repeats noon tomorrow
COURTESY THE FRED ROGERS COMPANY
30 Monday
WETA Kids series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood features five new family-themed episodes throughout the week of September 16.
20 SEPTEMBER 2019 • Stream select programs via the free PBS Video App.
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26.2 Over the Air Via Antenna Cox 800 Comcast 265 FiOS 474
British Television at Its Best The WETA UK channel is devoted to the best in British television programming, presenting beloved classics and contemporary series around the clock, seven days a week. WETA UK offers a full schedule of great entertainment programming — featuring drama, mystery, comedy and documentary series — all delivered with an accent from the Isles. Visit wetauk.org for a complete schedule and program descriptions.
P.M. PROGRAMMING ON WETA UK IN SEPTEMBER SUNDAY
12pm
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
Shakespeare & Hathaway, Series 2
New Tricks
New Tricks
New Tricks
New Tricks
New Tricks
The Coroner, Series 1 & 2
Midsomer Murders, Series 12
MI-5
MI-5
MI-5
MI-5
MI-5
Father Brown, Series 5
Shetland, Series 2 (Series 3 starts 9/15)
Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead
800 Words, Series 3
The Heart Guy, Series 2
Secrets of Tower of London (9/2), Scotland Yard (9/9), H.M.’s Secret Service (9/16); Great British Royal Ships (9/23); P. Keith’s Coastal Villages (9/30)
Secrets of Selfridges (9/3), Underground London (9/10), Westminster (9/17); Great British Royal Ships (9/24)
Shetland, Series 2 & 3
Midsomer Murders, Series 12
800 Words, Series 3
Grantchester, Series 3 on Masterpiece
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Series 2 (Series 3 starts 9/8)
Mum, Series 3/Upstart Crow, Series 3; Kolkata with Sue Perkins (9/23); P. Keith’s Coastal Villages (9/30)
BBC Antiques Roadshow
Father Brown, Series 5 (Poldark, Series 3 on 9/18)
Death in Paradise, Series 6
EastEnders
Pie in the Sky, Series 1)
Secrets of Althorpe (9/1), Tower of London (9/8), Scotland Yard (9/15), H. M.’s Secret Service (9/22), Great British Royal Ships (9/29)
• Shakespeare & Hathaway, Series 2 • P. Keith’s Coastal Villages (9/30)
Poldark, Series 2 & Doc Martin, Series 6 & 7 3 on Masterpiece (5pm on 9/18)
The Heart Guy, Series 2
Death in Paradise, Series 6
Secrets of Chatsworth (9/1), Selfridges (9/8), Underground London (9/15), Westminster (9/22), Great British Royal Ships (9/29)
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Shetland, Series 2 & 3
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
Secrets of Tower of London (9/1), Scotland Yard (9/8), H.M.’s Secret Service (9/15), Kolkata with Sue Perkins (9/22), P. Keith’s Coastal Villages (9/29)
Pie in the Sky, Series 1
Doctor Blake Mysteries, Series 5
Midsomer Murders, Series 12
Father Brown, Series 5
Grantchester, Series 3 on Masterpiece
Shakespeare & Hathaway, Series 2
Secrets of Selfridges (9/1), Underground London (9/8), Westminster (9/15), Great British Royal Ships (9/22), P. Keith’s Coastal Villages (9/29)
Shetland, Series 2 (Series 3 starts 9/9)
The Coroner, Series 1 (Series 2 starts 9/10)
Doc Martin, Series 6 (Series 7 starts 9/25)
The Heart Guy, Series 2
Poldark, Series 2 on Masterpiece (Series 3 starts 9/13)
Vera, Series 3 (Series 4 starts 9/14)
• Mum, Series 3/Upstart Crow, Series 3 • Great British Royal Ships (9/22) • P. Keith’s Coastal Villages (9/29)
Endeavour, Series 5 & 6 on Masterpiece (Series 6 starts 9/23)
• Sherlock, Series 4 on Masterpiece (10pm, 9/3) • BBC World News (11:30pm 9/3, then 11pm) • The Body Farm (10pm, starts 9/10) • Pie in the Sky, Series 1 (12m 9/3, then 11:30pm)
Death in Paradise, Series 6
800 Words, Series 3 (11:30pm on 9/13)
BBC World News
