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The American Revolution Campus Conversation Webinar

PBS and Florentine Films is hosting THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Campus Conversation via ZOOM for college faculty and students on November 19, 2025, from 5-6 pm ET. Partnering with New York University for the in-person and livestreamed event, filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, experts Christopher Brown and Maggie Blackhawk, and moderator Patrick J. Egan will talk about the history, the film, and its relevance today. Intended for Higher Education Faculty and Students

Register

Description

Wednesday, November 19 at 5-6pm via Zoom

As part of the premiere week of THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, PBS invites college faculty and students to an hour-long virtual discussion during which filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, experts Christopher Brown and Maggie Blackhawk, and moderator Patrick J. Egan will talk about the history, the film, and its relevance today.

Register here

Once registered, you’ll receive a unique, nontransferable link to attend the virtual event. Availability is limited and this event is for U.S.-based viewers only.

Panelists

  • Ken Burns (Filmmaker)
  • Sarah Botstein (Filmmaker)
  • Maggie Blackhawk (Professor of Law, New York University)
  • Christopher Brown (Professor of History, Columbia University)

Moderator

Patrick J. Egan (Professor of Politics & Public Policy, New York University)

Event in partnership with New York University, American Association for State & Local History, American Historical Association, and Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

Interested in hosting your own campus screening event for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION? Request a screening reel and find resources including discussion guides, event planners, and more at The American Revolution Engagement Resource Center.

Connecting Students to Our Shared History: The American Revolution PBS LearningMedia Educator Webinar

Join us on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:30pm ET for a virtual live event from PBS LearningMedia: Connecting Students to Our Shared History: A Live Conversations with the Filmmakers Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, the filmmakers behind THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION will join in a conversation moderated by Sharon McMahon known as “America’s Government Teacher.” You’ll hear how the film came to life, gather ideas for how to engage students in this shared history, and discover new ready-to-use classroom resources from PBS LearningMedia. Intended for Educators 3rd-12th grades

Register for the Webinar

Description

Join PBS LearningMedia on November 18th at 6:30 pm ET for an engaging conversation with Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, the filmmakers of The American Revolution. Through this discussion, moderated by “America’s Government Teacher,” Sharon McMahon, participants will learn about the process of creating a historical documentary, consider the power of visual storytelling to engage with the past, and discover opportunities to use this film in the classroom with PBS LearningMedia’s newest collection Ken Burns in the Classroom: The American Revolution. The resources in the collection will support teachers in connecting students to the Revolutionary era and its legacies today in relatable and meaningful ways. This conversation is part of the film’s premiere week and takes place right before the third episode airs on PBS at 8 pm ET. 

This event is intended for educators teaching social studies in grades 3-12, as well as other educators, including instructional coaches and curriculum specialists in social studies. When registering, attendees will have the opportunity to submit a question that may be asked during the event. 

What you’ll do:

What you’ll get:

  • Access to insights from The American Revolution filmmakers
  • Ready-to-use, curriculum-targeted, standards-aligned classroom resources 
  • A more expansive view of the Revolutionary era and ideas for how to engage students in this shared history, supporting critical thinking skills and the ability to connect the past to the present

If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your junk folder. If you have any questions or issues with registration, please send an email to learningmediacontact@pbs.org

Breaking Enigma: A World War II Game Changer • WXXI-TV

The story of breaking the unbreakable German Enigma Code by Alan Turing during WWII.

Breaking Enigma: A World War II Game Changer airs Sunday, November 9 at 7 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI app.

The breaking of Germany’s top-secret Enigma Code at Bletchley Park in the United Kingdom was one of World War II’s biggest secrets, alongside the construction of the atomic bombs. Some historians estimate that deciphering the German military code shortened the war by two years and possibly saved 14 million lives. Though the Enigma was deemed unbreakable, a British mathematician named Alan Turing spearheaded the initiative to achieve the impossible and succeeded unbeknownst to the German military. Narrated by Keith Morrison of Dateline and filmed on location in England and the United States, Breaking Enigma: A World War II Game Changer tells this heroic story in detail through a combination of interviews with historians, veterans and modern scientists.

