As TV networks’ fall plans sputter, there’s a counterpoint:
PBS still has big plans for the season. That includes concerts (including Lea Salonga, shown here, and Wynton Marsalis), dramas (including Hugh Laurie), politics (including general rage), nature and whimsy.
Well, not a lot of whimsy. (This is PBS, after all.) But it will air “History of Zombies” on the eve of Halloween and visit “Santa’s Wild Home” before Christmas; it will also have a jazz tribute to “Sesame Street,” visit tropical islands and board the queen’s plane.
The commercial networks have announced fall schedules (mostly keeping current shows), but haven’t set starting dates. Fox and CW have temporary schedules for fall, holding many shows until January.
But PBS tends to work far in advance, sometimes with overseas producers. On Tuesday, it announced plans; all are schedule to change and to variations by individual stations.
CONCERTS
– The Royal Ballet does “Romeo and Juliet” in historic Budapest locations, 9 p.m., Sept. 11.
– “A Swinging Sesame Street Celebration,” with Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra … plus, of course, Big Bird and friends, 9 p.m. Oct. 30.
– “Lea Salonga in concert,” 9 p.m. Nov. 27. She’s done six Broadway shows, including starring in “Miss Saigon.”
– “Grammy Salute to Music Legends,” 9 p.m., Oct. 16. It will be a virtual event, after the original was postponed in April; one of the honorees, John Prine, died of COVID on April 7. Others honored include Chicago, Public Enemy, Isaac Hayes, Roberta Flack, Iggy Pop and more.
– “Hispanic Heritage Awards,” 8 p.m. Oct. 6.
DRAMA (Sundays)
– “Masterpiece” has three 9 p.m. mini-series: “Van Der Valk” (a Dutch detective), Sept. 13-27; “Flesh and Blood” (a widowed Francesca Annis romances Stephen Rea, alarming her children), Oct. 4-25; “Roadkill” (Hugh Laurie as a scheming politician), Nov. 1-22.
– Lighter shows are at 8 p.m.: “Last Tango in Halifax” returns Sept. 20 to Oct. 11; “The Trouble With Maggie Cole” – with Dawn French (co-creator of “Absolutely Fabulous”) as a small-town gossip, is Oct. 18 to Nov. 22
– And “COBRA” will be at 10 p.m., Oct. 4 to Nov. 8. It’s set during a British crisis, in Cabinet Office Briefing Room A.
ABOUT THE ARTS
– “American Masters” profiles Walter Winchell at 9 p.m. Oct. 20 and “Little House” author Laura Ingalls Wilder at 9 p.m. Dec. 29.
– “Now Hear This” returns, with violinist Scott Yu again visiting (and performing in) the birthplaces of classical music. He focuses on Haydn, Schubert and Mozart, Sept. 18 to Oct. 2.
– “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles” views the creation of “Fiddler on the Roof,” 9 p.m. Nov. 13.
ELECTIONS AND GOVERNMENT
PBS starts early, covering the August conventions from 8-11 p.m. each night. It will also have the presidential debates (Sept. 29, Oct. 15 and Oct. 22), plus the vice-presidential one Oct. 7. And, of course, it has Election Night, Nov. 3. Before that, related and semi-related shows include:
– “The Choice 20/20: Trump vs. Biden,” 9 p.m. Sept. 22.
– “Latino Vote: Dispatches From the Battleground,” 9 p.m., Oct. 6.
– “Represent” (profiling women in Detroit, Illinois and rural Ohio, 10 p.m., Oct. 26.
– Three “Frontline” films, all with tentative titles – “Growing Up Poor in Trump’s America,” 9 p.m. Sept. 8; “America’s Police Problem,” 9 p.m. Sept. 15; “America Unprotected” (viewing early shortages in medical supplies), 10 p.m. Oct. 6.
– “Building the American Dream” (viewing the complaints of Latino workers in construction), 10 p.m. Sept. 15.
– “Not Done: Women Remaking America,” 8 p.m. Oct. 27.
HISTORY
– “Secrets of the Dead” will look for details on the captain who failed to take his boat to rescue Titanic passengers, 10 p.m. Nov. 4.
– “Rise of the Nazis,” 9 p.m., Nov. 10, 17 and 24,
NATURE AND TRAVEL
– “Islands of Wonder” is 8 p.m. Sept. 16, 23 and 30, visiting Madagascar, Borneo and Hawaii.
– “Nature” has a three-part mini-series, “The Age of Nature”; it views transforming attitudes and approaches, at 10 p.m. Oct. 14, 21, 28. At 8 p.m., it has “Australian Bush Fires,” Oct. 28; “Primates,” Nov, 4, 11 and 18; and “Santa’s Wild Home” (Lapland) on Nov,. 25.
– “Secrets of Royal Travel,” including Queen’s Flight, is 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 27.
MORE NON-FICTION:
– “Nova” views efforts to “edit” DNA, in an attempt to curb genetic diseases, 8 p.m.. Sept. 9. It continues its “Saving Notre Dame,” at 9 p.m. Nov. 25.
– “American Portrait” has a new chapter at 10:30 p.m. Oct. 16.
– “Feels Good Man,” viewing Matt Furie’s attempt to regain his Pepe the Frog cartoonb character, is 10 p.m. Oct. 19.
– Jonahan Scott’s Power Trip” has the “Property Brothers” star ranging from coal miners to solar-panel installers, 10 p.m. Nov. 16.
– And yes, there really is one called: “Monstrum: The History of Zombies.” Just before Halloween – at 10 p.m. Oct. 30 – if views the history of monsters.