FEATURED PROGRAMS on Blue Ridge PBS

Be sure to check our schedule for additional air times!

All Creatures Great and Small, Season 2, on Masterpiece 

Sundays @ 9pm
Return to the Yorkshire Dales to follow the adventures of veterinarian James Herriot in the 1930s.

• January 9 – Episode 1
  James and Helen test the waters of their relationship as James ponders a new job prospect. Tristan dives into his vet practice a bit too confidently.
• January 16 – Episode 2
  Hopeful of a closer relationship with Helen, James invites her to the gala spring dance. Siegfried also tries his luck with romance.
• January 23 – Episode 3
  Medical advice clashes with farming wisdom as James and Helen have their first quarrel. Mrs. Pumphrey’s dog gets Tristan in trouble.
• January 30 - Episode 4
  Tristan works out how to make clients happy but then gets bad news. James and Helen have a heart-to-heart.

American Experience: Roberto Clemente  

Tuesday, January 25 @ 9pm
Baseball great Roberto Clemente's talent and inimitable style drew legions of fans, but as this AMERICAN EXPERIENCE production reveals, he was more than an exceptional baseball player. He was also a committed humanitarian who challenged racial discrimination and worked for social justice.

Antiques Roadshow - NEW SEASON! 

Mondays @ 8pm
Part adventure, part history lesson, part treasure hunt, 19-time Emmy® Award nominated ANTIQUES ROADSHOW begins its 26th broadcast season in 2022 and is the highest-rated ongoing primetime PBS series. 

• January 3 – Wadsworth Mansion, hour 1
  Season 26 kicks off with captivating Connecticut treasures at the Wadsworth Mansion, including a Helen Hayes Verdura for Chanel cuff bracelet, a 1917 Boston Red Sox calendar and a 1904 Gandhi handwritten letter. Which is valued at $150,000?
• January 10 – Wadsworth Mansion, hour 2
  Wonderful treasures are unveiled at Wadsworth Mansion, including an Elizabeth Peyton portrait oil, ca. 1987, a 2004 Tony Soprano tracksuit & script and a Corvette Stingray signed by Paul Newman. Which wonder is worth $200,000?
• January 17 – Wadsworth Mansion, hour 3
  Get wowed by wonders at Wadsworth Mansion including a 1953 D’Angelico guitar, a couture ball gown made around 1885 and Larry Bird game-worn sneakers. Can you guess which is valued at $190,000?
• January 24 – Crocker Art Museum, hour 1
  Head to California's capital city for standout appraisals at Crocker Art Museum like 1934 "Babes in Toyland" stop-motion soldiers, a signed Joe DiMaggio game-used bat and a Kamaka pineapple ukulele. Which is $80,000-$125,000?
• January 31 – Crocker Art Museum, hour 2
  See stunning Sacramento finds appraised at Crocker Art Museum including a 1981 "Raiders of the Lost Ark" prototype, a 1788 Elizabeth Shoemaker sampler and 1976 & 1977 Roy De Forest mixed-media artwork. Learn which is valued at $80,000-$120,000.

Around the World in 80 Days on Masterpiece 

Sundays @ 8pm
Around the World in 80 Days is a thrilling adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel. David Tennant (Good Omens, Broadchurch, Doctor Who) stars as literature’s greatest explorer, Phileas Fogg. He is joined on his remarkable journey by French actor Ibrahim Koma (OSS 117, Wùlu) as Jean Passepartout, Fogg's irrepressible valet, and German actress Leonie Benesch (The Crown, Babylon Berlin) as Abigail "Fix" Fortescue, a determined and headstrong journalist.

