Primetime Highlights
It’s a busy month at RMPBS featuring new episodes of Nature, NOVA, Great Performances, Independent Lens, American Experience and ANTIQUES ROADSHOW as well as the Masterpiece premiere of Miss Austen! May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, please look for the programs tagged with (AAPIHM) for programming reflecting the contributions of these groups. May is also Older Americans Month and we have a number of aging related programs that will be tagged with (OAM) throughout the schedule. The FVOD (Free Video On Demand) premiere of “Caregiving” begins on May 27th and will be available on the PBS App. We will be celebrating Memorial Day with the National Memorial Day Concert 2025 on Sunday, May 25th as well as other programming celebrating our nation’s veterans, and these selections will be noted with (SOS) Stories of Service.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT TIMES, DATES, AND PROGRAMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH NO NOTICE.
Miss Austen PREMIERE
SUN May 4 | 8 PM
Part 1 – 5/4, Part 2 – 5/11, Part 3 - 5/18 8 PM, Part 4 – 5/18 9 PM
In 1830, Cassandra Austen arrives in Kintbury after hearing of her friend Eliza’s husband’s impending death. But her true motive becomes clear: Cassandra is searching for the letters her sister Jane wrote to Eliza throughout their friendship.
Bugs That Rule the World PREMIERE
WED May 7 | 9 PM
Part 1 - 5/7, Part 2 - 5/14, Part 3 - 5/21, Part 4 - 5/28
Scientists and enthusiasts investigate the global insect “apocalypse,” revealing the crucial roles bugs play on our planet and the bleak future without them.
36TH Annual
NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT
(SOS) SUN May 25 | 7 PM REPEATS 8:30 PM
Tune in to the 36th annual broadcast of America’s national night of remembrance, live from the U.S. Capitol, featuring stories and tributes woven with musical performances by world-renowned artists and the National Symphony Orchestra.
Ken Burns in May
The Vietnam War
THE RIVER STYX (SOS)
THUR May 1 | 8 PM
With South Vietnam in chaos, hardliners in Hanoi seize the initiative and send combat troops to the south, accelerating the insurgency. Fearing Saigon’s collapse, President Johnson escalates America’s military commitment, authorizing sustained bombing of the north and deploying ground troops in the south.
The Vietnam War
RESOLVE (SOS)
THUR May 1 | 10 PM
Defying American airpower, North Vietnamese troops and materiel stream down the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the south, while Saigon struggles to “pacify the countryside.” As an antiwar movement builds back home, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and Marines discover that the war they are being asked to fight in Vietnam is nothing like their fathers’ war.
The Vietnam War
THIS IS WHAT WE DO (SOS)
THUR May 8 | 8 PM
American casualties and enemy body counts mount as Marines face deadly North Vietnamese ambushes and artillery south of the DMZ and Army units chase an elusive enemy in the central highlands. Hanoi lays plans for a massive surprise offensive, and the Johnson Administration reassures the American public that victory is in sight.
The Vietnam War
THINGS FALL APART (SOS)
THUR May 8 | 9:30 PM
On the eve of the Tet holiday, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch surprise attacks on cities and military bases throughout the south, suffering devastating losses but casting grave doubt on Johnson’s promise that there is “light at the end of the tunnel.” The president decides not to run again and the country is staggered by assassinations and unrest.
Ken Burns in May
The Vietnam War
THE VENEER OF CIVILIZATION (SOS)
THUR May 15 | 8 PM
Public support for the war declines, and American men of draft age face difficult decisions and wrenching moral choices. After police battle with demonstrators in the streets of Chicago, Richard Nixon wins the presidency, promising law and order at home and peace overseas. In Vietnam, the war goes on and soldiers on all sides witness terrible savagery and unflinching courage.
The Vietnam War
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD (SOS)
THUR May 15 | 10 PM
With morale plummeting in Vietnam, President Nixon begins withdrawing American troops. As news breaks of an unthinkable massacre committed by American soldiers, the public debates the rectitude of the war, while an incursion into Cambodia reignites antiwar protests with tragic consequences.
The Vietnam War A DISRESPECTFUL LOYALTY (SOS)
THUR May 22 | 8 PM
South Vietnamese forces fighting on their own in Laos suffer a terrible defeat. Massive U.S. airpower makes the difference in halting an unprecedented North Vietnamese offensive. After being re-elected in a landslide, Nixon announces Hanoi has agreed to a peace deal. American prisoners of war will finally come home – to a bitterly divided country.
The Vietnam War
THE WEIGHT OF MEMORY (SOS)
THUR May 29 | 8 PM
While the Watergate scandal rivets Americans’ attention and forces President Nixon to resign, the Vietnamese continue to savage one another in a brutal civil war. When hundreds of thousands of North Vietnamese troops pour into the south, Saigon descends rapidly into chaos and collapses. For the next 40 years, Americans and Vietnamese from all sides search for healing and reconciliation.
