In The Spotlight
Keystone Edition - Battleground Pennsylvania - Midterm Election 2026
Monday, October 5th 7pm
Keystone Edition hosts political experts who will offer a local perspective on the important role Pennsylvania will play in the 2026 midterm election in deciding which major party controls the U.S. House, and maybe the White House in 2028.
Decision 2026: 8th Congressional District Debate
Thursday, October 29th, 7pm
WVIA will host a debate for the 8th Congressional District seat on Thursday, October 29th at 7pm at the WVIA Studios. The participants will be Incumbent Congressman Rob Bresnahan (R) and challenger Paige Cognetti (D). The debate will be broadcast live on WVIA-TV, WVIA Radio and live-streamed on WVIA.org, and the station’s YouTube channel. WVIA will also make the debate available to other local media outlets for broadcast. The moderator of the debate will be Tracey Matisak.
News & Public Affairs
Bucks County, USA
Thursdays 9pm, October 1st - October 15th (Episodes 1-3)
Thursdays 9pm, October 29th - November 5th (Episodes 4 & 5)
BUCKS COUNTY, USA is a five-part docuseries filmed over four years that looks beyond politics to offer an impartial, human perspective on a deeply divided community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania - a purple county in the country's largest swing state. Through two 14-year-old best friends, Evi and Vanessa, caught between parents on opposite sides of America's culture wars, the series asks whether a community - and a country - can follow the example of its children and find a new path forward.
Voces - ASCO: Without Permission
Friday, October 2nd 10pm
ASCO: Without Permission challenges the limits of documentary conventions to tell the story of a revolutionary Chicano art group who turned 1970s LA into their defiant canvas. Merging activism with radical art-making, ASCO challenged the established order of Hollywood, museums, and media and are now considered amongst the 20th century's most significant artists. Director Travis Gutierrez Senger mirrors their boundary-breaking spirit through a groundbreaking approach, weaving nonfiction and fiction together with a new generation of artists. The result is more than a profile, it's a reimagining of what's possible in art and cinema, celebrating iconoclasts who were decades ahead of their time.
A Nation Begins: The Maryland Statehouse at 250
Sunday, October 4th 7pm
A NATION BEGINS: THE MARYLAND STATEHOUSE AT 250 uses Annapolis's iconic capitol - the oldest in continuous legislative use and the only one to have served as the nation's capitol - to explore Maryland's, and America's, ongoing pursuit of the Founders' promise. Framed by present-day scenes, the program traces the State House's storied past through its architecture, artifacts and artwork, revealing how revolutionaries, visionaries and everyday Marylanders shaped milestones in the national journey toward a more perfect union.
Roadtrip Nations: Wealth of Opportunity
Thursday, October 8th 7pm
Careers in finance and investing might seem relatively straightforward, but there are many creative and alternative avenues to explore within this expansive field. ROADTRIP NATION: WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITY follows three young adults who are forging their own paths in finance and alternative investment management. Follow along as Michal, Grace and Madeline explore what a career in finance and investing could look like for them, and hear from a wide range of people who have stayed true to themselves and are building long-term success and sustainability in this competitive field.
Frontline - American Voices 2026
Tuesday, October 13th 10pm
Following the changing views and experiences of Americans from the 2020 election to today. Returning to voters first filmed six years ago to see how their hopes and fears have changed amid another polarizing election season.
Washington Week with The Atlantic: The Fight for Control of Congress
Friday, October 16th 8pm
In the final stretch of this year’s competitive midterm elections, moderator Jeffrey Goldberg and Washington Week travel to Austin, Texas, the site of one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. For a full hour, Goldberg and his panel will explore issues that matter most to voters, concerns about election security, and what the outcome of these elections could mean for the final two years of the Trump presidency. This one-hour program will be recorded at KLRU in front of a live audience.
Breaking the Deadlock - AI: Who's in Control
Tuesday, October 27th 9pm
As AI works its way into every facet of our lives, Americans will have a choice: will we control it, or will it control us? Can the transformative benefits of the technology balance the costs in lost jobs, a stable future, in our humanity? In a series of hypothetical dilemmas involving the role of local communities over its use, personal privacy, and the impact of AI on our politics, a panel of prominent leaders in tech, culture, politics, and journalism work through challenging ethical questions to reach - if not common ground - then common understanding about the stakes of this controversial technology.
Drama
Bergerac
Saturdays 10pm, October 17th - November 21st
When a member of one of Jersey's wealthiest families is murdered, Chief of Police Uma Dalal wants their best detective on the case. Bergerac returns to work to not only crack the case but to prove to his daughter and mother-in-law that his life is back on track. If Bergerac can solve the case, then maybe he can also show he's capable of being a good father.