• January 2  – Episode 1
  Phileas Fogg bets a fortune that he can circle the Earth in no more than 80 days.
• January 9 – Episode 2
  Having survived mayhem in France, Fogg and his party are crossing Italy when their train comes to a screeching halt. Can they continue and save a boy’s life in the process?
• January 16 – Episode 3
  To meet their connection in Aden, Fogg and Passepartout hire a camel driver to cross the desert. Bad idea! Can Abigail and her new acquaintances rescue them?
• January 23 – Episode 4
  Invited to a wedding in India, Fogg has his diplomatic skill tested when a British officer arrests the groom. Unwittingly drugged, Fogg spills his true motivation for the trip to Abigail.
• January 30 - Episode 5
  Though wealthy, Fogg discovers that someone has put a hold on his credit in Hong Kong, making further progress impossible. Passepartout puts his larceny skills to use.

Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things

Saturday, January 22 @ 9pm
Follow the six-decade journey of the extraordinary performer as her sublime voice transforms the tragedies and troubles of her life into joy. Interviews include Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson and Fitzgerald’s son, Ray Brown, Jr.

Finding Your Roots 

Tuesdays @ 8pm (except where noted)
The acclaimed series returns for Season 8 with Professor Gates exploring the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of popular figures.

• January 4  – Hidden in the Genes
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps Rebecca Hall and Lee Daniels solve family mysteries through DNA detective work, illuminating both history and their own identities.
• January 4 @ 9pm – Children of Exile
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. retraces the ancestral journeys of David Chang and Raul Esparza, whose families fled their homelands, leading them to find lost parts of themselves along the way.
• January 11  – Activists Roots
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. welcomes Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Anita Hill, two guests who made profound sacrifices for social justice, and helps them discover the ancestors who made sacrifices for them.
• January 18 – Children of Exile
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. retraces the ancestral journeys of David Chang and Raul Esparza, whose families fled their homelands, leading them to find lost parts of themselves along the way.
• January 25 – Things We Don’t Discuss
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. works with Pamela Adlon and Kathryn Hahn, two guests whose family trees were obscured by scandals, to discover the truth about their ancestors.

Great Performances: Reopening – The Broadway Revival

Tuesday, January 18 @ 9pm
Pull the curtain back on some of Broadway's most popular shows, revealing how the New York theater industry undertook the monumental process of turning the lights back on after its longest hiatus in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to shows including "Aladdin," "Jagged Little Pill," "Diana - The Musical," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," "Waitress" and "Wicked," the film follows each production's journey as cast and crew reunite, rehearse and re-stage for their long-anticipated reopening nights.

Muhammad Ali

Fridays @ 9 beginning January 28 
Muhammad Ali brings to life one of the best-known and most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who captivated millions of fans throughout the world with his mesmerizing combination of speed, grace, and power in the ring, and charm and playful boasting outside of it. Ali insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.

• January 28 – Round One: The Greatest  (1942-64)
  Boxer Cassius Clay rises up the amateur ranks to win gold at the 1960 Olympics. He turns professional, sharpening his boxing skills and honing his genius for self-promotion. In 1964, he upsets Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion.
   
• February 4 – Round Two: What’s My Name?  (1964-70)
  Cassius Clay publicly joins the Nation of Islam and takes the name Muhammad Ali. When he refuses induction into the Army, he is stripped of his title and forced into exile. After three years he returns to the ring, but he’s lost a step.
   
• February 11 – Round Three: The Rivalry (1970-74)
  Muhammad Ali battles his fiercest rival, Joe Frazier, and the U.S. government, as he attempts to regain the heavyweight title. He first loses to and then defeats Frazier, but to become champion again, he will have to beat George Foreman.
   
• February 18 – Round Four: The Spell Remains  (1974-2016)
  Muhammad Ali shocks the world by defeating George Foreman, winning back the heavyweight title and becoming the most famous man on earth. After retiring in 1981, he travels the world spreading his Islamic faith, and becomes a symbol of peace and hope.

My Music 20th Anniversary Show 

Saturday, January 29 @ 9pm
Celebrate 20 years of greatest hit songs from the 50s to the 70s featuring legendary performers The Kingston Trio, Glen Campbell, Aretha Franklin, Engelbert Humperdinck, Judy Collins, Davy Jones, Mel Carter, Patti Page and more.

