Episodes
Mr. Selfridge, Part 1 airs Sunday, March 31st & Saturday, April 6th at 8 pm
Upstart American Harry Selfridge moves heaven and earth to build his visionary department store in London. But opening day is just the start of his retail revolution.

Mr. Selfridge, Part 2 airs Sunday, April 7th & Saturday, April 13 at 8 pm
Harry skirts scandal by putting cosmetics at the front of the store. Meanwhile, his private life gets complicated as Ellen Love, Lady Mae and his wife, Rose, make waves

Mr. Selfridge, Part 3 airs Sunday, April 14th & Saturday, April 20th at 8 pm
Ellen’s future as the Spirit of Selfridge is on the line. Renowned ballerina Anna Pavlova causes a sensation at the store. Rose makes a revelation to her doting portrait painter, Roddy.

Mr. Selfridge, Part 4 airs Sunday, April 21st & Saturday, April 27th at 8 pm
Spunky shop girl Agnes Towler returns to work. But all is not well, as Harry and Rose face a moment of truth, Ellen confronts Harry, and alcohol, pills and driving under the influence take their toll.

Mr. Selfridge, Part 5 airs Sunday, April 28th & Saturday, May 4th at 8 pm
Mr. Grove takes over in Harry’s absence, but faces irate temperance marchers and other challenges. How would Harry handle it? Agnes gets to know Henri, the window dresser.

Mr. Selfridge, Part 6 airs Sunday, May 5th & Saturday, May 11th at 8 pm
Two dead relatives show up at a store seance prompted by Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle. Agnes moves to fashion and develops a closer relationship with Henri.

Mr. Selfridge, Part 7 airs Sunday, May 12th & Saturday, May 18th at 8 pm
F.W. Woolworth tries to undercut his old friend and competitor, Harry, who gives the discount king a run for his money. The temperature rises with Agnes and Henri.

Mr. Selfridge, Part 8 airs Sunday, May 19th & Saturday, May 25th at 8 pm
Tragedy strikes on the day polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton comes to the store. An even greater celebrity plans a visit, and Harry and Rose attend a shocking play.

Arts In Context  at 1:30 pm Sunday follows 23 campers at Austin Lyric Opera’s Opera Odyssey summer camp as they go through the creative process of writing, producing and performing their original production, Quarantine.

Great Performances At The Met presents The Tempest at 2:30 Sunday. Composer Thomas Ades conducts the Metropolitan Opera with baritone Simon Keenlyside starring as Prospero.

Sean Bean returns as British soldier-hero Richard Sharpe on Masterpiece at 8 pm Sunday. Sharpe inadvertently stumble across a massive opium trafficking ring in Sharpe’s Peril.

Kristin Chenoweth performs her most celebrated work in every genre with her “American Songbook” concert for Live from Lincoln Center at 7 pm and 10 pm Sunday.

Antiques Roadshow at 7 pm Monday visits the Waccamaw River with host Mark L. Walberg and militaria appraiser Christopher Mitchell as they discuss an important 19th-century blockade rifle.

180 Days: A Year Inside An American High School takes viewers on a uniquely intimate journey through a year in the lives of students, teachers and school leaders in one Washington, DC public high school. Part 1 at 8 pm Monday focuses on five students whose stories whose stories illustrate the situation. Part 2 at 8 pm Tuesday  shows how students are both deeply impacted by and yet profoundly separate from the “Race to the Top.”

POV features Girl Model at 10 pm Monday, a film that strips away the facade of the modeling industry by following two people whose lives intersect because of it.

Tavis Smiley Reports presents Education Under Arrest at 7 pm Tuesday, in which the program looks at the efforts by those on the frontlines of juvenile justice reform and what programs are successful in breaking the school-to-prison pipeline

On Arts In Context at 10:30 pm Tuesday, meet a group of artists who define light in different and unique ways in Light.

Nature presents River of No Return at 7 pm on Wednesday, where young couple Isaac and Bjornen Babcock chose to spend their year-long honeymoon at Central Idaho’s Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness, the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 States.

