WXXI TV

Marked Man: Martin Luther King and The FBI • WXXI-TV

A film that exploes the conflict between the civil rights leader and J. Edgar Hoover.

Marked Man: Martin Luther King and The FBI airing Monday, January 19 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

For years before Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, he was subjected to a campaign of intimidation by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI. Hoover believed King was a puppet of the Communists, intent on destroying America, and he was determined to neutralize the threat. Marked Man: Martin Luther King and The FBI reveals the depth of Hoover’s vendetta against King and examines how and why he targeted the civil rights leader.

King was a visionary — a leader who had a dream of an America where the Black community could attain equal rights, freedom, and justice. A gifted orator, his life’s work was to achieve this goal through peaceful protest and the persuasive power of his words. In contrast, Hoover was a lifelong bureaucrat, fiercely resistant to change and intent on preserving America’s status quo. With unchecked power and unrivaled influence, Hoover headed his organization through intimidation and surveillance.

Unfortunately, Hoover used this power to relentlessly pursue King, tracking his every move and even sending him threatening letters that encouraged King to take his own life. In revealing the extent of this campaign, the documentary sheds light on the toll these actions took on King and the larger implications for American society.

Photo: Leaders at a March on Washington, August 28, 1963/ Credit: Robert W. Kelley, Getty Images

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom • WXXI-TV

A nuanced portrait of the woman known as the conductor of the Underground Railroad, who risked her own freedom and life to liberate others from slavery.

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom airs Monday, February 2 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Go beyond the legend and meet the inspiring woman who repeatedly risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from slavery. Born 200 years ago in Maryland, Harriet Tubman was a conductor of the Underground Railroad, a Civil War scout, nurse and spy, and one of the greatest freedom fighters in our nation’s history.

Compass Points from PBS News • WXXI-TV

This new weekly series hosted by Nick Schifrin offers in-depth analysis on subjects like America’s global influence and rising international tensions, airing Sundays and streaming online.

Compass Points from PBS News airs Sundays at 6 p.m., beginning January 18 on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Compass Points from PBS News takes an all-encompassing look at a prominent international topic each week and provides timely analysis with a panel of experts including former government officials and journalists on issues such as America’s power and influence abroad, the shifting world order under the Trump Administration, and what global conflicts and rising tensions could mean for America’s interests. Hosted by Peabody and duPont-Columbia award-winning journalist and PBS News Hour foreign affairs and defense correspondent Nick Schifrin, Compass Points is executive produced by Stephanie Kotuby, who also serves as executive producer of Washington Week with The Atlantic and senior editorial producer for PBS News Hour.

Please note: This program replaces PBS NewsHour Weekend. PBS cancelled the show due to the loss of federal funding for public media.

Horizons from PBS News • WXXI-TV

This new weekly science, health, and tech show hosted by William Brangham explores in-depth topics like AI and climate change, aiming to provide deeper dives into complex issues with experts.

Horizons from PBS News airs Saturdays at 6 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Horizons from PBS News will feature experts and professionals in the world of science, health, technology and the environment and will dive into a single issue each week such as the Artificial Intelligence race, advances in medicine, and the latest developments in climate science. Horizons will be hosted by Peabody and Emmy award-winning journalist and PBS News Hour correspondent William Brangham and will be executive produced by Talesha Reynolds, who also serves as senior producer of content and special projects for PBS News Hour.

Please note: This program replaces PBS NewsHour Weekend. PBS cancelled the show due to the loss of federal funding for public media.

Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History • WXXI-TV

Don’t miss the final episode of this four-part docuseries that explores the complex relationship between Black Americans and Jewish Americans – forged in shared struggle, tested by division, and representing a uniquely American experience.

Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History airs Tuesdays, February 3-24 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming on the WXXI app.

Black and Jewish Americans began on fundamentally different footing, but by the early 20th century, they were drawn together by entrenched racism and rising antisemitism. These shared experiences led to productive civic partnerships and sparked creative bonds that led to collaborations in music and film that would profoundly shape American popular culture. The relationship between these communities deepened after World War II, when the atrocities of the Holocaust came to light, reinforcing a sense of common struggle as both communities grappled with the devastating consequences of hatred and intolerance. The civil rights era is often described as the “golden age” of the alliance, when Jewish Americans worked closely with Black leaders and organizers to dismantle Jim Crow segregation.

While shared ideals of justice united Black and Jewish people, they were also divided by the realities of race in America. The historic alliance suffered as each group turned inward, prioritizing its own struggles and agendas in an increasingly fragmented social and political landscape. Still, the hope and promise of cross-cultural solidarity endures to this day, amid constant reminders of the persistent threat of violence and injustice in the world. Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History offers a lesson in fulfilling that promise while confronting the challenges of maintaining unity against divisiveness.

