SIDNEY LUMET
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3 @ 9:00PM
Prolific and versatile filmmaker Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) made 44 films in 50 years, earning the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement after four Oscar nominations. Considered a quintessential New York filmmaker, Lumet frequently used New York City’s urban mettle to infuse his films with a realism and intensity that kept audiences in suspense while prodding them to consider their own morality.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3 @ 8:00PM
Examine the key moments that shaped President-elect Donald Trump. Interviews with advisors, business associates and biographers reveal how Trump transformed himself from real estate developer to entertainer to president.
BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS
MONDAY, JANUARY 2 @ 11:00PM
In rural Maine, a quirky, charming, and determined young woman named Michelle Smith lives with her mother Julie. Legally blind and on the autism spectrum, Michelle has big dreams and proudly wears the badge of outcast. Searching for connection, Michelle explores love and empowerment outside the limits of “normal,” including a provocative sexual awakening. Best and Most Beautiful Things tells Michelle’s joyful story of self-discovery as a celebration of outcasts everywhere.
SEASON 4 ON MASTERPIECE
THE SIX THATCHERS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1 @ 7:00PM & 8:37PM
Season four begins with the mercurial Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), back once more on British soil as Doctor Watson (Martin Freeman) and his wife Mary (Amanda Abbington) prepare for their biggest challenge yet: becoming parents.
NEW YEAR’S EVE
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 @ 9:00PM
Willie Nelson gets some help from bluesman Gary Clark Jr. on his hit “Night Life” as they honor ACL Hall of Fame 2016 inductee B.B. King. Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King and Kris Kristofferson are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Performers include Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and more. Hosted by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally.
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC NEW YEAR’S EVE
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1 @ 8:30PM
A live PBS holiday tradition continues when the New York Philharmonic welcomes the ravishing Joyce DiDonato and the sultry Paulo Szot for a festive celebration of American music, featuring selections from The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Carousel and more. Led by Alan Gilbert in his final season as music director, the Philharmonic will also showcase orchestral favorites from Aaron Copland and a taste of the old world from Johann Strauss II. With guest host Mo Rocca.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30 @ 9:00PM
The Obama administration announced new economic sanctions against Russia in response to the Kremlin’s involvement in computer hacking meant to disrupt the presidential election. Five Russian agencies and four high-ranking military officers that U.S. intelligence agencies say were directly involved in the cyberattacks have been sanctioned, and another 35 Russian diplomats are being expelled from the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the advice of his foreign ministry and said he will not deport U.S. diplomats in retaliation, but he said Russia may respond in the future.
THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30 @ 7:00PM & 12:00AM
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the acclaimed modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic stories. But now, our heroes find themselves in 1890s London. Beloved characters Mary Morstan (played by Amanda Abbington), Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs) also turn up at 221b Baker Street.
EXODUS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29 @ 12:00AM
“Exodus,” a two-hour FRONTLINE special, tells the first-person stories of refugees and migrants fleeing war, persecution and hardship — drawing on footage filmed by the families themselves as they leave their homes on dangerous journeys in search of safety and refuge in Europe.
EERO SAARINEN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29 @ 10:00PM
American Masters — Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future explores the life and visionary work of Finnish-American modernist architectural giant Eero Saarinen (1910-1961). Best known for designing National Historic Landmarks such as St. Louis’ iconic Gateway Arch and the General Motors Technical Center (Warren, Mich.), Saarinen also designed New York’s TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Yale University’s Ingalls Rink and Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges, Virginia’s Dulles Airport, and modernist pedestal furniture like the Tulip chair. His sudden death at age 51 cut short one of the most influential careers in American architecture.