In The Spotlight
Scholastic Scrimmage
Thursdays 7 & 7:30pm
This high school academic quiz show challenges top students from WVIA’s member school districts about all academic disciplines.
Keystone Edition - Autism: Awareness & Acceptance
Monday, April 13th 7pm
April is autism awareness and acceptance month. This episode of Keystone Edition explores the ways that the community advocates for those with autism, through places like sensory gyms and coffee shops and with a blue envelope program for drivers with autism to stay safe during law enforcement encounters.
WVIA 60th Anniversary: Throwback Thursdays
In commemoration of WVIA's 60th anniversary, on one Thursday a month WVIA will open up the vaults to present an evening of classic WVIA original productions.
State of Pennsylvania - Snakes, Lizards & Frogs, Oh My!
Thursday, April 16th 8pm
Clyde Peeling of Clyde Peeling's Reptiland joins host Bill Kelly for a fun hour from 2008.
Looking to the River
Thursday, April 16th 9pm
This 2005 documentary examines critical contemporary issues pertaining to the Susquehanna River's Middle Basin—economic development, environmental protection, and cultural preservation—through their connection to the profound history and heritage of the river and its 27,000 square-mile watershed.
Expedition Susquehanna
Thursday, April 16th 10pm
A one-hour documentary from 2007 highlighting the incredible journey of eleven high school students as they explore the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay by canoe, kayak, and boat. The 30-day trip, organized and led by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), began at the headwaters of the Susquehanna River in Cooperstown, NY and ended in the Bay in Annapolis, MD.
VIA Short Takes: America 250 Edition
Monday, April 20th 7pm
On this special America 250 edition of VIA Short Takes: Meet U.S. Air Force Colonel and Vietnam War Hero Bob Graham. Take a tour of the historic Zebulon Butler House. Learn about one of the deadliest massacres in US labor history. And explore the history of the mighty Susquehanna River.
Careers that Work - 2 New episodes for TV
To address the concerns of developing a properly skilled and prepared local workforce, WVIA, partnering with the 1994 Charles B. Degenstein Foundation, has produced a multi-faceted media and related curriculum initiative called Careers that Work that focuses on educating and preparing students for well-paying jobs that fulfill the employment needs of growing industries throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania.
Monday, April 27th, 7pm
Episode 301 - In this episode of Careers that work, we'll highlight software developers building today's technology, firefighters protecting our communities, self-advocacy specialists empowering others, teachers shaping the future, and therapists supporting mental well-being.
Monday, April 27th, 7:30pm
Episode 302 - In this episode of Careers that Work, we'll highlight an outreach coordinator connecting organizations with their communities, an actor bringing stories to life, an engineer solving real-world problems, an advocacy manager creating positive change, and an audio engineer shaping the sound behind the music.
History
Lucy Worsley Investigates the American Revolution
Tuesdays 9pm, April 7th - April 14th
Lucy Worsley investigates the 18th-century split between Britain and its 13 American colonies. She explores the motives for independence and how sabotage, espionage, and unrest reshaped the empire. Could this historic break-up have been avoided?
Lafayette: The Lost Hero
Friday, April 10th 10pm
"Lafayette: The Lost Hero" tells the story of the Marquis de Lafayette and his quest to bring democracy to America and France, through the eyes of Sabine Renault Sabloniere, a 21st century descendant. The film traces the life and legend of this intriguing, neglected, and controversial figure, who left France at the age of 19 and fought courageously for the independence of the United States. He returns to France, risking his life to help start the French Revolution and then struggles in vain to bring democracy to his country by peaceful means. Years later, after being imprisoned for bringing freedom movements to Europe, he returns, triumphantly, for the 50th anniversary of the American revolution -- this country's first great patriotic celebration.
News & Public Affairs
Creation Rose
Sunday, April 5th 7pm
The hour-long documentary THE CREATION ROSE explores the design, construction and cultural impact of Washington National Cathedral's "third great eye" - the nearly 30-foot diameter stained-glass West Rose window. Viewers are transported back in time to discover not only how the window was created, but also what inspired both the daring choice of its radical theme of "creation," and the decision to entrust a 45-year-old modern artist to complete the sacred space. Drawing from letters from the architect and artist, along with archival interviews with LeCompte and his collaborators, the program weaves together an inspiring story of artistry.
A More Perfect Union: Inspiring Civic & Civil Conversations Across America
Friday, April 17th 10pm
Ken Burns, Jeffrey Rosen and others discuss essential themes of liberty, equality, democracy and separation of powers. The ideas and values articulated 250 years ago during America's founding remain relevant to conversations about governance today.
