FEATURED PROGRAMS on Blue Ridge PBS
Be sure to check our schedule for additional air times!
All Creatures Great and Small: The Next Chapter
Sunday, August 14 @ 7:30pm & Thursday, August 18 @ 7pm
Go behind-the-scenes of the hit series about the world’s favorite veterinarian and his menagerie of animal patients. Interviews with cast members, creators and those who work with the animals provide fascinating background.
American Experience: Voice of Freedom
Wednesday, August 17 @ 8:30pm
On Easter Sunday, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson stepped up to a microphone in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Inscribed on the walls of the monument behind her were the words “all men are created equal.” Barred from performing in Constitution Hall because of her race, Anderson would sing for the American people in the open air. Hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe and widely celebrated by both white and Black audiences at home, her fame hadn’t been enough to spare her from the indignities and outright violence of racism and segregation. Voice of Freedom interweaves Anderson’s rich life story with this landmark moment in history, exploring fundamental questions about talent, race, fame, democracy, and the American soul.
Bela Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart
Tuesday, August 16 @11pm
Join the banjo virtuoso and an all-star lineup of bluegrass stars for a concert recorded live at the Ryman Auditorium. A “can’t-miss” moment in bluegrass, it’s a one-time chance to see all the artists from the My Bluegrass Heart album on one stage.
Blue Ridge PBS Gives Back: Roanoke Rescue Mission
LIVE! Monday, August 15 @ 8pm
This month Blue Ridge PBS Gives Back turns its focus on the Rescue Mission of Roanoke, a comprehensive crisis intervention center for men, women, and children that offers life-saving services aimed at transformation and restoration.
Clint Back: Mostly Hits and The Mrs.
Saturday, August 20 @ 8:30pm
Grab a front-row seat for this concert featuring the Grammy Award-winning country music icon, wife Lisa Hartman Black, and daughter Lily Pearl. Taped at the Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah, Georgia, on February 12, 2022.
Chris Botti and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Sunday, August 21 @ 6:30pm
Join the master trumpeter and special guests for an evening of jazz, pop and favorite standards. Featuring violinist Caroline Campbell, guitarist Leo Amuedo, saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and vocalists Sy Smith and Veronica Swift.
COBRA Cyberwar
Sundays @ 9pm
In times of national emergency, a team of Britain’s leading experts, crisis contingency planners and most senior politicians assemble under the name COBRA to coordinate the response. The nail-biting decisions this committee makes drive the compelling action of the series as we witness their actions play out at ground level, in the worst hit parts of an already fractious country.But it is not just the nation we see rocked by the calamitous events of COBRA. From the corridors of Whitehall to the salons of No.10, we also explore the lives of the politicians and advisors that make up the committee.
August 7 - Episode Five
With the crisis worsening, Fraser deals with issues in his personal life. The Prime Minister is forced to consider more extreme measures to retain control and apply order over the country. The Prime Minister assembles the emergency committee “COBRA” to respond to a potentially explosive situation in Kent.
August 14 - Season Finale!
As the crisis reaches boiling point, Fraser and his team reach the endgame, while the Prime Minister and Anna are forced to fight for their political lives with Archie firing his first shots.
Coldplay: Live in Sao Paulo
Monday, August 15 @ 9pm
Grab a front-row seat at the legendary band’s A Head Full Of Dreams tour, which played to over five million fans across five continents and featured spectacular staging of their greatest hits, including “Fix You,” “Yellow,” and “In My Place.”
Country Pop Legends
Saturday, August 13 @ 8:30pm
Country pop legends unite to perform their biggest and best-loved hit recordings from the 1950s, 60s and 70s in this MY MUSIC special. County music legend Roy Clark hosts this emotional trip down three decades of memory lane. Performances from Glen Campbell, Crystal Gayle, Hank Locklin, Bill Anderson, BJ Thomas, the Bellamy Brothers, the Browns and more are intermixed with classic full-length vintage archival gems from the vaults.
Doo Wop, Pop and Soul Generations
Saturday, August 13 @ 10:30pm; Tuesday, August 16 @ 7pm; & Friday, August 19 @ 9pm
Celebrate the legacy of the music of the late 1950s and 60s with a new generation of artists. Includes performances by Alex Byrd, The Best Intentions, The Majors, The Danleers, Charlie Thomas’ Drifters, The Belmonts, Bobby Wilson and Mike Mastellone.
Expeditions with Patrick McMillan: New River Valley-Ancient Landscapes, Ancient Connections
Thursday, August 18 @ 9:30pm
Ironically, the New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. For millions and millions of years it has been charting a path through Appalachia. Join Patrick as he explores the unique life that has developed in this ancient valley right along with the traditional use and relationships of humans.