NOVA presents Hunting the Elements at 8 pm Wednesday, a two-hour special from the producers of “Making Stuff.”

Into Deepest Space at 9 pm Wednesday traces the engineering, construction, and scientific discoveries of the most powerful observatory on Earth.

On Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday, David Carr, New York Times Columnist and main character in the 2011 documentary “Page One” about the Times, stops by.

Arts In Context presents Schubertiad at 7:30 Thursday where the Austin, Texas based international performing professional classical quartet, The Miro Quartet, performs an all-Schubert program.

On The Mind of a Chef at 8 pm Thursday, David Chang’s protege Christina Tosi makes corn cookies three ways and her three-layered Arnold Palmer cake. Chef Burns also makes ice cream and Chang goes strawberry picking on Sweet Spot.

Chet heads to the “cowboy capital of the world”, visits Dublin Bottling Works on The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday.

American Masters presents the film Philip Roth: Unmasked at 9 pm Friday which will bear out Roth’s promise to the director: “we’ll speak of everything: women, rabbis, politicians, psycho-analysis, literary critics and me.”

How do we handle drought without actually making things worse? New Mexico landscape architect David Cristiani explores the sensitive, ecological response on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday.

Austin City Limits features Georgian jam band Widespread Panic at 7 pm Saturday as they celebrate their 25th anniversary with songs from across their career.

Overheard with Evan Smith at 12:30 pm Sunday features Gloria Steinem, a pioneering activist and best-selling author who co-founded Ms. magazine 40 years ago and is no less enthusiastic about or energized by the fight for gender equality today.

Masterpiece features a Downton Abbey Season 3 Marathon, beginning at 1 pm Sunday.  The Great War is over and the long-awaited engagement of Lady Mary and Matthew is on, but all is not tranquil at Downton Abbey as wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues, and personal crises grip the majestic English country estate.

Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert at The O2 at 7 pm Monday celebrates the opera’s 25th birthday with an extraordinary one-off concert at the O2 Arena in London.

Rick Steves Europe Travel Skills at 7 pm Tuesday distills Rick Steves’ 30 years of travel experience into practical advice on enjoying a fun, affordable and culturally broadening trip to Europe.

British Beat at 9 pm Tuesday travels on location to London and around the UK to the place where the British Beat was born and features a mix of rare archival full-length performance films mixed with new live performances.

Great Performances feature Andrea Bocelli: Love In Portofino at 7 pm Wednesday. International superstar Andrea Bocelli delights fans with a new concert special of classical favorites, pop standards and Brazilian jazz, this time from the breathtaking coastal setting of Portofino, Italy.

On Fab Four: The Ultimate Beatles Tribute 7 pm Thursday and 6 pm Saturday features llive performances of the Beatle’s classics and note-for-note live renditions that will make you think you were back in time rockin’ with John, Paul, George and Ringo! Find out how to see the Fab Four live in Austin.

Happiness Advantage with Shawn Achor at 8 pm Thursday psychology expert Shawn Achor demonstrates how to use the latest scientific research on happiness to find success

Love for Levon at 9 pm Thursday presents a celebration to Levon Helm  with a star-studded concert featuring once-in-a-lifetime collaborations by friends and admirers.

Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan In Session at 9 pm Friday presents the famed live jam session by two of the greatest musicians ever to have played the blues on electric guitar – Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Garden designer Liz Klein joins Tom Spencer for tips on turning Bermuda grass into gardens on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday.

Operatic pop group Il Divo perform their hits and newest songs including the sensational Dov’e l’amore on Il Divo: Live in London Saturday at 7 pm.

Internationally-renowned guitar superstar Joe Bonamassa performs a special acoustic set at the Vienna Opera House with special guests on Joe Bonamassa: An Acoustic Evening Saturday at 8 pm and 11:30 pm.

On Happiness Advantage With Shawn Achor at 1 pm Sunday, author Shawn Achor demonstrates how to use the latest scientific research on happiness to find success.

Evening With Jerry Lewis: Live From Las Vegas at 4:30 pm Sunday celebrates Jerry Lewis, telling his story through narrative, performances and rare film clips from his personal and private film vaults.