• Brokenwood Mysteries, Series 5 • Murder in Suburbia, Series 1 (starts 9/26)
Doctor Blake Mysteries, Series 5
BBC World News (11pm on 9/26)
Father Brown, Series 5 (12:30am on 9/13)
Grantchester, Series 3 on Masterpiece
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
12:30pm
1pm
MONDAY
The Coroner (Series 2 starts 9/15)
Doctor Blake Mysteries, Series 5
1:30pm
2pm 2:30pm
3pm 3:30pm
4pm 4:30pm
5pm 5:30pm
6pm 6:30pm
7pm 7:30pm
8pm 8:30pm
9pm 9:30pm
10pm 10:30pm
11pm
Shakespeare & Hathaway, Series 2
11:30pm
BBC World News
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Endeavour, Series 5 & 6 on Masterpiece
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
BBC World News
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Series 3
VISIT WETAUK.ORG FOR A PRINTABLE FULL-DAY SCHEDULE. For full schedules and program information, visit weta.org 21
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WETA UK September Highlights Endeavour, Series 6 on Masterpiece
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Mondays at 10 p.m. starting September 23 on WETA UK
COURTESY ITV & MASTERPIECE
haun Evans returns as a now-mustachioed DS Endeavour Morse in the Masterpiece crime drama Endeavour, prequel to the popular, long-running series Inspector Morse. In the four episodes of Endeavour, Series 6, set in 1969, the young police detective faces new challenges, having started a new role as a uniformed officer at the Woodstock police department. Alongside Evans, celebrated stage and screen actor Roger Allam returns as DI Fred Thursday — in the series, demoted and reassigned to Castle Gate station — alongside Anton Lesser as CS Reginald Bright, Sean Rigby as DS Jim Strange, James Bradshaw as Dr. Max DeBryn, Sara Vickers as Joan Thursday, Abigail Thaw as Dorothea Frazil, and Caroline O’Neill as Win Thursday. Following the dissolution of the Oxford City Police and the merging with Thames Valley Constabulary at the end of Series 5, the new stories pick up with the detectives dispersed as they find their feet in new roles. Despite their separation, the murder of their friend and colleague DC George Fancy still hangs over them, with the case remaining unresolved. This year, a seventh series was commissioned, to be set in 1970, so there’s more to come from Endeavour.
Great British Royal Ships
Sunday, September 22 at 9 p.m. on WETA UK COURTESY AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION
A
two-part series hosted by Rob Bell (The Great Fire, Inside the Tube) examines iconic vessels with links to the British Royal Family that have played significant roles in Britain’s maritime and cultural history: the Royal Yacht Britannia and the RMS Queen Mary. Airing back to back, the episodes explore the history of the two vessels and little-known facts related to them. In the first episode, Bell chronicles the story of the world’s first super-yacht, the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was the personal yacht of Queen Elizabeth II from 1954 until 1997. Used for stately visits and royal holidays, the yacht also hosted five U.S. presidents and was the vessel used for Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s honeymoon cruise. The second episode is focused on the RMS Queen Mary, which Bell calls the most famous ocean liner ever constructed. Launched in 1934, the Queen Mary saw use during World War II as a troop ship before being converted back into a passenger ship after the conclusion of the war. During this time, the Queen Mary was the most popular form of transatlantic transportation until air travel became the norm in the late 1950s. The documentary also features interviews with experts who provide insight into the history and workings of these ships.