Professor T (Season 5)
Sundays 8pm, October 18th - November 22nd
Ben Miller once again steps into the role of eccentric criminologist Jasper Tempest with cases ranging from a boxing match gone wrong to mysterious deaths at a luxury spa. The police team, played by Barney White, Sunetra Sarker, and Rhian Blundell, will return alongside Jasper, promising fresh challenges, unexpected relationships, and plenty of surprises.
Maigret On Masterpiece (Season 2)
Sundays 9pm, October 18th - November 22nd
New cases, fresh faces, and pulse-pounding action are coming your way in Season 2 of the contemporary adaptation of Georges Simenon’s beloved French detective novels.
The Gold on Masterpiece (Season 2)
Sundays 10pm, October 18th - November 22nd
We return to the scene of the crime in The Gold’s final chapter. The investigation moves into the 1990s with DCI Brian Boyce’s team now aware that the criminals they’ve been focused on only ever had half of the Brink’s-Mat loot. So where did the rest go? The search takes them to sunny international shores and revisits slippery smelter John Palmer, who’s living the dream off the coast of Spain. Meanwhile, the investigation has continued for so long that Boyce’s team is losing support from its superiors. Who will be frustrated and who will get their comeuppance? The Gold is powered by outstanding performances from both new and returning cast. Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington), Charlotte Spencer (Sanditon), and Emun Elliott (Guilt) reprise their roles as the London detectives leading the longest and costliest investigation in Metropolitan Police history. It’s “Hugh Bonneville at his best,” says The Guardian. And Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) and Tom Cullen (Becoming Elizabeth) are also back as fencer Kenneth Noye and gold dealer John Palmer, respectively. Season 2 also welcomes a mix of familiar faces that MASTERPIECE viewers may recognize, including Tom Hughes (Victoria), Stefanie Martini (Maigret), Thomas Coombes (Miss Austen, Moonflower Murders) and Tamsin Topolski (Guilt).
History
Baseball: Echoes from the Bleachers
Thursday, October 22nd 8pm
Drawing on the Baseball Hall of Fame's never-before-seen archive, Echoes from the Bleachers reveals how America's game has mirrored the nation - from wartime and integration to Clemente, Koufax and Piazza's home run after 9/11.
An Anthem to America: Ken Burns & Florentine Films Celebrates 50 Years
Thursday, October 22nd 9:30pm
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Florentine Films, An Anthem to America will blend new interviews with clips from iconic films. This rich tapestry of documentaries will help us illuminate Ken Burns’s professional origin story. It will showcase his remarkable achievements in storytelling while sharing the most iconic clips from a half-century of groundbreaking films. As we reflect on the work of Ken Burns and Florentine Films over the past 50 years, we can only summarize it as an Anthem to America.
Arts & Music
39th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards
Friday, October 2nd 9pm
Join the Hispanic Heritage Foundation in celebrating Latino history and culture as we induct the newest class of Hispanic Heritage Award honorees, with performances by some of the most talented names in Latin Music.
American Masters - American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
Tuesday, October 6th 9pm
Follow the legacy of filmmaker and playwright Luis Valdez. Known for his play Zoot Suit, the Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba and the theatre company El Teatro Campesino, Valdez is a founding figure of the Chicano Movement and continues to inspire many Latino trailblazers. Narrated by Edward James Olmos and featuring Lou Diamond Phillips, Cheech Marin, Linda Ronstadt and more.
Great Musicians of Our Time - Itzhak Perlman: Virtuoso Violinist
Friday, October 9th 10pm
Shot between 1975 and 1977, this intimate portrait follows Itzhak Perlman in his early thirties, at the dawn of stardom. From overcoming polio as a child to becoming one of classical music's greatest violinists, his talent and resilience shine.
Brushstroke
Sunday, October 11th 7pm
When Mary Cane-Honeysett, a talented elderly artist living alone in London, suffers a stroke, she develops tremors in her hands that prevent her from holding a paintbrush steady. Depressed that she can no longer paint with the same tight, detailed style for which she has become known, she gives up art entirely. Struggling with the after-effects of her stroke, Mary also faces the problem of maneuvering around her house, which has become unmanageable in her physical condition. She must now deal with the difficult reality of selling the home she has lived in since she was a child. BRUSHSTROKE follows Mary's journey as she confronts new challenges, restarts her life, and tries to put paint back on the canvas.
Voces - Paquito D'rivera: from Carne Y Frijol to Carnegie Hall
Monday, October 12th 10pm
Meet jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera and follow his extraordinary journey from child prodigy in Havana, Cuba to multiple Grammy winning performer and composer. Featuring performances and collaborations with pianist Chucho Valdes and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Great Musicians of Our Time - Pinchas Zukerman: Here to Make Music
Friday, October 16th 10pm
From rising star to celebrated musical master, this remastered portrait captures the early brilliance and charisma of Israeli-American violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman, whose legacy continues to inspire after more than five decades.
