Typically, our picks for the three PBS shows you should watch in any given month are dominated by British dramas. And it’s a fact that many of those imports rank among the best PBS shows of all time. But since the month of August doesn’t have many dramas to pick from, the three PBS shows you should watch this month are all documentaries.
Thankfully, they are very different kinds of documentaries, from the moving family story of Almost American to the career of filmmaker Blake Edwards to one man’s quest to prove that at least one mythological hero was real. These are just a few of the new shows on PBS in August. There’s a lot to watch, especially if you want to go back and revisit the great PBS shows to watch in July as well. Remember, PBS is free. All you have to do is make time for it.
Voces — Almost American
Premieres: Monday, August 26
The thing you need to understand before watching Voces — Almost American is that the Ayala Flores family at the heart of this documentary are immigrants who legally came to the U.S. As persecuted citizens of El Salvador, they were granted shelter in the U.S. through Temporary Protected Status (TPS). For 20 years, they made their home in Washington, D.C., and raised a daughter … before then-President Donald Trump terminated the TPS status of immigrants like them.
Voces — Almost American showcases the Ayala Flores’ family’s struggle to stay in their adoptive homeland. And while President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s order for at least another year, the lives of thousands of TPS immigrants are in limbo until their fate can be resolved.
Watch Voces — Almost American on PBS on August 26.
American Masters — Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames
Modern movie fans may not be very familiar with Blake Edwards, the multitalented actor, writer, producer, and director who was active in Hollywood for over 50 years. Edwards grew up during the silent film era and became known as one of the best comedic directors of his generation. He collaborated with Peter Sellers on the Pink Panther films, and helmed cinema classics including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Great Race, and Days of Wine and Roses.
American Masters — Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames takes a look back at Edwards’ influential career, as well as his collaborations with his wife, Julie Andrews, who is a Hollywood legend in her own right.
Watch American Masters — Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames on PBS on August 27.
Odysseus Returns
Odysseus has been a figure of myth for centuries as the leading character in Homer’s The Odyssey and in The Iliad, which chronicles the story of the Trojan War. But was there really a King Odysseus of Ithaca? Odysseus Returns is a new documentary about Makis Metaxas, a politician and amateur historian who claims to have found Odysseus’ tomb.
Proving the existence of Odysseus would be the discovery of a lifetime, but Metaxas’ findings are disputed. This series is Metaxas’ personal odyssey to prove that his findings are correct. Is he an unsung archeological hero? Or is he tilting at windmills like Don Quixote?
Watch Odysseus Returns on PBS on August 28.