“Secrets of …” Specials
Sundays, September 1, 8 & 15, 6-10 p.m. on WETA UK
W
COURTESY HISTORIC ROYAL PLACES
ETA UK reprises eight specials that reveal behind-the-scenes stories of iconic British places and institutions. Secrets of Althorpe and Secrets of Chatsworth (Sept. 1) explore two of England’s great estates. Althorpe is the childhood home and final resting place of Princess Diana — and is currently the home of her brother, Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer. Chatsworth House has been home to the Dukes of Devonshire for centuries. Secrets of the Tower of London (Sept. 1), right, spotlights the history of that great edifice, at various times a royal castle, prison, place of execution and torture, armory and the Royal Mint. Secrets of Selfridges (Sept. 1) relates the story of the great London department store. Secrets of Scotland Yard (Sept. 8) examines the detective organization that has become synonymous with the English police force. Secrets of Underground London (Sept. 8) uncovers 2,000 years of subterranean history — a world of ancient caves and preserved Roman remains; rivers and plague pits; impenetrable vaults and top-secret bunkers. Secrets of Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Sept. 15) delves into the legendary spy agency popularized by Ian Fleming’s James Bond. And Secrets of Westminster (Sept. 15) spotlights the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the classic London emblems of British democracy. See the WETA UK grid on page 21 for showtimes. 22 SEPTEMBER 2019
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Penelope Keith’s Coastal Villages
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Sunday, Sept. 29, 8-11 p.m. on WETA UK
COURTESY AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION
n a sequel to her Hidden Villages series, Dame Penelope Keith (The Good Life, To the Manor Born) leads a delightful new tour of Britain in the three-part miniseries Penelope Keith’s Coastal Villages. Once again armed with her vintage Batsford travel books, she seeks out the community heartbeat unique to coastal village life and enjoys a taste of the idyllic seaside. Boasting a coastline that stretches more than 7,000 miles, the British Isle is home to seaside villages as widely varying as they are timelessly beautiful. From fishing and lifeboats to pleasure boating and holiday making, the sea brings both joy and danger, which Keith covers with panache. Episodes air back to back on September 29. In Isle of Wight & West Sussex, Keith tours the south coast and becomes immersed in stories of seafarers, smugglers and shipwrecks, with visits to Bosham and Birdham. In Northumberland & Scottish Borders, she is swept up by coastal tales of heroism, horticulture and smoked herring, as she visits Lindisfarne, Low Newton and the medieval village of Warkworth. And in East Anglia, Keith is plunged into tales of bravery, scandal and intrigue on the east coast, making stopovers at Weybourne, Cley Next The Sea, Thorpeness and Dunwich.
Pie in the Sky, Series 1
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Mondays at 8 p.m. on WETA UK
©BBC
ETA UK reprises the popular drama series Pie in the Sky, which features 40 episodes in five seasons. The light-hearted 1994 BBC series presents interwoven tales of crime and culinary pursuits, spotlighting a talented, high-minded detective who dreams of scrapping his day job to become a restaurateur. As the series opens, Henry Crabbe — portrayed by the late Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter, The History Boys) — has reached the end of his tether as a police sleuth after toiling for years as a plainclothes officer. Crabbe is ready to take early retirement from the police force if only his reluctant boss will let him go. With a passion for food and a talent for cooking, the sleuth is ready to buy the restaurant “Pie in the Sky.” On the eve of his retirement, however, his boss sets new conditions for his employee’s departure: Crabbe is free to indulge in his restaurant but must always be on call when cases need solving. Maggie Steed (EastEnders, Florence Foster Jenkins) portrays Henry’s wife, Margaret.
Vera, Series 4
A
Saturdays at 9 p.m. starting Sept. 14 on WETA UK
ITV
cademy Award nominee and BAFTA Award-winner Brenda Blethyn (Secrets and Lies; Atonement) stars as Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope in Series 4 of the crime drama, based on the bestselling Inspector Stanhope books by renowned author Ann Cleeves. Vera, an experienced murder investigator in the Northeast England county of Northumberland, is a kind-hearted loner, obsessed with her job and driven by inner demons; she faces the world with caustic wit, guile and courage. David Leon, in his final season in the role, portrays DS Joe Ashworth, Stanhope’s junior partner. In the four episodes of Series 4, Vera and Joe face daunting challenges. In “Harbor Street,” they investigate the mysterious death of a pensioner on a busy train, with Joe struggling to maintain a professional distance as his daughter is the key witness in the case. In “Protected,” the pair probes a death on the beach and must expose the rift in the heart of a fractured family. In “The Deer Hunter,” the duo looks into the death of a poacher: hunting accident or murder? And in the closing episode, “Death of a Family Man,” Vera investigates the demise of a businessman, found floating under a bridge; she must unpeel all the secrets hidden behind the man’s veneer of respectability. Also this month: Shetland continues Mondays at 9 p.m., The Body Farm restarts Tuesday, September 10 at 10 p.m.; Midsomer Murders continues Wednesdays at 8 p.m., followed by Doc Martin at 9 p.m.; The Heart Guy continues Thursdays at 9 p.m., followed by The Brokenwood Mysteries at 10 p.m.; Grantchester on Masterpiece continues Fridays at 8 p.m., followed by Poldark on Masterpiece at 9 p.m. Also airing this month is Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Series 3, Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. BBC World News airs weeknights in the 11 p.m. hour. For full schedules and program information, visit weta.org 23
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Classical WETA 90.9 FM From Bach to Jazz on Front Row Washington Mondays at 9 p.m.
