May Highlights and Happenings

AZPM’s news and content teams are hard at work on AZPM’s latest cross-platform project, Where to Live?, created in response to the Southern Arizona housing crisis. Arizona Illustrated, The Buzz, AZPM News Daily, and the AZPM Newsroom join forces to take a detailed, in-depth look at the housing crisis in Southern Arizona. Stories are available online now, with more added weekly through May 20. Don’t miss premiere episodes of Arizona Illustrated Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on PBS 6; Arizona Spotlight on Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., and The Buzz on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on NPR 89.1. AZPM News Daily is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you find your podcasts; new episodes are available weekday afternoons.

New this month from MASTERPIECE, MaryLand follows two estranged sisters who reunite to unearth the truth about their mother’s sudden death and her double life on the Isle of Man. MaryLand is not so much a murder mystery as a compelling tale of two siblings opening up to each other as they work out a string of family secrets. Episode One of the 3-part drama premieres Sunday, May 5 at 8 p.m.; Episodes Two and Three air Sunday, May 12 and May 19 respectively, with repeats Wednesdays at 2 p.m. The entire 3-part program is available on AZPM Passport starting May 5.

NATURE – Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons tells the story of Grizzly 399, the most famous bear in Grand Teton National Park. Every day, she and her four cubs must contend with threats to their survival, including a warming climate and human encroachment in bear country. Now the stakes are higher than ever as Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana seek to remove grizzlies from the endangered species list—which would make it legal to hunt them. In a riveting story full of twists and turns, hope and heartbreak, Grizzly 399 stands as a symbol of the clash between humans and the wild. Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons premieres Wednesday, May 8 at 8 p.m. and repeats Friday, May 10 at 1 p.m. on PBS 6. This and select episodes of NATURE are available to stream for free with the PBS App.

GREAT PERFORMANCES has a long history of bringing viewers the very best in theater, concert, opera, dance, and live performances. From The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park, GREAT PERFORMANCES presents Shakespeare’s masterwork Hamlet, featuring Tony Award nominee Ato Blankson-Wood (“Slave Play”) in the title role and Solea Pfeiffer (“Hadestown”) as Ophelia. Directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon and set in a desolate post-George Floyd world, this contemporary production is a present-day take on the Bard’s tale of family and betrayal. GREAT PERFORMANCES: Hamlet premieres on PBS 6 at noon on Sunday, May 12. This performance is also available to stream on the PBS App.

History, science, and anthropology converge in a fascinating insight into the ancient city of Pompeii via the most extensive archeological excavation in more than a generation. Offering exclusive access to the site, Pompeii: The New Dig follows a team of archeologists and historians as they excavate an entire city block, uncovering new buildings and learning the incredible stories of the people who lived there and what happened to them when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. Told through cinematically filmed stories of discovery, Pompeii: The New Dig reveals a wealth of buried secrets and unsolved mysteries waiting to be discovered beneath the volcanic ash. With exclusive access to the present-day archeological and forensic investigation, it also reveals new discoveries about the fates of named survivors, tracing their modern-day descendants living in Italy and creating an unprecedented genetic portrait of Pompeii. The three-part series premieres Wednesday, May 15 at 10 p.m. with subsequent episodes on May 22 and 29. The series will also be available to stream free for a limited time with the PBS App.

The National Memorial Day Concert unites the country in remembrance and appreciation of those who gave their lives for our nation. This multi-award-winning television event, featuring uplifting musical performances, documentary footage, and dramatic readings, has been an American tradition for more than 30 years. Broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the concert features a star-studded lineup of performers to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Join PBS 6 on Sunday, May 26 at 8 p.m. for this moving tribute to the men and women of the country’s armed forces and their families. Watch an encore performance at 9:30 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. on Memorial Day; or stream free with the PBS App.

New to AZPM Passport this month include the long-awaited Season 10 of the foreign drama Seaside Hotel from Walter Presents. It’s the summer of 1946, the war is over, and the hotel is reopening for another season of drama, romance, and unexpected twists. All episodes will be available to stream starting May 31. (In Danish with English subtitles.)

Classical 90.5 kicks off the merry month of May with music from composers through the ages, from William Byrd and Thomas Morley to Jerome Kern on May 1. Music of twentieth-century Portuguese composer and conductor Joly Braga Santos is featured on May 14, the centennial anniversary of his birth. Santos’ early compositions, often compared with those of Ralph Vaughan Williams, reflected the influence of folk songs of his country and his fondness for modal harmony, while his more mature musical style combined elements of Portuguese Renaissance polyphony with modernism and vividly colored orchestrations.

Classical 90.5 observes Memorial Day on Monday, May 27 with patriotic and memorial tributes to members of the armed forces, both historical and present-day. Notable on the playlist are two works by mid century American composer, radio broadcaster, and bandmaster Don Gillis, including Symphony No. 5 “In Memoriam,” composed in 1945. Although Gillis is best remembered for his lighthearted and humorous works, the elegiac Symphony No. 5 “In Memoriam” reveals his more serious side. Honoring those who died in World War II, the symphony features a poignant English horn melody in the middle movement juxtaposed with big band-influenced orchestration and rich brass chords, reflecting the postwar culture with touching simplicity and heartfelt sincerity.

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Sincerely,

Jack Gibson
Chief Executive Officer