My Music returns to the era of go-go dancers, mod mini-skirts and swinging pop-rock sounds in 60s Pop Flashback: Hullabaloo at 6 pm Sunday, 7 pm Monday and 9 pm Friday.

Il Divo: Live In London at 8 pm Sunday presents the operatic pop group performing their hits and new material at an intimate concert in the beautiful surroundings of the London Coliseum.

Ed Sullivan’s Top Performers at 9 pm Sunday features an amazing line-up of original 60s performers singing their biggest hits from 1966-1969.

Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Skills at 9 pm Monday distills Rick Steves’ 30 years of travel experience into an information-rich special in which Rick dispenses practical advice on enjoying a fun, affordable and culturally broadening trip to Europe.

Great Performances at 7 pm Tuesday and 8:30 pm Saturday presents Andrea Bocelli: Love In Portofino,where international superstar Andrea Bocelli returns to delight fans with a new concert of classical favorites, pop standards and Brazilian jazz in the breathtaking coastal setting of Portofino, Italy.

On Shift Happens! Live An Inspired Life With Dr. Robert Holden at 9 pm Tuesday,  Holden presents his Six Principles and Practices for success.

Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan In Session at 10:30 pm Tuesday and 10:30 pm Saturday presents the famed live jam session by two of the greatest musicians ever to have played the blues on electric guitar – Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday investigates the most unlikely cross-species relationships imaginable, why animals form special bonds, and what these relationships suggest about the nature of animal emotions on  Animal Odd Couples.

On Dr. Wayne Dyer – Wishes Fulfilled at 8:30 pm Wednesday, Dr. Wayne Dyer offers offers viewers a detailed explanation of how to manifest that which is most important to them.

Celtic Thunder Mythology at 7 pm Thursday presents a Celtic Thuunder performance designed to tell the story of the people of Ireland, their legends, their history and their stories.

Super Brain With Dr. Rudy Tanzi at 9 pm Thursday explores new discoveries in neuroscience that maximize the potential of the human brain in practical and actionable ways.

In Rick Steves’ Delicious Europe at 10:30 pm Thursday, America’s favorite travel guide Rick Steves savors classic European cuisine – from garlicky snails and handmade mozzarella to savory bouillabaisse, hearty wurst and other regional specialties.

Aaron Neville: Doo Wop: My True Story at 11 pm Friday presents iconic Soul/R&B vocalist and multiple Grammy Award-winning artist, Aaron Neville performing songs from his Doo-Wop inspired album, My True Story.

Homegrown publisher and author Judy Barrett tells behind-the-scene stories of herbs, heirlooms and why she went organic on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday.

Joe Bonamassa: An Acoustic Evening At The Vienna Opera at 7 pm Saturday presents Joe Bonamassa’s exclusive acoustic presentation at the Vienna Opera House, a sublime cultural iconic venue steeped in history and heritage, which is the perfect backdrop for such a dramatic and original music presentation.

In the finale of Masterpiece Classic Downton Abbey series 3 at 6 pm Sunday, The Crawleys head to a Scottish hunting lodge, while the downstairs staff stays behind at Downton Abbey.

An aging spy stumbles on an international scandal that could bring down the British government on Masterpiece Contemporary Page Eight at 8 pm Sunday.

Ai Weiwei is arguably the most internationally celebrated Chinese artist of the modern era. Independent Lens at 9 pm Monday tells the story of his activism, which has cost him his freedom repeatedly.

Makers: Women Who Make America at 7 pm Tuesday tells the compelling story of women’s advancement in America over the past 50 years.

American Masters at 10 pm Tuesday tells the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a flamboyant African-American gospel superstar with a spectacular virtuosity on the newly electrified guitar.

Nature “Echo: An Elephant to Remember” at 7 pm Wednesday looks back at this remarkable animal through extraordinary footage and interviews with the researchers that cared for and studied this amazing herd.