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By John Banther, On-Air Host and Producer
COURTESY THE ARTISTS
his month on Classical WETA 90.9 FM’s Monday evening program Front Row Washington, we span centuries of music from Bach to jazz. On the September 2 broadcast, a Phillips Collection concert features pianist Stephen Kovacevich playing music by Bach, Beethoven and Chopin, and the final piano sonata by Schubert, composed in the final Harlem Quartet months of his life but not published until a decade later. The September 9 program presents another concert from the Phillips Collection, spotlighting guitarist Ana Vidovic. She performs staples of the guitar repertoire by Tárrega, Mangoré and more, and she also explores music from the baroque period: Johann Sebastian Bach’s Flute Partita in A minor BWV 1013, and Scarlatti’s Keyboard Sonata in D minor, K. 213. On September 16 we listen to Castalian String Quartet’s concert from the Phillips Collection earlier this year. They perform quartets by Joseph Haydn, Benjamin Britten and Franz Schubert. September 23 features the Harlem Quartet performing a concert of classical, bossa nova and jazz at the Candlelight Concert Society. Based in New York, the Harlem Quartet’s mission is to advance diversity in classical music. They do this in part with varied programming, as we’ll hear in this concert. They start with the String Quartet No. 4 by Felix Mendelssohn, then perform The Girl from Ipanema by Antonio Jobim and El Cumbanchero by Rafael Hernandez, and finish with Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 9, Op. 59, No. 3. Stay for the instantly recognizable encore by Duke Ellington. The final program of the month, September 30, features Alexander Kobrin from Downtown Piano Works in Frederick, Maryland. He continues his Beethoven Project, playing every single piano sonata by the composer over a series of performances. In this concert he plays Sonatas Nos. 2, 3, 8 and 10.
Poetry and Song on Choral Showcase Sundays at 9 p.m.
T
By Bill Bukowski, Midday On-Air Host
PUBLIC DOMAIN
his month on Classical WETA 90.9 FM’s weekly program Choral Showcase, we feature poetry and song, hymns and meditations. We begin with music inspired by one of the most beautiful books of the Bible on September 1. We’ll preview selections from Desires, a new recording by the Ora Singers exploring musical settings from the Old Testament book Song of Songs, from the Renaissance to the present. Love Verses from the Song of Solomon, an Raphael’s The Parnassus: Apollo early work by Percy Grainger, will be heard alongside Flos Campi, a work for surrounded by muses and poets wordless chorus, viola and orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams. On September 9, we present hymns and meditations, with Orthodox Church music from the 17th and 18th centuries; choral hymns by American composer Alan Hovhaness; and contemporary works selected from the debut recording by Sonus, a Nashville-based a cappella ensemble. The September 15 program features an evening of Bach cantatas, with new recordings of Cantatas BWV 99, 106 and 182. Cantata 106, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, the “Actus Tragicus,” is one of Bach’s earliest and greatest cantatas, and it will be performed the following week by the Washington Bach Consort under Dana Marsh in their season-opening concert (September 22). John Eliot Gardiner leads the Monteverdi Choir and the Revolutionary & Romantic Orchestra in Ludwig van Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis on the September 22 broadcast. The composer’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, from two poems by Goethe, is featured September 29 in an evening of poetry and song, embracing Shakespeare Songs by Matthew Harris; Harmonium, a choral symphony by John Adams based on poems by John Donne and Emily Dickinson; and Remembering All: Five Sandburg Poems by Christopher J. Hoh, a composer from Arlington, Virginia.
