What to Watch in April
There’s a huge amount of worthwhile TV out there nowadays, so it can be hard to choose what to watch. But who better to recommend shows than the person who programs them? Dan Soles, Senior Vice President and Chief Television Officer at WTTW, constructs the WTTW schedule by searching through offerings from many different sources which include the national PBS network, the BBC, and independent filmmakers to put together a varied and engaging broadcast schedule. Each month, he’ll recommend a few shows that he thinks you should watch.
New York: America’s Busiest City
Thursdays at 8:00 pm, beginning April 5
Have you ever wondered how enough food to feed millions of people gets to and is spread throughout a crowded metropolis? How the transportation networks actually work to whisk people and goods from one end of a city to another? This three-part show from the BBC has the answers, as it explores how New York City actually works, under the surface and behind the scenes. Who knew infrastructure could be so exciting?
Dishalicious
Fridays at 8:30 pm, beginning April 6
Dishalicious with Alfonso Sotelo, Sarah Grueneberg, and Rick Bayless. Photo: Bill Richert
Dishalicious is the latest in a long line of exceptional culinary shows on WTTW. Hosted by James Beard Award-winning chef Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde, each of the three episodes features three of Chicago’s top chefs each preparing a part of a full meal – appetizer, entrée, dessert. With stars like Rick Bayless and Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia showing off their skills and cooking with their friends, Dishalicious is a mouth-watering blast. Find the chef’s recipes and watch the show and web extras at wttw.com/dishalicious once the show premieres.
Civilizations
Tuesdays at 8:00 pm, beginning April 17
Kenneth Clark’s monumental 1969 show Civilization is one of the most popular documentary series of all time, but its focus on Western art and culture neglected the astounding achievements of the majority of the globe. Civilizations takes as its inspiration Clark’s original, but explores masterpieces of human creativity around the world, from Turkey to Japan to the Mayans and the Edo of Benin, over nine episodes.
Read our interview with one of the series' executive producers here.
Frontline: McCain
Tuesday, April 17 at 10:00 pm
Frontline always covers topics in incredible depth, and this feature on Senator John McCain will not disappoint as it covers the life of the presidential candidate, P.O.W., and maverick of the Republican Party from serving in Vietnam to choosing Sarah Palin as a running mate to his stands against his own party and President Trump.
Read our interview with producer Michael Kirk about both John McCain and President Trump's similarities to him.
POV: Bill Nye: Science Guy
Wednesday, April 18 at 10:00 pm
Bill! Bill! Bill! He may be best known by millennials who grew up with his science show, but Bill Nye continues to try to educate the public – it’s just now he has turned to adults. This documentary examines the Science Guy’s life and his current campaign against deniers of human-caused climate change. For that reason alone, it makes the perfect show to watch around the time of Earth Day.
