This Month on CPTV
Happy New Year! January provides a new start to new seasons of PBS’s most popular shows. Tune in for more drama, more music and more updates on your most well-liked and admired characters, celebrities and events. It’s the beginning of 2025, so get ready to discover new ways to be enlightened, entertained and educated by marking your calendar to catch these highlights from this month’s program offerings on CPTV and CPTV Spirit, as well as special programming to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy and Holocaust Remembrance Day.
On CPTV
London’s New Year’s Day Parade 2025
Wednesday, January 1 at 7 a.m.
The event, now in its fifth decade, raises spirits along its iconic parade route through the ancient city of Westminster. More than 20 U.S. marching bands from across the country are among the 8,000 performers set to entertain the hundreds of thousands of spectators. London has taken the U.S. marching band culture to its heart and gives them the warmest of welcomes when they travel across the pond to participate in this cherished event.
WATCH NOW
Great Performances | From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2025
Wednesday, January 1 at 8 p.m.
Experience this annual beloved concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss. Conducted by Riccardo Muti for the seventh time, PBS favorite Hugh Bonneville returns to host.
WATCH HERE
Great Performances | Anything Goes
Wednesday, January 1 at 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy this London production of Cole Porter's classic musical led by Tony winner Sutton Foster, who reprises her Tony-winning role as Reno Sweeney and directed by Kathleen Marshall, with favorite songs like "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "You're the Top."
WATCH NOW
Father Brown | Series 11
Thursdays at 9 p.m.
Father Brown, a kindly cleric who is dedicated to solving crimes in his community, is resolute in helping solve the mysteries and injustices that impact those around him. Many years spent hearing his parishioners' confessions have given him an uncanny insight into the origins of evil and the workings of the criminal mind. But his results are not concerned with judgement -- Father Brown is more interested in saving souls than in bringing the guilty to justice.
Lucy Worsley's Royal Myths & Secrets - Marie Antoinette: The Doomed Queen
Sunday, January 5 at 8 p.m.
Find out why Marie Antoinette is often blamed for causing the French Revolution by saying "let them eat cake" to her starving subjects. Lucy Worsley uncovers the myths and secrets that led the doomed queen to the guillotine.
WATCH NOW
Vienna Blood | Season 4
Sundays at 10 p.m.
A student of Sigmund Freud and an Austrian detective team up to solve some of the most mysterious and deadly cases in early 1900s Vienna.
SEE A PREVIEW
Antiques Roadshow | Season 29
Mondays at 8 p.m.
It’s a new year and a new round of remarkable finds, as the Antiques Roadshow cameras capture tales of family heirlooms, yard sale bargains and long-lost items salvaged from attics and basements, while experts reveal the fascinating truths about these finds.
GET A FIRST LOOK AT SEASON 29
Independent Lens: Minted
Monday, January 6 at 10 p.m.
An insider's look at the rise and fall of the NFT (non-fungible token) phenomenon and how technology transformed the traditional art world, for better and worse. Featuring verite footage and candid interviews with groundbreaking artists -- like Beeple, Latasha Alcindor, and Loish -- at the center of this phenomenon, Minted delves into the complex world of the $40 billion NFT digital art market.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Finding Your Roots: Larger Than Life
Tuesday, January 7 at 8 p.m.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actors Lea Salonga and Amanda Seyfried to ancestors who are every bit as dramatic as the characters they've played on stage and screen, telling stories of relatives who survived heart-wrenching ordeals.
WATCH NOW
Lucy Worsley Investigates: Jack the Ripper
Tuesday, January 7 at 9 p.m.
Lucy Worsley explores how the coverage of the unsolved 19th century case of Jack the Ripper -- London's most infamous serial killer -- created a template for our modern-day true crime obsession.
WATCH HERE
Frontline: Maui’s Deadly Firestorm
Tuesday, January 7 at 10 p.m.