Nature: Animals with Cameras

Wednesdays @ 8pm
Animals become wildlife cinematographers and reveal behavior new to scientists when they are fitted with lightweight, specially designed cameras in this two-part series that features turtles, sharks, koalas, bats, kangaroos and more.

• January 19 – Oceans
  Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan leads a team using state of the art cameras, offering a fresh look at the lives of some of the animals in our oceans such as sharks, elephant seals, turtles and gannets.
• January 26 – Australia
  Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan fronts the team helping scientists investigate the lives of some of Australia’s most iconic animals. Koalas, fruit bats and kangaroos take the cameras into their secret worlds.

NOVA - NEW SEASON!

Wednesdays @ 9pm
Explore the science behind the headlines in PBS's premier science series. 
 

• January 5 – High Risk High Rise
  Soaring skyscrapers are potent symbols of prestige, and architects are vying to build them ever higher. But can they find new ways to defend them against fires, wind, and earthquakes, as well as making them livable, interactive, and eco-friendly?
• January 12 – Butterfly Blueprints
  Investigate the hidden scientific secrets of butterflies that reveal them as more inventive and resilient than we imagined, and explore how they’re inspiring cutting-edge technical innovations.
• January 19 – Alaskan Dinosaurs
  Wielding chainsaws to extract fossils frozen into the permafrost and flying drones to map thousands of footprints, intrepid paleontologists discover that dinosaurs thrived in the unlikeliest of places—the cold and dark of the Arctic Circle.
• January 26 – Ancient Maya Metropolis
  The ancient Maya built large complex cities with towering pyramids and temples that served as centers for a thriving civilization. Follow archaeologists exploring new evidence into the mystery of why after hundreds of years the cities were abandoned.

Stars on Stage from Westpoint Country Playhouse 

Fridays @ 9pm
Celebrate three of Broadway’s biggest stars in these new concert specials, featuring Tony and Olivier Award–winner Gavin Creel; chart-topping Billboard artist Shoshana Bean; and Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-–nominee Brandon Victor Dixon.

• January 7 – Gavin Creel
  Delight in an evening of song with Gavin Creel, who blazed onto Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie and became one of the theater's favorite leading men. Now, the Tony and Olivier Award winner brings heart and humor to this special performance.
• January 14 – Shoshana Bean
  Enjoy Billboard chart-topping, Broadway star Shoshana Bean’s captivating performance in this concert special as she unleashes her passion and powerhouse vocals, igniting a dazzlingly diverse selection of songs.
• January 21 – Brandon Victor Dixon
  Experience the stunning vocals of Brandon Victor Dixon, who electrified audiences with his performances in Jesus Christ Superstar and Rent: Live. In this special, the Tony, Emmy and Grammy nominee celebrates Broadway with his signature artistry.

Vienna Blood, Season 2 

Sundays @ 10pm
1900s Vienna is a hotbed of philosophy, science and art. Dr. Max Liebermann’s extraordinary skills of perception and Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt’s determination lead them to some of the city’s most mysterious and deadly cases.
 

January 9 – Melancholy Countess, part 1
When a depressed Hungarian countess drowns in the bath, it looks like suicide. Intense scrutiny falls on her psychoanalyst, Max. Oskar teams up with Max to solve the riddle of the countess’s death and clear Max’s professional reputation.

January 16 – Melancholy Countess, part 2
Circumstantial evidence points to the countess’s young friend having poisoned her, but without a motive, Oskar and Max must widen the search. A breakthrough in Max’s analysis of the countess’s dreams opens a new line of investigation.

January 23 – The Devil’s Kiss, part 1
A beggar girl finds a mutilated corpse in the slums. Strasser warns Oskar that the investigation is not their concern, but when Oskar receives anonymous messages relating to the murder, he can’t resist delving further.

January 30 – The Devil’s Kiss, part 2
Oskar instigates a surveillance operation to catch the assassin and uncovers an intricate foreign plot. Can Max and Oskar defuse the scheme in time to save innocent lives? Meanwhile, Max’s personal life faces yet more complications.

