Highlights Archive

Third Eye Blind – Live at the Red Rocks • WXXI-TV

Watch the iconic 25th anniversary show of Third Eye Blind at the Red Rocks, the show which despite all odds rocked their fans.

Third Eye Blind – Live at the Red Rocks airs Sunday, July 21, at 2:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of their iconic self-titled debut album released in 1997, Third Eye Blind played the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado for the first time in 2022. An approaching storm threatened to cancel the show as the band overcame speech-losing migraines, altitude sickness, and a lighting person walking off to deliver a hit-filled performance to thousands of their adoring fans.

Gear Up for Gold: Your Ultimate Viewing Guide Leading Up to the July 2024 Paris Olympic Games

July of 2024 promises two things: long, sun-filled summer days and the much-anticipated Paris Summer Olympics! To make sure our viewers are prepared for the world’s biggest sporting event, we’ve crafted the ultimate viewing guide. Get ready to dive into the most iconic moments in sports to appreciate this Olympic season even further.

#1: American Experience: The Boys of ’36 • Airing Tuesday, July 9 at 9pm on WXXI-TV
In 1936, nine working-class young men from the University of Washington took the rowing world and America by storm when they captured the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Berlin.

#2: Hitler’s Olympics • Airing Tuesday, July 9 at 10pm on WXXI-TV
The complete story of the Berlin games – the early plans, the Nazi takeover, the purge of Jews from German athletics and the grand spectacle itself.

#3: Jesse Owens: American Experience • Airing Saturday, July 20 at 4pm on WXXI-TV
The most famous athlete of his time, Jesse Owens’ grace and athleticism rallied crowds across the globe. But when the four-time Olympic gold medalist returned home, he could not even ride in the front of a bus. The story of the 22-year-old son of a sharecropper who triumphed over adversity to become the hero and world champion we know today.

#4: Gods of Tennis: Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe • Airing Tuesday, July 23 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
In 1975, the legendary Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe are fighting to become Wimbledon champions, while in their own ways, they are also battling social change for equality on a global level.

Darius Rucker: Live from Nashville• WXXI-TV

Join the triple Grammy winner for new songs, Hootie & the Blowfish classics, and his solo hits.

Darius Rucker: Live from Nashville airs Sunday, July 7 at 2:30 p.m. on WXX-TV

Grab a front-row seat as the three-time Grammy Award winner performs songs from his latest album, Carolyn’s Boys, along with Hootie & the Blowfish classics and his solo country hits, including a special performance of Diamond-certified “Wagon Wheel” with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor.

CREATE Showcase in July • WXXI-CREATE

Enjoy these marathons with your favorite CREATE celebrities throughout July!

CREATE Showcases air Fridays from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on WXXI-CREATE.

American Traditions – July 4-6
In a nod to Independence Day, we’re taking some time to enjoy some maker traditions — in the kitchen, the workshop, and on the road. Sit back and enjoy some traditional creations and their stories with some of your favorite Create hosts.

Cook’s Country Southern Style Summer – July 11-13
Southern staples shine in a weekend dedicated to the delicious, the fresh, and the comfort classics. Join Cook’s Country for a trip that winds through the Southeast and into Texas for delights that will go straight to the top of your recipe pile.

Focus on Flowers – July 18-20
It’s no secret that flowers are a simple and beautiful way to improve your well-being, but do you know about some of their other superpowers? Find out as J Schwanke brings the focus on flowers in ten back-to-back episodes of Life in Bloom.

Practice Makes Perfect– July 25-27
Beautiful things are created one stitch at a time, and our needle arts pros are here to get you started! Cozy up for a marathon of quilting, knitting, and crocheting to inspire your next handiwork.

Norm & Company Special Edition: Honoring Norm Silverstein • Watch On-Demand

In a special final episode of “Norm & Company,” Norm Silverstein becomes the guest.

WXXI President Norm Silverstein will retire this year after 28 years at the helm of WXXI. In turning the tables on the very show where Norm has interviewed 22 guests, he sits down with Connections host Evan Dawson to discuss how his leadership transformed the station, his thoughts on the state of journalism in 2024, the documentaries produced over the years, and how public media enhances the lives of kids, families, and the community.

“I’ve never really thought much about my legacy, to be honest, but I always thought about the station. I wanted people to think about WXXI as being a place where they want to come to work — and being a place that makes a difference”.
– WXXI President Norm Silverstein

During his time, he has seen the organization grow from one television and two radio stations to a public media organization that now includes four public television stations, one cable channel for the city of Rochester, and six public radio stations. WXXI also operates the Little Theatre and CITY magazine. Norm is proud of how the organization has grown since he started in 1995, but what he’s most proud of is how WXXI and its various entities have been able to serve the Greater Rochester community.