Nova “Japan’s Killer Quake” at 8 pm Wednesday combines authoritative on-the-spot reporting, personal stories of tragedy and survival, compelling eyewitness videos, explanatory graphics and exclusive helicopter footage for a unique look at the science behind the catastrophe.

Austin City Limits at 10 pm Wednesday presents an hour with jazz/soul singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding in support of her LP Radio Music Society.

Jeffrey Toobin, a New Yorker staff writer CNN legal analyst, talks about his latest book on the Obama administration on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Sharon Marroquin, an Award-winning dancer whose life drastically changed when she was diagnosed with cancer, uses her art as an expression of her personal struggle. Arts In Context tells her story at 7:30 pm Thursday.

Chet heads west to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park and climb Guadalupe Peak, the tallest peak in Texas, on The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday.

Rock and pop legends Jon “Bowzer” Bauman (formerly of Sha Na Na) and Ronnie Spector (of the Ronettes) bring back the best songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s on Rock Pop and Doo Wop at 8 pm Thursday.

Jackie Evancho, the 10-year-old girl with the extraordinary soprano voice, sings on Great Performances at 9 pm Friday.

Find out what’s going on with your troubled trees, what to do, and how to help them on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday.

Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples showcase classic R&B, blues and pop on Austin City Limits at 7 pm Saturday.

The Rolling Stones perform at Bluesman Muddy Water’s Chicago club at 8:30 pm Saturday.

Author Robert Holden talks about his six principles and practices for happiness on Shift Happens! Live An Inspired Life at 10 pm Saturday.

Masterpiece Classic at 6 pm Sunday presents part six of Downton Abbey, Series III.

Masterpiece Classic at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday presents part seven of Downton Abbey, Series III. All is not tranquil at Downtown Abbey as new romances flare up and a crisis unfolds as the Crawleys head to a Scottish hunting lodge and the downstairs staff stays behind at Downton Abbey.

On DCI Banks at 10 pm Sunday, when a teenage schoolgirl is found strangled, Banks and his team quickly identify their prime suspect. But the closer Banks seemingly moves towards a conviction, the more the course of the investigation distances him from Helen.

On Independent Lens at 9pm Monday, “The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights” follows the journey of Whitney Young, one of the most celebrated and controversial civil rights leaders as he fought to calm the fears of white allies, relieve the doubts of fellow civil rights leaders and respond to attacks from the militant Black Power movement.

Underground Railroad: The William Still Story at 10 pm Monday reveals the story of William Still, one of the most important yet unheralded individuals of the Underground Railroad.

American Experience at 7 pm Tuesday tells the remarkable story of the young athlete, Jesse Owens, and his victories in the face of Nazi racism during the 1936 Olympics.

Guns In America at 8 pm Tuesday is an unprecedented exploration of America’s enduring relationship with firearms. Guns USA will trace the evolution of guns in America, their inextricable link to violence, and the clash of cultures that reflect competing visions of our national identity.

Frontline at 9 pm Tuesday investigates the young man who left behind a trail of death and destruction. Frontline tries to discover his motives and life as the national conversation about guns in America continues and divides Newtown, in ”Raising Adam Lanza.”

On American Masters at 10pm Tuesday follows the life of Sam Cooke, the first African American artist to reach #1 on both the R&B and the pop charts by placing the spirit of the Black church into popular music and forever altering the course of popular music and race relations in America, in “Sam Cooke: Crossing Over.”

Nature at 7pm Wednesday presents new captivating footage that demonstrate how crows are among the most intelligent animals in the world in ”A Murder of Crows.”

NOVA at 8pm Wednesday investigates new theories in order to explain the motivation behind the most destructive rampage killers. NOVA correspondent Miles O’Brien discusses if science can help us understand these horrific events and provide clues as to how to prevent them in the future in “Mind of A Rampage Killer.”

Austin City Limits at 10pm Wednesday and at 10pm Friday presents modern blues and soul with Gary Clark, Jr. and Alabama Shakes. Austin guitarist Clark showcases his major label debut, while Alabama’s Shakes spotlight their critically acclaimed Boys & Girls.

