FEATURED PROGRAMS on Blue Ridge PBS

Be sure to check our schedule for additional air times!

American Experience

Discover the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America’s past and present.

Monday, May 17 at 9pm – Billy Graham
Explore the life of one of the best-known and most influential religious leaders of the 20th century. An international celebrity by age 30, he built a media empire, preached to millions worldwide, and had the ear of tycoons, presidents and royalty.

American Masters

Explore the lives and creative journeys of America’s most enduring artistic and cultural giants.

Monday, May 3 at 9pm - Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir
Explore the life of the groundbreaking author of “The Joy Luck Club” in this intimate portrait. Archival imagery, home movies, photographs, animation and original interviews create a vivid, colorful journey through Tan’s inspiring life and career.

Antiques Roadshow- Celebrity Edition!

Mondays at 8pm

It’s a year of innovation ahead with celebratory Season 25 featuring new episodes and specials. The celebrity series will share stories of each celebrity’s favorite items—their personal treasures—inherited, gifted, and collected by them, as ROADSHOW experts go into their homes to share knowledge, appraising and giving insights into what they own, providing an opportunity to explore history through their personal stories.

scene from Hour 2 of Antiques Roadshow, Celebrity Edition

May 3 – Hour 1
See the treasures of comedian Jay Leno, actress S. Epatha Merkerson, author Jason Reynolds, Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, and pro golfer Dottie Pepper get appraised by ROADSHOW experts.
May 10 – Hour 2
Join the experts as they visit with author Marc Brown, chef Carla Hall, humorist John Hodgman, and musicians Rubén Blades and Luba Mason to learn the stories and discover the values of their personal collections.
May 17 – Hour 3
Learn about the cherished treasures of actor Ronny Chieng, cartoonist Mo Willems, broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien, and fashion designer Christian Siriano when they are shared with longtime ROADSHOW appraisers.
May 24 – Hour 4
Join TV personality Carson Kressley, actor Gbenga Akinnagbe, humorist Mo Rocca, and musicians Paquito D’Rivera and Brenda Feliciano as they get the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW experience!

Atlantic Crossing on Masterpiece

Sundays at 9pm
A princess steals the heart of the president of the United States in an epic drama based on the World War II relationship of Franklin Roosevelt and Norwegian Crown Princess Martha. Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks, Sex and the City) stars as Roosevelt, opposite Swedish star Sofia Helin (The Bridge) as the beautiful Martha, who flees the Nazis with her three young children and lives under Roosevelt’s protection. The eight-part series co-stars Tobias Santelmann as Crown Prince Olav and Harriet Sansom Harris as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

May 2 – Episode 5
Martha uses dinner-table tactics to help Norway. The first lady gives Martha unusual lessons in public speaking. The president gets on dangerous ground with Martha.
May 9 – Episode 6
America enters the war, and Olav arrives from England. Missy grows suspicious of ties between Roosevelt and Martha, as does Olav. Meanwhile, a dastardly Nazi plot unfolds.
May 16 – Episode 7
A Nazi agent slips through the cracks, putting the children at risk. Martha travels to England and gets a shock. A Norwegian war hero meets a tragic fate.
May 23 – Episode 8
With the war almost over, the president’s health takes a bad turn. Olav tries to keep Norway out of the clutches of the Soviets. He also faces rocky relations with Martha.

Bluegrass Underground

Saturdays at 10:30pm

Taped deep within the subterranean amphitheater of The Caverns in Tennessee's majestic Cumberland Mountains, this "musical adventure" series features both long-established and emerging artists within a broad spectrum of genres to include Roots-Rock, Jam Band, R&B, Country, Soul, Folk, Americana, and yes...even Bluegrass! Each “Best of” episode of Season X offers two or more artists who have graced the underground stage over the past nine seasons.

Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Tuesdays at 8pm
Discover the little-known story of the innovations in science and medicine that doubled the human lifespan in less than a century, andcelebrate the unsung heroes of public health who believed change was possible and acted on it.