Norm was recently interviewed by Randy Gorbman, of WXXI News and was asked about his mindset as he was coming to the end of his run as WXXI’s President: “We’re a much different station than we were when I got here 28 years ago, and of course, you’d expect that,” Norm said. “We have some terrific people, I think we’re respected for what we do, and people are going to continue to support us.”

Art + Medicine: Disability, Culture and Creativity • On-demand

Artists and healthcare clinicians create alternative perspectives on disability, through disability, stories and performances, and redefine what we perceive as normal. Hosted by artist and storyteller Kevin Kling, Professor Jessica Horvath Williams, PhD, and Doctor Tsegaensh Selameab. Created in collaboration with the Center for the Art of Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Prelude: The Legacy of Garth Fagan Dance • WXXI-TV

Explore the life and career of Tony award winning choreographer Garth Fagan and meet three of his long-time disciples, who are now tasked with bringing his technique and legacy to the next generation.

Prelude: The Legacy of Garth Fagan Dance airs Friday, June 28 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

PRELUDE l The Legacy of Garth Fagan Dance takes you on a journey through the twists and turns of the Tony award-winning choreographer’s storied, collaborative, and prolific career. The WXXI production also looks at three of Mr. Fagan’s long-time disciples – William J. Ferguson II, Natalie Rogers-Cropper, and Norwood Pennewell – who are now tasked with bringing his technique and legacy to the next generation. Through an immersive, cutting-edge documentary film style, PRELUDE reveals the many facets of Garth Fagan.

In celebration of 50 years of Garth Fagan Dance, the hour-long documentary explores the experiences that make up this Jamaican-American dance treasure and his work. Through Mr. Fagan’s own words, PRELUDE sheds light on how he was able to build a multi-cultural dance company that incorporates African-American, Jamaican, and American dance styles into a whole new dance technique.

Mr. Fagan’s choreography was launched into the spotlight in 1997 in Julie Taymor’s Broadway production of The Lion King, and PRELUDE reflects on what that experience meant to the choreographer and his close collaborators. Using archival video of rehearsals, performances, and interviews shot throughout the last 50 years, the film looks at the evolution of the virtuoso and his company of dancers who shared his vision and mastered his technique.

Interviews with The Lion King director Julie Taymor, Kennedy Center award-winning dancer Judith Jameson, SUNY Brockport Dancer Professor Emeritus Jacquie Davis, and many others provide a multifaceted view of all stages of Fagan’s illustrious career and a look at the next generation of Garth Fagan Dance.

Produced by WXXI and distributed by American Public Television.

Photo: (L-R) Natalie Rogers-Cropper, William J. Ferguson II, Norwood Pennewell with Garth Fagan (center, seated)
Credit: Jason Milton

RIT Shorts • WXXI-TV

WXXI puts a spotlight on the work of Rochester Institute of Technology film and photo journalism students by presenting three short films.

RIT Shorts airs Friday, July 12 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV. Repeats Saturday, July 13 at 4:30 p.m.

The first edition of RIT Shorts features three short films themed around sports. They include:

Back to the Ballpark, which chronicles the heartwarming return of the Rochester Red Wings and their devoted fans as a new season kicks off at Innovative Field. It captures the joy and anticipation as players and supporters reunite after a prolonged hiatus. follows five days leading up to the Rochester Red Wings opening day at Innovative Field. The production team includes first-year students Liam McCammon, Max Alves, and Dillon Sharp.

Falling Forward, produced by Georgia Pressley, a fourth-year photojournalism student, follows the story of Pamela Tuety, Adele Long, and Lauren Ayes, who all found roller derby at different times. “It’s almost like an addiction or something,” says Tuety. Is it the pseudonyms and alternate personas, the ferocity of a full-contact sport, or the community of people? The documentary looks inside the lives of three of the players at the Roc City Roller Derby team and what makes the community unique.

Protect Our House, directed by Denna Alece-Dom, a fourth-year animation student, and produced by Michelle Snow, a fourth-year production student who is also pursuing an MBA, introduces viewers to three all-star players of the RIT Division 1 men’s hockey team. The mixed media documentary shares how the unique hockey fan culture impacts their lives both as students and as players.

Photo: From “Back to the Ball Park.” Red Wings players standing for the National Anthem
Photo credit: Liam McCammon