On Overheard with Evan Smith at 7pm Thursday Lawrence Wright, Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author, discusses his latest book, Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief.

Arts In Context at 7:30pm Thursday explores Sky Candy, Austin’s first multi-disciplinary aerial arts school and performance group who expertly combine aerial silks, static trapeze, lyra, corde lisse, hammock, pole and more.

Enjoy The Mind of a Chef at 8pm Thursday as the episode centers around New York with the Torrisi boys, oysters, carrot dashi and farming. David Chang also visits native New Yorker Ivan Orkin in Tokyo, where he’s making ramen that is taking the city by storm.

On The Daytripper at 8:30pm Thursday, Chet heads to the hill country, eats at a Belgium bakery, swims in Hamilton Pool, climbs Reimer’s Ranch, and polishes the day off at Salt Lick.

Independent Lens at 9pm Thursday features “More Than a Month,” the quest and cross-country campaign of 29-year-old African-American filmmaker, Shukree Hassan Tilghman, to end Black History Month. Through this tongue-in-cheek journey, Tilghman investigates what the treatment of history tells us about race and equality in a ”post-racial” America.

On American Masters at 9pm Friday explores the life of one of the most important singer-musicians of the 20th century, Sister Rosetta Tharpe as she introduced the spiritual passion of her gospel music into the secular world of popular rock ‘n roll.

On Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday, see how to get rid of grass for new gardens, including tips for banishing Bermuda grass. On tour, visit a makeover that started in a field, now one of dreams, in “Turn Grass into Gardens.”

Austin City Limits at 7pm Saturday presents an hour with jazz/soul singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding in support of her LP Radio Music Society.

Masterpiece Classic at 7 pm Sunday presents part five of Downton Abbey, Series III.

Masterpiece Classic at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday presents the part six of Downton Abbey, Series III. Change arrives in a big way for several key characters at Downton Abbey, while a yearly cricket match with the village sees old scores settled and new plots hatched.

Freedom Riders: American Experience at 9 pm Monday tells the story of a group of students in the 1960s who protested for Civil Rights by riding on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South.

Frontline at 7 pm and 10 pm Tuesday investigates the inside history of how Washington has failed to solve the country’s problems of debt and deficit.  Followed immediately by President Obama’s State of the Union address coverage from PBS NewsHour.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday explores how two diverse animal species live together in what seems like a forgotten corner of the world in “Cold Warriors: Wolves and Buffalo”.

NOVA at 8 pm Wednesday reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet in “Earth From Space.”

On Overheard with Evan Smith at 7pm Thursday Michael Oren speaks about his service as a Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. since 2009.

Trouble Puppet Theater takes Arts In Context at 7:30 pm Thursday on a journey into the art of puppetry as the company produces one of their unique plays.

David Chang travels from Tokyo to Kyoto to meet and eat with friends on Mind of a Chef at 8 pm Thursday.

The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday follows Chet to Denton, TX to race the Texas Motor Speedway, explore the city’s historic square and independent music culture, and eat a “Hell” Burger that is appropriately named.

On DCI Banks at 9 pm Thursday, DCI Alan Banks and DI Helen Morton must learn to reconcile their conflicting policing styles and personalities while trying to unravel the increasingly puzzling murder of a local accountant who has been leading a secret double life.

Add good taste and good health to your garden with herbs on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. On tour, fifth graders chomp into fresh food and lessons on water quality at ground level.

Austin City Limits at 7 pm Saturday presents modern blues and soul with Gary Clark, Jr. and Alabama Shakes.

On Nature at 6 pm Sunday, Sir David Attenborough shares his memories of the scientists and the breakthroughs that helped shape his own career in “Understanding The Natural World”.

Masterpiece Classic at 7 pm Sunday presents the part four of Downton Abbey, Series III. The Crawley family faces its severest test yet. Meanwhile, new faces try to fit into the tight-knit circle of servants.

Masterpiece Classic at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday presents the part five of Downton Abbey, Series III.

DCI Alan Banks receives a disturbing message from his brother just as new recruit DI Helen Morton finds evidence that links Banks to the body of a murder victim on DCI Banks at 9 pm Sunday and 9 pm Thursday.

