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August 2024

From programs celebrating the anniversary of Michigan rail trails, to new documentaries like A Boston (R)evolutionand Odysseus Returns, August is an exciting month on WNMU-TV.

Stay informed this political season with PBS News Hour coverage of the Democratic National Convention airing Monday-Thursday, August 19-22, with programs like Counting the Vote: A Firing Line Special on August 27, and of course, stay up-to-date on local issues and politics with Media Meet Saturdays at 6:30/5:30c and Sundays at 2/1c. 

Don't forget, you can stream LIVE from our website, pbs.org or the FREE PBS app. Watch from wherever you find yourself this summer! Scroll down to learn about the rest of this month's featured programs. Shows are organized week by week. All programs are on 13.1 unless otherwise noted.

Sounds of Summer '24 Fundraiser

Get ready for this year’s Sounds of Summer Fundraiser, starting Friday, August 30. By popular demand, we’re premiering new live performances and musical acts, along with revisiting your favorite musicians, Masterpiece dramas, and more.

Whichever programs you choose to enjoy, remember that we couldn’t do this without the support of viewers like you. Make your contribution online any time; or call us at 906-227-9668. However you choose to give, we thank you for your continued support.

August 1-3

Professor TThe Mask Murders

An identical crime to a case the commissioner solved years ago is committed.

Friday, August 2nd at 9:00/8:00c

Great PerformancesGreat Performances at the Met: La Forza del Destino 

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Verdi’s grand tale of love, deadly vendetta, and family strife.

Saturday, August 3rd at 1:00a/12:00c.

Learning Wild

Biology students living at a unique field school in the Gila meet wildlife face to face.

 Saturday, August 3rd at 8:00/7:00c.

August 4-10

8:15 Hiroshima: From Father to Daughter

8:15 Hiroshima: From Father to Daughter

A first person account of a teen Hiroshima survivor featuring never-before-seen recordings, re-enactments, and archival images that bring the past to life.

Sunday, August 4th at 7:00/6:00c.

Hotel Portofino 302 Proposals

Hotel Portofino

Proposals

As Bella considers her future with Marco, Carlo rejects a hurt Alice and Lucian returns.

Sunday, August 4th at 8:00/7:00c.

GrantchesterEpisode 8 

When a reclusive man is found dead, Alphy and Geordie discover a shocking revelation.

Sunday, August 4th at 9:00/8:00c.

Agatha Christie's England

Take a literary tour of England and the locations featured in Agatha Christie's books.

Sunday, August 4th at 10:00/9:00c.

Brambletown 

A musical film about Fox and Badger, lifelong friends coming home to Brambletown. As they discover new sides of themselves, their friendship, and the community, they learn that even in the darkest moments, they still have the power to heal.  

Monday, August 5 at 11a/10c. Repeats 8/14 at 12/11c.

POV "Fauna"

POV

Fauna

Explore the dynamic nexus of humans, animals, and science in a post-pandemic world.

Monday, August 5th at 10:00/9:00c.

The Scientist's Warning

A film about the journey one scientist takes after one of his research papers sparks a global movement to address the challenges facing our planet. 

Monday, August 5th at 11:30/10:30c.

Frontline "Biden's Decision"

Frontline

Biden's Decision

Behind Biden’s historic decision, decades of challenges and controversies, triumphs and tragedies. The inside story of Biden’s rise to the presidency, the personal and political forces that shaped him and led to his dramatic decision to step aside.

Tuesday, August 6th at 9/8c.

NaturePrimates: Family Matters

Family is everything for primates. Meet devoted monkeys’ uncles and playmate apes.

Wednesday, August 7th at 8:00/7:00c.

NOVAKīlauea: Hawaiʻi on Fire

Scientists journey to Kīlauea volcano to investigate the eruptions that shook Hawaiʻi.

Wednesday, August 7th, 9:00/8:00c. Repeats 8/8, 3:00/2:00c

Sea Change "Survival in the Gulf of Maine"

Sea Change: The Gulf of Maine

Survival in the Gulf of Maine

Meet the people leading new efforts to shape the future of the Gulf of Maine and our oceans.

Wednesday, August 7 at 10/9c.

Return of the Trumpeters

The trumpeter swan is one of the greatest conservation successes of the last century.

