What To Watch Now: GBH Passport Picks For August

august stream4.jpg — Three images: Jennifer Ehle in Pride and Prejudice, a black and white photo of Althea Gibson, two nurses from Call The Midwife holding babies

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.

August 20, 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.

American Masters: Althea

Stream now on GBH Passport through Sept. 4
As attention turned to the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo at the beginning of this month, it’s an appropriate time to recall a pioneer of American sports: Althea Gibson, the first African American to not only cross the color line at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals in the 1950s, but to win both. Gibson’s life and achievements transcended sports and are part of the annals of African American history. From her roots as a sharecropper’s daughter in the cotton fields of South Carolina to her emergence as the unlikely queen of the highly segregated world of 1950s tennis, her story is a complex tale of race, class and gender. Don’t miss your chance to catch this compelling film on Passport before it leaves in a few weeks. —Ron

Before We Die, Season 2

Binge season 2 now on GBH Passport
Season 2 of this unpredictable Swedish crime thriller picks up six months after season one ends. Police detective Hanna Svensson goes toe-to-toe with a mysterious informant in the Mimica crime family’s operation after her colleague and lover, Bjorn, disappears, even sending her son Christian to infiltrate The Circle. At its core, Before We Die is an efficient Scandi thriller grounded in the powerful but complicated bond between family members, and our impulse to defend our loved ones at all costs. Season 2 delivers eight episodes for your binge viewing pleasure on Passport, but if you crave more, the UK’s Channel 4 recently created its own English-language version starring Lesley Sharp (Scott & Bailey)! —Devin

Call the Midwife, Seasons 9 and 10

Stream now on GBH Passport
Paging all Anglophiles: get ready to revisit Nonnatus House as Call the Midwife, easily one of PBS’s most beloved dramas, returns for its tenth season this fall. Passport members can view the new season a month early with new episodes dropping each week from September 3^rd. In August, Passport members can also exclusively catch up on Season 9, in which the ladies of Poplar encountered the fast-paced cultural shift of the 1960s, that included romance, drama, population changes and the outbreak of old diseases. Predictably, the CTM characters handle it all with compassion, professionalism and charm. Fans of the series have a lot to look forward to, since the BBC has commissioned a season 12 and 13. It looks like the midwives may just make it to the ‘70s. —Devin

How She Rolls

Stream now on GBH Passport
Meet Carrie Morey, an award-winning baker, cookbook author and entrepreneur, who transformed a tiny homemade biscuit company into a multi-million-dollar business based in Charleston, South Carolina. This 10-part series captures how Carrie makes it all work as the hardworking business owner of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits and super mom to three daughters, through all the mishaps, triumphs, flour shortages, food festivals, employee drama and retail expansion. As is the case with watching the Great British Baking Show, we suggest you keep something sweet and buttery nearby. You can only watch so many delectable hot little biscuits onscreen without wanting one for yourself! —Devin

Pride and Prejudice

Stream now on GBH Passport
If you’re a diehard Janeite, you’ve undoubtedly seen this first-rate 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, starring Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle and a supporting cast die for. And you may well have watched it more than once. That’s understandable, as it’s widely considered the best of the various versions of this novel that have been committed to the screen, large or small, over the years. While it’s difficult for many to imagine a better Mr. Darcy than Colin Firth, the actor repeatedly turned down the role, until the persistence of producer Sue Birtwistle finally wore him down. The rest, as they say, is history (not to mention a certain memorable scene involving a wet, clinging shirt). And if just reading this paragraph makes you want to watch the series again, don’t let me stop you! —Ron