Each month we have a variety of amazing programs, which can make it hard to decide what to watch! We’ve compiled a ranking of programs airing this month with number one being an absolute MUST watch. Get ready to mark your calendar or set your DVR because May is about to be a great month of PBS KVIE!
1. Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears
Sunday 5/17 at 8PM
Glamorous detective Phryne Fisher returns in a cinematic sequel to the wildly popular series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. In 1929 Jerusalem, Phryne’s rescue of a young Bedouin girl leads her on a globe-trotting adventure to uncover priceless treasures, wartime secrets, and an ancient tomb bearing a terrible curse.
2. Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure
Wednesday 5/6 at 8PM
Celebrate Sir Daid Attenborough’s 100th birthday and discover the story behind TV’s first wildlife blockbuster. In 1976, Attenborough embarked on an ambitious 3-year global odyssey to film Life on Earth, facing extraordinary challenges along the way. This innovative documentary of unprecedented scale documented over 600 species in 40 countries.
3. Martin Clunes: Islands of America
Fridays 5/1, 8, 15, 22 at 8PM
Journey around America’s coasts in this fun and informative travelogue with host Martin Clunes (Doc Martin). From Hawaii’s volcanoes to California’s seal colonies, salsa dancing in Puerto Rico to wild ponies swimming in Virginia, this delightful voyage offers stunning, diverse landscapes, incredible wildlife encounters, and insightful commentary.
4. Discovering Judi Dench
Sunday 5/3 at 9PM
Explore the remarkable on-screen cinematic career of Dame Judi Dench. A prominent figure in British culture for decades, her extraordinary and varied film career earned her both Academy and BAFTA Awards. Revisit some of her most memorable roles, including her iconic stint as M in multiple James Bond films.
5. Whitstable Pearl, Season 2
Thursdays 5/7, 14, 21 & 28 at 8PM
Follow single mother Pearl as she runs a private detective agency from her family restaurant in the coastal town of Whitstable. Drawn by her caring nature, locals flock to her with a variety of cases. In season 2, Pearl investigates a kidnapping, a suspicious will, and a body found at a wedding.
6. American Experience: Nixon
Tuesday 5/5 at 9PM
Revisit the complex life and career of President Richard Nixon. A self-made man who rose from modest Quaker beginnings in California to the most powerful office in the world, he ended the Vietnam War, improved relations with China and the Soviet Union, and resigned in the face of impeachment.
7. American Masters: W.E.B. Du Bois – Rebel with a Cause
Tuesday 5/19 at 9PM
Explore the life and legacy of the notable Black scholar and civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois. He authored more than 20 books and fused scholarship with activism, deploying literature, data, and groundbreaking infographics to expose the roots of systemic racism. His legacy as an activist still resonates today.
8. Secrets of the Dead: China’s Bronze Kingdom
Wednesday 5/27 at 10PM
See how the chance discovery of a jade artifact in 1929 led to the unearthing of a mysterious ancient city hidden in the mountains of Sichuan — remnants of a kingdom consigned to oblivion for thousands of years. Could this be the capital of the ancient Shu kingdom?
9. National Memorial Day Concert
Sunday 5/24 at 8PM & 9:30PM
Honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and commemorate the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding with all-star performances. Broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the event features musical performances, documentary footage, and personal stories of sacrifice and service.
10. American Experience: Seabiscuit
Tuesday 5/26 at 9PM
Explore the behind-the-scenes world of thoroughbred racing and Seabiscuit’s unlikely career that illuminated the precarious economic conditions that defined America in the 1930s. When Americans longed to escape the grim realities of Depression era, Seabiscuit became a working man’s hero and a national obsession.