 Thursday, August 8th at 8:00/7:00c. Repeats 8/09 at 3:00/2:00c.

Professor TThe Family

A physician, his wife and two children are found dead.

Friday, August 9th at 9:00/8:00c.

Free to SpeakThought Police

Thought Police examines the long history—and dire results—of governments censoring speech.

Saturday, August 10th at 8:00/7:00c. Repeats 8/12 at 3:00/2:00c.

August 11-17

Run Wild Run Free: 50 Years of Wild & Scenic Rivers

The 50-year history and ongoing impact of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Sunday, August 11th at 7:00/6:00c

Hotel Portofino 303 Realizations

Hotel Portofino

Realizations

When George threatens to pull investment from the hotel, Bella knows the pressure is on.

Sunday, August 11th at 8:00/7:00c

Magpie MurdersEp. 1

A dead mystery author. An unfinished book. His editor is soon involved in his suspicious death.

 Sunday, August 11th at 9:00/8:00c

Magpie MurdersEpisode 2

Everyone he knew had reason to kill Alan Conway. Was his fatal fall actually murder?

Sunday, August 11th at 10:00/9:00c

The American Diplomat

Three Black diplomats who broke racial barriers at the State Department during Cold War.

Tuesday, August 13th at 9:00/8:00c

A Boston (R)evolution

Our film examines a racially complicated American city as it confronts both its past and future.

Tuesday, August 13th at 10:00/9:00c

Search for the Cooper: A River Hidden in Plain View

Four teenagers kayak, hike, muck and bushwhack for six days along the neglected Cooper River in Camden County, NJ in an unprecedented challenge is to find the source of the river 17 miles upstream from its mouth on the Delaware River.

Tuesday, August 13th at 11:30/10:30c

NaturePrimates "Protecting Primates"

Meet the scientists making groundbreaking discoveries to safeguard the future of primates.

Wednesday, August 14th at 8:00/7:00c

NOVADog Tales

Follow the epic journey of dog domestication and see what science says about dogs’ love.

Wednesday, August 14th at 9:00/8:00c. Repeats 8/15 at 3:00/2:00c.

NOVACat Tales

Goddess, demon, house pet? What does science say about the human relationship with cats?

Wednesday, August 14th at 10:00/9:00c.

The Wild Ponies of Chincoteague

Follow a teenager's journey to buy a foal at the Chincoteague pony swim and auction.

Thursday, August 15th at 8:00/7:00c

Professor TDNA of a Murderer

An artisan baker is found dead. Is it a case of revenge or is the killer closer to home?

Friday, August 16th at 9:00/8:00c

Free to SpeakThe One True Faith

The One True Faith examines the worldwide impact of free speech on religion and science.

Saturday, August 17th at 8:00/7:00c

August 18-24

The Mustangs: America's Wild Horses

Mustangs are an enduring icon of America, but in modern times their future is in question.

Sunday, August 18th at 6:30/5:30c

Hotel Portofino "Experiments"

Hotel Portofino

Experiments

After the Wall Street Crash, Bella starts her new business and Cecil appeals to Danioni.

Sunday, August 18th at 8:00/7:00c

Magpie MurdersEpisode 3

Charles leans on Susan to take over as CEO of his publishing firm.

Sunday, August 18th at 9:00/8:00c

Magpie MurdersEpisode 4

The plot of Alan's new book and the lives of his acquaintances start to converge.'

Sunday, August 18th at 10:00/9:00c

2024 DNC Convention Coverage

PBS News

2024 DNC Convention Coverage

Join PBS News Hour co-anchors Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz as they offer nightly coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.  

Monday-Thursday, August 18-22 at 8/7c.

We Are All Plastic People Now

It’s in the air. It’s in the water. It’s buried in our soil and hidden inside the food we eat. Celebrated in the 1950s for ringing in the era of throw-away ease and freedom, plastic is now everywhere - even inside our bodies.

 Friday, August 23rd at 3:00/2:00c

Professor TThe Trial

An employee is accused of killing his boss after he's found standing over the body.

Friday, August 23rd at 9:00/8:00c

Great Performances

Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2024

Enjoy this annual concert featuring Andris Nelsons as guest conductor with Lise Davidsen as soloist.

