The 20 Best PBS Shows to Start Watching Right Now
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Whether you prefer period dramas, documentaries, cooking shows, or kids programs, PBS has a show for you. Here, 20 of our favorites that you can stream online right now.
Downton Abbey
The period drama that became a phenomenon, Julian Fellowes's Downton Abbey is one of PBS's most-loved series for its stunning costumes, iconic characters, and soapy—often class-based—conflict. I'm almost envious that you haven't already seen the Crawley family's WWI-era story unfold, so you can enjoy it from the very beginning. (Just don't Google it too much. As with any popular show, spoilers abound.)
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Sesame Street
This list just wouldn't be complete without Elmo, Big Bird, and the rest of the Sesame Street crew. The series which uses sweet songs and colorful puppets to both educate and entertain is an American institution at this point (its first episode aired back in 1969), and one that teaches kids from all backgrounds the fundamentals of learning and the importance of kindness.
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All Creatures Great and Small
Based on James Heriot's beloved series of novels about his own real experience as a young veterinary surgeon in the north of England, this soothing and uplifting show is a must-see for any PBS fan. Beginning in the 1930s and spanning many years after, All Creatures Great and Small follows a trio of vets treating animals across the Yorkshire dales.
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Sherlock
There have been many TV and film interpretations of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories over the years, but Benedict Cumberbatch's eccentric version of the famous Sherlock Holmes is hard to top, especially when coupled with Martin Freeman's Watson. Each episode is movie-length so grab some popcorn and settle in for a mystery.
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Antiques Roadshow
In every episode of Antiques Roadshow, real people have their valuables (think art, memorabilia, jewelry, toys, furniture, and more) appraised by experts on-screen. Come for the bite-sized history lessons peppered throughout the show, and stay for the thrill of thinking that you, too, might have a treasure hidden just in the back of your closet.
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Arthur
An educational cartoon about an aardvark that has theme song by Bob Marley's son? We're in.
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Frontline
America's longest-running investigative documentary series on television, Frontline continuously explores the most interesting issues facing the world today. Recent topics have ranged from the ongoing Syrian civil war to modern issues surrounding privacy and social media.
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Call the Midwife
Looking to dive into a period drama with plenty of seasons? Look no further than Call the Midwife. Set in the East End of London in the 1950s and '60s, the show follows the nurses, midwives, and nuns of Nonnatus House, who serve the families in their community while adapting to the changing times.
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Victoria
If royal drama is your cup of tea, consider binging this series, which follows a young Victoria (played by Jenna Coleman) in the early years of her reign.
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Ken Burns's Country Music
It was tough to choose just one of Burns's iconic documentary series for this list, so we went with a recent favorite: his deep dive into the history of country music.
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The Great British Baking Show
A reality show unlike any other, the kind-hearted competition of The Great British Baking Show is comfort food in a TV series for Anglophiles and amateur bakers alike.
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Rick Steves's Europe
Already used your vacation this year? Tour the cities of Europe without ever leaving your living room with Rick Steves's famous travel series.
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Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
For parents missing the gentleness of Fred Rogers's iconic children's program, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, look no further than Daniel Tiger. The spirit of the original show lives on in a new cartoon, which chronicles the adventures of Mr. Rogers's beloved puppet.
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Grantchester
Crime-solving and the clergy may not be the most obvious mix, but this series, centered on a Cambridgeshire vicar who also happens to moonlight as an amateur detective, is surprisingly addictive. No wonder it's got 9 seasons and counting.
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Reading Rainbow
Another classic kids show, LeVar Burton's Reading Rainbow has been off the air for years, but old-school episodes still make for the perfect dose of screen time that offers some educational value.
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The Joy of Painting
There are few things more calming than spending an hour watching Bob Ross paint "happy little trees." Consider this old-school PBS favorite a balm for anxious souls.
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World on Fire
One of the newer offerings on this list, World on Fire premieres in April 2020, and is sure to quickly take its place in the upper echelon of PBS shows. Susanne Simpson, the executive producer of Masterpiece describes the WWII-era series, which follows everyday people in a number of countries impacted by the war, as having "some of the highest production values that we've seen in a show recently."
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Magpie Murders
Truth is stranger than fiction in this twisty mystery series (based on the book of the same name by Anthony Horowitz. The Crown's Lesley Manville stars as an editor who goes in search of the truth when an acclaimed mystery novelist is killed. (The show is coming back for a new season this September, so it's a perfect time to catch up.)
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Poldark
This hot, swashbuckling period drama stars Aidan Turner as military veteran Ross Poldark, who returns to his hometown on the English coast after fighting in the American War of Independence, and finds that a lot has changed in his three-year absence.
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Miss Scarlet and the Duke
Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders alum Kate Phillips stars in this Victoria-era detective show about Eliza Scarlet, the unconventional only daughter of a private detective, who takes up her father's mantle to solve crimes throughout London—with a bit of help from her trusty childhood friend and police detective William "The Duke" Wellington.
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