Independent Lens at 9 pm Monday presents “As Goes Janesville”, a film that traces the impact of the economic crisis on the people of Janesville, Wisconsin amid the 2008 closure of their GM plant and America’s worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Join the stars of landmark miniseries as they comment on the influence of their genre today in Pioneers of Television: Miniseries at 7 pm Tuesday.

Silicon Valley: American Experience at 8 pm Tuesday tells the history of the integrated circuit and how it changed the world.

Meet some of the innovators who’ve helped make Austin the nation’s third largest video game production community on Capital of Innovation “Video Game Entrepreneurs” at 9:30 pm.

On Nature at 7 pm Wednesday, Sir David Attenborough chronicles the profound tranformations our global environment has endured over the years in “Our Fragile Planet”.

NOVA at 8 pm Wednesday follows a team of archaeologists, engineers, woodworkers and horse trainers as they join forces to build and test two highly accurate replicas of Egyptian royal chariots in “Building Pharaoh’s Chariot”.

Life on Fire at 9 pm Wednesday travels to the Tongan archipelago where two little-known animals have learned to cope with these ephemeral lands risen from the ocean depths in “Pioneers of the Deep”.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor talks on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Arts in Context at 7:30 pm Thursday profiles local Austin music-makers Mother Falcon.

David Chang prepares eggs with his chef pals and makes his Ko egg on Mind of a Chef at 8 pm Thursday.

The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday follows Chet to La Grange, TX to paddle the Colorado River, explore Texas Czech culture, eat at a 100-year-old BBQ joint, and enjoy some kolaches from Hruska’s.

Many voters assume their job is done on Election Day, but citizens need to stay engaged to hold elected leaders accountable. What does it take to get your voice heard in the Texas Legislature? Civic Summit explores these issues at 9 pm Thursday.

How do roses impact our mood? Michael Shoup from the Antique Rose Emporium matches drought tough roses with a gardener’s personality on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday.

Eclectic indie rock dominates the stage with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and tUnE-yArDs on Austin City Limits at 7 pm Saturday.

Nature at 6 pm Sunday presents part one of a three-part miniseries focusing on three fields that Sir David Attenborough feels have been transformed most profoundly: filmmaking, science and the environment, in “Attenborough’s Life Stories”.

Masterpiece Classic at 7 pm Sunday presents the part three of Downton Abbey, Series III. Two social revolutions arrive at Downton Abbey: the Irish civil war and the fight for women’s suffrage. Meanwhile, a mysterious conspiracy keeps Anna and Bates apart.

Masterpiece Classic at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday presents the part four of Downton Abbey, Series III. The Crawley family faces its severest test yet. Meanwhile, new faces try to fit into the tight-knit circle of servants.

On DCI Banks at 9 pm Sunday and 9 pm Thursday, a case terrifyingly close to home is asked of Banks by his boss, Chief Superintendent Gerry Rydell, to find his missing teenage daughter.

Independent Lens at 9 pm Monday presents “The Revisionaries”, a film examining the highly politicized Texas State Board of Education whose revisions every decade determine the teaching and textbook standards for its nearly 5 million schoolchildren.

On Nature at 7 pm Thursday, Sir David Attenborough shares his memories of the scientists and the breakthroughs that helped shape his own career in “Understanding The Natural World”.

NOVA at 8 pm Wednesday NOVA is reopening one of the most confounding crime mysteries of all time as a team of expert investigators employs state-of-the-art forensic and behavioral science techniques in an effort to determine what really happened to Lindbergh’s baby – and why – in “Who Killed Lindbergh’s Baby?”

Life on Fire at 9 pm Wednesday travels to the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua, where life has struggled for thousands of years to re-emerge from the ashes in “Ash Runners”.

Writer and historian Joe Nick Patoski talks about his career on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Explore the beauty and athleticism of the aerial arts with Sky Candy, a group of experienced aerialists sharing their love for ethereal beauty with other Austinites, on Arts In Context at 7:30 pm Thursday.

Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope at 8 pm Thursday tells a unique story that interweaves the heights of scientific achievement and the public mourning of many nations in the aftermath of the Columbia Shuttle disaster.

How do we handle drought without actually making things worse? New Mexico landscape architect David Cristiani explores the sensitive, ecological response on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. On tour, a gardener’s balanced design spares the water and keeps the wildlife.

Country superstar Tim McGraw blazes through a set of his distinctive brand of rockin’ country music on Austin City Limits at 7 pm Saturday.

Masterpiece Classic at 7 pm Sunday presents the part two of Downton Abbey, Series III. The fate of Downton Abbey hinges on a letter from a dead man, while Edith and Sir Anthony face their own fateful moment.

Masterpiece Classic at 8 pm Sunday and 8 pm Saturday presents the part three of Downton Abbey, Series III. Two social revolutions arrive at Downton Abbey: the Irish civil war and the fight for women’s suffrage. Meanwhile, a mysterious conspiracy keeps Anna and Bates apart.

Annie Cabbot investigates the murder of a woman found out on the moor with her throat cut, while Banks is called to a murder of a young girl in the centre of town in DCI Banks at 9 pm Sunday and 9 pm Thursday.

Independent Lens at 9 pm Monday presents “Beauty is Embarrassing,” a film that chronicles the vaulted highs and the crushing lows of commercial artist Wayne White as he struggles to find peace and balance between his work and his art.

Pioneers of Television at 7 pm Tuesday profiles the primetime soap frenzy in the late 1970s with shows like “Dallas,” “Dynasty,” and “Knots Landing.”

Part three of Abolitionists: American Experience at 8 pm Tuesday examines the battle between pro-slavery and free-soil contingents rising to fever pitch with the raid on Harpers Ferry, the 1860 election, and the secession of southern states.

Frontline at 9 pm Tuesday investigates why Wall Street’s leaders have escaped prosecution following their fraudulent practices contributing to America’s financial meltdown in “The Untouchables”.

TV megahit Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal discusses the (not so) universal language of comedy on On Story Presented by the Austin Film Festival at 10 pm Tuesday.

Join Vincent Martinez – one of the most stunningly original artists in Austin – as he lives his self-proclaimed “Jazz Life” on Hardly Sound at 10:30 pm Tuesday. Then marvel at his undeniable hooks and poetic, personal lyrics as he steps into the studio as Emcee Eats.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday presents part one of a three-part miniseries focusing on three fields that Sir David Attenborough feels have been transformed most profoundly: filmmaking, science and the environment, in “Attenborough’s Life Stories.”

NOVA at 8 pm Wednesday reveals the amazing technologies that make drones so powerful in “Rise of the Drones.”

Life on Fire at 9 pm Wednesday watches at the foot of the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua as fields, pastures and towns have grown over the oldest lava flows and nature struggles to conquer ash and lava before the next eruption erases its efforts in “Phoenix Temple.”

Diane Ravitch, one of the country’s leading thinkers about education, discusses the school system on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Arts in Context at 7:30pm Thursday profiles La Junta Heritage Center, the product of the late artist, writer, cowboy sage and visionary A Kelly Pruitt.

Mind of a Chef at 8 pm Thursday features over-the-top indulgence with Joe Beef chefs Federic Morin and David McMillian’s foie gras sandwich, a whiskey tasting mayhem with Chef Sean Brock at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky and the classic dish “Hot Brown” served up three ways.

The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday follows Chet as he heads to Stephenville, TX to visit Dublin Bottling Works, see some barrel racing at Lone Star Arena, and polish it off with chicken fried steak.

Discover the facts and legends behind the wildflowers that captivate us every spring on Wildflowers: Seeds of History at 9 pm Thursday.

Acclaimed author and horticulturist Greg Grant transitions the winter garden to summer on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. On tour, see how a new gardener replaced grass with a charming vegetable garden and flowers to attract bee pollinators.

Austin City Limits at 7 pm Saturday showcases alternative rock with punk veteran Bob Mould and young bucks Delta Spirit.