All Creatures Great and Small, Season 2, on Masterpiece 

Sundays @ 9pm
Return to the Yorkshire Dales to follow the adventures of veterinarian James Herriot in the 1930s.

• February 6 – Episode 5: The Last Man In
  James has to settle old scores both on and off the playing field when a familiar face returns to Darrowby, while Tristan and Siegfried must acknowledge their differences.
• February 13 – Episode 6: Home Truths
  James solves both medical and romantic emergencies. Siegfried, Tristan and Mrs. Hall face hurdles.
• February 20 – Episode 7: The Perfect Christmas
  James and Helen question their future together in the run up to Christmas Day, while things look grave for one of Darrowby’s most beloved animals.

American Experience

9pm
Discover the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America’s past and present.

• Monday, February 7   – Riveted: The History of Jeans
  Riveted: The History of Jeans is the fascinating and surprising story of the ultimate American garment. Worn by everyone from presidents to supermodels, farmers to rock stars, they’re more than just a pair of pants — America’s tangled past is woven deeply into the indigo fabric. From their roots in slavery to the Wild West, youth culture, the civil rights movement, rock and roll, hippies, high fashion and hip-hop, jeans are the fabric on which the history of American culture and politics are writ large.
• Tuesday, February 15 - The American Diplomat
  Discover how three African-American ambassadors who broke racial barriers to reach high-ranking positions at the State Department during the Cold War.

American Masters

9pm
Explore the lives and creative journeys of America’s most enduring artistic and cultural giants.

• Tuesday, February 8 – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands
  Discover an international singer who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America. Watch rare archival footage and hear audio recordings exploring her life and career from the Metropolitan Opera to the State Department.
• Friday, February 25 – Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
  Discover the man behind the legend. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from his recording sessions, rare photos and new interviews.

Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park 

Saturday, February 5  @ 9pm
Recorded on September 15th, beloved tenor Andrea Bocelli performs a free concert on Central Park's Great Lawn, with the New York Philharmonic conducted by its music director Alan Gilbert. Joining Bocelli on stage on this memorable night are Céline Dion, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti and David Foster. Sopranos Ana María Martínez and Pretty Yende, violinist Nicola Benedetti, bass baritone Bryn Terfel and flutist Andrea Griminelli are also part of the spectacular evening, along with the Westminster Symphonic Choir, Joe Miller, director.

Antiques Roadshow

Mondays @ 8pm
Part adventure, part history lesson, part treasure hunt, 19-time Emmy® Award nominated ANTIQUES ROADSHOW begins its 26th broadcast season in 2022 and is the highest-rated ongoing primetime PBS series. 

• February 7 – Sands Point Preserve, Hour 3
  Enjoy plenty of picturesque appraisals at Sands Point Preserve, including a 1911 Patek Philippe silver deck chronometer, a diamond & platinum convertible necklace, ca. 1925, and an 1864 Abraham Lincoln Letter. Predict which is $100,000!
• February 14 – Omni Mount Washington Resort, Hour 1
  Don’t miss out on peak Omni Mount Washington Resort finds including a Tiffany Studios inverted hanging shade, a 1919 A.J. Morse & Son U.S. Navy diving helmet, and a Wayland Flowers “Madame” puppet. Which is appraised for up to $150,000?
• February 21 – Omni Mount Washington Resort, Hour 2
  Discover New Hampshire treasures at Omni Mount Washington Resort, including a 1775 Stephen Easterman-carved powder horn, a Rolex Zenith Patrizzi dial Daytona watch, and a 1928-1934 baseball autographs collection. Which is $50,000-$60,000?

Around the World in 80 Days on Masterpiece 

Sundays @ 8pm
Around the World in 80 Days is a thrilling adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel. David Tennant (Good Omens, Broadchurch, Doctor Who) stars as literature’s greatest explorer, Phileas Fogg. He is joined on his remarkable journey by French actor Ibrahim Koma (OSS 117, Wùlu) as Jean Passepartout, Fogg's irrepressible valet, and German actress Leonie Benesch (The Crown, Babylon Berlin) as Abigail "Fix" Fortescue, a determined and headstrong journalist.

