FEATURED PROGRAMS on PBS Appalachia
Be sure to check our schedule for additional air times!
Antiques Roadshow
Mondays @ 8pm
Part adventure, part history lesson, part treasure hunt.
May 4 – Grants Farm, Hour 2
ROADSHOW harvests hidden treasures at Grant’s Farm, including a 1960 Ansel Adams Portfolio III: Yosemite Valley, a Persian Qashqai Gabbeh rug, ca. 1935, and 1959 JFK’s boxer shorts with signed photo. One find reaches $40,000-$60,000!
May 11 – Grants Farm, Hour 3
Catch a crop of ROADSHOW discoveries at Grant’s Farm, including a Cartier Art Deco Tutti Frutti clutch, ca. 1925, a Carl Kauba cowboy bronze, ca. 1900, and a Sumerian cuneiform tablet, ca. 2150 BCE. One find has a value of $30K -$100K!
May 18 – Junk in the Trunk 15
Visit all five cities from ROADSHOW’s celebratory Season 30 for never before-seen finds, including a 1961 JFK Santa Claus Letter, a 1979 Ed Ruscha Stage Fright ink on paper, and a John Juzek violin, ca. 1950. Guess the hour’s big find!
May 25 – Celebrating Asian-Pacific Heritage
Travel with ROADSHOW to watch incredible items from Asian-American, Asian and Pacific Islands creators, including a Hawaiian Kou bowl, a Gandhi presentation spinning wheel, and an 1888 Joseph Nawahi painting. Which is $250,000-$300,000?
Call the Midwife
Sundays @ 8pm
It's 1971, and a new era dawns with the Women’s Liberation movement in the UK. As the year unfolds, the team faces serious cases, including a premature birth, slavery, carbon monoxide poisoning, male breast cancer, child abuse, and lupus.
May 3 – Episode 7
Despite the impending closure notice, a new cohort of junior doctors joins the midwives.
May 10 – Episode 8 - SEASON FINALE!
Sister Veronica must decide her future before the maternity home prepares to close its doors.
The Count of Monte Cristo on Masterpiece
Sundays @ 10pm
On the eve of his wedding, Edmond Dantès is falsely accused of treason and imprisoned. After escaping and discovering a hidden treasure, he reinvents himself as the Count of Monte Cristo in this captivating tale of revenge, betrayal, and redemption.
May 3 – The Duel
As Edmond’s revenge continues, Fernand’s misdeeds are made public. Outraged by his father’s downfall, Fernand and his son Albert challenges Edmond to a duel. But with such high stakes, it may be time to reveal the truth before it’s too late.
May 10 – The Last Two
With one enemy out of the way, Edmond works to ensure that the remaining two pay for their crimes against him. A possible future with Mercedes awaits, but after years of deceit, is he still the same man?
Downton Abbey, Season 1, on Masterpiece
Sundays @ 10pm beginning May 17
Created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), Downton Abbey depicts the lives of the noble Crawley family and the staff who serve them, set at their Edwardian country house in 1912.
Finding Your Roots
Tuesdays @ 8pm
The acclaimed series explores the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of popular figures.
May 5 – In the Blood
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers the surprising roots of two people who were raised by artists: actor Michael Douglas and writer/director Lena Dunham.
May 12 – Far From Home
Henry Louis Gates maps the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, exploring records in Italy, Korea, and Mexico to uncover ancestors whose stories were lost when their families immigrated to America.
May 19 – Stranger than Fiction
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals inspiring ancestors of novelist Amy Tan & poet Rita Dove.
May 26 – Dreamers: One and All
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces the ancestry of actor Sharon Stone & model Chrissy Teigen.
Great Performances - NEW EPISODES!
Fridays @ 9pm
Watch television’s longest-running performing arts anthology to enjoy the best in music, dance and theater.
May 8 – Suffs
Witness the American women's suffrage movement in this Tony-winning Broadway musical. Created by Shaina Taub, the cast features Taub as Alice Paul, Tony winner Nikki M. James as Ida B. Wells, and Tony nominee Jenn Colella as Carrie Chapman Catt.
May 15 – Irving Berlin’s Top Hat
Enjoy this acclaimed musical inspired by the 1935 movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers featuring a timeless score by Irving Berlin including classics like “Cheek to Cheek,” “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
May 22 – An Evening with Nicole Scherzinger
Experience the Tony winner's return to Royal Albert Hall in her first major UK solo show in 13 years recorded with a full orchestra. Enjoy Broadway favorites and pop hits including songs from her award-winning role in "Sunset Boulevard.”
May 29 – Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy
Discover the influence of Jewish composers and lyricists on the modern American musical through interviews, archival footage, and insights from legends like Stephen Sondheim, Mel Brooks, and many more.
Great Performances | Now Hear This: The Iceland Sound
Friday, May 1 @ 9pm
Enjoy this acclaimed musical inspired by the 1935 movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers featuring a timeless score by Irving Berlin including classics like “Cheek to Cheek,” “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure – NEW!
Wednesday, May 6 @ 8pm
In 1976 David Attenborough embarked on his most ambitious project ever. No-one had ever attempted a natural history series on this scale before. His reputation was on the line. This is the story behind TV’s first wildlife blockbuster, Life on Earth.
Lucy Worsley’s Royal Myths and Secrets | Elizabeth I: The Warrior Queen
Sunday, May 17 @ 8pm
Join Lucy Worsley for an exploration of how Elizabeth I’s image as a warrior queen, created by a series of myths and secrets about her victory over the Spanish Armada, shaped British national identity for centuries.
