August 2025 Fundraiser Specials

Join us as we celebrate 70 years of PBS North Carolina from August 9-17 with special programming including Johnny Cash: We Walk the Line, All Creatures Great and Small: Chapter Five, American Revolution: An Inside Look and more!

Your donations make these programs possible and are needed more than ever.  

Congress recently passed a rescission bill eliminating federal funding for public media. For PBS North Carolina, that means a loss of more than $4 million annually or 15% of our annual budget.

With your support, PBS North Carolina can continue to share powerful stories and provide essential public services just as we’ve done for over 70 years.  

Make your gift today!

• Saturday, 8/9, 7 PM – Johnny Cash: We Walk the Line
• Sunday, 8/10, 8 PM– All Creatures Great and Small: Chapter Five
• Monday, 8/11, 8 PM – Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration
• Tuesday, 8/12, 8 PM – American Revolution: An Inside Look
• Wednesday, 8/13, 8 PM – Walking with Dinosaurs: A Viewers Guide
• Thursday, 8/14, 9:30 PM – 50 Years with Peter, Paul, and Mary
• Friday, 8/15, 9 PM – The Great American Recipe
• Saturday, 8/16, 8 PM – 60s and 70s Soul Celebration
• Sunday, 8/17, 8 PM – 50 Years with Peter, Paul, and Mary

Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration

A star-studded music special celebrating the country legend’s milestone 90th birthday and his contributions to popular culture and music. Recorded live on Nelson’s 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, this historic concert features classics from the Nelson songbook with performances by Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Norah Jones, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and Nelson himself.

Watch Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration, Saturday, 8/9, 8:30 PM and Monday, 8/11, 8 PM on PBS NC. Streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.

Rush: Time Machine – Live in Cleveland

Rush’s The Time Machine Tour was a favorite among fans, thanks to its incredible set list, which encompassed songs from the progressive rock trio’s entire career. This live concert, recorded in April 2011 at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena, pays homage to the city that first played their music on the radio. Highlights include “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “Closer to the Heart.”

Watch Rush: Time Machine – Live in Cleveland, Saturday, 8/9, 10:30 PM on PBS NC. Streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.

Deconstructing the Beatles

Acclaimed "Beatle-ologist" Scott Freiman guides you, step by step, on an educational journey through several of The Beatles’ milestone albums and the fascinating stories that accompanied them. No matter how much you know about the Beatles, there's something new here for you. Episodes include “The Beatles Come to America,” “Deconstructing Rubber Soul,” and “A Trip Through Strawberry Fields.”

Watch Deconstructing the Beatles, Monday, 8/11, 10 PM on PBS NC. Streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.

50 Years with Peter, Paul, and Mary 

Celebrate the impact of the folk music trio that provided America’s soundtrack for five decades, while combining artistry with activism. From their emergence in Greenwich Village in the 1960s to the present, their legacy has impacted generations. Featuring many of their best performances and most popular songs, including “Puff The Magic Dragon,” “If I Had A Hammer” and “Five Hundred Miles."

Watch 50 Years with Peter, Paul, and Mary, Thursday, 8/14, 10 PM on PBS NC. Streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.

The Great American Recipe  

Follow talented home cooks from different regions of the country as they compete weekly with their most memorable recipes. In the final week, the top three home cooks vie for a chance to win The Great American Recipe.

Watch the finale of The Great American Recipe, Friday, 8/15, 9 PM on PBS NC. Streaming now on the PBS app.

Neil Diamond: Hot August Night /NYC

Recorded live at New York's Madison Square Garden in August 2008, this concert features career-spanning hits from Neil's phenomenal four-night sold-out run at the fabled concert hall. Songs include "Beautiful Noise," "Cherry, Cherry," "Thank the Lord for the Night Time," "I Am...I Said," "Solitary Man," "Kentucky Woman," "Forever in Blue Jeans," "America," and, of course, "Sweet Caroline."

Watch Neil Diamond: Hot August Night /NYC, Friday, 8/15, 10 PM on PBS NC. Streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.