VivaLaVoce on vivalavoce.org
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Stream Audio at classicalweta.org
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Classical for Washington New From Classical WETA: “Classical Breakdown” Podcast
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Episodes available September 10
Classical WETA 90.9 FM
Wu Han
COURTESY THE ARTIST
WETA
n September 10, Classical WETA 90.9 FM launches an exciting new podcast intended for fans of the classical music genre. The “Classical Breakdown” podcast — hosted by Classical WETA production manager and on-air host John Banther — features thoughtful, lively and accessible discussions that explore the music, Podcast host John Banther offering insight into the world of classical music and deep appreciation of all things classical. From in-depth conversations with local musicians and touring artists to observations and analysis of well-known compositions, “Classical Breakdown” will explore a wide range of classical music subjects to illuminate fascinating and entertaining topics behind the artistry. Information on the podcast highlighting upcoming episodes will be available in September at classicalbreakdown.org and on the Classical WETA App, as well as via Apple Podcasts and other select services. Host John Banther has performed as a professional musician with leading ensembles and orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Netherlands and The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass. In the podcast, he shares his insights and experience as a performer, educator and broadcaster. On September 10, the first three podcast episodes will be made available. Below, Banther previews each: • Alistair Coleman on Writing Music: “Alistair Coleman is an award-winning and internationally recognized composer from Washington, D.C. Still a student at Juilliard, he is the youngest composer published by Schirmer, and his music is performed by renowned artists and orchestras. In this episode, Alistair and I discuss how composers write music, exploring processes used by Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky; and Alistair shares some of his own music and relates how he composes.” • Wu Han, Pianist and Cultural Entrepreneur: “Chamber music is exploding in the United States, and one musician at the forefront is pianist Wu Han. She’s a globally recognized musician and cultural entrepreneur. She also might be the busiest musician in the United States. I sat down with her and talked about inspirations, where chamber music is headed, and how she runs multiple music programs here and abroad, maintains an intense performance schedule, and manages a record label all at the same time.” • The Four Seasons: How Vivaldi Depicts the World in Sound: “Poetry, falling on the ice, and summer storms — there is so much to hear and discover in Antonio Vivaldi’s masterpiece. In this episode, we explore how Vivaldi uses strings to depict animals like gnats and a barking dog, a crackling fire, and even chattering teeth. Listening to this work at times is also like watching a play, as Vivaldi depicts entire scenes with the musicians as actors. Classical WETA evening host James Jacobs joins me as we spotlight this centuries-old masterpiece with a legendary recording.” Visit classicalbreakdown.org to learn more about the podcast.
Classical WETA Opera House
Saturdays at 1 p.m. on Classical WETA 90.9 FM September operas are from Lyric Opera of Chicago Sept. 7: Bellini’s Norma With Sondra Radvanovsky Ricardo Frizza conducts
Sept. 21: Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor With Albina Shagimuratova & Piotr Beczala Enrique Mazzola conducts
Sept. 14: Mozart’s The Magic Flute With Matthew Polenzani, Adam Plachetka & Kathryn Lewek Rory Macdonald conducts
Sept. 28: Massenet’s Don Quichotte With Ferruccio Furlanetto Sir Andrew Davis conducts
Classical WETA: 90.9 FM Greater Washington; 88.9 FM Frederick; WGMS 89.1 FM Hagerstown
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WETA Passport Stream the series Country Music and more with WETA Passport, our popular member benefit that provides you with access to an extensive library of the best public television programs! You’re ready to activate now at pbs.org/passport if you see a four-word activation code above your name and address at left; or go to weta.org/passport to make your qualifying donation of $60 (or $5 monthly) to start enjoying WETA Passport today. ADVERTISEMENT
National Symphony Orchestra Season Opening Gala Concert Noseda leads a jazz-inspired evening with Yuja Wang Photo by Cade Martin
September 28 | Concert Hall
Washington National Opera
Our adventure begins with a concert of classical favorites influenced by jazz. Gianandrea Noseda’s lively program explores how great composers of the last century have embraced the distinctly American art form with gusto, creating unforgettable music that fans of all genres adore. Pianist extraordinaire Yuja Wang joins Noseda and young, French trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary for Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a high-paced, witty, sparkling masterpiece.
Otello
October 26–November 16 | Opera House His deadliest enemy is his jealous heart. Music by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare’s Othello In Italian with Projected English Titles
The Magic Flute
November 2–23 | Opera House Mozart meets Maurice Sendak and a little magic. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder In English with Projected English Titles
Kennedy-Center.org
Groups call (202) 416-8400
Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.
WNO's Presenting Sponsor
(202) 467-4600
David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO. WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.
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For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540
The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Vicki† and Roger Sant. NSO Season Opening Gala Presenting Sponsor
Generous support for WNO Italian Opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello. Additional support for Otello is provided by The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts and The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc.
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