Margaret: The Rebel Princess
Back-to-Back Episodes! Sunday, May 31 @ 8pm
This intimate two-part series profiles Princess Margaret, whose life and loves reflected the social and sexual revolution that transformed the western world during the 20th century.
MaryLand on Masterpiece
Sundays, May 3-17 @ 9pm
Sisters Becca (Suranne Jones,“Gentleman Jack,” “Vigil”) and Rosaline (Eve Best, (“House of the Dragon,” “Nurse Jackie”) find themselves thrown together by the sudden death of their mother, Mary. They come to find out that she was living an entirely secret life on the Isle of Man, far from her home with her husband, Becca and Rosaline’s father. As the sisters travel through the early days of grief and discover their mother’s secrets, they meet their mother’s quirky friend Cathy (Stockard Channing, “The Good Wife,” “The West Wing”) who seems to know more about their mother than they do. Mary’s death offers Becca and Rosaline a chance to not only reframe their relationship but fundamentally reshape who they are. At its heart, MaryLand is a love story of two sisters.
National Memorial Day Concert 2026
Sunday, May 24 @ 8pm
America’s national night of remembrance hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise airs live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, honors the courage and sacrifice of our military men and women, their families, and pays tribute to all who have given their lives in service to our nation. The evening will feature powerful storytelling and musical salutes featuring world-renowned artists with the National Symphony Orchestra, and a special commemoration of the country’s 250th Anniversary highlighting the all-volunteer force that won our independence in the American Revolution.
Nature
Wednesdays @ 8pm
Forty years on, it is the premier voice for the natural world, an essential lens on the creatures, great and small, that sustain us all on our living planet.
May 13 – Attenborough and the Sea Dragon
Join Sir David Attenborough as he pieces together the remarkable discovery of the Ichthyosaur, a fearsome fish lizard that lived during the age of dinosaurs.
May 20 – Attenborough’s Wonder of Song
David Attenborough presents seven of the most remarkable animal songs found in nature and explores the significance of these songs in the lives of their species.
May 27 – Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster
Follow Sir David Attenborough and a team of forensic experts as they unearth the fossil of a giant Pliosaur, the largest Jurassic predator ever known.
NOVA
Wednesdays @ 9pm
Explore the science behind the headlines in PBS's premiere science series.
May 6 – Decoding the Universe: Cosmos
Explore big discoveries that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
May 13 – Decoding the Universe: Quantum
Dive into the universe at the tiniest – and weirdest – of scales.
May 20 – When Whales Could Walk
Explore big discoveries that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
May 27 – Great Mammoth Mystery
Sir David Attenborough explores a site with traces of ancient mammoths and Neanderthals.
Samantha Brown’s Places to Love
Thursdays @ 7pm
Experience the passion of a destination through food and drink, arts and culture, and adventure
May 14 – Route 66 in New Mexico
Samantha travels the Mother Road through New Mexico, starting at the retro Motel Safari in Tucumcari. She visits the Santa Rosa Route 66 Car Museum, then heads to Santa Fe, where Native, Spanish, and American cultures meet. In Albuquerque, she tours the Kimo Theatre and gets a custom hat, then explores Grants’ Mining Museum, Continental Divide, and Gallup’s Earl’s Café and Cultural Center.
May 21 – Route 66 in Arizona
Samantha’s Route 66 adventure continues through Arizona’s 244 miles of the Mother Road. She marvels at the Petrified Forest, visits the Jackrabbit Trading Post, and stays at Winslow’s historic La Posada. Exploring Walnut Canyon and Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory, she heads to Williams’ quirky Poozeum, meets Route 66 legend Angel Delgadillo in Seligman, and ends in Kingman’s Route 66 Museum.
May 28 – Route 66 in California
Samantha’s California Route 66 journey begins in Goffs, a Mojave Desert railroad town tied to WWII history. In Amboy, she meets locals reviving the ghost town, then explores Route 66 through Barstow’s Marine base. She visits Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch, the Wigwam Motel, and Pasadena’s Gamble House before ending her adventure at Santa Monica Pier, where Route 66 meets the Pacific.
Secrets of the Dead: China’s Bronze Kingdom – NEW EPISODE!
Wednesday, May 27 @ 10pm
The chance discovery of a jade artifact has led to the unearthing of an ancient city hidden in the mountains of Sichuan. With more than 10,000 items found so far, is this the capital of the ancient Shu kingdom?
Shared Planet
Wednesdays @ 10pm
With stunning cinematography, this unique global series reveals the untold stories of people and wildlife thriving together. Celebrating the benefits of making room for nature, this series offers a vision of a hopeful future.
May 6 – Open Spaces
Across our planet’s fragile landscapes, witness how people and wildlife coexist harmoniously.
May 13 – Forests
Meet the forest-dwellers and pioneers rewriting the rules of how we coexist among the trees.
May 20 – Water
Dive into a new blueprint for our oceans, where protecting aquatic life is the key to human prosperity.
Write Around the Corner - NEW EPISODES!
Tuesdays @ 7:30pm
This series, hosted by Rose Martin, features writers who are from Virginia or who write about Virginia. Recorded on location, each half hour interview delves into the stories behind the stories.
May 6 - Kristin Kisska shares her debut novel, The Hint of Light. An Agatha Award Finalist, it’s about unconditional love, secrets and what binds us together.
May 13 - Edith-Anne Duncan shares insights into creating a beautiful and functional home as we discuss her book, Southern Sensibility.
May 20 - Tara Laskowski discusses her atmospheric suspense novel, The Weekend Retreat. This novel, set at a lush winery, is full of unexpected twists and turns.
May 27 - Donna Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of the Meg Langslow mystery series, talks about her books that are chocked full of humor and homicide.