--
Lady Mary, Lady Cora and Lady Edith; Alexandra Shackleton sailing near Glaciers.
Credit: Nick Briggs/Carnival Film and Television Limited 2013 for MASTERPIECE; Joe French/RAW TV for CHASING SHACKLETON
PBS Announces Winter/Spring Season With Strong Roster of Returning Series and New Entries in Variety of Genres
Sherlock Returns January 19, Following Downton Abbey, Setting Stage
for Stellar Line-up of British Drama on Sundays
Major Drama, Science and Adventure Titles Reinforce Primetime
in Strategic 10 pm Slot
ARLINGTON, VA; October 23, 2013 -- PBS announced today its slate of Winter/Spring 2014 programs, including the long-awaited return of MASTERPIECE Sherlock, Season 3 starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the legendary British sleuth, on Sunday, January 19 at 10 p.m. ET. The highly acclaimed Sherlock follows Season 4 of Downton Abbey, which debuts with eight new episodes January 5 on MASTERPIECE. The two shows bolster Sunday night as a hallmark of British drama on PBS, whose ratings that night have grown 26 percent (8-11 pm, 2011-12 season: 9/19/2011-9/23/2012 to 2012-13 season: 9/24/2012-9/22/2013) season over season. The schedule also reinforces PBS' move into 10 p.m. programming on several key nights.
PBS also announced a number of new programs, including the real-life adventure series CHASING SHACKLETON, the broadcast premieres of biopics Salinger on AMERICAN MASTERS (about the reclusive Catcher in the Rye author) and HAWKING, an intimate portrait of physicist Stephen Hawking's extraordinary life and career, along with a roster of other new shows aimed to strengthen Wednesday night as a destination for TV's best science and nature programs.
According to Nielsen, PBS' 2012-2013 primetime programming saw an overall average ratings increase of seven percent over season over season (8-11 pm, 2011-12 season: 9/19/2011-9/23/2012 to 2012-13 season: 9/24/2012-9/22/2013). PBS now ranks eighth among all broadcast and cable networks in overall general audience content, surpassed only by the four major broadcast networks as well as USA, Univision and Disney, and overtaking cable's ESPN, History and TNT in the rankings. Previously, PBS ranked 11th.
It's clear that our 2012-2013 season was a real turning point for PBS, with Downton Abbey' on MASTERPIECE growing in popularity and a rise in overall general viewership ranking PBS among the top 10 U.S. networks, says Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager for General Audience Programming, PBS. With our winter and spring schedule, we continue to enhance our already popular drama and non-fiction nights, and offer potential new viewers a wide range of exciting, timely and topical programs.
With British drama on Sundays, science and nature on Wednesdays, and arts and performance on Fridays, PBS is committing further to its proven formula of affinity night programming. The pairing of hits Downton Abbey and Sherlock on MASTERPIECE sets the stage for the March 30 return of acclaimed dramas CALL THE MIDWIFE and MASTERPIECE's Mr. Selfridge. Wednesday's popular line-up offers the January 8 debut of the three-part CHASING SHACKLETON, in which five intrepid adventurers retrace the death-defying 1914 Antarctic sea-and-land journey by a shipwrecked crew led by Sir Ernest Shackleton. Soon after, is the four-part SUPER SKYSCRAPERS (February 5), which displays the dizzying heights of modern buildings, and the April 9th premieres of three-part miniseries NOVA Inside Animal Minds and YOUR INNER FISH, based on paleontologist Neil Shubin's best-selling book that traces the human body's development over millions of years.
Mondays on PBS feature the broadcast premieres of 17 new and diverse films from INDEPENDENT LENS and POV, including legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman's At Berkeley, which takes a deep look into the public higher education system (January 13), and the rollicking story of an off-beat American music mecca in the Alabama town of Muscle Shoals (April 21). Performing arts take the spotlight on Friday nights, with superstar Christopher Plummer onstage as the immortal John Barrymore in GREAT PERFORMANCES Barrymore (January 31), and music and dance programs scheduled throughout the season.
News, history and public affairs remain a cornerstone for PBS with PBS NEWSHOUR, CHARLIE ROSE THE WEEK and new thought-provoking programs such as AMERICAN EXPERIENCE The Amish: Shunned (February 4) and the five-part epic THE STORY OF THE JEWS (March 25-April 1).
JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS
MASTERPIECE CLASSIC Downton Abbey, Season 4 -- Sundays, January 5-February 23, 2014, 9:00 p.m. ET -- Season 4 of the international hit finds aristocrats coping with last season's shocking finale. Change is in the air as three generations of the Crawley family have conflicting interests in the estate. Paul Giamatti appears alongside the beloved returning ensemble that includes Dame Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter, Joanne Froggatt, guest star Shirley MacLaine and many others. A Carnival/MASTERPIECE co-production.
MASTERPIECE Sherlock, Season 3 -- Sundays, January 19-February 2, 2014, 10:00 p.m. ET -- Benedict Cumberbatch (The Fifth Estate, Star Trek Into Darkness) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, The Office UK) return as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in three new 90-minute episodes The Empty Hearse (January 19), The Sign of Three (January 26) and His Last Vow (February 2) of the contemporary reinvention of the Arthur Conan Doyle classic, written and created by Steven Moffat (Dr. Who) and Mark Gatiss (Game of Thrones). The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Sherlock has been a television sensation since the first season aired in 2010.
CHASING SHACKLETON -- Wednesdays, January 8-22, 2014, 10:00-11:00 p.m.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
06/05/2024
It's almost go-time for the Holly Springs Salamanders! The season opener is ...
05/05/2024
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
-- 
