Read below to find TV highlights from August 2026, including two classic Ken Burns films, concerts from Reba McEntire and the Vienna Philharmonic, a look at the life and career of Mary Oliver, a photographer's view of rural America, and more.

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The Statue of Liberty
A classic series from Ken Burns

For more than 100 years, The Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of hope and refuge for generations of immigrants. In this lyrical, compelling and provocative portrait of the statue, Ken Burns explores both the history of America’s premier symbol and the meaning of liberty itself. 

Featuring rare archival photographs, paintings and drawings, readings from actual diaries, letters and newspapers of the day, the fascinating story of this universally admired monument is told. 

This series first premiered on PBS in 1985.

TUNE IN
Tune in Saturday, August 8, at 12:30pm.

STREAM
Stream on the PBS app and online.

Reba McEntire Live from Madison Square Garden

Reba McEntire headlines a special night of music from New York’s Madison Square Garden. 

Filmed in April 2023, this concert marked Reba’s first-time headlining at the iconic New York City venue and features some of her biggest hits like “Turn On The Radio,” “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” “Going Out Like That” and “Fancy.” Terri Clark makes a special appearance, joining Reba for a Linda Ronstadt medley.

TUNE IN
Tune in Sunday, August 9, at 4:30pm.

All Creatures Great and Small: Chapter Six

Join the cast and creators for behind-the-scenes insights into Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small, where life in Darrowby is finding its rhythm again as the war winds down. Themes explored include the impact of war, the growing Herriot family and Tristan’s new relationship with Charlotte. 

This special also introduces new animals and goes on a field trip with Nicholas Ralph to a dry stone wall competition.

TUNE IN
Tune in Sunday, August 9, at 7:30pm.

Thomas Jefferson
A classic series from Ken Burns

Thomas Jefferson is a two-part portrait of our enigmatic and brilliant third president. 

Thomas Jefferson embodies within his own life the most profound contradictions of American history: as the author of the Declaration of Independence, he gave voice to our fervent desire for freedom, but he also owned more than 150 slaves and never saw fit to free them. 

The series first premiered on PBS in 1997.

TUNE IN
Watch the two-part series:

• Part One — Saturday, August 15, at 12:30pm
• Part Two — Saturday, August 15, at 2:30pm
   

STREAM
Stream on the PBS app and online.

Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America

Vanish is documentary film that chronicles the "visual preservation" adventures of fine art photographer, Jim Westphalen, as he travels across the country seeking out and creating stunning imagery of America's disappearing rural structures. The film also features deep dive interviews with preservation experts as well as the passionate people who strive and struggle to save these fading treasures.

TUNE IN
Tune in Monday, August 17, at 8pm.

Resolve to Solve with Miles O'Brien

In this new series, journalist Miles O'Brien travels the globe searching for solutions to climate, water, and health crises. From building sea curtains in Antarctica to restoring wildlife in Argentina, the answers are closer than we think thanks to people with a “Resolve to Solve.”

TUNE IN
Tune in Wednesdays, beginning August 19, at 9pm.

STREAM
Stream on the PBS app and online.

Great Performances at The Met | Eugene Onegin

Soprano Asmik Grigorian returns to the Met as Tatiana, the lovestruck young heroine in Tchaikovsky’s opera adaptation of Pushkin’s novel. Baritone Igor Golovatenko reprises his portrayal of Onegin, who realizes his affection for her all too late. Tony Award winner Deborah Warner directs.

TUNE IN
Tune in Friday, August 21, at 8pm.

STREAM
Stream on the PBS app and online.

American Masters | Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

Mary Oliver, known for her insightful writing on nature, beauty and love, inspired many creative minds with more than 30 collections of poems and essays. 

Shaped by a solitary childhood, her love of nature, and a passion for writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, Oliver solidified her place in the American poetry canon with notable poems like “Wild Geese” and “The Journey.” 

Follow her life and career in Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World.

TUNE IN
Tune in on Tuesday, August 25, at 8pm.

STREAM
Stream on the PBS app and online.

Great Performances | Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2026

Each summer, the world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic performs an enchanting open-air concert from the magnificent gardens of Austria’s Imperial Schönbrunn Palace, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. 

At the 2026 Summer Night Concert, Lorenzo Viotti will be conducting for the first time and Welsh opera singer Sir Bryn Terfel will perform as soloist. Terfel will sing arias from Arrigo Boito’s “Mefistofele” and Giuseppe Verdi’s “Falstaff,” as well as the finale from Richard Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” and Tevye’s song from the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” by Jerry Bock.

TUNE IN
Tune in on Friday, August 28, at 8pm.