Great Performances - Tammy Wynette: Forever Yours
Friday, October 23rd 9pm
From Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and the stage of The Grand Ole Opry, a diverse mix of talents pay tribute to Wynette's life, legacy, and music.
Travel
Rick Steves Best of Rome
Thursday, October 1st 7pm
RICK STEVES BEST OF ROME is an hour-long special that conquers Rome's biggest travel destinations: the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. Rick also enjoys a bike ride on ancient cobbles, tours dramatic ruins and meets the masters: Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini and Caravaggio. Then, he joins pilgrims in an ancient ritual, feasts like a Roman, and sees the city shine brightly after dark.
Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana (Season 2)
Mondays 9pm, October 26th - November 9th
Pati Jinich continues her journey inspired by the Pan American Highway, this time through the Western United States. Traveling from Montana and Wyoming through Colorado and New Mexico to Arizona and the Mexico border, Pati connects with people whose lives, traditions, and dreams reflect the many threads that make up this country. Along the way she witnesses the revival of the Blackfeet language and the return of the buffalo, shares ancestral recipes with refugee families rebuilding their lives in Missoula, follows the Rio Grande from Denver's jazz-filled Five Points to the adobe homes of Taos, connects with descendants of Sephardic Jews in Albuquerque whose traditions survived centuries, and discovers unexpected abundance in the Sonoran Desert, from Chinese chorizo in Tucson to the first ever National Indigenous baseball team. Arriving as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, the James Beard nominated series explores what unites the Americas through food, culture, and personal connection.
Science & Nature
Nova - Space Wars
Wednesday, October 7th 9pm
A high-stakes war is silently escalating above our heads. Once purely a realm of scientific wonder, space is now a critical battleground, as global military powers race to weaponize it. Satellites, vital to our daily lives and economies, are vulnerable to attack both from adversaries and the debris that's filling increasingly crowded orbits.Explore the technology and strategy of a rapidly developing arms race and hear how experts are wrestling with the implications of this looming conflict.
Nature - Sesame Street and The Great Elephant Adventure
Wednesday, October 14th 8pm
The whole family is invited to join Elmo and the Sesame Street gang on a once-in-a-lifetime African safari in this extraordinary prime-time PBS event. After adopting an orphaned elephant online, Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Nina decide to travel to Kenya, to The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, to meet the young elephant and the keepers who care for her. In Sesame Street’s first-ever safari, our friends embark on an unforgettable journey of discovery, taking them from the caring confines of the elephant sanctuary to the unpredictable African bush, where they will come face to face with some of nature’s most iconic wildlife…lions, zebras, giraffes, and hippos. But complicating their trip is Elmo’s strong desire to take his adopted elephant friend home with him. The group’s adventure begins at their home away from home – the safari lodge. Here, they meet the lodge manager and her young daughter, who teach the Sesame Street Muppets about local culture, nature, and wildlife. And Elmo learns the biggest lesson of all – that an elephant’s true home is in the wild.
Nova - Evolution: Brain Power
Wednesday, October 14th 9pm
Intelligence is the defining trait of our species. Discover how our sophisticated human brains - and those of our clever animal cousins like the dolphin - evolved from the time when our ancestors were tiny senseless sea creatures.
Stars at Night
Sunday, October 18th 7pm
This program explores the connections between astronomy, mythology, and original storytelling. Join us in one of America's last dark skies to discover what impact light pollution has had on our environment, culture, and the stories we tell. The Stars at Night is a journey of young filmmakers, experts, artists and writers to the darkest skies around.
Nature - Tiger Island
Wednesdays 8pm, October 21st - October 28th
In the forests of western Nepal, a team of cinematographers and big cat experts undertake an expedition to follow the lives of two tiger mothers and reveal how these solitary cats are raising cubs on an island full of threats. By using a fleet of drones to track tigers from the air, and military-grade thermal cameras to follow them in the dark, the team witnesses tiger behavior that has never been recorded before. When a new male tiger arrives on the island, an experienced tigress must use all her experience to keep her cubs out of harm’s way, while a first-time tiger mother struggles to deal with the threat, leaving her three cubs in grave danger.
Nova - Evolution: Need to Feed
Tuesday, October 21st 9pm
The relentless pursuit of energy, the very act of eating, has profoundly shaped life on Earth. Discover the surprising story of how our planet's diverse creatures became the furious feeding machines they are today, one mutation at a time.
Nova - Evolution: Body Builders
Wednesday, October 28th 9pm
From the first time two cells stuck together, evolution has been crafting new bodie -biological machines then put to the test by Earth's ever-changing environments. Discover the process behind the incredible variety of animal shapes and sizes.