Sunday Night Kicks Off Two New Masterpiece Seasons + One New British Mystery Series! • WXXI-TV

It’s a great night for British drama and mystery fans as “Miss Scarlet” (at 8 p.m.) and “All Creatures Great and Small” (at 9 p.m.) premiere their new seasons followed (at 10 p.m.) by a new murder mystery series “Bookish.”

Miss Scarlett on Masterpiece — Sunday at 8 p.m.

Courtesy of Miss Scarlet Limited and MASTERPIECE

Lace up your corset or dust off a bowler hat and prepare to step back into the shadowy streets of Victorian London—Miss Scarlet is returning to MASTERPIECE Mystery!

When we last saw Eliza Scarlet, her life seemed out of balance. A new Detective Inspector had taken charge at Scotland Yard; one with no intention of enlisting her services. But true to form, Eliza didn’t back down. Through grit and brilliance, she earned the DI’s respect. And Eliza’s maternal housekeeper decided to marry coroner Barnabus Potts as Season 5 wrapped—what will that mean for the household?Now as a new chapter begins, we wonder: Will Eliza continue to pour everything into the job, or will she attend to her personal life?

All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece — Sunday at 9 p.m.

Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small takes us back to the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales, where life in Darrowby is starting to find its rhythm again as the war in Europe winds down. It’s 1945, and the Skeldale family is stepping into a new chapter—one shaped by change, hope, and the opportunities that come with a more peaceful future.

There are new veterinary cases to tackle, growing families, and a few new faces around town. But at its core, the show continues to celebrate what it always has: community, compassion, and connection. The war may have left its mark, but the people of Darrowby keep showing up for each other—and their creatures.

James and Helen sitting on a bench outside looking up at the night sky. — Courtesy of Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE.

Bookish — Sunday at 10 p.m.

In post-war London, Gabriel Book, a literary enthusiast and bookseller, combines his day job with his favorite hobby — helping solve knotty murder cases. Although happily married to his best friend, Trottie, Book is a gay man at a time when homosexuality was illegal. When a new assistant, Jack, arrives at the bookshop, it soon becomes clear his appointment wasn’t as random as it at first seems.

All Creatures Great and Small, Season 6 • WXXI-TV

The Dales are calling! Season 6 is finally here!

All Creatures Great and Small, Season 6 airs Sundays at at 9 p.m. through February 22 on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Seven episodes – airing Sundays, January 11 through February 22 at 9 p.m.

1/11 — Episode 1: Gathering the Flock Change comes to Skeldale House, and James struggles to keep up with Siegfried’s unpredictable ways.

1/18 — Episode 2: Old Dogs, New Tricks James and Siegfried clash over new technology at the vet practice.

1/25 — Episode 3: Captain Farnon? Tristan and Siegfried compete for the case of a wealthy family’s prized horse.

2/1 — Episode 4: Jenny Wren Helen struggles when Jenny gets some exciting news.

2/8 — Episode 5: Fixes James encounters challenges when he takes on the role of attending vet at the dog track.

2/15 — Episode 6: Our Hearts are Full VJ Day sparks celebration for Mrs. Hall, reflection for Tristan, and a mystery for James.

2/22 — Episode 7: Comfort and Joy Siegfried has another run-in with Hilda the goat, and an old flame returns to Darrowby. With Helen unwell, James juggles running the village Nativity with a growing to-do list. Tristan realises he’s forgotten something important.

Photo: Shown L-R: James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph), Helen Herriot (Rachel Shenton)
Credit: Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE / Photographer: Helen Williams

Public Defender • WXXI-TV

At a critical juncture in our nation’s history, Public Defender, an award-winning documentary film, examines the fault lines of American democracy through the lens of Heather Shaner, a seasoned and fiercely compassionate public defender in Washington, DC.

Public Defender airs Tuesday, January 6 at 10:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS Apps.

Heather Shaner, a feisty, blue-haired defense attorney in Washington, DC, has spent over 45 years representing people who can’t afford a lawyer. But her empathy is tested when a violent mob supporting outgoing President Donald Trump storms the U.S. Capitol.

She is assigned to represent Jack Griffith, a social media influencer, and Annie Howell, a single mother and painter. As Heather gets to know her clients, she discovers Jack and Annie were deceived by misinformation and thought they’d joined a righteous defense of democracy, not an authoritarian wave.

Public Defender explores the delicate state of U.S. democracy, the forces threatening to tear it apart, and the people dedicated to protecting it. When trust is lost amidst a growing political divide, the unlikely bonds between Heather and her clients reveal how people can rise above the fray to find each other’s humanity.