July Programming Highlights on WHUT
Capitol Fourth 45th Anniversary
Fri. 7/4
8pm – On July Fourth, A Capitol Fourth, America’s National Independence Day celebration, honors our country’s birthday with an all-star salute. For over 40 years, this television event, featuring a parade of superstars — including Frankie Valli, Patti LaBelle, John Williams, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Reba McEntire, Carole King, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, Steve Martin, Josh Groban, Gloria Estefan, Huey Lewis and the News, Little Richard, Tony Bennett, Faith Hill, Ray Charles, the Bee Gees, Kenny G, Aaron Neville, Kenny Rogers and the Muppets from Sesame Street — has offered the best in American entertainment and helped set the tone for a spectacular American birthday party.
Sat. 7/5
10pm – That DC Sound follows the 2-hour music special on Clive Davis.
Sun. 7/6
12pm – The Sunday Special looks at the Stage and Screen with profiles of actors and a look at the movie and stage industries.
9pm – The Jazz Music Awards celebrates the best in today's jazz.
Mon. 7/7
World on Fire: Masterpiece
4pm – All this week in the afternoons we present the drama, World on Fire on Masterpiece. Follow the intertwining fates of ordinary people as they grapple with the effects of World War II on their everyday lives. Set in Britain, Poland, France and Germany, the events of the series take place during the first year of the war.
8pm – For those who were out having fun on the 4th, we replay A Capitol Fourth, followed by local music specials.
Wed. 7/9
9pm - American Masters 'Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny' is new. Through resilience, courage, hard work, and luck, Hannah Arendt became the most influential and provocative political thinker of the 20th century.
Thurs. 7/10
7pm - Route to Emancipation by Black History Bike Ride follows three friends as they embark on a 350-mile cycling route from the Texas Capitol in Austin to the site where Juneteenth began in 1865.
7:30pm – Naturally, we follow it with the Goodfellas Cycling Club.
8pm – The Real Wild West is a four-part series revealing the unknown history of America's Wild West. Beyond gunslingers and lawmen, we meet the diverse pioneers who shaped the country, including Black and Hispanic cowboys, female homesteaders, immigrants, and tribal leaders.
9pm - POV "Break the Game" is new. After coming out as a trans woman, world-record-holding gamer, Narcissa Wright loses her massive fanbase. To win them back, she attempts to set a new record in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, live-streaming every minute of her quest.
Sat. 7/12
Muhammad Ali
8pm – We bring back the 4-part Ken Burns series, Muhammad Ali. Boxer Cassius Clay rises up the amateur ranks to win gold at the 1960 Olympics. He turns professional, sharpening his boxing skills and honing his genius for self-promotion. In 1964, he upsets Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion.
Sun. 7/13
12pm – The Sunday Special stacks the full Muhammad Ali series.
Mon. 7/14
4pm – This week in the afternoon, we look at different cultures – around the world and here at home.
Wed. 7/16
9pm – New from PBS Plus is Concord’s Secret History. Unravelling a long-suppressed secret set in the birthplace of the American Revolution, where the opening shots were fired on April 19, 1775, this documentary explores a history that few people know- how slavery affected Concord and its surrounding areas.
Fighting for Lincoln: The Wide Awakes
10pm - Fighting for Lincoln: The Wide Awakes is one of our acquisitions. The Wide Awakes were a Republican para-military organization distinguished from other political clubs of the 19th century by their youth, effectiveness, and distinctive uniforms. Examine this group's history and their nationwide movement instrumental in electing Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
Sun. 7/20
11am – The Sunday Special goes on summer vacation with trips around the country.
9pm – We encore American Masters: Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands. Discover an international singer who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America. Watch rare archival footage and hear audio recordings exploring her life and career from the Metropolitan Opera to the State Department.
Mon. 7/21
4pm – All this week we have locally-produced documentaries.
Wed. 7/23
9pm - American Masters 'Marcella' is new. Marcella Hazan changed how we cook and experience Italian food. A disabled woman trained as a scientist; Marcella never cooked until she immigrated to America. But through her cookbooks and teaching -- and an uncompromising commitment to Italian tradition -- her impact was felt in millions of American home kitchens.
Sat. 7/26
10pm – Broadchurch came to an end the previous week. This week we begin the 4-part drama, A Suitable Boy. It's 1951, and newly independent India is boldly breaking free of its past. Lata is a spirited young student. Her mother wants to find her a husband - a suitable boy. As Lata meets potential matches, she's torn between romance and responsibility. Meanwhile, her headstrong friend Maan defies his father as he falls in love with a glamorous courtesan. Both are determined to decide their own future. And, in a country that's coming of age, anything could happen.
Sun. 7/27
11am – The Sunday Special helps us start new or start over with programs on new careers and life paths.
American Masters: In the Making
9pm - American Masters: In the Making encores. Two performers breaking down barriers in opera and country music. After the pandemic's height, opera singer J'Nai Bridges returns to the stage in "A Knee on the Neck," a tribute to George Floyd. Country artist Rissi Palmer redefines success as she works on her latest album while uplifting the voices of other BIPOC women country performers.
Mon. 7/28
4pm – This week we profile artists of all types.
8pm – Must See DMV has The Upside of Aging, followed by Dr. Sharon Malone – Grown Women Talk.