The deadliest American wildfire in a century, and the missed warnings that made it so unstoppable. An investigation of its causes, the chaotic response and how changes to the climate and landscape have made Maui increasingly vulnerable to fires.
WATCH NOW
Jesse Ventura Shocks the World
Tuesday, January 7 at 11 p.m.
Jesse Ventura is many things, but boring isn't one of them. This documentary explores the people, values and experiences that shaped him, 25 years after the former pro wrestler surprisingly became governor of Minnesota. Follow his implausible career path, wild term in office, early support of the women's liberation movement and love of democracy, guns and gay rights in a documentary about a larger-than-life personality.
WATCH NOW
Midsomer Murders | Season 23
Fridays at 8 p.m. beginning January 10
Tune in for a new season of mysteries, as the town of Causton's detective chief investigator and his detective sergeant investigate the scandals and deadly deeds that lurk just beneath the well-manicured surface of the county of Midsomer.
Miss Scarlet | Season 5
Sundays at 8 p.m. beginning January 12
In a new season of shows, Eliza's agency thrives, but she's faced with tough decisions. As a new Detective Inspector arrives at Scotland Yard, she must build a relationship with him to access police resources. Can Eliza Scarlet truly have it all?
SEE A PREVIEW
All Creatures Great and Small | Season 5
Sundays at 9 p.m. beginning January 12
This season, a medical scare keeps James' feet firmly on the ground, and Siegfried and Carmody get their wires crossed over an animal. While Helen steps in to help an old family friend, and Mrs. Hall faces trouble when she decides to help with the war effort.
WATCH THE PREVIEW
The Jump
Monday, January 13 at 10 p.m.
In a heartwarming story of small-town magic, the townspeople of Salisbury, Connecticut, unite to save their cherished ski jump spurred by a can-do spirit of volunteerism and a local hero who overcame polio to compete in the 1956 Winter Olympics in Italy.
MORE INFORMATION
Independent Lens: Without Arrows
Monday, January 13 at 11 p.m.
After 13 years living in Philadelphia, Delwin Fiddler Jr., a champion grass dancer, embraces indigenous culture by returning to his ancestral home on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Leaving his big city life behind, Delwin aims to protect his centuries-old Lakota heritage and heal from family tragedy, through his passion for dance.
SEE A PREVIEW
Finding Your Roots: La Famiglia
Tuesday, January 14 at 8 p.m.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. visits tiny towns in Calabria, Italy, to trace the roots of talk show host Joy Behar and actor Michael Imperioli, revealing the challenges that their ancestors faced - and overcame - on both sides of the Atlantic.
INSIDE LOOK AT SEASON 11
Lucy Worsley Investigates: William The Conqueror
Tuesday, January 14 at 9 p.m.
How did this Norman Duke take over an entire country? Lucy Worsley uncovers William the Conqueror, the infamous victor of the Battle of Hastings, whose brutal invasion of England changed the country forever.
WATCH A CLIP
Journey to America
Tuesday, January 14 at 10 p.m.
Journey to America features inspiring immigrant stories from those who have come to the United States from other nations and excelled.
WATCH THE TRAILER
89th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Tuesday, January 14 at 11:30 p.m.
The personal stories of the 2024 recipients of the only national juried prize for literature that confronts racism and explores diversity are featured. Viewers are transported across the U.S. to hear the inspiring and revealing stories of this year's honorees. Natasha Trethewey, a poet, memoirist and Board of Trustees Professor of English at Northwestern University who received a Pulitzer Prize in poetry in 2007 and served as the nation's 19th poet laureate from 2012-2014, hosts the awards. She is also a past recipient of an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.
WATCH HERE
Finding Your Roots: Stranger Than Fiction
Tuesday, January 21 at 8 p.m.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family trees of two award-winning writers: novelist Amy Tan and poet Rita Dove -- traveling across China and the American South to uncover long lost stories of the ancestors who inspired their work.