Saturday, August 24th at 1:00a/12:00c

Free to SpeakThe Speech We Hate

The Speech We Hate examines threats to art and scholarship with free speech under attack.

Saturday, August 24th at 8:00/7:00c

We Said No! No!: A Story of Civil Disobedience

A story of civil disobedience set against the backdrop of World War II and the controversial internment of thousands of “disloyal” Japanese Americans.

 Saturday, August 24th at 9:30/8:30c

August 25-31

Where I Became 

the story of 14 women who left apartheid in South Africa to attend Smith College in the U.S. The film, narrated in their own voices and filmed between South Africa and the U.S., follows their stories from childhood to discovering themselves through the power of higher education.

 Sunday, August 25th at 6:30/5:30c

Hotel Portofino 305 Revelations

Hotel Portofino

Revelations

When Nish is found dead, Lucian and Virat spiral. Cecil and Jack agree to a deadly plan.

Sunday, August 25th at 8:00/7:00c

Magpie MurdersEpisode 5

Pünd wraps up his investigation, promising, “Very soon all will be made clear!”

Sunday, August 25th at 9:00/8:00c

Magpie MurdersEpisode 6 

Susan cracks her case then accompanies Pünd as he lays out the solution to Alan's book.

Sunday, August 25th at 10:00/9:00c

Voces "Almost American"

Voces

Almost American

Meet a Salvadoran-American family caught up in the contentious fight over immigration policy.

Monday, August 26th at 10:00/9:00c

See How They Run: Presidential Candidates and The Iowa Caucuses 

The importance of the Iowa Caucus and the impact on presidential candidate dreams.

 Monday, August 26th at 11:30/10:30c

American Masters  "Blake Edwards"

American Masters

Blake Edwards

Discover the life and career of director Blake Edwards, one of Hollywood's most iconic figures.

Tuesday, August 27th at 8:00/7:00c

American AnthemsPocket Change

Lee Brice creates a guitar jam for a “hope dealer” who pays for laundry in low-income communities.

 Tuesday, August 27th at 10:30/9:30c

Fire on the Hill: The Cowboys of South Central LA

The acclaimed story of urban cowboys from Compton and South Central Los Angeles.

Wednesday, August 28th at 3:00/2:00c

NatureAmerican Ocelot

Dive deep into South Texas to meet one of America’s most endangered cats: the ocelot.

Wednesday, August 28th at 8:00/7:00c

Odysseus Returns 

An ancient tomb found on a Greek island might prove that the hero of Homer’s Odyssey really existed. 

Wednesday, August 28th at 9:00/8:00c.  

Horse Powers: From the Land of the Vikings

Horse Powers shows the long time bonds between horses and humans via 3 portraits: An Adventure Horsewoman competing in the world's toughest & longest horse race, A Mountain Horse Family living off the land and A War Veteran suffering from PTSD and getting help from the four legged doctors.

Thursday, August 29th at 3:00/2:00c

Water's Way: Thinking Like a Watershed Official Trailer

Learning to appreciate and emulate beavers may be a key to understanding how we might once again experience a watershed resilient to flood and drought and a Chesapeake clean and clear.

Thursday, August 29th at 8:00/7:00c

Sounds of SUmmer '24 FundraiserJohn & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky 

Discover how the couple’s unique relationship led to the creation of the iconic 1971 album Imagine.

Friday, August 30th at 9:00/8:00c

Sounds of Summer '24 FundraiserSherlock: The Abominable Bride

Rejoin Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in another case for Holmes and Watson—in the 1890s.

Saturday, August 31st at 8:00/7:00c

Sounds of SUmmer '24 FundraiserSNEAK PEEK: Third Eye Blind - Live at Red Rocks

Watch a Sneak Peek of Third Eye Blind - Live at Red Rocks! Celebrate with the band as they perform at the historic  amphitheater for the first time.

Saturday, August 31st at 10:00/9:00c

America's Forests with Chuck Leavell: Minnesota

America's Forests with Chuck Leavell

Minnesota

Chuck Leavell does winter in Minnesota! Snowmobile through the boreal forest, meet the folks who are restoring the pines along Lake Superior and wrap it up with a rollicking version of Minnesota native Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone."

Saturday, August 31st at 11:30/10:30c

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