#TCA16: PBS partners with NPR on Election 2016, gears up for Post-Downton Era

PBS Jackie Robinson

PBS Jackie Robinson

PBS announced new programming initiatives for 2016 at the TCA Winter Press Tour:

  • PBS has entered into a strategic partnership with NPR to share news content between the two organizations as part of its PBS Election 2016 news, public affairs, documentary and digital programming surrounding the year’s politics. PBS and NPR team up to integrate content on PBS.org (beginning in February) and on the Politics section of NPR.org.
  • PBS announced 16 for ’16 (working title), a 16-week documentary series that spotlights unforgettable presidential and vice-presidential candidates whose campaigns weren’t successful but earned them a significant place in the history books. Subjects include Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, Elizabeth Dole, Michael Dukakis, Geraldine Ferraro, Mitt Romney, Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, Ralph Nader, Sarah Palin and Ross Perot.
  • Two-part series A Year in Space, adapted from Time’s original digital video series following astronaut Scott Kelly and his 12-month stay on the International Space Station. Kelly is scheduled to return to Earth on March 2, and PBS will air the first part of A Year in Space on March 2 at 8pm ET (check local listings). Part 2 will air in 2017. 
  • PBS will air Hamilton’s America, a feature film documentary providing intimate access to Lin-Manuel Miranda in the two years leading opening of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, based on the life of U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. It will air as an installment of Great Performances in fall 2016.
  • Prof. Stephen Hawking presents and narrates six-part science series Genius By Stephen Hawking. In each episode, ordinary people are challenged to think like the greatest scientific minds to help solve some of humanity’s enduring problems. Genius airs in the U.S. on PBS later in 2016.

Also coming up on PBS:

And some highlights from Twitter:

 

Photo: (Jackie Robinson) Credit: Courtesy of Hulton Archive/Getty Images

About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.