SAMANTHA BROWN'S PLACES TO LOVE to Return to PBS

Samantha Brown, host of PBS's two-time Emmy winning series, "Samantha Brown's Places to Love," returns with the show's fifth season on Saturday, January 8 (check local listings for exact date and times).

More than just a travel expert, Samantha has been a trusted guide and friend to viewers for 20+ years, helping her audience choose their next destinations by revealing the people and stories behind the places she loves to visit. While regulations for international travel seem to change daily, in Season 5 Samantha take viewers to eight domestic destinations, untapped travel gems without those barriers where visitors can recharge, renew and indulge their love of travel.

The theme throughout all 8 episodes of the season is showcasing the locally-owned businesses, musicians and artists, historical places and enhanced natural spaces that represent the enduring belief that humans have in each other. Season 5 of "Samantha Brown's Places to Love" is sponsored by Fort Myers, AmaWaterways, AAA Travel and Rocky Mountaineer.

"Traveling again to shoot Season 5 as people were emerging from social isolation truly reinforced for me the meaning of travel and our deep need for it, a journey for me that was as personal and joyful as I hope it will be for viewers,'" says Brown. "This season it was important to me to introduce my audience to the people who are changing and enriching each destination, and connect with them in the places they love and call home."

In the "Places to Love" Season 5 premiere, Samantha visits Asheville, NC where she encounters an abundance of creativity in a city nestled within ancient mountains. She enjoys a tour of The Biltmore, the largest private estate in America, and delights in the work of the legendary Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture.

Later, guide Dewayne Barton of Hood Hugger Tours joins Samantha for a walk around "The Block," to share the history, future, and resilience of the area's African American community. After many more wonderful moments and discoveries found along the way, Samantha's visit concludes with a spice-filled introduction to Indian street food with one of Asheville's favorite chefs, Meherwan Irani at his restaurant Chai Pani.

Known for her warm, engaging personality and her ability to convey the true character of the people and places she visits throughout the world, Samantha has been inspiring wanderlust since her television journey first began with Travel Channel's "Great Hotels." Since then, her career has taken her to over 250 cities in 74 countries and 44 of the United States, winning her two Emmys in the process.

A natural extension of her years on the road, in 2011, Samantha debuted her own stylish and practical luggage line on HSN, the Home Shopping Network. Designed from her travel expert's perspective, blending style and utility, the line instantly became a top "customer pick" and was one of the most successful brand launches for the year. In 2019, Samantha and "Places to Love" were nominated for three Emmys, and won two, picking up awards in the categories of Outstanding Host for a Lifestyle, Children's or Special Class Program and Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program. "Places to Love" was also nominated for an Emmy in 2020 and 2021.