What To Watch Now: GBH Passport Picks For June

Three image: A musician on stage with a guitar; A mother and son in a train station; A young man in a jean jacket in a field

As GBH’s Senior Director of Programming, Ron Bachman oversees programming for the Boston station’s slate of six public television channels.

In a world of seemingly unlimited TV choices, finding the programs that matter to our viewers is what I love most about my job as Senior Programming Manager. Working with GBH’s Senior Director of Programming, we acquire, curate and schedule shows and films across GBH’s channels and for Passport.

June 07, 2021

Updated August 08, 2023

Looking for some great shows to dig into this month? GBH Passport is where you should be looking, and below are some top selections from Ron Bachman, Senior Director of Programming, and Devin Karambelas, Programming Manager. The member benefit that provides you with extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming, GBH Passport features current and past seasons of PBS and GBH shows — including drama, science, history and the arts. Watch anytime on GBH.org or on the PBS App.

Pride Month Films

Streaming now on GBH Passport
Here are just a few of the numerous films available for Pride Month in June: Stonewall Uprising from American Experience documents the riots that followed a June 28, 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village — a seminal moment in the fight for LGBTQ rights in the U.S. Also check out American Masters, which profiles two gay icons in the arts — singer-songwriter Holly Near and artist Keith Haring. And Prideland follows queer actor Dyllón Burnside on a journey across the American South to meet diverse members of the LGBTQ community, from a lesbian rodeo champ in Texas to an African American mayor ally in Alabama. —Ron

Halifax: Retribution

Stream now in GBH Passport
Welcome back, Dr. Halifax. Twenty years after the last Halifax f.p. telemovie — an Australian crime series that featured a roster of well-known guest Aussie talent including Hugh Jackman, Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn in its heyday — Rebecca Gibney’s forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax is back on the case. Jane Halifax is everything we want to lead a thrilling procedural: As The Guardian puts it, she has the “steeliness of Dana Scully, the nous of Jessica Fletcher, the sangfroid of Jennifer Melfi, the drive of Jane Tennison and the sexuality of Phryne Fisher” with a certain charm all her own. Set in Melbourne, this iteration finds a sniper terrorizing the city, seemingly selecting his victims at random. But when someone close to her is murdered, Jane must confront the possibility that this case might be personal. —Devin

Us on MASTERPIECE

Stream all episodes on GBH Passport starting June 20
Douglas and Connie Petersen (Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves) have been married for 25 years and are about to embark on a long-planned grand tour of Europe before their son goes off to university. But just as their departure date arrives, Connie announces she wants a divorce. What to do? Well, if you’re the Petersens, you take the trip anyway, toting some extra baggage that isn’t your suitcases. Based on the novel by David Nicholls, this four-hour delight finds Douglas desperately trying to win back his wife in a series that the UK’s Daily Telegraph proclaimed a “brilliantly witty and heartfelt drama about a family on the edge.” And for travel-starved viewers, the fact that it plays out against a backdrop of spectacular European locations is just icing on the cake. —Ron

Independent Lens – Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

Stream now on GBH Passport through July 1
This electrifying 2017 doc puts the long overdue spotlight on the role of Native Americans in contemporary music history. Jimi Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Link Wray, Robbie Robertson and Taboo (of The Black Eyed Peas) are just some of the Native American musicians who forever shaped the trajectory of American rock, pop and hip-hop. The idea behind Rumble came from guitarist Stevie Salas, a member of the Apache tribe and one of the film’s producers, who realized few outside the music business knew about the essential contributions of Native musicians. Featuring an unbeatable soundtrack and interviews with some of America’s greatest music legends, including George Clinton, Slash, Jackson Browne, Quincy Jones, Buddy Guy, Tony Bennett, Iggy Pop and Stevie Van Zandt, this is essential viewing for music lovers. But stream it soon before it leaves Passport on July 1! —Devin

Cranford

Stream now on GBH Passport
This witty and poignant story, starring the Oscar-winning Judi Dench, follows the small absurdities and major tragedies in the lives of the people of Cranford, a rural Cheshire village on the cusp of change. The arrival of a handsome new doctor from London causes a stir, not only because of his revolutionary medical methods, but also because of the effect he has on many of the ladies in town. It seems like every recognizable British actor makes an appearance here: Michael Gambon, Eileen Atkins, Leslie Manville, Francesca Annis, Julia Sawalha, etc., and pointing them out is half the fun of watching. Three Elizabeth Gaskell novels have been woven together to create this uniquely rich and comic drama about ordinary human lives during one extraordinary year. But wait, there’s more: You can stream both Cranford and its three-part sequel Return to Cranford on GBH Passport through September 30. —Devin