250th celebration adds music, fireworks, more

For public-TV, America’s 250th-birthday celebration has added a key step.
Now it will be a “weekend celebration.”
Previously scheduled on PBS was the tentatively titled “America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together,” on Saturday, July 4. Now the night before has “A Capitol Fourth” (shown here in a previous year) including a new song (“American Made”) from Trace Adkins and fireworks above George Washington’s Mount Vernon home.
Yes, that means this “Fourth” event will actually be on the third, but that’s nothing new: Through its 37 years, “The National Memorial Day Concert” has been on the eve of the holiday; now “Capitol Fourth,” from the same producers, will do the same.
Those two events help bookend the public-TV celebration:
— On May 24, the Memorial Day event (8-9:30 p.m.) has a Revolutionary War segment, narrated by Noah Wyle. It also has music from country stars (Alan Jackson, Mickey Guyton and Jamey Johnson), plus Broadway’s Laura Osnes, gospel-nominee Blessing Offor and the National Symphony.
— On July 3 and 4, it will be the Capitol event (8-9:30 p.m.) one day and the Virginia one (8-10 p.m.) the next.
— In between are documentaries. One (“Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War,” 10 p.m. June 29) will be new. Others are reruns, led by Ken Burns’ much-praised “The American Revolution.”
For a time, the place of “Capitol Fourth” was unclear.
The concert has been a staple since 1980, often being PBS’ most-watched show. It has offered a rich range of performers, from Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to Dolly Parton, Josh Groban and Stevie Wonder.
Still, when the Virginia event was announced, there was no word on when, if ever, “Capitol Fourth” would air. Now that’s set.
Also announced recently is the role of Burns’ film. It will be available on PBS platforms from Memorial Day through July 12. Also, the first episode will air July 3, with the others from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 4.
Other documentaries will rerun, including related episodes of “Antiques Roadshow,” “Finding Your Roots,” “Lucy Worsley Investigates” and two “American Experience” profiles — George H.W. Bush on June 19 and 25, John Kennedy on July 10 and 17.