Henry David Thoreau
“When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond….” So begins Henry David Thoreau’s seminal work, Walden.
Despite the author’s influence on reformers including John Muir, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr., there has never been a full-length documentary exploring the life of Henry David Thoreau until now. PBS has remedied this by presenting a new three-part, three-hour film devoted to one of the country’s greatest writers and among the most enduring thinkers of the 19th-century Transcendentalist movement in America.
Viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the intellectual, social, and cultural currents of Thoreau’s time and their lasting impact on American history and thought. Taking advantage of new historical findings, the filmmakers explore concepts at the core of Thoreau’s work including the health of our planet, justice for all human beings, and the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs in the public square. All of these issues have immense sociological significance today.
“He challenged Americans to ask hard questions about who we are and what kind of society we want to build, a challenge that remains as urgent today as it was in his day,” says executive producer Ken Burns. “Perhaps most importantly he asked us to stop and to pay attention to the world around us.”
Narrated by George Clooney, Henry David Thoreau illuminates the vibrant intellectual and political community of Concord, Massachusetts, in the mid-1800s. Thoreau, voiced by Jeff Goldblum, moved among towering figures of American thought such as his mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Bronson Alcott, Frederick Douglass, the radical abolitionists of Boston, and the even-more-controversial John Brown. This documentary illuminates their ideas, set amid the fight against slavery, the rise of women’s rights, the impact of industrialization on New England’s landscape, and the continued displacement of Native peoples.
Ultimately, Henry David Thoreau presents a portrait of a man both rooted in his time and speaking far beyond it. “This film honors his legacy while asking what it means to live with purpose in the 21st century,” says executive producer Don Henley, founding member and lead singer of the Eagles, a longtime advocate for environmental causes, and founder and chair of the Walden Woods Project, which preserves Thoreau’s legacy.
Watch starting March 30 at 9:00 p.m. on WVPB.
Did the 2025 Call the Midwife Holiday Special whet your appetite for a new season of happenings at Nonnatus House? Then you’ll be happy to know that season 15 of the delightful and dramatic favorite returns to PBS with an eight-episode run beginning this month.
The new season kicks off in 1971 as several of the ladies embrace women’s liberation and burn their bras outside Nonnatus House. Over the year, the team handles challenging cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis, and slavery. The cast includes favorites Jenny Agutter (Sister Julienne), Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan), Helen George (Trixie Aylward), Laura Main (Shelagh Turner), Stephen McGann (Patrick Turner), Cliff Parisi (Fred Buckle), Linda Bassett (Phyllis Crane), Georgie Glen (Millicent Higgins), and Zephryn Taitte (Cyril Robinson).
Watch Sundays at 8:00 p.m. beginning March 22 on WVPB.
A Note from Kathleen Brady
Dear WVPB Member,
Thank you! — two words that contain a world of gratitude for your friendship and generosity.
As we face another challenging year, it’s you who ensures we can continue to provide something to lift your spirits.
It’s true — your support provides entertaining programming. But it does so much more. Your support provides educational outreach to children and families. Your support provides the emergency notifications we all rely on. Your support provides locally produced programs. Your support provides so many things that enrich the lives of all of us.
Member Services:
304-556-4900 or 1-888-596-9729
E-mail: memberservices@wvpublic.org facebook.com/WVPublic twitter.com/wvpublic
View or print program schedules at: www.wvpublic.org
We cannot do what we do without you, and we are endlessly grateful for you. We are telling West Virginia’s story, thanks to you. Together, we are WVPB. Made in West Virginia, by West Virginia, for West Virginia.
Appreciatively,
Kathleen Brady, CFRE
Acting
Executive Director
Member since 2014
Desire! Ambition! Betrayal! With a sweeping, romantic storyline based on a Victorian stockbrokering family, The Forsytes has it all and more. This newest MASTERPIECE drama is both a bold reimagining and a prequel to John Galsworthy’s celebrated Forsyte Saga novels.