• February 6 – Episode 6
  Facing starvation on a desert island, Fogg and Passepartout have a falling out. The valet’s superior survival skills are desperately needed to save their lives, much less the round-the-world wager.
• February 13 – Episode 7
  Arrived in the Old West, the three adventurers meet a lawman with his fugitive captive. Making their next train connection hinges on Abigail’s journalistic cool in a shootout.
• February 20 – Episode 8
  Fogg meets an old friend at New York’s Grand Central Depot and must decide whether to continue his trip. Unbeknownst to him, astronomical effects will decide the outcome.

The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song

Saturdays @ 9pm

Tracing the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, THE BLACK CHURCH reveals how Black people have worshipped and, through their spiritual journeys, improvised ways to bring their faith traditions from Africa to the New World, while translating them into a form of Christianity that was not only truly their own, but a redemptive force for a nation whose original sin was found in their ancestors’ enslavement across the Middle Passage.

• February 12 – Episode 1
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of African American religion beginning with the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the extraordinary ways enslaved Africans preserved and adapted their faith practices from the brutality of slavery to emancipation.
• February 19 – Episode 2
  Discover how the Black church expanded its reach to address social inequality and minister to those in need, from the Jim Crow South to the heroic phase of the civil rights movement and the Black church’s role in the present.

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America Reframed Special

Tuesday, February 22 @ 9pm

This program explores and celebrates the lesser-known life of a Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist and one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders. Through the layering of audio recordings and archival video footage of her powerful speeches, soul-stirring songs and impassioned pleas for equal rights, Fannie Lou Hamer tells her extraordinary story in her own words.s the roots of African American religion beginning with the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the extraordinary ways enslaved Africans preserved and adapted their faith practices from the brutality of slavery to emancipation.

Finding Your Roots 

Tuesdays @ 8pm
The acclaimed series returns for Season 8 with Professor Gates exploring the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of popular figures.

• February 1 – Mexican Roots
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and guests Mario Lopez and Melissa Villaseñor look at the Mexican-American experience as seen through the lens of two families.
• February 8 – Fighters
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. sits down with Terry Crews and Tony Danza, both guests who overcame adversity, to discover they aren’t the first in their families to beat the odds through sheer force of will.
• February 15 – Forgotten Journeys
  Henry Louis, Jr. helps John Leguizamo and Lena Waithe retrace the paths of their ancestors, uncovering crucial pieces of their own identities that were lost on the journey to America.
• February 22 – Songs of the Past
  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. accompanies Broadway stars Leslie Odom, Jr. and Nathan Lane as they meet a cast of inspiring ancestors hidden in the branches of their family trees.

In Their Own Words: Chuck Berry 

Tuesday, February 1 @ 8pm
Take a riveting ride on the Chuck Berry train, exploring the life of the man behind the music. By blending “hillbilly” music with R&B and writing impactful lyrics, Berry birthed a renaissance in popular music we now call rock and roll.

Muhammad Ali

Fridays @ 9 
Muhammad Ali brings to life one of the best-known and most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who captivated millions of fans throughout the world with his mesmerizing combination of speed, grace, and power in the ring, and charm and playful boasting outside of it. Ali insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.

• February 4 – Round Two: What’s My Name?  (1964-70)
  Cassius Clay publicly joins the Nation of Islam and takes the name Muhammad Ali. When he refuses induction into the Army, he is stripped of his title and forced into exile. After three years he returns to the ring, but he’s lost a step.
   
• February 11 – Round Three: The Rivalry (1970-74)
  Muhammad Ali battles his fiercest rival, Joe Frazier, and the U.S. government, as he attempts to regain the heavyweight title. He first loses to and then defeats Frazier, but to become champion again, he will have to beat George Foreman.
   
