PBS to Present GREAT PERFORMANCES: JIMMY WEBB and Election Special

PBS has announced its upcoming 'Tune In & Stream' lineup of primetime premieres and streaming content, including a tribute to songwriter Jimmy Webb and live election night coverage.

Great Performances 'Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter'

Premieres: Friday, Oct. 30, 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app

This hit-filled concert pays tribute to master songwriter, storyteller and musician Jimmy Webb whose iconic hits include 'Up, Up and Away,' 'Wichita Lineman,' 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix,' 'Galveston' and 'MacArthur Park.' Framed by a concert performance in his home state of Oklahoma, Webb chronicles his career and his early days at Motown Records and Los Angeles where he began writing the hit songs that have become part of the contemporary 'Great American Songbook.' Webb is joined in performance by guest stars Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Sheléa and Ryan Shaw as well as Ashley Campbell, the daughter of Webb's frequent collaborator Glen Campbell. Also featured are anecdotes and archival clips of the other stars who made Webb's songs famous, including Frank Sinatra, The 5th Dimension and Donna Summer.

VOTE 2026: PBS News Election Special

Premieres: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app

Live special coverage of election night 2026 will begin at 8:00 pm E.T. on Tuesday, November 3 to air on PBS stations (check local listings) and stream on PBS News's digital and social platforms. Co-anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett, coverage will include reporting from PBS News Hour correspondents and analysis by additional guests.

SECRETS OF THE DEAD 'Saving Tangier Island'

Premieres: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 10:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app

Welcome to tiny Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. Pivotal in the War of 1812, the island has borne witness to key moments in American history. It's where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and where hundreds of self-emancipated men joined the British to take up arms against their former masters. Now, rising sea levels threaten the island, and the race is on to ensure Tangier will remain a witness to history.

HAPPINESS (Season 1)

Catchup Streaming: Sunday, Nov. 8, Binge 6 Episodes with PBS.org & PBS app

Broadway director and golden boy Charlie Summers has come home to New Zealand. And he's devastated. After 20 years working his way up to the top of the musical theatre world, he has found himself back in his childhood bedroom and back helping his mother, Gaye, at the local community musical theater. The eclectic cast and crew there may lack professional skills but certainly don't lack passion.

We Chose To Go To The Moon

Premieres: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app

We Chose To Go To The Moon is an immersive theatrical experience telling the dramatic story of America's race to space and the decision to land a man on the Moon. Created, written and narrated by writer and historian John Monsky and directed for the stage by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer ('Spring Awakening,' 'Chess'), the production brings together a 45-piece orchestra and band, Broadway vocalists, and archival photographs to create an emotional history of mankind's journey to the Moon. Filmed at New York's Carnegie Hall in April 2026 against the backdrop of the Artemis II mission, the special features performances by Skylar Astin ('Pitch Perfect,' 'Spring Awakening'), Grammy nominee Brent Comer ('The Outsiders'), Claybourne Elder ('Company,' 'The Gilded Age'), Elizabeth Gillies (Netflix's 'Dynasty'), Tony nominee Taylor Louderman ('Mean Girls'), and Grammy and Tony nominee Joy Woods ('Gypsy,' 'Six'). Neil Armstrong's son Mark Armstrong and granddaughter Kali Armstrong also perform a tribute to the astronaut.

NATURE 'HumanLike: The Chimps of Fongoli'

Premieres: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app

On the southern edge of the Sahara in Fongoli, Senegal, lives a group of remarkable chimpanzees that could hold clues to how we became human. The Fongoli chimps live at the very limits where chimps can survive, having adapted to the extreme heat and dryness of the savanna woodlands. For years, these chimps were elusive ghosts, rarely seen. NATURE traces the remarkable 25-year story of how American anthropologist Jill Pruetz and local chimp expert Dondo 'Johnny' Kanté got so close to the Fongoli chimps to uncover unique behavior, including hunting with spears, sheltering in caves, digging wells, and reading fire. Seeing into their secret lives and recording extraordinary new behaviors shine a light on our own evolutionary past and fundamentally change how we think about ourselves.

SECRETS OF THE DEAD 'Finding America's Fallen'

Premieres: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app

A unique archaeological dig is happening in South Carolina, where veterans are investigating a Revolutionary War battle site. Now, these former soldiers want to give Camden's fallen their due. Produced in partnership with SCETV.

PBS Digital Studios

New Series: Plotlines on PBS Storied

Plotlines is an educational video series that explores storytelling trends and tropes in literature and beyond. Each episode will break down literary traditions and classic works to show how they impact modern culture, and examines how different types of storytelling media influence our thought processes and shape our world. The series is hosted by Jananie K. Velu.

Recent episodes include 'Why Can't TV Tell Stories Chronologically?' and 'Why Are Villains All Sympathetic Now?'

