April showers bring May flowers… and TV shows to watch as well! Jane Austen fans, amateur entomologists, and mystery buffs alike will find something to enjoy this month, from a new Masterpiece series to a plethora of programs from Walter Presents.
We’ve collected the best new programs that are coming to KVIE in May, as well as a program you shouldn’t miss before it leaves in June. All can be streamed with PBS KVIE Passport, a member benefit offering access to an on-demand library of your favorite PBS shows on the PBS app.
1. The Real Wild West
Available to stream 5/1
America’s Wild West is steeped in mythology, formed by countless stories about quick-witted gunslingers and stoic lawmen. As The Real Wild West shows, though, these stories don’t paint a full picture of history. Look beyond the myth and meet the diverse pioneers who also helped shape the country, including Black and Hispanic cowboys, female homesteaders, immigrants, and tribal leaders.
2. Miss Austen on Masterpiece
Available to stream 5/4
Why did Cassanda Austen burn her famous sister’s letters? Miss Austen on Masterpiece brilliantly reimagines this real-life literary mystery, revealing a tale of secrets and sisterhood that’s as warm, funny, and wise as any Jane Austen novel. This new series is best served with a cozy cup of tea and good company!
3. Bugs That Rule the World
Episodes available to stream starting 5/7
Get a bug’s-eye view of the world in this new four-part series! From pollinators and insect assassins to the tiny “clean-up crews” that purify our soil, discover the crucial, yet underappreciated, role that insects play in our environment.
4. Caregiving
Available to stream 5/27
In one way or another, caregiving touches all of our lives. Executive produced by Bradley Cooper, Caregiving turns a compassionate eye to the vital, enduring, and often unrecognized efforts of caring for others – from navigating complex medical bureaucracies to celebrating everyday moments of joy and triumph.
New programs from Walter Presents
5. Cold Summer, Season 1
Available to stream 5/2
Travel to Bari, Italy, where corruption spreads and the old rules no longer apply. The sharp, relentless Marshal Pietro Fenoglio hunts for truth when the son of a crime boss is kidnapped, shattering the fragile balance of the underworld. In Italian with English subtitles.
6. Pale Mountains, Season 1
Available to stream 5/9
In the stunning, eerie Dolomites, a serial killer resurfaces, shaking the city of Bolzano to its core. A tortured detective and ambitious DA must set aside old wounds to chase the truth. In Italian with English subtitles.
7. Cuba Libre, Season 1
Available to stream 5/16
How does the daughter of Portugal’s pollical police director end up joining the Cuban Revolution? In this series inspired by true events, follow Annie Silva Pais as she leaves behind her husband and family for the revolution… and for Che Guevara. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
The Jane Austen Collection
Can’t get enough of Jane Austen after watching Miss Austen on Masterpiece? Don’t fret – more romance awaits you in these witty, charming, and thoroughly captivating dramas from our Jane Austen Collection!
8. Sanditon on Masterpiece
Now streaming
Get ready to swoon! Inspired by Jane Austen’s final, unfinished novel, Sanditon on Masterpiece follows the spirited, impulsive Charlotte Heywood as she travels to the seaside resort of Sanditon to reinvent herself – and meet some brooding love interests along the way!
9. Northanger Abbey
Now streaming
In Jane Austen’s parody of gothic fiction, Catherine Morland’s dreams come true when she’s invited to stay at a medieval country house. Blessed with an active imagination and a penchant for gothic novels, Catherine is determined to find adventure and romance… and with the handsome Henry Tilney and a mysterious locked room, she’ll have her hands full!
10. Death Comes to Pemberley on Masterpiece
Now streaming
A Pride and Prejudice-inspired murder mystery? Say no more! Six years after Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy have wed, a coach races up to their Pemberley estate with a hysterical Lydia Bennet shrieking, “Murder!” Based on crime writer P.D. James’ bestselling novel, Death Comes to Pemberley on Masterpiece is a twisty whodunnit filled with Austen’s classic charm.
Don’t miss this program before it leaves!
11. Miriam and Alan: Lost In Scotland, Season 2
Leaving 6/11
Join Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming for more hilarious, unexpected adventures in Scotland and beyond, from wand-whittling in the Isle of Skye to a cabaret show in Las Vegas!