PBS Unveils Fall 2025 Lineup: Ruthie Ann Miles, Dick Van Dyke, & More

PBS has detailed its fall programming, which includes new editions of Great Performances, American Masters, and more. Among the notable inclusions for the Broadway fan is a new documentary special following Tony Award winner and all-around American favorite Dick Van Dyke, a presentation of The Public Theater’s Twelfth Night, and the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert featuring Tony Award-winner Ruthie Ann Miles. Take a look below for more details. 

On Friday, October 3, Great Performances will present The Magic of Grace Bumbry, a documentary recounting the story of the African American Missouri native who went on to become a celebrated artist in the 1960s international opera scene. She first achieved international renown with her breakthrough performance in “Tannhäuser” at the 1961 Bayreuth Festival, where she received 40 ecstatic curtain calls, leading up to her celebrated performance in the 1966 production of “Carmen” directed by legendary German conductor Herbert von Karajan. The documentary will air at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS.

Great Performances will return on November 7 with The Tiler Peck Story: Suspending Time, a film following the modern-day prima ballerina. This documentary explores Peck’s battle against challenging injuries, fighting her way back as an elite dancer and choreographer with the New York City Ballet. With intimate access, Peck looks back at her past successes and faces her fears for the future, along with her desire to overcome the greatest physical and emotional crisis of her life: a spinal cord injury following a contentious public divorce from another NYCB principal dancer.

With her return to the stage, she takes on the creative challenge of her career: a prestigious invitation to choreograph for the New York City Ballet, culminating in performances of her debut work as choreographer set to Poulenc’s “Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra.” Meeting with mentors, iconic choreographers, and other dance contemporaries, Peck pushes to create a ballet for the company that will make a lasting mark on the dance world. It will premiere at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS.

A recording of The Great War and the Great Gatsby, the acclaimed Carnegie Hall production, will air on November 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET in commemoration of Veterans Day. The production – equal parts concert, suspense, drama, romance, tribute, and exhibition of rare and iconic images and film – brings fresh insights, newly uncovered research, and additional musical selections to create a vivid and emotionally powerful journey for this musical and visual exploration of World War I. The cast includes Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal), Nicholas Christopher (Hamilton), Micaela Diamond (Parade), Gracie McGraw (Babe at The New Group), and Diego Andres Rodriguez (Sunset Boulevard). 

Great Performances is continuing its partnership with The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park by airing the upcoming production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which is set to open the newly renovated Delacorte Theater this August. The audience favorite follows the romantic misadventures of shipwrecked twins, starring Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lupita Nyong’o, Sandra Oh, and Daphne Rubin-Vega. The production is directed by The Public’s Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director and Tony Award nominee Saheem Ali. The recording of the production will air Friday, Nov. 14, 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS. Learn more here. 

December will see an American Masters episode all about entertainer Dick Van Dyke, in celebration of his 100th birthday. Known for projects like “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Diagnosis Murder” and his classic CBS sitcom, Van Dyke has delighted audiences on screen and stage for eight decades. The film features never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail Van Dyke’s extraordinary showbiz legacy. It will air Friday, Dec. 12, 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS.

On Monday, December 15, PBS will air Hope Of The Season: Christmas With The Tabernacle Choir, the return of the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. The 2025 edition will feature Tony Award-winner Ruthie Ann Miles and Hollywood veteran Dennis Haysbert, along with classic carols, holiday favorites, and more.

The following evening, Great Performances will air the English National Ballet's production of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Set in Edwardian-era London, the 1892 classic ballet’s young heroine Clara sets off on a fantastical Christmas adventure with her enchanted nutcracker doll to a magical realm where anything is possible. The new production, featuring over 100 dancers and musicians, is choreographed by ENB Artistic Director, Aaron S. Watkin, and Olivier Award winner Arielle Smith. Tune in to watch the holiday classic on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 8:00 p.m. ET.

The fall programming announcement comes following the threat of funding cuts to PBS, NPR, and more public media outlets. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $9.4 billion rescissions package, triggering a rollback of previously appropriated funds, most notably $1.1 billion in federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which sustains NPR, PBS, and over 1,500 local public media outlets across America. The vote passed 214–212. The bill is now in the hands of the Senate, which will decide how to move forward this month. 

Among the many programs available on PBS, a large number of Broadway productions have made their way to the network. This May, under its Great Performances banner, PBS aired the 2025 edition of its "Broadway's Best series, featuring proshot recordings of Next to Normal, Yellow Face, Girl From the North Country, and Kiss Me, Kate. Other recent theater offerings include the recent Broadway revival of Purlie Victorious, the  Rodgers and Hammerstein 80th anniversary concert, and Audra McDonald at the London Palladium.