JOHNSTON — Tour some of the iconic structures in Mason City and Clear Lake, take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the setting for the Hotel Portofino series, enjoy clips and behind-the-scenes memories of the Christmas finale episodes of All Creatures Great and Small, and revel in music from the Everly Brothers, Steve & Eydie, The Highwaymen, Barbra Streisand and more during Fall Festival 2023. Taking place November 17-19 and 23-29, this year’s event is filled with music, history, drama, Iowa architecture and more.
During the pledge drive, viewers will have the opportunity to support the programming and services they enjoy all year long, ensuring that Iowa PBS continues to educate, inform, enrich and inspire Iowans across the state.
The schedule for Iowa PBS .1 is below. Visit iowapbs.org for the full Fall Festival 2023 broadcast schedule, encore broadcasts, thank-you gifts and programs airing on Iowa PBS WORLD .3 and Iowa PBS Create .4.
Local
* Historic Buildings of Iowa: Mason City and Clear Lake, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 3:30 p.m. – Explore the art and architecture of Mason City and Clear Lake through Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School style, one of the premier art museums of the Midwest, and sites dedicated to some of the most acclaimed musicians of the 20th century.
* Meredith Willson: America’s Music Man, Sunday, Nov. 19 at 4:00 p.m. – He performed under Sousa and Toscanini. He scored films for the likes of Chaplin and wrote popular songs performed by Sinatra and The Beatles. And when the River City boys band marched on Broadway, Meredith Willson caught the whole world’s ear.
* USS Iowa, Sunday, Nov. 19 at 2:30 p.m. – This film shines light on the USS Iowa, a legendary battleship built to defend America during World War II. Its presence as a symbol of naval war power and now as a living museum is intertwined with the men and women who served the USS Iowa for over 80 years through campaigns of triumph and tragedy.
Music
* ‘60s Pop, Rock & Soul (My Music Presents), Saturday, Nov. 18 at 10:00 p.m. – This special includes pop sounds from frat rock to surf pop, the British beats, Motown, soul and pop classics.
* Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn, Sunday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 p.m. – Barbra Streisand’s 2012 Back to Brooklyn tour highlighted an emotional return to performing in her home borough for the first time since she was in grade school.
* British Beat (My Music), Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8:30 p.m. – Rare archival performance films are mixed with new live performances of 1960s British Invasion hits.
* The Everly Brothers – Harmonies From Heaven, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:00 p.m. – Featuring archival interviews with Don and Phil, and interviews with artists they influenced, this special tells the story of two Midwestern boys who became some of the most influential musicians in rock ‘n’ roll.
* From the Heart: A Tribute to Lawrence Welk and the American Dream, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 5:00 p.m. – Join host Barbara Mandrell to celebrate the legendary bandleader in this musical spectacular from 1993.
* The Highwaymen Live at Nassau Coliseum, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m. – Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson shine in this 1990 performance.
* How Great Thou Art, A Sacred Celebration, Sunday, Nov. 26 at 3:00 p.m. – Filmed at National United Methodist in Washington, D.C., this concert special features performances across classical, pop, Motown and country genres.
* Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia – Live in Concert, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 10:30 p.m. – People Get Ready … for a very special music celebration featuring timeless hits, and soul and R&B superstars.
* Steve & Eydie: Memories of My Mom and Dad, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 5:00 p.m. – For over six decades, the musical duo of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme has inspired nostalgic memories from the early days of ’50s rock ‘n’ roll, ’60s pop, Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and the American Songbook.
* This Land Is Your Land (My Music Presents), Saturday, Nov. 18 at 8:30 p.m. – The Smothers Brothers and Judy Collins host a look at the evolution of modern American folk music.
Drama
* All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales, Sunday, Nov. 26 at 8:00 p.m. – There’s something magical about the village of Darrowby and the stunning Yorkshire Dales, and this magic is most evident in the holiday finales from the series’ first three seasons.
General
* America’s Home Cooking: Easy Recipes for Thrifty Cooking, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 9:30 a.m. – Chris Fennimore welcomes guest cooks who present recipes that are easy on the cook and the pocketbook.
* England Made with Love, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 3:30 p.m. – Meet the skilled watchmakers, weavers, bookbinders and roof thatchers who teach hands-on skills to the next generation of apprentices.
