In her upcoming PBS special, internationally renowned chef, author, and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich throws a national spotlight on progressive chefs, farmers and entrepreneurs around the U.S.

Lidia Celebrates America airs Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

They are striving to change the future of food – whether by increasing local access to produce, creating communities that teach people to grow vegetables, reviving indigenous ingredients for healthful Native cuisine, or introducing the American palate to sustainable ingredients such as insects.

In this hour-long special, Lidia travels from Minneapolis (MN) and Stockton (CA) to Inglewood (CA) and Middletown (VA), to visit those who work hard to change the availability of healthy food in their communities and to alter the way we perceive food in America. “In Changemakers, I meet with inspiring and passionate Americans who are trying to improve our lives by helping us attain better access to nutritious food, and by re-connecting us with nature and our environment,” Bastianich said. 

Born in Pula, a small city on the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula in present-day Croatia, Bastianich grew up in a poor community where food was scarce. When it came to cooking and eating, she and her neighbors demonstrated a remarkable spirit of ingenuity and of sharing. Resourcefulness remains a fundamental part of who Lidia is today, a chef bolstered by the belief that food is increasingly being wasted, and increasingly scarce. Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers follows Bastianich on her 13th journey across America as she meets up with everyday Americans who are reimagining what the future of food could look like.

Country music legend Patsy Cline was a trailblazer in her genre, paving the way for artists who followed in her footsteps.

 Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight premieres Friday, November 22 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

This a star-studded concert filmed at the historic Ryman Auditorium, Patsy’s home stage in Nashville, to celebrate her life, legacy and music. It features artists from numerous genres like country, pop, rock, gospel, bluegrass and more including Wynonna, Ashley McBryde, Grace Potter, Beverly D’Angelo, Crystal Gayle, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Mickey Guyton, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Wilson, Natalie Grant, Kellie Pickler, Pam Tilliis, Tigerlily Gold, Reyna Roberts, Tami Neilson, Tiera Kennedy, Mandy Barnett, Annie Bosko, The Isaacs and Home Free. The program also features archival interviews and commentary from fellow artists and those who knew Patsy including her husband, Charlie Dick, and friends like Loretta Lynn, Dottie West, Roy Clark and Owen Bradley.

Celebrate the life of the world’s most beloved broadcaster.

 Nature: Attenborough’s Life Journey premieres Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

This intimate portrait follows Sir David Attenborough’s years on the road, from the islands of the Galapagos to the mountains of Canada to the jungles of Borneo. 

Combining exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, candid interviews from Attenborough on location, and stunning footage from his pioneering documentaries, this film chronicles an Attenborough never seen before. 

Witness Attenborough’s love of fossils as a young boy in Leicester transformed into a passion for the natural world in his field of study at Cambridge. From his early days as a presenter on BBC’s Zoo Quest, Attenborough rose through the ranks to become the foremost natural history presenter in the world, a beloved figure known for his cheeky remarks and remarkably timed footage. An avid advocate for climate change, Attenborough never settled down and continues to work on groundbreaking productions.  

Binge this two-part series that explores the life and work of the 15^th-century polymath Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci, Part One airs Saturday, December 21 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV. Part two airs Saturday, December 28 at 3 p.m.

Leonardo da Vinci  looks at how the artist influenced and inspired future generations, and it finds in his soaring imagination and profound intellect the foundation for a conversation we are still having today: what is our relationship with nature and what does it mean to be human.

The musician and composer Caroline Shaw recorded original music for the film performed by Attacca Quartet, Sō Percussion and Roomful of Teeth. The voice of Leonardo is read by the Italian actor Adriano Giannini. Keith David serves as the film’s narrator.

Set against the rich and dynamic backdrop of Renaissance Italy, at a time of skepticism and freethinking, regional war and religious upheaval, Leonardo da Vinci brings the artist’s towering achievements to life through his prolific personal notebooks, primary and secondary accounts of his life, and on-camera interviews with modern scholars, artists, engineers, inventors, and admirers.

The film weaves together an international group of experts, as well as others influenced by Leonardo who continue to find a connection between his artistic and scientific explorations and life today. As the filmmaker and Leonardo admirer Guillermo del Toro says at the beginning of the film, “the modernity of Leonardo is that he understands that knowledge and imagination are intimately related.”