Salute to Service 2025: A Veterans Day Special • WXXI-TV

Features multi-platinum entertainer and TV/film actor Trace Adkins alongside the US Army Field Band.

Salute to Service 2025: A Veterans Day Special airs Monday, November 10 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI app.

In addition to Adkins, this latest installment of the annual celebration features inspiring performances by opera superstar Angel Blue, Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, as well as fascinating profiles of veterans from across the nation and across the generations. Through powerful music and heartfelt storytelling, the program honors the courage and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans. Salute to Service 2025 features remarkable stories of service members, including:

  • World War II veteran John Gleeson, who served in the Army Air Corps and still flies planes today at age 101;
  • The Corley brothers, triplets who followed their father’s lead into the Army along with their mother, who enlisted a year after they joined the service;
  • Tracey Hunter of Beyond the Call, an organization dedicated to preserving the stories of WWII vets and taking them to reunions on some of the battlefields where they served;
  • A visit to the Library of Congress highlights the Veterans History Project, which collects and preserves the firsthand recollections of US military veterans for future generations.

Great Performances “Tiler Peck: Suspending Time” • WXXI-TV

Follow acclaimed ballerina Tiler Peck as she overcomes injury to reclaim her place on stage and debut her own choreography with New York City Ballet, revealing the resilience and artistry behind a modern-day prima ballerina.

Great Performances “Tiler Peck: Suspending Time” airs Friday, November 7 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI app.About the Episode

Great Performances – Tiler Peck: Suspending Time offers a deeply personal look at one of ballet’s most celebrated artists as she faces a career crossroads. Following a series of life-altering events—including a major injury and a personal loss—New York City Ballet prima ballerina Tiler Peck is forced to reckon with the unknown and reimagine her relationship to dance, to her body, and to herself. Directed by Alex Ramsey, the film follows Peck over the course of six years of her life, capturing rehearsals, performances and quiet moments of reflection, as she fights to return stronger, not just as a prima ballerina, but also as a choreographer and creative force. After Peck returns to the stage, she takes on the toughest creative challenge of her career: A prestigious invitation to choreograph for the New York City Ballet, culminating in debut performances set to a concerto by Francis Poulenc. Featuring original work by Peck alongside choreography from Alonzo King, William Forsythe, George Balanchine and Christopher Wheeldon, the film blends vulnerability and resilience with artistic brilliance.

Photo: Tiler Peck/Credit: Sam Sulam

Ken Burns’ The American Revolution Series • WXXI-TV

The American Revolution, a film series by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, explores the journey of the thirteen American colonies as they unite in rebellion, win an eight-year war to secure their independence, and establish a new form of government that would inspire democratic movements at home and around the globe. What begins as a political clash between colonists and the British government grows into a bloody struggle that will engage more than two dozen nations and forever change the world.

The American Revolution 6-part series is premiering Sunday, November 16-21 on WXXI-TV from 8PM-10PM (and re-airing the same nights 10PM-12-AM) The American Revolution examines how America’s founding turned the world upside-down. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired centuries of democratic movements around the globe.

Air dates on WXXI-TV & Live Stream

· Airs nightly 11/16 through 11/21 at 8 p.m.

· Repeats nightly 11/16 through 11/21 at 10 p.m.

· Repeats daily 11/23 through 11/28  at 3 p.m.

· Repeats 11/17 through 11/21 at 1 a.m. Saturday 11/22 at 2 a.m.

Following the airing of the episode it will be available on-demand for 3 weeks on the PBS Player website and the PBS App.

The American Revolution brings an expansive look at the virtues and contradictions of the war and the birth of the United States of America, the film series follows dozens of figures from a wide variety of backgrounds. Through their individual stories, viewers experience the war through the memories of the men and women who experienced it: the rank-and-file Continental soldiers and American militiamen (some of them teenagers), Patriot political and military leaders, British Army officers, American Loyalists, Native soldiers and civilians, enslaved and free African Americans, German soldiers in the British service, French and Spanish allies, and various civilians living in North America, Loyalist as well as Patriot, including many made refugees by the war.

The Revolution began a movement for people around the world to imagine new and better futures for themselves, their nations, and for humanity. It declared American independence with promises that we continue to strive for. The American Revolution opened the door to advance civil liberties and human rights, and it asked questions that we are still trying to answer today. 


