What to Watch This February: 20+ New Programs You Have to See
This February, KCET spotlights empowering and uplifting stories from Black communities that exemplify resilience and love. Explore Black America through the lens of rap music in a new social history series "Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World," hosted by Chuck D of Public Enemy, premiering Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Also, beginning Sunday, Feb. 12, a new KCET Original series "10 Days in Watts" tells a heartening story of an urban garden, MudTown Farms, in the L.A. community of Watts, built and nurtured by dedicated residents who see more than economic hardship, social inequality and environmental racism in their future.
See below for the full February lineup.
Wednesday, Feb. 1
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World – 10 p.m., Sundays
This four-part social history series will explore the history of Black America. A story largely passed over by traditional historians, this incredible narrative of struggle, triumph and resistance will be brought to life through the lens of an art form that has chronicled the emotions, experiences and expression of Black Americans like none other: rap. Watch Now.
Saturday, Feb. 4
On Story: On Directing Miss Juneteenth: A Conversation with Channing Godfrey Peoples – 5:30 p.m.
"Miss Juneteenth" writer/director Channing Godfrey Peoples discusses her feature directorial debut and her work as a multi-hyphenate independent filmmaker. Watch Now.
Bonnie Boswell Presents: A Conversation with Pastor James Lawson and Attorney Bryan Stevenson – 9 p.m.
This special is an intimate look at Pastor James Lawson who has been called "the leading non-violent theorist in the world" and Attorney Bryan Stevenson, often referred to as "America's Gandhi." The two men, generations apart, are both iconic figures at the vanguard of America’s Peace and Justice Movement. Watch Now.
Frontline: Putin and the Presidents – 10 p.m.
Vladimir Putin's clashes with American presidents as he's tried to rebuild the Russian empire. Over five administrations, the miscalculations and missteps of American presidents, culminating in Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Watch Now.
Independent Lens: The Picture Taker – 11 p.m.
The vibrant, complicated life of Ernest Withers African American photographer of the Civil Rights movement, and paid FBI informant was anything but black and white. Watch Now.
Sunday, Feb. 5
Independent Lens: Always in Season – 12:30 a.m.
In 2014, African American teenager Lennon Lacy was found hanging from a swing set. His mother believes he was lynched. Stark inconsistencies and few answers from officials drive her to lead efforts in what has become an ongoing fight for the truth. Watch Now.
NOVA: London Super Tunnel – 10 p.m.
Thousands of engineers, technicians and workers race to build Europe's biggest construction project-London's new railroad, the Elizabeth Line. Watch Now.
Wednesday, Feb. 8
Charley Pride: American Masters – 8 p.m.
Explore the complicated history of the American South and its music through the life of country star Charley Pride. Raised in segregated Mississippi, his journey shows the ways that artistic expression can triumph over prejudice and injustice. Watch Now.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Ida B. Wells: American Stories – 9 p.m.
The story of Ida B. Wells told as never before. There are few historical figures whose life and work speak to the current moment more than Ida B. Wells, the 19th-century crusading investigative journalist, civil rights leader, and passionate suffragist. Watch Now.
Frontline: America and the Taliban, Part 1 – 10 p.m.
How America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory. Drawing on decades of on the ground reporting, and interviews with Taliban and US officials, part one of an investigation of the missteps and consequences.
Independent Lens: Outta the Muck – 11 p.m.
A co-production with Black Public Media (BPM), "Outta the Muck" wades into the rich soil of Pahokee, a rural Florida town. Beyond sending over a dozen players to the NFL, Pahokee, a rural town on the banks of Lake Okeechobe, possesses a legacy of resilience and achievement in the face of great storms and personal trauma. Watch Now.
Sunday, Feb. 12
10 Days In Watts – 8 p.m., Sundays
An urban garden called MudTown Farms is about to open in the Los Angeles community of Watts, built and nurtured by dedicated residents who see more than economic hardship, social inequality and environmental racism in their future. The series chronicles three generations of activists in the Watkins family, as well as students, farmers, and community leaders committed to healing past social injustices. Watch Now.
NOVA: Star Chasers of Senegal – 10 p.m.
A visionary astronomer in West Africa attempts a high-stakes observation of a distant asteroid vital to a NASA mission. From prehistoric ruins to Islamic skywatchers, explore the heritage and future of African astronomy. Watch Now.
Wednesday, Feb. 15
Starstruck: Gene Kelly's Love Letter To Ballet – 8 p.m.
Inspired by Gene Kelly's iconic work in Hollywood, "Starstruck" is an immersive, theatrical experience for audiences to escape to the glamour and grace of Paris, 1960. Watch Now.
Saturday, Feb. 18
Frontline: America and the Taliban, Part 2 – 10 p.m.
How America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory. Drawing on decades of on the ground reporting, and interviews with Taliban and US officials, part one of an investigation of the missteps and consequences. Watch Now.
Independent Lens: Love in the Time of Fentanyl – 11:30 p.m.
As deaths in Vancouver, Canada reach an all-time high, the Overdose Prevention Society opens its doors. Watch Now.
Sunday, Feb. 19
Secrets of the Dead: Hannibal in the Alps – 9 p.m.
Follow a team of experts as they solve the enduring mystery of exactly where Hannibal and his troops crossed the Alps to launch a surprise attack on Rome. Watch Now.
NOVA: Ancient Builders of the Amazon – 10 p.m.
Recent discoveries in archaeology are exploding the myth of the Amazon as a primeval wilderness, revealing traces of ancient civilizations that flourished for centuries, with prehistoric populations numbering in the millions. Watch Now.
Saturday, Feb. 25
Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics Of Race – 9 p.m.
Thirty-five years before the election of President Barack Obama, the question of race and the possibility of bridging racial barriers were put to the test in an overlooked story in American politics: Tom Bradley's 1973 election as Mayor of Los Angeles: the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city with an overwhelmingly white majority. Watch Now.
American Experience – Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History – 10 p.m.
Discover the fascinating and unexpected history behind America's favorite board game. Part detective story and part pop culture commentary, the film explores what makes this game — a celebration of unbridled capitalism — such an enduring favorite. Watch Preview.
Sunday, Feb. 26
NOVA: New Eye on the Universe – 10 p.m.
In July 2022, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope released its first images, looking further back in time than ever before to show our universe in stunningly beautiful detail. Within hours of the images' release, NOVA's Ultimate Space Telescope told the dramatic story of the decades-long development, exciting launch, and successful deployment of the most ambitious telescope ever made. Watch Preview.