* Ireland Made with Love, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 9:30 a.m. – Explore the legacy of craftsmanship through the skill, pride and love that go into legendary Irish products. From the spectacular cliffs on the Atlantic coast to medieval castles, Ireland’s epic landscape and rich culture are gloriously showcased.
* Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 11:30 a.m. – Learn how to prepare the perfect three-course Christmas dinner in this merry special filled to the brim with recipes.
* Nature: Woodpeckers: The Hole Story, Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7:00 p.m. – Get an intimate look at what makes woodpeckers so special. With over 240 species of woodpeckers identified, explore their unique evolutionary journey and the powerful role they play in every ecosystem except Antarctica and Australia.
History
* The American Buffalo: Blood Memory, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. – For untold generations, America’s national mammal sustained the lives of Native people, whose cultures were intertwined with the animal. Newcomers to the continent brought a different view of the natural world.
* Ken Burns: The National Parks, Sunday, Nov. 26 at 11:00 a.m. – Filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan reveal fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about the making of their film series The National Parks.
* Kinnick: The Documentary, Thursday, Nov. 23 at 8:30 p.m. – The story of Nile Kinnick – child of the Depression, winner of the Heisman Trophy and pilot in World War II – unfolds in cinematic detail in this feature documentary.
Travel
* Great Scenic Railway Journeys 30th Anniversary Special, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 a.m. – Gain access to some of America’s best railway adventures, from the Rocky Mountaineer to the Skyrail.
* Hotel Portofino: Touring Portofino, Sunday, Nov. 26 at 6:30 p.m. – Take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the charming seaside village setting for the Hotel Portofino series.
* Rick Steves’ European Christmas, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 a.m. – Rick Steves celebrates Christmas in England, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.
Lifestyle
* 5 Minute Yoga Fix with Peggy Cappy, Saturday, Nov. 25 at 6:30 a.m. – Learn how to combat the effects of aging in just five minutes a day with stretching, breathwork and strength building to maintain the four pillars that support the structure of our bodies: strength, flexibility, balance and mobility.
* Aging Backwards 4 with Miranda Esmonde-White, Saturday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 a.m. – Miranda Esmonde-White shares how sitting less and moving more is vital to good posture and every aspect of life, from maintaining healthy organs to remaining pain-free and staying young.
* The Brain Gut Connection with Dr. Emeran Mayer, Sunday, Nov. 26 at 6:00 a.m. – Dr. Emeran Mayer reveals strategies for mental and physical well-being.
* Finance for the People with Paco de Leon, Sunday, Nov. 26 at 9:30 a.m. – Paco de Leon empowers viewers by delivering pragmatic money advice in a straightforward way, accompanied by practical tools so they can begin taking immediate action.
* Just One Thing with Steven Gundry, M.D., Sunday, Nov. 19 at 6:00 a.m. – Dr. Steven Gundry explains why aging doesn’t have to equate to decline and loss of freedom.
* Memory Makeover with Daniel Amen, M.D., Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 a.m. – Dr. Daniel Amen talks about how you can improve your memory.
* Suze Orman’s Ultimate Retirement Guide, Sunday, Nov. 19 at 10:00 a.m. – The personal finance expert provides essential advice on planning for and thriving in retirement.
* Young Forever with Mark Hyman, M.D., Saturday, Nov. 18 at 11:00 a.m. – Dr. Mark Hyman challenges viewers to reimagine their biology, health and the process of aging.
In addition to its statewide broadcast, Iowa PBS .1 is available to livestream on iowapbs.org/watch, pbs.org/livestream, the PBS App, Local Now, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. Iowa PBS programs, behind-the-scenes extras and more can be enjoyed on iowapbs.org, Facebook and YouTube. Viewers can also stream their favorite shows on demand using the PBS App, available on iOS, Android and many streaming devices.
Learn more at iowapbs.org.
As Iowa’s only statewide television network, Iowa PBS’s mission to educate, inform, enrich and inspire Iowans guides its quality, noncommercial programming that tells Iowa’s stories like no one else can. Four statewide, public channels offer programs of lasting value to Iowans, regardless of where they live or what they can afford: Iowa PBS .1, Iowa PBS KIDS .2, Iowa PBS WORLD .3 and Iowa PBS Create .4 on Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; Channel 36, Red Oak. More information can be found at iowapbs.org.