Public television has held separate collective bargaining agreements with the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA for years. So, while studios and networks this fall faced the ramifications of dual Hollywood strikes, it’s been mostly business as usual at PBS.
Perhaps lost in the conversation about this most unusual fall — in which the broadcast networks tweaked and re-tweaked their schedules in light of the lengthy production stoppage — has been PBS’ ability to keep the majority of its schedule intact.
In fact, according to Sylvia Bugg, PBS’ chief programming executive and GM of general audience programming, just one program on its fall lineup was impacted by the strikes: John Leguizamo’s “American História: The Untold History of Latinos,” which had been scheduled to premiere last month. In solidarity with the strikes, Leguizamo opted to delay the project until 2024. PBS replaced it with another docuseries, “Becoming Frida Kahlo.”
“Besides that, on the general audience content side, we really didn’t have any impact,” Bugg said. “The fact that we were not really impacted by the strikes, we were ready for this moment.”
A lot of networks are touting semi-strike-proof schedules filled with reality TV and acquisitions, but PBS’ traditional makeup of documentary series, news magazines, international fare and educational programs makes it truly strike-proof. (That, and the aforementioned public TV agreements with the guilds, which made PBS completely not on anyone’s list for striking.)
Upcoming fare include this Thursday’s PBS debut of the Canadian Indigenous drama “Little Bird.” The six-episode limited series centers a native woman (Darla Contois) who is searching for her roots, having been removed from her home as a child and adopted by a Montreal Jewish family. Lisa Edelstein also stars in the show, from creators Jennifer Podemski and Hannah Moscovitch.
“This is one of our first forays into native/Indigenous drama,” Bugg said. “And in addition to the series launch, there’s also a documentary that profiles some of the stories on which the series is based. We also have a ‘Next at the Kennedy Center’ episode [airing Oct. 20] that celebrates Indigenous music and musicians. We’re looking at some of the thematic ways that we could present a collection of programs — and had talked about wanting to do more in the native/Indigenous space and profiling those stories — all of these beats sort of hit around the same time.”
Other fall scripted fare include the second seasons of “Masterpiece” dramas “Annika” (starring Nicola Walker) and “World on Fire” (starring Jonah Hauer-King and Lesley Manville), both of which return on Sunday.
On the unscripted side, Ken Burns’ latest documentary event, the two-part “The American Buffalo,” premieres Oct. 16, while the second season of “Native America” is back on Oct. 24. And Billie Jean King hosts “Groundbreakers” (Nov. 21), which looks at the impact of Title IX on women athletes. PBS kicked off the fall with Season 2 of “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston” in September.
“We’ve been really trying to beat the drum that we’ve always been here with free content that is serving the American people, that’s educational, informative, relevant and speaks to these times that we’re in,” Bugg said. “We were thinking more opportunistically about the fall, a little bit differently perhaps than we normally would. And I think it’s turned out really well.”