• February 18 – Round Four: The Spell Remains  (1974-2016)
  Muhammad Ali shocks the world by defeating George Foreman, winning back the heavyweight title and becoming the most famous man on earth. After retiring in 1981, he travels the world spreading his Islamic faith, and becomes a symbol of peace and hope.

Nature

Wednesdays @ 8pm
Experience the splendors and compelling stories of the natural world from all over the globe.
 

• February 2– Pumas: Legends of the Ice Mountains 
  Travel to the mountains of Chile to discover the secrets of the puma, the area’s biggest and most elusive predator. Discover how this mountain lion survives and follow the dramatic fate of a puma mother and her cubs.
• February 9 – Penguins: Meet the Family
  Travel to the mountains of Chile to discover the secrets of the puma, the area’s biggest and most elusive predator. Discover how this mountain lion survives and follow the dramatic fate of a puma mother and her cubs.
• February 16 – The Ocean’s Greatest Feast
  The story of South Africa’s annual sardine migration is brought vividly to life on camera. Each summer, the sardine run sees billions of sardines spawning and traveling up the coast, providing a feast for an array of marine predators.
• February 23 – American Horses
  American horses are icons. Mustang. Appaloosa. Morgan. Quarter Horse. Follow the history of the uniquely American horse breeds that helped shape our nation and meet the people who are continuing in the long tradition of caring for them.

NOVA

Wednesdays @ 9pm
Explore the science behind the headlines in PBS's premier science series. 
 

• February 2– Arctic Sinkholes
  Scientists investigate colossal explosions in Siberia and other evidence that rapidly melting soil in the Arctic is releasing vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications for our climate future?
• February 9 – Secrets in the Scat
  Scott Burnett is "Scatman"-an Australian ecologist on the trail of the secrets of poop. By identifying and analyzing animal scat for DNA and hormones, he discovers essential details of their behavior, how they fit in the ecosystem, and how to protect them. From the mysterious cubic poop of wombats to the precious pink waste of whales, join scientists as they explore nature's smelliest secrets.
• February 16 – Great Mammoth Mystery
  Join Sir David Attenborough on a unique excavation of a site in southwest England with rare traces of ancient mammoths and Neanderthals. Featuring hands-on experiments with replicas of Neanderthal-era spears and photorealistic reconstructions of the site's ancient riverside setting, NOVA brings the world of prehistoric Britain vividly to life, illuminated by the inimitable thoughts and insights of Sir David Attenborough.
• February 23 – Augmented
  An inventor of bionic limbs teams up with an injured climber and a leading surgeon to test a new amputation technique that allows prosthetic limbs to move and feel like the real thing.

Vienna Blood, Season 2 

Sundays @ 10pm
1900s Vienna is a hotbed of philosophy, science and art. Dr. Max Liebermann’s extraordinary skills of perception and Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt’s determination lead them to some of the city’s most mysterious and deadly cases.
 

• January 9 – Melancholy Countess, part 1
  When a depressed Hungarian countess drowns in the bath, it looks like suicide. Intense scrutiny falls on her psychoanalyst, Max. Oskar teams up with Max to solve the riddle of the countess’s death and clear Max’s professional reputation.
• January 16 – Melancholy Countess, part 2
  Circumstantial evidence points to the countess’s young friend having poisoned her, but without a motive, Oskar and Max must widen the search. A breakthrough in Max’s analysis of the countess’s dreams opens a new line of investigation.
   
• January 23 – The Devil’s Kiss, part 1
  A beggar girl finds a mutilated corpse in the slums. Strasser warns Oskar that the investigation is not their concern, but when Oskar receives anonymous messages relating to the murder, he can’t resist delving further.
• January 30 – The Devil’s Kiss, part 2
  Oskar instigates a surveillance operation to catch the assassin and uncovers an intricate foreign plot. Can Max and Oskar defuse the scheme in time to save innocent lives? Meanwhile, Max’s personal life faces yet more complications.