Episodes

Episode 1: In Order To Be Free: The American Revolution In Order to Be Free Opposition in colonial North America to British policies over taxes, land, and sovereignty escalates into violent confrontation. Fighting in Massachusetts. Airs November 16.

Episode 2: An Asylum For Mankind: As New Englanders work to force the British Army from Boston, Congress puts George Washington in command of a new Continental Army. In July 1776, Congress declares American independence, insisting on the people’s right to resist tyranny. Airs November 17, 2025.

Episode 3: The Times That Try Men’s Souls: British General Howe soundly defeats General Washington at Long Island and in Manhattan, forcing the Americans to abandon New York City. After fleeing across New Jersey, Washington’s army regroups before attacking an outpost at Trenton. Airs November 18, 2025.

Episode 4: Conquer by a Drawn Game: After beating General Washington in battle, General Howe takes Philadelphia, forcing Congress to flee the city. But the Americans’ surprising victory over General Burgoyne at Saratoga encourages France to openly support the United States. Airs November 19, 2025.

Episode 5: The Soul of All America: After Valley Forge and Monmouth, the French American alliance changes the war and moves it to other theaters. Navies battle off England and in the Caribbean, while armies advance in Indian Country and the South. The British take Charleston. Airs: November 20, 2025.

Episode 6: The Most Sacred Thing: British General Cornwallis struggles to pacify the southern states. Supported by the French, Washington wins the decisive victory at Yorktown. With independence secured, Americans aspire for a more perfect union Airs November 21, 2025.

Independent Lens “Life After” • WXXI-TV

A gripping investigative documentary, “Life After,” coalesces the missing voices of the disability community in the contemporary debate around assisted dying.

Independent Lens “Life After” airs Monday, November 3 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

This Independent Lens film, presented as part of WXXI’s Move to IncludeTM initiative, premieres Monday, November 3, 2025 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams on the WXXI app and PBS app, is an essential and thought-provoking film that uncovers abuses of power while amplifying the voices of the disability community fighting for justice and dignity in an unfolding matter of life and death. 

Award-winning disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport (“I Didn’t See You There”) trenchantly probes the legacy of Elizabeth Bouvia—a disabled California woman who, at the age of 26, sought “the right to die.” Her 1983 case provoked a national debate about the value of disabled lives, and Davenport sees echoes in chilling contemporary cases of disabled people dying prematurely—at their own hands and from a broken health care system. Through moving and modern interviews and rich archival material, “Life After” looks critically at where progressive values of bodily autonomy collide with the devaluing and fear of disabled lives. “Reid challenges our assumptions about disability.

Disabled people continue to face premature death—whether through the case of Michael Hickson, who was left to die by a Texas hospital, or the choice of Jerika Bolen, a Wisconsin teen who received support from her community to end her life. 

Davenport’s exploration takes him to Canada, where regulations surrounding medical aid in dying (MAID) have been expanded to allow disabled individuals unprecedented access—even when their deaths are not reasonably foreseeable. In Ontario, Canada, Davenport meets Michal Kaliszan, a disabled computer programmer who once considered MAID as his only option to avoid entering an institution. In a society where ableism and inadequate healthcare often limit true choices, “Life After” exposes the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. The film challenges the notion that assisted dying always represents a free choice, revealing how it can sometimes be perceived as the only option.

Photo: Jeffrey McElfresh rides through the industrial area along the Ohio River
Credit: Provided by APT

Local, USA Firelighters: Fire Is Medicine • WXXI-WORLD

Indigenous people have deep knowledge of the art of using fire. Follow the work of women leaders from the Yurok and Karuk Tribes who are building resources to share indigenous practices and create policies to take back indigenous burning rights


Local, USA Firelighters: Fire Is Medicine airs Monday, November 17 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD and streaming live on the WXXI app.

For centuries, most landscapes in North America were shaped by fire between lightning strikes and Indigenous burns. Indigenous people had deep knowledge of the art of using fire, and still do today. Follow the work of women leaders from the Yurok and Karuk Tribes who are building resources to share indigenous practices and create policies to take back indigenous burning rights.

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