Television

Secrets of the Museum • Sundays at 5pm on WXXI-TV

Go behind-the-scenes at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the world-famous home of art, design and performance, where only a fraction of their two million item collection is on public display.

Secrets of the Museum airs Sundays, September 15-October 20 at 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Episode #201 – “Jacob Jordaens: Renaissance Watercolors” airs 9/15
Behind the scenes at the V&A, a suit from glam rockers Slade needs some TLC, a Michelangelo gives up its secrets and a rare Renaissance watercolor requires urgent attention.

Episode #202 – “Epic Iran” airs 9/22
Some of the largest paintings ever seen at the V&A are unveiled, Manuel’s costume from Fawlty Towers goes on show, and the museum’s oldest teddy bear has a special visitor.

Episode #203 – “Alice in Wonderland” airs 9/29
At the V&A, a rare set of Lucian Freud prints creates a stir, a fragile 600-year-old tapestry is on the move, and a new exhibition attempts to bring Alice in Wonderland to life.

Episode #204 – “Bacchus Vase/Minton” airs 10/6
At the V&A, Shirley Bassey’s favorite outfit must look its best for its debut, a Victorian vase gets a chance to shine, and a rare Chinese painting brings huge challenges.

Episode #205 – “Bags Inside Out/Churchill Dispatch Box” airs 10/13
Behind the scenes at the V&A, Winston Churchill’s dispatch box needs attention, it’s removal day for a 350-year-old doll’s house, and a famous painting by Constable is on the move.

Episode #206 – “Painting: The Great Renunciation of the Buddha” airs 10/20
At the V&A, a Buddhist painting is a mystery, children’s art goes on show, and Josiah Wedgwood’s masterpiece – the Portland Vase – is brought into the 21st century.

Photo: Textiles Display Expert Gesa Werner • Credit: Blast!F Films

Les Misérables: The Staged Concert • WXXI-TV

Join the stellar cast for a staged concert of the beloved musical that became a worldwide phenomenon seen by over 120 million people.

Les Misérables: The Staged Concert airs Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

Coinciding with its 35th triumphant year in London’s West End and featuring a cast and orchestra of over 65, the show’s magnificent score includes the songs “I Dreamed A Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own”.

PBS News Special: ABC Presidential Debate Simulcast • WXXI-TV + WXXI News

WXXI provides special coverage of the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

PBS News Special: ABC Presidential Debate Simulcast airs Tuesday, September 10 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and on WXXI News, and streaming at WXXINews.org.

PBS will provide live coverage and analysis of the debate between Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance. The broadcast will begin with a simulcast of the debate, followed immediately by PBS News special coverage co-anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett, with reporting from White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López and Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins, and expert analysis from additional guests.

NPR will provide Live Special Coverage of the ABC News Presidential Debate hosted by Mary Louise Kelly. Also joining the coverage: NPR Senior Political Editor and Correspondent Domenico Montanaro, NPR Political Correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and White House Correspondent Deepa Shivaram.

NEXT on Kennedy Center “Snarky Puppy: The Family We Make” • WXXI-TV

Five-time Grammy^® winners Snarky Puppy play host to four of the most important singers in the Spanish-speaking world.

NEXT on Kennedy Center “Snarky Puppy: The Family We Make” airs Friday, October 11 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Fuensanta (Mexico), Gaby Moreno (Guatemala), Silvana Estrada (Mexico), and Silvia Pérez Cruz (Spain) represent different generations, continents, and musical traditions, but are bound together by their ability to communicate the deepest of emotions through song.

This one-night-only performance will feature music by all four women arranged by and performed with Snarky Puppy.

Snarky Puppy is a collective of sorts with as many as 20 members in regular rotation. At its core, the band represents the convergence of both black and white American music culture with various accents from around the world. The defining characteristic of Snarky Puppy’s music is the joy of performing together in the perpetual push to grow creatively.

Finding Your Roots “Mexican Roots” • WXXI-TV

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the deep Mexican roots of talk show host Mario Lopez and comedian Melissa Villaseñor, uncovering ancestors stretching back to the 1500s.

Finding Your Roots “Mexican Roots” airs Tuesday, September 23 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Weaving together stories of migratory farmers, Spanish Conquistadors and Native Americans, Gates conjures up personal histories of diverse, sometimes conflicting, elements.

“If our contributions were written back into history textbooks, can you imagine how America would see us?’ says Leguizamo. “More importantly, can you imagine how we would see ourselves?”

Velvet, Season 2 • WXXI-TV

When Alberto returns from his honeymoon with Cristina, he is shocked to find that his brother-in-law, Enrique, now is now in control of Velvet.

Velvet, Season 2 airs Thursdays, September 18-October 30 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

The second season premiere of Velvet from WALTER PRESENTS follows Alberto, who returns from his honeymoon to find a myriad of surprises. Missed Season 1? You can watch it on the PBS app.

In late 1950s Madrid, the golden age of haute couture, there is one place everyone would like to shop at least once in their lifetime: the Galerias Velvet. From Walter Presents, in Spanish with English subtitles.

Velvet (serie en español) — Jueves, 18 de septiembre a las 9 p. m. en WXXI-TV
El estreno de la segunda temporada de VELVET, de WALTER PRESENTS, sigue a Alberto, que regresa de su luna de miel y se encuentra con un sinfín de sorpresas. ¿Te has perdido la primera temporada? Puedes verla en la aplicación PBS.

POV: Name Me Lawand • WXXI-TV

Lawand, deaf from birth, seeks a fresh start with his family in the UK after a traumatic year in a refugee camp.

POV: Name Me Lawand airs Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

At Derby’s Royal School for the Deaf, he learns sign language and discovers a way to communicate with the world. As he thrives, his family faces deportation, challenging their stability. Name Me Lawand is a love letter to the power of friendship and community.

his program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 13-19, 2025

WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

38th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards • WXXI-TV

Celebrate the recipients of the 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards. This year’s honorees include Cheech Marin, Felix Contreras, Rauw Alejandro, Gloria Trevi, and more.

38th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards premieres Friday, September 26 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

The evening includes performances and appearances by some of the country’s most celebrated Hispanic artists and visionaries. This historic program, created by the White House to commemorate the establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month in America, is among the highest honors by Latinos for Latinos and supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions. This year’s honorees include Cheech Marin, Felix Contreras, Rauw Alejandro, Gloria Trevi and more.