SEE THE NEW SEASON TRAILER
Lucy Worsley Investigates: The Gunpowder Plot
Tuesday, January 21 at 9 p.m.
What if the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 had succeeded? Lucy Worsley investigates the motives behind the audacious attempt by a small network of men to blow up London's Houses of Parliament to destroy the King and his government.
WATCH A CLIP
Frontline: Trump’s Comeback
Tuesday, January 21 at 10 p.m.
Donald Trump's return to the presidency, overcoming unprecedented obstacles and opposition. With insider interviews, tracing defining moments over Trump's life and career, his 2020 election loss, felony convictions and historic comeback.
Nature | Big Cats, Small World: Landlords
Wednesday, January 22 at 8 p.m. on CPTV
Lion, leopard and cheetah parents attempt to co-exist and raise their cubs on the shores of Botswana's Gomoti River. Narrated by David Oyelowo.
SEE A PREVIEW
NOVA | What Are UFOs?
Wednesday, January 22 at 9 p.m.
After decades in the shadows, UFOs are being studied seriously. Are they weather balloons, optical illusions, secret military technology? Or something else? Follow scientists as they try to unravel the mystery of the strangest objects in our skies.
WATCH A PREVIEW
Secrets of the Dead: World War Speed
Wednesday, January 22 at 10 p.m.
Follow historian James Holland on his quest to understand how the use of amphetamines affected the course of World War II and unleashed the first pharmacological arms race.
SEE A PREVIEW
Finding Your Roots: Dreamers One and All
Tuesday, January 28 at 8 p.m.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the ancestry of actor Sharon Stone & model Chrissy Teigen, traveling across Europe & Thailand to reveal they aren't the first in their families who dared to dream big.
Great Migrations: A People on the Move - Exodus
Tuesday, January 28 at 9 p.m.
Episode one of Great Migrations explores the first wave of the Great Migration (1910-1940), when more than a million Black Americans fled the Jim Crow South for the promised lands of the North, forever changing the country and themselves.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Nature | Big Cats, Small World: Outlanders
Wednesday, January 29 at 8 p.m.
The change of seasons brings turmoil and tough choices to the three big cat families. An aging lion challenges younger rivals, cheetah cubs adjust to life on their own and a leopard mother must balance her children's needs.
SEE A PREVIEW
NOVA | Extreme Airport Engineering
Wednesday, January 29 at 9 p.m.
In New York City, a team of elite engineers and construction workers are on a mission to build the ultimate airport. Follow their ups and downs as they race to build a new, world-class LaGuardia on the site of one of America's busiest aviation hubs.
WATCH A PREVIEW
On Spirit
Burt Bacharach: A Life in Song
Friday, January 17 at 10 p.m.
Celebrate the late legendary songwriter in a stunning 2015 tribute at London's Royal Festival Hall. The concert captures the magic of Bacharach's timeless classics with live performances from a stellar lineup of artists.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Great Performances at the Met | Boris Gudunov
Airs Friday, January 24 at 9 p.m.
Bass Rene Pape, the world’s reigning Boris, reprises his overwhelming portrayal of the tortured tsar.
Great Performances | Merry Wives
Friday, January 31 at 9 p.m.
Experience Shakespeare's comedic masterpiece from the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park set in South Harlem, telling the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a celebration of Black joy, laughter and vitality.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Programs Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement
Disrupted
Friday, January 17 at 9 a.m. on Connecticut Public Radio
Erik Clemons, founding CEO of non-profit ConnCAT, works to bring economic development and job training to New Haven. This hour, as we prepare for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we hear Erik's thoughts on community, how choosing love can be difficult, and the way that Dr. King's legacy has impacted him.