Finding Your Roots
Tuesdays @ 8pm
The acclaimed series with Professor Gates delves into the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of popular figures.
August 2 – Italian Roots
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of talk show-host Jimmy Kimmel and actors Marisa Tomei and John Turturro, introducing them to ancestors who made immense sacrifices to bring their families from Italy to America.
August 9 – The Eye of the Beholder
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. shares the family histories of director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, iconoclastic performance artist Marina Abramović and painter Kehinde Wiley. These visionary artists find their identities challenged—and affirmed.
August 23 – Fashion’s Roots
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. steps into the world of fashion and meets three icons of style — Diane Von Furstenberg, Narciso Rodriguez, and RuPaul Charles — introducing ancestors who were just as audacious as they are.
Freedom Songs: Music of the Civil Rights Movement
Wednesday, August 17 @ 7pm
Explore how music helped sustain and was in turn inspired by the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring archival interviews and performances from many of the greatest artists of the soul era and beyond.
Grantchester, Season 7, on Masterpiece
Sundays at 9pm
The series picks up in the long hot summer of 1959 with wedding season in full swing in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester. Starring Robson Green as Geordie Keating and Tom Brittney as Will Davenport.
August 7 – Episode 5
Will and Geordie investigate a murder and missing persons case at a senior citizen’s care home. It is unclear if some of the victims may also be perpetrators of the crime.
August 14 – Episode 6
Another homeless man is found dead and killed in the same manner as the previous victims. Geordie and Will realize that they may have sent the wrong man to prison, and the real killer may still be at large.
The Great American Recipe
Fridays @ 9pm
An uplifting cooking competition that celebrates the multiculturalism that makes American food unique and iconic. Hosted by Alejandra Ramos, the series gives talented home cooks from different regions of the country the opportunity to showcase their beloved signature dishes and compete to win the national search for “The Great American Recipe.”
August 5 – Family
Celebrate family as the four remaining cooks prepare two dishes inspired by their friends and families. Whether it’s a neighbor’s lasagna or a dish passed down from grandma, the judges are in for some heartfelt food.
August 12 – The Great American Recipe
It’s time for the season finale as the three remaining cooks go head-to-head to win “The Great American Recipe.” They’ll have some surprise helpers for their final chance to wow the judges with a very special dinner.
Mannheim Steamroller 30/40
Saturday, August 13 @ 7pm
Celebrate 30 years of musical magic and 40 years of Fresh Aire with this milestone album from Mannheim Steamroller. Relive the groundbreaking symphonic sound that put Mannheim Steamroller on the map.
PLUS find out how to see them in Roanoke in December!!
Last of the Breed
Tuesday, August 16 @ 9:30pm & Saturday, August 20 @ 7pm
Celebrate the greatest hits of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price in this 2007 concert. With the richest voices this side of the Rio Grande, the three legends give rousing performances on a treasure trove of honky-tonk and Texas swing tunes.
Masterpiece: 50 Fabulous Years!
Sunday, August 21 @ 9:30pm
Celebrate the iconic series that introduced generations of PBS viewers to the delights of British drama. From "Upstairs Downstairs" to "I, Claudius" to "The Jewel in the Crown" and "Downton Abbey," MASTERPIECE has stood the test of time.
Nature
Wednesdays @ 8pm
Experience the splendors and compelling stories of the natural world from all over the globe.
August 10 – Dogs in the Land of Lions
Follow the unforgettable journey of a close-knit family of wild dogs in Zimbabwe and witness rarely seen behavior, from tender moments with newborn pups, to the thrills of hunting wildebeest, to close encounters with their greatest enemy - the lion.
August 24 – The Bat Man of Mexico
An ecologist tracks the Lesser Long-nosed bat’s epic migration across Mexico, braving hurricanes, snakes, Mayan tombs and seas of cockroaches, in order to save the species and the tequila plants they pollinate.
August 31 – Cuba’s Wild Revolution
In the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean, Cuba is an island teeming with exotic biodiversity: from coral reefs pulsating with life to five-foot-long Cuban rock iguanas. As international relations thaw, what will become of this wildlife sanctuary?
On Broadway
Saturday, August 20 @ 10pm & Sunday, August 21 @ 8pm
Join an all-star cast of Broadway legends, including Hugh Jackman, Helen Mirren, Christine Baranski, August Wilson, James Corden, Alec Baldwin, John Lithgow, Viola Davis and Ian McKellen, as they recount how Broadway came back from the brink.
Yellowstone Symphony
Monday, August 15 @ 7pm
Travel on a spectacular visual journey through the wonders of America's first national park. Set to classical music from some of the world's best composers, the park's magnificent scenery and wildlife are showcased as they change through the seasons.