Highlights May 23 to May 29

Posted on May 20, 2022

Monday, May 23rd

Catch captivating appraisals at Colonial Williamsburg during ROAHDSHOW's final hour in Virginia. *Antiques Roadshow Colonial Williamsburg Hour 3* at 7:00 pm Monday.

Madame Pipi follows the lives of Haitian bathroom attendants working in Miami’s hottest nightclubs. Often invisible, underpaid, and underappreciated, their stories showcase a custodial world built on the backs of women of color, in a city known for debauchery, diversity, and exceptionalism. Reel South Madame Pipi at 10:30 pm Monday.

Tuesday, May 24th

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family secrets of journalist Gayle King, director Jordan Peele and comedian Issa Rae, introducing them to ancestors who are both black and white, raising profound questions about their family trees. Finding Your Roots Breaking Silences at 7:00 pm Tuesday.

A film directed by Li-Shin Yu and based on the critically acclaimed book Black Death at the Golden Gate. The death of Chinese immigrant Wong Chut King in San Francisco on March 6, 1900 would have likely passed unnoticed if the medical officer inspecting King’s body had not discovered a swollen black lymph node on his groin—evidence that the poor man’s rapid and painful death was the result of bubonic plague. Fearing the city would become the American epicenter of a disease that had already claimed 10 million lives worldwide, health officials drew upon racist pseudoscience to quarantine Chinatown. Local press and business and political leaders, meanwhile, conspired to cover up the threat in hopes of protecting San Francisco’s burgeoning economy. As the disease continued to spread, the new federal public health officer, Rupert Blue, became determined to save the city. Blue dedicated himself to tracking the epidemic, proving that the throngs of flea-infested rats that swarmed through the district—rather than simply urban filth or the foreign habits of the Chinese—were the true reason the disease persisted. He then launched a comprehensive sanitation campaign focused on rodent control as a way to combat the crisis—the first time in American history a federal health official began such a campaign. This film presents a complex and dramatic narrative of the desperate race to save San Francisco and the nation from the plague. American Experience Plague at the Golden Gate at 8:00 pm Tuesday.

Featuring the redemptive tale of waka builder and captain Lilo Ema Siope's final years, "Loimata, The Sweetest Tears" is a chronicle of journeys - journeys of migration, spirituality, voyaging, healing and coming home. Confronting intergenerational trauma head on, the Siope family returns to their homeland of Samoa. Pacific Heartbeat Loimata, The Sweetest Tears at 10:00 pm Tuesday.

Wednesday, May 25th

In the heart of a city in the northern Netherlands, a once-extinct Eurasian otter makes an unlikely appearance. THE OTTER: RETURN OF A LEGEND provides a look into the life of the elusive creature and the measures needed to protect the valuable freshwater ambassador. The Otter: Return of a Legend at 7:00 pm Wednesday.

Thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park capture moments when Ice Age humans crossed paths with enormous ground sloths and mammoths. What can this new evidence reveal about the peopling of the Americas? Nova Ice Age Footprints at 8:00 pm Wednesday.

Journey to the largely uninhabited Pacific coast of Colombia, where humpback whales give birth and fish hunt crabs in the mangrove forests. Then ascend to snow-capped Andean volcanoes, home to stunning spectacled bears, condors and hummingbirds. Colombia - Wild and Free From The Pacific to the Andes at 9:00 pm Wednesday.

Thursday, May 26th

Sean Penn is an actor, producer, director and writer. He is best known for his roles in Mystic River, I Am Sam and Milk. Penn has worked on over 100 theater and film productions and has been nominated for five Academy Awards, a Directors Guild and Writers Guild Award, and won two Oscars. His written work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle. His first novel is titled Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff: A Novel. Overheard with Evan Smith Sean Penn, Actor/Author at 7:00 pm Thursday.

Kelly Corrigan talks with filmmaker, Judd Apatow. Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan Judd Apatow at 7:30 pm Thursday.

Chet visits one of the few French towns in Texas. He eats a raw beef delicacy, explores the 1840s Landmark Inn, and hikes the banks of the Medina River. Daytripper Castroville, TX at 8:00 pm Thursday.

The Muslim presence in Spain over several centuries made many of its castles quite unique in many ways. Several Spanish monarchs took advantage of the architectural knowledge of the Arabs who settled on the peninsula to build impregnable defensive jewels. Since the Middle Ages, over 20,000 castles have been built in Spain, where palace intrigues, military crusades, love dramas and family successions became legend. Explore castles such as Loarre, Mota, Coca, Belmonte, Almodovar, Calatrava la Nueva, Manzanares el Real, Olite, Peníscola and the Alcazar of Segovia. Castles: Secrets, Mysteries and Legends Spain at 10:01 pm Thursday.