May 11 – Vaccines
Discover the role vaccination plays in our growing ability to prevent the spread of illness. Travel through the remarkable history of vaccines and learn how new ones are developed when never-before-seen diseases like COVID-19 emerge.
May 18 – Medical Drugs
Learn about the surprisingly recent invention of medicine that combats illness directly, such as antibiotics. From the accidental discovery of penicillin to today’s hunt for antivirals, this history underpins work to find COVID-19 treatments.
May 25 – Data
Track the importance of data mapping and analysis in the quest to improve public health. The painstaking work of past data detectives made us aware of epidemic “curves” as well as the extent of health inequalities among different U.S. communities.
June 1 – Behavior
Understand the importance of persuading the public to protect themselves during health crises. History shows that handwashing, social distancing and grassroots campaigning all play important roles in helping to shift behavior and save lives.

Finding Your Roots

Tuesday at 8pm

The acclaimed series with Professor Gates explores the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of popular figures.

May 4 - Laughing on the Inside
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. provides comedians Lewis Black and Roy Wood, Jr. with accounts of hardship in their family trees which may have led them to each find humor in adversity.

Great Performances

Fridays at 9pm
Watch television’s longest-running performing arts anthology to enjoy the best in music, dance and theater.

May 7 – Uncle Vanya
Experience Anton Chekov’s masterpiece in this Olivier Award-nominated West End production adapted by Conor McPherson starring Toby Jones and Richard Armitage from London’s Harold Pinter Theater.
May 14 – The Arts Interrupted
Experience Anton Chekov’s masterpiece in this Olivier Award-nominated West End production adapted by Conor McPherson starring Toby Jones and Richard Armitage from London’s Harold Pinter Theater.

Human: The World Within

Wednesdays at 10pm except where noted
Explore the incredible universe inside each and every one of us. An examination of diverse personal stories from around the world reveals how our lives, passions and goals are powered by the amazing systems that define our biology as a species.

May 5 at 9pm – Birth
Learn the story of human reproduction from attraction to the moment of a baby’s first breath.
May 5 - Pulse
See the world beneath the human heartbeat that makes our craziest feats possible and connects us.
May 12 – Fuel
Journey through the factory at the center of our bodies that turns food into energy.
May 19 – Defend
Uncover how the human body defends itself in an increasingly dangerous global environment.
May 26 – Sense
Explore the incredible world of human sensation and how it defines our reality.
June 2 – React
Explore how the technology of the brain and nervous system shape our experience of the world.

Inside the Met

Fridays at 9pm

Experience the 150th birthday of the Metropolitan Museum of Art amid the COVID-19 pandemic and urgent demands for social justice, as the art institution makes history in ways no one could have predicted.

May 21 - Back-to-Back Episodes!
>> The Birthday Surprise
Watch as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 150th birthday is upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the art institution to close its doors for the first time in history, while facing financial losses and a battle to protect artistic treasures.
>> All Things to All People
Watch as the Metropolitan Museum of Art is forced to confront its historical record on inclusion, exclusion and diversity in art and staffing, following urgent demands for social justice across the country.
May 28 – Love and Money
Watch as the Metropolitan Museum of Art faces a new financial reality following its fall 2020 reopening, with philanthropists and art collectors stepping in to help keep the museum alive.

J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom

Mondays at 7pm beginning May 24

J shows how living a life surrounded by flowers can reduce stress and improve one’s quality of life over time. Each episode features a wealth of ideas on how to bring the beauty of flowers into your surroundings to harness the health and wellness benefits that they have to offer.

Life at the Waterhole

Wednesdays at 8pm

Explore the daily drama as African wildlife flock to a manmade waterhole rigged with cameras. Dr. M. Sanjayan and his team uncover the complex dynamic of this bustling oasis where elephants, lions, leopards and more meet and compete for water.

May 19 – Episode 1
Meet the first animal visitors to a new manmade waterhole in the African savannah. Using state-of-the-art cameras, scientists watch as warthogs and elephants discover the new oasis. But things become dangerous when leopards and lions close in.
May 26 – Episode 2
Discover how hotter weather impacts the animals, as the waterhole becomes busier in the evening cool. Nocturnal activity brings a new predator out of the shadows: hyena, creatures so elusive it’s hard to know the size of the clan.