The American Revolution (Encore Presentation)
Mondays & Tuesdays 9pm, April 20th - May 5th
Thirteen American colonies unite in rebellion, win an eight-year war to secure their independence, and establish a new form of government that would inspire centuries of democratic movements within the United States and around the globe.
Arts & Music
Antiques Roadshow - 250 Years of Americana
Monday, April 20th 8pm
ROADSHOW discoveries reflecting 250 years of American art, artifacts, crafts and collectibles including a flag quilt, ca. 1880, a Tiffany Studios turtle back glass shade, ca. 1915 and an 1884 Edison light bulb. One reaches $300K.
International Jazz Day from Abu Dhabi
Friday, April 24th 10pm
Celebrate the International Jazz Day All-Star Concert in Abu Dhabi with performances by Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Jose James, John McLaughlin, Helene Mercier, Danilo Perez, Arturo Sandoval, and more. Hosted by Jeremy Irons.
Science & Nature
Our New World
Wednesdays 10pm, April 1st - April 8th
What world will we live in tomorrow as climate change reshapes the Earth? Our planet has many surprises in store. This film reveals Nature's astonishing adaptation abilities, and how we humans can become a supporting force.
Nature - The Orphans of Reteti
Part 1 - Wednesday, April 8th 8pm
Part 2 - Wednesday, April 15th 8pm
Set in the remote wilds of northern Kenya, follow the remarkable journey of orphaned elephants at Reteti - the first community-owned elephant sanctuary in Africa. Raised by Samburu keepers who act as surrogate parents, these elephants, many rescued from poaching, drought, or human-wildlife conflict, are nurtured back to health and prepared for life in the wild. From tiny calves taking their first bottle to older elephants facing release, the series captures intimate moments of struggle, healing, and transformation. Alongside the elephants, it also tells the story of the local community, especially the women known as “milk mamas,” whose care, knowledge, and resilience are reshaping conservation from the ground up.
Nova - Athens: Birth of Democracy
Wednesday, April 15th 9pm
Follow archaeological investigations into the dramatic origins of democracy in Greece 2,500 years ago. Mass graves and ancient ruins where tyrants were murdered shine new light on the birth of a revolutionary form of government.
America's First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Ashville Experiment
Sunday, April 19th 7pm
Based on Dr. Carl Alwin Schenck's memoir Cradle of Forestry in America, AMERICA'S FIRST FOREST: CARL SCHENCK AND TEH ASHEVILLE EXPERIMENT examines the pivotal role played by pioneering forestry educator Carl Schenck and his founding of America's first school of forestry-the Biltmore Forest School. Through archival photos, historical re-enactments and contemporary interviews, the documentary recounts how Schenck, a German forester, came to America in 1895 to manage the forests at George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate in western North Carolina. With more than 100,000 acres of woodland to oversee and replant, Schenck began hiring young men to help with the work. After three years of answering their questions while on the job, the forester decided to teach them in a more formal setting and established the first forestry school in the United States. Schenck lectured in the mornings and students worked the land in the afternoons, gaining practical forestry training in a one-year program. Despite eventually being dismissed by Vanderbilt and returning to Germany, Schenck's unheralded leadership while at the Biltmore Forest (now preserved and celebrated as the Cradle of Forestry in America) was central to the conservation movement and the emergence of professional forestry.
Wilding
Wednesday, April 22nd 10pm
Wilding tells the story of a young couple who dare to bet the future of their failing, four-hundred-year-old estate on the power of nature. Relive how the pair battled entrenched traditions, and entrusted their farm's recovery to a motley mix of animals both tame and wild. It is the beginning of a grand experiment that will become one of the most significant rewilding projects in Europe.
Save the Farm, Save the Future
Sunday, April 26th 7pm
Climate change is making farming harder than ever while driving the demand for renewable energy. Save the Farm, Save the Future follows farmers and ranchers exploring agrivoltaics - a new approach that combines solar power and agriculture. Can this innovation help sustain farms, livelihoods, and the planet?
Nova - Return to the Moon
Wednesday, April 29th 9pm
A half-century after Apollo, the Artemis missions aim to bring astronauts back to the Moon and establish a lunar space station. Follow the Artemis II engineers and crew on the perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon.
Shared Planet
Wednesdays 10pm, April 29th - May 20th
This four-part series reveals amazing and untold stories of people and animals flourishing together that have the power to change the world, because the future for all depends on nature.