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 October is about to be a great month of PBS KVIE!
1. PBS KVIE Art Auction 2026
Friday 10/2 at 7 – 10PM
Saturday 10/3 at Noon – 10PM
Sunday 10/4 at 10AM – 8PM
Celebrate local arts! The live 3-day broadcast features spectacular paintings, sculpture, photography, and more – all available for you to bid on and bring home. The collection of more than 270 works presents art in six categories: figurative, landscape, sculpture, contemporary, photography, and still life.
View all of the artworks that will be up for bid.
Find out how the auction works and get ready to bid.
2. Sunday Night Dramas
Sundays 10/18 & 25 starting at 8PM
Don’t miss new seasons of exciting dramas. The genius criminologist tackles new cases on season 5 of Professor T. More pulse-pounding action awaits on season 2 of Maigret on Masterpiece. And hunt for the other half of the stolen gold on the final season of The Gold on Masterpiece.
3. Bergerac
Thursdays 10/15, 22 & 29 at 8PM
Detective Jim Bergerac is a broken man, battling his demons and on leave after the death of his wife. But when a member of one of Jersey’s wealthiest families is murdered, the Chief of Police wants their best detective on the case. Bergerac returns to try and crack the case.
4. NOVA: Space Wars
Wednesday 10/7 at 9PM
Discover the high-stakes war silently escalating above our heads. Satellites, vital to our daily lives and economies, are vulnerable to attack both from adversaries and debris. Space is now a critical battleground as global military powers race to weaponize it. Explore the technology and strategy of a rapidly developing arms race.
5. NOVA: Evolution
Wednesdays 10/14, 21 & 28 at 9PM
Trace the epic journey of animal life, from a single cell to the amazing variety alive today in this landmark 5-part series. Full of surprising twists and turns over billions of years, discover how animal life became so diverse and resilient through the awesome power of evolution.
6. Nature: Sesame Street and the Great Elephant Adventure
Wednesday 10/14 at 8PM
Join Elmo and the Sesame Street gang on an unforgettable adventure. Nature teams up with Sesame Street in a special crossover episode. Elmo, Abby, and Nina travel to a Kenyan sanctuary to meet an orphaned elephant alongside other iconic wildlife.
7. Nature: Tiger Island
Wednesdays 10/21 & 28 at 8PM
Follow a team of wildlife filmmakers and big cat experts in Nepal to reveal the secret lives of tigers that are thriving on an extraordinary island full of threats. In this 2-part special, track two tigresses raising cubs among deadly predators, and uncover surprising behavior that challenges the solitary nature of tigers.
8. Secrets of the Dead: Africa’s Golden City
Wednesday 10/14 at 10PM
Uncover the influence of an ancient city. Great Zimbabwe, built between the 11th and 15th centuries, was the thriving capital of a massive trading empire, but for hundreds of years was dismissed by European explorers. New archeological discoveries reveal the true scope of the city’s global importance.
9. Secrets of the Dead: Raising Lady Liberty
Wednesday 10/21 at 10PM
Discover how two countries came together to produce one of history’s greatest monuments. The Statue of Liberty became an enduring symbol of freedom and a metaphor for the American dream. For nearly 150 years, she has welcomed millions into New York Harbor who have come to start new lives.
10. In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership
Tuesday 10/27 at 10PM
Hear reflections on presidential leadership, character, and democratic ideals from American presidents and first ladies, featuring insights from Chief Justice John Roberts, Ken Burns, Sharon McMahon, Lonnie Bunch, Judy Woodruff, General Stanley McChrystal, and more. Explore what we can learn from the past to inform a more perfect union.
11. Breaking the Deadlock: AI – Crisis of Control
Tuesday 10/27 at 9PM
Join UC Davis Professor of Law and moderator Aaron Tang for a conversation about divisive technology impacting communities across the nation. As artificial intelligence works its way into every facet of our lives, Americans will have a choice: will we control it, or will it control us?
12. Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana, Season 2
Monday 10/26 at 9PM
Travel through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona for surprising encounters, inspiring stories, and unforgettable flavors. Pati Jinich discovers people embracing cultural traditions once nearly lost, reviving ancestral languages and ingredients, breathing new life into time-honored crafts, and finding fresh ways to celebrate their roots.