Friday, May 27th

While living out of his car during the pandemic, a self published author travels to bookshops around the country with a simple question:why should people shop at an independent bookstore? The Bookstour at 7:30 pm Friday.

In the 1950s, the creation of interstate highways, environmental disasters and unemployment begins to take a toll on Route 66 and the many small towns affected. Throughout it all, women were at the forefront to keep their main streets alive, from the first Latina mayor of San Bernardino, CA who created legislation for an off-ramp into a Mexican American neighborhood bypassed by the new highway; to Amy Inouye in Los Angeles, CA who has worked tirelessly to save the beloved "ChickenBoy", a gigantic roadside statue. Women have been leading revitalization projects that keep the lights on in their communities, boost the local economy and preserve American history for generations to come. Route 66 Women: The Untold Story of the Mother Road The Death and Rebirth of the Mother Road at 8:00 pm Friday.

Canine Soldiers explores the intimate bond between Military Working Dogs and their handlers-combat soldiers who make life-and-death decisions based on the instincts and behavior of the dogs who lead their patrols. In wars where the rules of engagement have shifted from traditional combat to the unforeseen and the invisible, these highly trained dogs are saving soldiers' lives and giving them comfort, hope and protection. Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love at 9:00 pm Friday.

Saturday, May 28th

In the final episode of Season 1, Charlie gets to go behind the scenes at Beeweaver Apiaries, a full-scale commercial beekeeping operation dating back to the 1800s. First he joins the Beeweaver team at a huge open-air hive removal in Houston, then tries his hand as a commercial beekeeper to shake packages of bees for sale and track the queen-rearing process from grafted larva to mated queen. To top it all off, Charlie drops the mic in his very own song and music video. Charlie Bee Company Beeweaver at 4:30 pm Saturday.

Eric Hanson backpacks along the Saguenay Fjord, before setting out on a paddling adventure in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains. Epic Trails Backpacking Quebec, Part 1 at 6:00 pm Saturday.

Enjoy Texas artists from across the musical spectrum with Leon Bridges and Khruangbin. Fort Worth native Bridges performs modern R&B tunes from LP Gold-Diggers Sound. Houston trio Khruangbin plays worldbeat-tinged psych rock from its album Mordecai. Austin City Limits Leon Bridges/Khruangbin at 7:00 pm Saturday.

Emmet Peterson staggers into the police station wearing a bloodstained shirt, carrying a pistol and believing that he has shot dead his best friend, businesswoman, Gardenia Dujon. Parker has his doubts after finding a crayon at the scene of the crime. Delving into Dujon's past leads to the death of her young son 15 years previously and also to blackmailer Tarone Vincent, who her paranoid husband and 21 year old daughter only knew as a former employee. Blue varnish on the finger guard of the pistol and pictures taken at the crime scene give Parker the answer. Sergeant Hooper accepts a promotion, but a cloud hangs over the team when Trainee Officer Pryce is provoked into assaulting Vincent. Catherine prods Parker to take action regarding his feelings for Florence. Death In Paradise I'll Never Let You Go at 8:00 pm Saturday.

Sunday, May 29th

Take an inside look at the reimagined gender-swapped production as it returns to Broadway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Features new interviews with Tony and Grammy-winning cast members Katrina Lenk, Patti LuPone, Sondheim and more. Great Performances Keeping Company with Sondheim On Great Performances at 12:30 pm Sunday.

ROY ORBISON FOREVER is a celebration of the effortlessly cool, five-time Grammy-winning Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. The program charts Orbison's career and close relationships with other musicians through interviews and archive performances, some of them never before seen in America. From the sell-out international tour with The Beatles through his collaboration with George Harrison and The Traveling Wilburys, Orbison’s captivating legacy endures. Among the songs performed are "Oh, Pretty Woman," "It's Over," "Only The Lonely," “Cryin'," "Dream Baby,” and "Blue Bayou.” Featured interviews include Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Bono, Gerry Marsden, Jeff Lynne, and Olivia Harrison as well as Barbara Orbison. Roy Orbison Forever at 2:00 pm Sunday.

In 1952, Gunner's Mate Bill Rector was serving on the USS Los Angeles during the height of the Korean War. Using an 8mm camera, Bill documented his war experiences, including battles during the Blockade of Wonsan – the longest naval blockade in modern history. SHRAPNEL DOWN: MY KOREAN WAR STORY shares this never-before-seen war footage, alongside an interview with Bill, to offer a glimpse into the story of one American war veteran, as seen through the lens of his own camera. Shrapnel Down: My Korean War Story at 6:00 pm Sunday.

Tune in to the annual broadcast of America's national night of remembrance. The multi-award-winning event honors the military service of all our men and women in uniform, their families and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. National Memorial Day Concert 2022 at 7:00 pm Sunday.