What to Watch in September

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? Lisa Tipton, WTTW’s Head of Programming and Pledge, 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, she’ll recommend a few shows that she thinks you should watch.

Find all the ways to watch WTTW here. Many of the below shows are available to stream or will be once they premiere.

New Seasons of British Shows

It's a big month for favorite British dramas and mysteries. On Sunday nights beginning September 3, we have a triple-header featuring the second season of Professor T at 7:00 pm, the fifth season of Unforgotten at 8:00 pm, and the third season of Van der Valk at 9:00 pm. Then we've also got the ninth season of Doc Martin beginning Saturday, September 16 at 7:00 pm, followed by the new-to-WTTW season 2 of Frankie Drake Mysteries at 9:00 pm. And then there's also new Midsomer Murders beginning Thursday, September 21 at 8:00 pm. Phew!

Don't forget that many of these shows are available to stream any time by WTTW Passport members via the PBS app and at wttw.com, and that we have recaps available of many of their previous seasons if you need to catch up!

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston 

Wednesdays beginning September 6 at 7:00 pm 

In the second season of this show about how Americans interact with our awe-inspiring natural landscapes, host Baratunde Thurston travels down one of the last wild rivers in the country, to under-the-radar Arkansas, and to the abundant and varied Oregon, among other places. It's an especially great show to watch in fall, as we all have less time to go explore the outdoors ourselves!

Evolution Earth

Wednesdays beginning September 6 at 9:00 pm

As Earth rapidly transforms under accelerating climate change and global warming, this series explores how animals are adapting, from the hottest places on the planet to its polar extremes.

New Seasons of Cooking Shows

Saturdays 

Sure, September means school is back in session and fall is approaching—but it also means new seasons of cooking shows like Cook's Country (starting September 9 at noon), Christopher Kimball's Milk Street (starting September 16 at 3:00 pm), and Pati's Mexican Table (beginning September 16 at 4:00 pm).

Don't miss recipes from all of them, including S'mores bars from Milk Street and fish tacos from Cook's Country, with more to come. Sign up for our food newsletter Deep Dish to keep up with it all!

American Experience on Desegregation

The Busing Battleground on Monday, September 11 at 8:00 pm and The Harvest on Tuesday, September 12 at 8:00 pm

Two new American Experience films narrate the struggles over public school integration and desegregation in the 1970s following the civil rights movement. Busing Battleground revisits the unrest unleashed by court-mandated desegregation of schools in Boston, while The Harvest looks at the smaller community of Leland, Mississippi.

Becoming Frida Kahlo

Tuesdays beginning September 19 at 8:00 pm

Frida Kahlo with Diego Rivera. Courtesy of Peter A. Juley & Son / Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

If you're mainly familiar with Frida Kahlo's eventful life through the Oscar-nominated film Frida, this three-part series can fill in the gaps, from her stunning artwork to her relationships with Diego Rivera, whom she married twice, and Leon Trotsky.