Television

The Porter • Thursdays at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV

Inspired by real events and set in the 1920s, follow an ensemble of characters who hustle, dream, cross borders and pursue their ambitions in the fight for liberation – on and off the railways that crossed North America.

The Porter airing Thursdays, February 6-March 27 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

This eight-episode series is a stirring, fast-paced exploration of Black empowerment and self-determination, offering a dramatic and compelling look at the lives of train porters, their families, and a community striving for success and equality. From Montreal to Chicago, and every stop in between, THE PORTER is the story of a movement that gave birth to the first Black union in the world. Winning a record-setting 12 Canadian Screen Awards, the series stars Aml Ameen (Sense8; The Maze Runner), Ronnie Rowe (Star Trek: Discovery), Alfre Woodard (St. Elsewhere; Luke Cage; 12 Years A Slave; Black Panther), and Mouna Traoré (The Umbrella Academy).

Episode Descriptions:

Episode One • February 6 : Train porters and best friends Junior Massey and Zelenskiy Garrett are galvanized to take different—and dangerous—actions after a tragedy occurs on the job.

Episode Two • February 13 : Junior finds himself in debt to notorious Chicago gangster Miss Queenie; Zeke takes a risk to advance his cause; Lucy’s new relationship impacts her career; Marlene makes an unlikely friend.

Episode Three • February 20 : Junior starts a gambling sideline backed by Queenie; Zeke’s pursuit of union integration costs the community; Lucy finds her Stardust dream at risk; Marlene campaigns for an essential medical clinic.

Episode Four • February 27: Junior gets a chilling glimpse at Queenie’s capacity for violence. Zeke and Marlene’s road-trip reignites an old spark. Lucy’s big debut as a featured performer makes her contemplate a different path.

Episode Five • March 6: Queenie tries to keep Junior close. Fay offers Marlene some help for her clinic. Zeke’s proximity to Edwards leads to a devastating truth. Lucy may have found her ticket to the big time.

Episode Six • March 13: Junior takes a risky new angle on Queenie’s numbers game. Marlene’s split focus leads to a mother’s worst nightmare. Zeke seizes an opportunity to show the power of unity. Lucy bets on herself.

Episode Seven • March 20 : Dinger blackmails Junior. A brothel raid puts Marlene and her clinic in jeopardy. Zeke leverages an unlikely ally to put integration to a vote. Lucy’s new shot at stardom could cost her everything.

Episode Eight • March 27: Junior tries to eliminate his greatest threats; Marlene’s efforts to reconcile with Fay could be too late; Lucy faces the consequences of her betrayal; Zeke makes a final plea for union integration.

Photo: Ronnie Rowe, Jr. as Zeke and Ami Ameen as Junior with additional cast. • Credit: Shauna Towney

For the Love of Friends • WXXI-TV

Explores the remarkable life and work of activist Brent Nicholson Earle.

For the Love of Friends encores Sunday, June 23 at 1 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Set against the lead-up to a stage play based on the same story, For the Love of Friends is a documentary that blends performance rehearsal clips with interview and archival footage to highlight the remarkable life and work of activist Brent Nicholson Earle. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Brent refused to watch his friends suffer due to government inaction and public ignorance about the disease.

His audacious response in 1986, was to embark on a 10,000-mile run around the perimeter of the United States to draw attention to the toll AIDS had taken on his community; to comfort patients, raise funds for local organizations and honor the friends he had lost. He performed this remarkable feat amid public backlash, a homophobic media blackout, his own health challenges, and an inconvenient lack of prior long-distance training. After enduring blisters, exhaustion, ignorance, and fear, he returns home to a life of activism. Though the run finishes, Brent’s fight never stops.

Photo: Brent Nicholson Earle • Photo provided by APT

4 Wheel Bob • WXXI-WORLD

Tells the story of Bob Coomber, an intrepid adventurer who sets out to become the first wheelchair hiker to cross the 11,845 foot Kearsarge Pass in the Sierra Nevada of California.

4 Wheel Bob airs Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD.

The one-hour documentary follows the inspirational journey of Bob while encouraging us to look at our own self-imposed limitations and perhaps reach beyond what we think is possible.

This film is presented as part of Move to Include™ , a national initiative in partnership with WXXI and The Golisano Foundation that uses the power of public media to promote inclusion. Click here to learn more.

Photo: Bob Coomber • Provided by Tritone Films

Grantchester, Season 9 • WXXI-TV

It’s 1961, and a new vicar arrives in Grantchester. Will Geordie and the locals accept him as their own?