SMALLER PHOTOS: PBS
What to Watch May 1 - 8
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW:
CELEBRATING ASIAN-PACIFIC HERITAGE
MON May 5 | 7 PM
Travel with ROADSHOW as it turns the spotlight on incredible items with Asian and Pacific Islands origins, including a Hawaiian Kou bowl, a Ghandi presentation spinning wheel and an 1888 Joesph Nawahi painting. (AAPIHM)
NOVA:
ULTIMATE CRASH TEST: COUNTDOWN
WED May 7 | 8 PM
Part 1 - 5/7, Part 2 - 5/14 | Surprisingly little is known about the behavior of cars and drivers in uncontrolled, real-world accidents, despite rigorous testing in laboratory-controlled crashes. Now, a first-of-its-kind experiment aims to discover what really happens in a multi-vehicle pileup and how cars and driving could be made safer.
The M Factor:
SHREDDING THE SILENCE ON MENOPAUSE (OAM) THUR May 8 | 7 PM
Confronting the neglected menopause crisis, challenging societal and medical shortcomings, and advocating for a revolutionary approach to women’s health in America where she’s prepared for midlife.
What to Watch May 9 - 15
Independent
Lens: AND SO IT BEGINS (AAPIHM)
MON May 12 | 9 PM
A historic presidential race in the Philippines, between the son of Ferdinand Marcos and the incumbent woman VP, is seen through the eyes of Nobelwinning journalist Maria Ressa who cuts through the rhetoric despite the risks.
American Experience: PLAGUE AT THE GOLDEN GATE (AAPIHM)
TUE May 13 | 9 PM
Over 100 years before the COVID-19 pandemic set off a nationwide wave of fear and anti-Asian sentiment, an outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco’s Chinatown unleashed a similar crisis. The death of a Chinese immigrant in 1900 would have likely gone unnoticed if a medical officer hadn’t discovered a swollen black lymph node on his groin - evidence of bubonic plague.
Great Performances:
NEXT TO NORMAL FRI May 9 | 8 PM
Next to Normal is an intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief. At its heart is Diana Goodman, a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past. This production first played at The Donmar Warehouse before transferring to the West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre for a limited run in 2024.
THE DIRECTOR
Michael became Artistic Director of the Donmar in 2019. He launched his tenure with a revival of David Greig’s visionary early play Europe and staged the UK premiere of Mike Lew’s Teenage Dick. Michael trained in directing at Mountview after reading Philosophy at Nottingham University.
What to Watch May 16 - 22
The Mystery of Mr. E
A MURDER MYSTERY MUSICAL
SUN May 18 | 11 PM
Twin brothers John and George Danes are visited by a stranger who knows where they are heading, announces himself as ‘the murderer’ then disappears. On arrival it isn’t long before a guest is found dead in mysterious circumstances.
THE DIRECTOR
Martyn Tott is a self-taught independent filmmaker. Harnessing the advancement of DSLR cameras in the late 2000’s he was inspired to turn his written stories into film. Learning more each time he worked up from trailers to short drama and finally a first feature film, the zero budget ‘Hunters Lodge’ starring Tim Ahern in 2015.
THE WRITER
Sophie Hannah was born on June 28, 1971 in Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She is a writer and producer, known for The Mystery of Mr E (2023), The Understudy (2021) and Dublerka (2020).
FRONTLINE:
HURRICANE HELENE’S DEADLY WARNING
TUE May 20 | 9 PM
How Hurricane Helene became an ominous warning about America’s lack of preparedness. With NPR, drawing on a decade of reporting on disasters and their aftermath, how and why the U.S. is more vulnerable than ever to climate change-related storms.
Aging Matters:
AGING WITH PRIDE (OAM) THUR May 22 | 7 PM
LGBTQIA elders face unique social, economic, and health challenges. Organizations and individuals across the country are working to address issues such as discrimination and loneliness. AGING MATTERS: AGING WITH PRIDE sheds light on what many in the Stonewall Generation have had to endure and fight for in the hopes of enacting positive change for the community in the ongoing pursuit of equality.
What to Watch May 23 - 31
Great Performances:
GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
FRI May 23 | 8 PM
Written and directed by acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson, Girl From the North Country reimagines 20 legendary songs by Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before.
Independent Lens:
MAKE PEACE OR DIE: HONOR THE FALLEN (SOS)
MON May 26 | 9 PM
Riddled with survivor’s guilt after his unit lost 17 men during “Operation Enduring Freedom” in Afghanistan, Marine veteran Anthony Marquez makes it his mission to reconnect with the Gold Star families of the fallen. By carving and hand-delivering a battlefield cross for each of the families affected by loss, Anthony finds the path to heal himself.
Great Performances: KISS ME, KATE
FRI May 30 | 8 PM
The original Broadway production of Cole Porter’s 1948 classic Kiss Me, Kate ran for over 1,000 performances and went on to become one of the all-time classics of Broadway’s “Golden Age” of musicals. A love letter to the theater blending Shakespeare with backstage romance, the show was the crowning achievement of Porter’s celebrated career and featured a score brimming with enduring hits including “Another Op’nin, Another Show,” “So in Love,” “Too Darn Hot,” “From This Moment On” and the comic masterpiece “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” The 2024 revival of Kiss Me, Kate at London’s Barbican Theatre stars Tony-winner Stephanie J. Block (The Cher Show) and Irish star Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) as Porter’s famously feuding couple. The Barbican revival was directed by Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher (Lincoln Center Theater’s South Pacific, The King and I, My Fair Lady).