Planned as a returning series, the first season follows the lives of the well-to-do Forsyte family in 1880s London where money and society dictate the rules. The narrative follows four generations of the wealthy Forsytes as they navigate high-risk investments and the even higher expectations of making the right marital matches. Leading the stellar cast is Francesca Annis as the formidable Forsyte matriarch, Ann. She’s joined by Stephen Moyer as her eldest son
Jolyon and Jack Davenport who plays her younger son James.
Among the many intriguing characters you’ll meet throughout the six-episode series are Danny Griffin as Jolyon’s bohemian son Jo, Tuppence Middleton ( Downton Abbey: A New Era ) as Jo’s status-driven wife Frances, and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark ) playing Louisa Byrne, a Soho dressmaker and Jo’s first love. Susan Hampshire, CBE, plays Lady Carteret. Fun fact: Hampshire starred as Fleur in the 1967 Forstye Saga, one of the first MASTERPIECE offerings, for which Hampshire won the first of her three Emmys. Watch Sundays at 9:00 p.m. beginning March 22 on WVPB.
If you’ve wished that MASTERPIECE would present a faithful adaption of the Alexandre Dumas epic, your wait is nearly over. Starting on March 1, you’ll follow the tale of young sailor Edmond Dantès as he’s betrayed and thrown into prison in the nightmarish Château d’If. When fortune favors the patient Dantès, he escapes and claims a hidden treasure that makes him one of the richest men in the world. Under the guise of the enigmatic count, he begins his campaign of revenge.
Can Dantès reclaim justice — or love? You’ll have to tune in to find out. If the plot seems over the top, you’ll be surprised to know Dumas’ novel
was based on two true stories. One centers around Francois “Pierre” Picaud, who was wrongly imprisoned after accusations of treason. The other is based on the imprisonment of Dumas’ own father, a French general.
This lush eight-part series was filmed in Italy, Malta, and France, starring Sam Claflin as Dantès — the enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo. Claflin is joined by Jeremy Irons as fellow prisoner Abbé Faria, Ana Girardot as Mercedes, and Blake Ritson as Danglars.
Watch Sundays at 10:00 p.m. beginning March 22 on WVPB.
Did you find yourself thinking, “I know that voice” while watching The American Revolution? Ken Burns is famous for using star-studded voiceovers in his films. Now you can test your skills and learn more about the connection between Hollywood’s royalty and the landmark documentary. If you haven’t seen The American Revolution yet or want to watch it again, it’s streaming on PBS Passport.
1. This American actor voiced George Washington. He also starred in No Country for Old Men and Men in Black 3. Who is he?
2. Did the words of master sailmaker, entrepreneur, and veteran James Forten have a familiar ring? Guess the name of this Hollywood icon who was also on PBS’s The Electric Company
3. This actor did not play King George III in the film, but he did on Broadway. Who was the voice of Princeton mayor Erkuries Beatty?
4. Once part of the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood stage crew, this actor portrayed notorious traitor Benedict Arnold. 5. This woman was the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. She voiced Phyllis Wheatley, one of the best-known poets of her time. Who is she?
6. This actor has played John Adams twice. He also appeared in Downton Abbey. Guess his name.
7. Having taken a key role in other Ken Burns documentaries and having starred in a host of beloved films, this renowned actor embodied the words of Andrew Eliot, Josiah Bartlett, Isaac Bangs, David Griffith, Thomas Jones, Ezra Tilden, Albigence Waldo, and Ebenezer Denny.
8. Triple Oscar winner, she’s another Ken Burns regular. Known for her skill in accents, she interprets the words of activist poet and pamphleteer Mercy Otis Warren.
9. Former longtime host of Masterpiece Classic, she voiced five different women in the film — Sarah Fisher, Sarah Mifflin, Ann Hulton, Eliza Wilkinson, and Eliza Lucas Pinckney.