The National Memorial Day Concert 2021

Sunday, May 30 at 8 & 9:30pm

Tune in to the 32nd annual broadcast of America’s national night of remembrance. This multi award-winning television event honors the military service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform, their families and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Philly D.A.

Tuesdays at 9pm
Go inside the emotional, high stakes work that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and an ensemble of idealistic outsiders from different walks of life take on as they attempt a fundamental overhaul of an entrenched criminal justice system.

May 4 – Episode 4
LaTonya Myers fights for probation reform, but any slip-up could send her back to prison.
May 11 – Episode 5
A skeptical parole board and his own pride stand between a man and freedom.
May 18 – Episode 6
A councilmember bridges constituents plagued by the opioid crisis with the unorthodox D.A.
May 25 – Episode 7
Krasner must decide whether to pursue a rarity -- murder charges against a cop.
June 1 – Episode 8
Frustrated Krasner supporters warn he must accelerate plans to phase out cash bail.

Race Matters: America After George Floyd – A PBS NewsHour Special

Tuesday, May 25 at 10pm

Examine the frustration pouring out onto American streets, outrage about police brutality, and America’s deep systemic racial disparities in the economy, education, criminal justice system, and health care, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Queen at War

Sunday, May 23 at 8pm

Learn how the longest reigning monarch in British history was shaped by World War II. Princess Elizabeth’s experiences during the war mirrored those of the public and helped shape her into the Queen she is today.

Somewhere South

Mondays at 7pm
Explore savory dishes uniting people and creating new traditions across the American South with award-winning host and chef Vivian Howard.

May 3 – What a Pickle
Hear Vivian's lecture on chow chow, a quintessentially Southern relish, at Asheville's first ever Chow Chow Festival. Her preservation education dives into Indian and Sri Lankan pickles, Puerto Rican escabeche, and Korean kimchi.
May 10 – It’s a Greens Thing
Travel with Vivian to the Lumbee tribe's annual homecoming, where she samples their famous collard sandwich. On a trip to Georgia, Vivian meets a group of refugee farmers growing greens that remind them of home.
May 17 – How Do You Cue?
Follow Vivian on a journey to learn how other Southerners cook and eat barbecue. She travels to Florida for smoked mullet and Texas for barbecue with Japanese and Mexican twists.

Songs at the Center

Saturdays at 10pm

This music spotlights accomplished singers and songwriters — from the famous to the unknown — performing "in the round" before a live audience.

May 1 – Bruce Cockburn
Cockburn is one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from Canada and is in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
May 8 – Erin Enderlin, Craig S. Heath and Nikki D. Brown
May 15 – Chris Trapper, Olivia Millerschin and Diana Chittester
May 22 – Nellie McKay, Lil’ Red and the Rooster
May 29 - Sarah Peacock, T. Wong and John Schwab

Steven Raichen’s Project Fire

Mondays at 7:30pm beginning May 24

Steven explores topics that are of interest to today's grillers, including health and sustainability. Season 3 includes on set-guests and innovators of live fire cooking techniques, and offers an in-depth exploration of topics that are of “burning” interest to today’s grillers.

The Tenth Inning

Thursday, May 27 at 9pm
Thousands of bats, three home run records and one "curse" have been broken since Ken Burns last explored the history of America's national pastime with his landmark 1994 PBS series BASEBALL. Now, Burns and co-director Lynn Novick update the series with THE TENTH INNING. Beginning with a crippling strike that alienated millions of fans and brought the game to the brink, this new film tells the tumultuous story of our national pastime up to the present.

Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten

Monday, May 31 at 9pm

Learn about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, on the one hundredth anniversary of the crime, and how the community of Tulsa is coming to terms with its past, present, and future.

The Windermere Children: In Their Own Words

Sunday, May 23 at 10pm

Learn the little-known true story of a pioneering project to rehabilitate child survivors of the Holocaust. The 300 young orphaned Jewish refugees began new lives and found family in each other in England’s Lake District during the summer of 1945.