Episode 3: 'Why Authoritarians Need to Control the Narrative?' launches Tuesday, Nov. 17. From the real world to our favorite dystopian novels and shows, authoritarians have always had a special relationship with storytelling. Enforcing obedience requires careful control of the narrative: walking the fine line of censoring the stories that threaten your objectives, like in Fahrenheit 451 or Silo, and seeding the propaganda that will maintain your power, like in The Hunger Games or Parable of the Sower. A story is perhaps the most innocuous and fundamental part of any power struggle in history, but it all comes down to who can create the most convincing narrative.

Civics Made Easy

Civics Made Easy, hosted by Ben Sheehan, breaks down the complex world of American government and civic participation. Each episode transforms intricate concepts into clear, digestible lessons, equipping viewers with the essential knowledge to actively participate in their democracy. Designed to empower and inform, the series makes understanding civics both accessible and engaging for all.

New episode: 'Why Can Politicians Draw Their Own District?'

Recent episodes include 'Is America Truly a Democracy?', 'Do Our Founding Documents Still Matter?', 'What is the Electoral College?', and 'Why Do Politicians Keep Asking for Money?'

The Drawing Room with Mo Welch

What happens when interviews become art projects? In The Drawing Room with Mo Welch, comedian and illustrator Mo Welch invites notable guests to join her at the easel, turning conversations into creative collaborations. This non-traditional PBS series puts Mo's full talents on display, blending humor, vulnerability, and artistry as she and her guest draw each other out—literally and figuratively.

Recent episodes include Aparna Nancherla on Being a Shy Kid, Jon Gabrus Says, 'Lifeguarding Is Super Important to Me.', Demi Adejuyigbe on Villain Energy and Goatees, Why Margaret Cho Never Had a Coloring Book as a Kid, Adam Ruins Everything (Except This Painting), Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne Draw (and Roast) Each Other, Vijay Gupta on Being a Child Prodigy, Sarah Silverman's Best Advice, and Brett Goldstein was NOT Ready for this Audition.

Eons: Life and Death on Pangea

It's the final act of the Paleozoic Era – just before the Age of Dinosaurs begins – and dark times are ahead. Eons: Life and Death on Pangea, a longform spinoff based on the popular PBS Digital Studios' series Eons with more than 750 million views and 3 million subscribers, tells the story of life on the supercontinent of Pangea. From a landscape ruled by strange mammal-relatives, through the relentless hellscape of the Great Dying itself and its aftermath, the series sheds light on the world of the Permian, how it ended, and how life recovered.

All episodes now streaming include How The Formation of Pangea Changed the World, How Eating Plants Shaped Life on Land, The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Reef, A Tale of Tusks and Saber Teeth, That Time Almost Everything Died, and Who Survived the Great Dying – and Why.

Overview on PBS Terra

Hosted by Joe Hanson, recent episodes include This Island Has Been A Science Experiment for 100 Years, How This Dying Rainforest Is a Sign of Things to Come, This Ancient Swamp Is Hiding a Carbon Time Bomb, We Saw What AI Data Centers Don't Want You to See, and Toxic Lake.

Weathered on PBS Terra

Hosted by Maiya May, recent episodes include This Hurricane Should NEVER Have Happened… So How Did It?, EXTREME HEAT Is Getting Worse, and It Will Reshape Earth FOREVER, A SUPER El Niño Triggered History's DEADLIEST Disaster. THIS One Might Be Worse., America's Most TOXIC Site Could Be Worse Than CHERNOBYL, and Why America's Deadliest Disaster is Essentially Invisible.

In The Margins and Rogue History on PBS Origins

Recent In The Margins episodes include America's Race Science Obsession They Don't Teach You About, America's White Slavery Crisis They Don't Teach You About, George Washington's Obsession They Don't Teach You About, The Black Deportation Scheme They Don't Teach You About, The Other American Colonies They Don't Teach You About, and The Forgotten War They Don't Teach You About.

Rogue History, hosted by Joel Cook, recently featured Is Everything You Learned About Him a Lie?, George Washington's Secret Weapon was Queer, Why The Founding Fathers Were Obsessed with This Muslim Ruler, The (Literal) Fight for Free Speech They Don't Teach You, The Working Class Uprising They Don't Teach You About, The Thanksgiving Story They Don't Teach You About, and The Founding Father They Don't Teach You About.

OtherWords on PBS Storied

Hosted by Erica Brozovsky, recent episodes include These Words Don't Mean What They Used To, This Speech Quirk Is Nearly Universal, The People Trying to Control Language, The English Language Has a Smelly Problem, The Problem with Judges Acting Like Linguists, Why Time Moves Differently In Different Languages, Why Every Generation Uses This One Slang Word, and Why Linguists Love What's Happening with K-Pop.

About PBS

PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 56 million viewers on YouTube, and 10 million followers on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS's broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life.

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