The winter season is upon us, and what better way to embrace its magic than by diving into the enchanting Third Annual Winter Wonderland at Storyland? Organized by Valley PBS in collaboration with Storyland, this event is set to sprinkle some seasonal joy across Fresno on December 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
PBS stations, like KVIE (Sacramento/Stockton), KQED (San Francisco), and KVPT (Fresno), provide viewers with a variety of programs including some of the most iconic mysteries and crime dramas. There’s VERA, Death in Paradise, Annika, Grantchester, Father Brown, Shakespeare & Hathaway, and so much more, including Endeavour, the popular prequel to the iconic Inspector Morse series.
Masterpiece Mystery is a popular PBS series bringing excellent mysteries and thrillers set around the world and in various time periods. Your PBS station can be found through many locations: KQED is the Bay Area, KVIE is Sacramento/Stockton, and KVPT is the Fresno area. No membership requirement, although each station takes frequent pledge breaks during the year and some have special access opportunities. PBS KVIE Passport is available to members donating $60/year or more or $5/month or more.
PBS, for me KVIE or KQED, is another way to get a dose of “ahhh” for my Anglophile thirst with Masterpiece Mystery. No membership fee required. No commercial breaks, barring the seasonal pledge break. Every summer the new seasons for Endeavour and Grantchester are aired, and to better adjust to the year wait, the previous season is rerun to remind fans of last year’s events and cliffhangers and allow newbies a chance to get up to speed.
On December 24, Christmas Eve, Jeff Aiello posted these words to his Facebook friends: “Christmas Eve marks the official end of the Creek Fire.”
It was a great Christmas gift after four months of High Sierra burning.
PBS is an easy, free way to see some favorite and popular U.K. mysteries and police procedural with access to Masterpiece Mystery on KVIE and KVIE2 (Sacramento) and KQED (San Francisco). Every year Endeavour shows up, but with infrequent reruns the rest of the year. Father Brown is a regular with weekly reruns from the current and some of the previous seasons. I also make regular weekly visits to watch favorites like Vera, Death in Paradise, Prime Suspect, Grantchester, Morse, Lewis, Midsomer Murders, The Dr. Blake Mysteries and more although not the full series and not all the time. However, even with issues of regularity, variety, and completeness, PBS is a good way for many to enjoy these popular favorites.
Anglophiles in the United States have always been at a disadvantage when trying to access U.K. television programs and movies. Some are picked up and presented on local public television stations, but consistency and variety are problematic.
Downton Abbey, Sesame Street, Ken Burns—PBS is known for its wide variety of quality television programming, and ValleyPBS is no exception. And as the Valley’s local PBS affiliate celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, ValleyPBS CEO Phil Meyer sat down with Kings River Life to discuss the past, present, and future of Valley Public Television.
Grantchester, first aired in 2014 (UK) and 2015 (US), is entering its third season, Sunday nights on PBS. Based on The Grantchester Mysteries, a collection of short stories by James Runcie, this detective drama is set in the 1950s.
Inspector Morse concluded its run in 2000, but not its popularity. “What will the next invasion bring?” Two spin-off dramas crossed to our shores providing a positive nod to the original, yet unique enough to become favorites among the “Morse” fans.