10. He voices King George III, while he’s also played an equally mercurial king, Henry VIII, on MASTERPIECE’s Wolf Hall. Further, he speaks the words of Nicholas Cresswell, John André, and Bartholomew James.
April 18, 2026, marks the centenary of the first performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company — the oldest and the longest running dance company in America. Coming to PBS in April, this two-part, three-hour documentary tells the story of Martha Graham, the visionary artist and choreographer who forged the path for the future of modern dance.
Recognized as one of America’s primal artistic forces of the 20th century — alongside such iconic innovators as Ernest Hemingway, Maya Angelou, Frank Lloyd Wright, Duke Ellington, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Bob Dylan — Graham is known for freeing the art of dance by providing a new dance language and new concepts. She revolutionized dance, lighting, stage designing, costuming, and music with her creative perfectionism.
Viewers will see her genius in action throughout the film. Directors Peter Schnall and Cyndee Readdean use extended dance segments from rehearsals and performances, as well as interviews with many generations of Graham dancers, to reveal how the fire, drive, and passion of this towering figure continue to inspire today.
Watch Friday, March 27 at 9:00 p.m. on WVPB.
Brian Kleppner Recognized for Going Above and Beyond at Musselman High School
Brian Kleppner, a special education teacher at Musselman High School in Berkeley County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award. The award was presented during a surprise assembly filled with students, colleagues, and administrators who gathered to celebrate his long-standing commitment to the Musselman community. As part of the recognition, Kleppner received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program, proudly sponsors the award.
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Kleppner was nominated by his principal, Alicia Riggleman, who described him as a teacher who always puts students first. In her nomination, she shared that he “goes the extra mile not for recognition, but because it is what students deserve.”
Kleppner has been teaching at Musselman High for more than 30 years and holds certifications in English and special education. Throughout his career, he has worked to help students develop real-world skills that build independence and confidence. “I get excited to come to school each day, after 30 years at Musselman, to witness students building real-life skills that will allow them to live on their own and contribute positively to our community,” Kleppner said. “I enjoy trying to bring out their character in ways that demonstrate respect for themselves and others.”
Kleppner also brought Special Olympics Unified Bocce to Musselman High, giving students of all abilities an opportunity to compete and connect. “I have seen Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools make an incredible impact on all students at Musselman High regardless of what abilities they may or may not have,” he said. “This is the true definition of inclusion. All students are working toward the simple goal of coming together as one while bringing out the best in each other and having a lot of fun.” The program has grown with support from peer partners, staff, and families. Riggleman shared that it has strengthened relationships across the school and created new opportunities for students to participate and engage.
In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Kleppner coaches baseball, track, cross country, and golf. He is known for attending games, concerts, and community events to encourage students long after they have left his class.
When reflecting on his career, Kleppner said he values the moments when former students return to share their accomplishments. “It makes me the happiest to see students working in the community and supporting their families,” he said. “It really means a lot when a student comes back and says, ‘Mr. Kleppner, you were right. Thank you for putting up with me.’ Those moments stay with you.” Through decades of teaching, coaching, and mentoring, Brian Kleppner has built a legacy of care, inclusion, and support that touches students, colleagues, and the community.
Each month of the school year, WVPB has an esteemed panel of judges select one deserving teacher who goes above and beyond for students. If you know of a deserving teacher who goes “Above and Beyond,” please visit wvpublic.org/ aboveandbeyond to make a nomination.
Do you watch WVPB several nights a week? You may be what we refer to as WVPB superfans. You may call yourself a WVPB nerd. And have we got something for you! Our new long-sleeve T-shirt features our West Virginia Public Broadcasting nerd sticker artwork on the back and I ♥ WVPB logo on the front. For a gift of $150, or $12.50 monthly, you can share your WVPB love with everyone you meet. Visit wvpublic.org to make your gift and get your T-shirt today.
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