Grantchester, Season 9 premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

It’s 1961 and times are changing in Grantchester. Will has begun to seek new challenges elsewhere, while Geordie and Cathy deal with an independent Esme being free in a dangerous world. It’s not long before Reverend Alphy Kottaram arrives as the new vicar, immediately enchanted by the glorious village. But will the locals ever be able to accept him as one of their own?

Photo: Will Davenport (Tom Brittney), Geordie Keating (Robson Green), Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair) • Credit: Kudos, ITV, and MASTERPIECE.

The Rolling Stones: GRRR Live! • WXXI-TV

Celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary with Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and more in a 2012 concert.

The Rolling Stones: GRRR Live! airs Saturday, June 1 at 9:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV

The Rolling Stones celebrated their golden anniversary in 2012 and 2013 by embarking on the 50 & Counting Tour, a 30-show itinerary for North America and Europe. On December 15, 2012, the band took the stage at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center for the final of four shows in the New York area. Featuring guest spots from The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr., Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, and Mick Taylor, the concert proved to be one of the most memorable shows in the band’s history.

The set list featured “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Paint It Black,” “Gimme Shelter” (with Lady Gaga), “Honky Tonk Women,” “Tumbling Dice” (with Bruce Springsteen), “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Brown Sugar,” and so many more.

Photo: Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, and Ronnie Wood
Photo credit: Getty Images

FRONTLINE: Netanyahu, America & the Road to War in Gaza • WXXI-TV

Escalating tension between the Israeli leader and the U.S. after months of war in Gaza. At a critical juncture, Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival and turbulent relationships with the U.S. and the Palestinians over peace in the Middle East.

FRONTLINE: Netanyahu, America & the Road to War in Gaza airs Tuesday, May 28 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Due to recent news developments in the Middle East, including the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for the leaders of both Israel and Hamas, FROTNLINE presents an updated version of Netanyahu, America & the Road to War in Gaza. Below is the description of the original episode that aired in December 2023.

As the war in Gaza continues with devastating consequences, a major 90-minute documentary offers a sweeping examination of the critical moments leading up to this crisis over the course of the past three decades, and the pivotal role of a central player: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Starting with the Oslo peace accords and continuing through the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing war in Gaza, the documentary draws on years of reporting and is an incisive look at the long history of failed peace efforts and violent conflict in the region — and the increasing tensions between Israel and its ally, the U.S., over the war’s catastrophic toll and what comes next.

FRONTLINE: South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning previously scheduled on Tuesday, May 28 will premiere on Tuesday, July 23, 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

CREATE Showcase: Memorial Day BBQ with Steven Raichlen • WXXI-CREATE

Fire up the grill and get ready to sink your teeth into mouthwatering barbecue dishes with tips and tricks from Steven Raichlen.

CREATE Showcase: Memorial Day BBQ with Steven Raichlen airs Friday, May 31 from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, June 2 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on WXXI-CREATE.

Steven Raichlen (Barbecue University, Primal Grill, Project Smoke) returns for an insightful exploration of contemporary grilling. Innovators of live-fire cooking join Steven to share revolutionary techniques that elevate the backyard barbecue experience — from ember-roasting and salt slab grilling to fire-heated iron and high-tech rotisseries.

Project Fire introduces new foods — from unfamiliar cuts of steak to eco-friendly seafood — and twists on popular classics — from breakfast to paella to clambakes. And, as usual, Steven features a collection of new tools and fuels for the avid griller.

American Masters – Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir • WXXI-WORLD

An intimate portrait of the groundbreaking writer.

American Masters – Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir airs Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD.

Writer Amy Tan’s hit debut novel, “The Joy Luck Club” (1989), catapulted her to commercial and critical success, spending over 40 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. With the 1993 blockbuster film adaption that followed, which was selected for the National Film Registry in 2020, as well as additional bestselling novels, librettos, short stories and memoirs, Tan firmly established herself as one of the most prominent and respected literary voices working today. Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir is an intimate portrait of the groundbreaking author that interweaves archival imagery, including home movies and personal photographs, animation and original interviews to tell the inspiring story of Tan’s life and career.

The last completed film from director James Redford (1962-2020), Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir features new interviews with Tan; fellow writers Kevin Kwan, Isabel Allende, Dave Barry and Ronald Bass; actors from “The Joy Luck Club” including Lisa Lu, Rosalind Chao, Tamlyn Tomita and Kieu Chinh; friends and family. Tan opens up to Redford with remarkable frankness about traumas she’s faced in her life and how her writing has helped her heal. The film traces her meteoric rise from the point when she picked up fiction writing as a mental break from her heavy freelance business writing schedule and was offered three book deals after completing only three short stories.

Caption: Amy Tan • Credit: WNET/American Masters

Television

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