A Burning House: MLK and the American Experiment
Monday, January 20 at 1 p.m. on Connecticut Public Radio
This annual event from WNYC and the Apollo Theater will explore Dr. King’s enduring legacy through the lens of his profound reflection on integration and his call for deeper societal transformation. Inspired by his conversation with Harry Belafonte about America as a "burning house," we will explore the complexities of belonging, justice, and collective responsibility in our contemporary moment. The event brings together distinguished scholars, faith leaders, artists, and public intellectuals for substantive dialogue about building an equitable society that truly embraces all its members.
John Lewis - Get in the Way
Monday, January 20 at 10 p.m. on CPTV
Follow the journey of civil rights hero, congressman and human rights champion John Lewis. At the Selma March, Lewis came face-to-face with club-wielding troopers and exemplified non-violence. His work culminated in his recognition as the conscience of Congress.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Stone of Hope: Moving the Dream Forward
Monday, January 20 at 10 p.m. on CPTV Spirit
The first decade of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. and its impact are documented. Now the fifth most visited Memorial, averaging 3-5 million visitors a year, the King Memorial uniquely serves the country as the only Memorial on the National Mall honoring an activist, a preacher and a man of peace.
WATCH NOW
Leveling Lincoln
Monday, January 20 at 11 p.m. on CPTV
Discover the story of the children who lived the history behind the landmark desegregation case of Taylor vs. Board of Education of New Rochelle, NY - 1961. It became a pivotal case that brought the Civil Rights struggle to the "tolerant" Northeast. With the best of intentions, Black parents sent their small children into white schools. Leveling Lincoln explores the intended and unintended consequences of this seminal case.
WATCH NOW
The Five Demands
Wednesday, January 22 at 9 p.m. on CPTV Spirit
Discover the riveting story about the student strike that changed the face of higher education. In April 1969, a small group of Black and Puerto Rican students shut down the City College of New York, an elite public university located in the heart of Harlem. Told through the participants' point of view, the film follows the students' struggle against the institutional racism that, for over a century, had shut out people of color from this institution and other public universities. The Five Demands proves that a handful of ordinary citizens can band together to take action and effect meaningful change.
WATCH HERE
Finding Fellowship
Wednesday, January 22 at 10 p.m. on CPTV Spirit
How the seeds for potential reconciliation were planted in the same fields where slave masters once terrorized are examined. Learn how one community came together in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and explore an example of how communities can lean on their shared heritage to progress.
WATCH NOW
Holocaust Remembrance Programming
Resistance: They Fought Back
Monday, January 27 at 10 p.m. on CPTV
Many people have heard of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, but most people have no idea how widespread and prevalent Jewish resistance to Nazi barbarism was. Instead, it's widely believed "Jews went to their deaths like sheep to the slaughter." Filmed in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Israel, and the U.S., Resistance: They Fought Back provides a much-needed corrective to this myth of Jewish passivity.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Stories of Survival: The Holocaust Stories of Magda and George
Monday, January 27 and Tuesday, January 28 at 11:30 p.m. on CPTV
In early summer 1944, at the height of the deportation of Hungarian Jewry, Magda Brown and George Brent arrived as teenagers to the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center. Through their eyes, viewers are taken on a compelling journey across multiple countries and camps, revealing the intensely human aspects of survival, resistance, chance, and luck in the face of Nazi tyranny.
WATCH ANYTIME WITH PASSPORT
Eva: A-7063
Wednesday, January 29 at 9 p.m. on CPTV Spirit
Survivor of Auschwitz, survivor at age 10 of inhuman experiments by notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, Eva Mozes Kor has emerged as the leading global figure in the fight to keep the lessons of the Holocaust alive, delivering a message at once controversial and immensely powerful: Forgiveness.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Secrets of the Dead: Bombing Auschwitz
Wednesday, January 29 at 10 p.m. on CPTV
Join historians, survivors and experts as they consider one of the great moral dilemmas of the 20th century. Should the Allies have risked killing Auschwitz prisoners and bombed the camp to stop future atrocities?
SEE A PREVIEW