CONNECTIONS
AUG 2023 VOL. 11 NO. 8
EXCITING NEW
SHOWS
ON THE HORIZON
Two new British comedies, the latest production from Dawn DeAngelis Ken Burns and a special series NHPBS Vice President profiling American Latinos are & Chief Content Officer all coming soon to the New Hampshire PBS airwaves. New programming options are part of the station’s ongoing commitment to deliver content that meets viewer interest. Each year, NHPBS distributes nearly 44,000 hours of educational and entertaining programming across five broadcast channels and online. For NHPBS Vice President & Chief Content Officer Dawn DeAngelis, that means making daily decisions to select programs that are locally relevant and resonate with viewers. “No one size fits all when it comes to curating programming for local markets like ours,” said DeAngelis. “We work with our Community Advisory Board and BritWit Club and via other feedback channels to identify issues of importance. Then, we either create or find programming that addresses those issues.” Helping with that process is The Programming Service for Public Television (TPS), a Florida-based nonprofit that partners with PBS stations across the country to maximize their program schedules. TPS programmers work directly with PBS and other distribution partners, like American Public Television and the BBC, to screen programs and then share recommendations with member station programmers, allowing stations to focus on localization and community outreach. “We try to think in advance about how to leverage content in individual markets, so stations can pair it with their own local content, make a bigger footprint and maximize marketing and corporate support efforts,” said Cyndy Robbins, vice president of programming for TPS. “NHPBS does a great job working with independent producers to curate and bring new programs to the
schedule, with a focus on New Hampshire stories and topics like outdoor exploration.” Coming to the NHPBS schedule soon are new seasons of NOVA, NATURE and ANTIQUES ROADSHOW. Debut programs include ALMOST ROYAL, a fish-out-of-water comedy about two British aristocrat siblings who visit the U.S. for the first time, and BAD MOVE, which follows a British couple who swap city life for a move to the Yorkshire countryside. History fans will find a new four-hour film, AMERICAN BUFFALO, from Ken Burns tracing the history and cultural impact of the national mammal. In September, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month, VOCES AMERICAN HISTORIA: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF LATINOS will feature co-creator and host John Leguizamo on a journey through Mexico and the U.S. exploring stories of Latino history and cultural figures. “Our modest acquisition budget is where we get creative. We recently purchased MR. BEAN and THE GOES WRONG SHOW, which were well received by viewers wanting something new,” said DeAngelis. “We have also purchased new seasons of DOC MARTIN. We are strategic in making purchases, and viewer support is critical. We can’t provide the programming viewers want without their financial support.” Andrea Sosa, TPS program director, says more environmental titles and public affairs programming are also coming from major distributors. “PBS announced a huge climate and environment initiative spanning three years, so viewers can expect new CHANGING PLANET specials coming down the pipeline. With another election cycle, there will also be a focus on democracy content and public affairs programming like FRONTLINE,” she added. For a look at the full NHPBS program schedule, visit nhpbs.org/schedule.
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