# I just found out we now get PBS **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247 "2011-11-08T04:55:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/1 "2011-11-08T04:55:52Z")
Someone was talking in another thread about Ken Burns’ Prohibition documentary, and it was on tonight. Very interesting. Glad to have the station. It looks like there are lots of interesting shows on it. Sorry if this seems bloggy! (By the way, not in US so PBS is unexpected) ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/2 "2011-11-08T14:30:24Z")
That is a little surprising. I wonder if they’re going to bug you for donations during Pledge Weeks. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/3 "2011-11-08T14:57:13Z")
Interesting; I wonder if you’re getting the feed from a particular station, or the PBS network feed (my understanding is that individual stations have a fair amount of leeway as to what they run, and when, though there seems to be a “standard” network feed). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/4 "2011-11-08T14:59:43Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Interesting; I wonder if you’re getting the feed from a particular station, or the PBS network feed (my understanding is that individual stations have a fair amount of leeway as to what they run, and when, though there seems to be a “standard” network feed). I just looked it up. > [@](#): > > PBS UK is a British pay-TV version of the American non-profit television network PBS. It is a joint venture between entrepreneur David Lyons and PBS Distribution, which owns the international rights to the bulk of PBS’s output. The UK branch of PBS operates much like BBC Worldwide, a profit-making enterprise managed separately from the main non-profit, publicly financed arm, that will ideally generate money for its parent. > **[PBS America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBS_UK)** > > PBS America is a British free-to-air television channel derived from PBS, an American public television broadcaster similar to the BBC and Channel 4. It is a joint venture between entrepreneur David Lyons and PBS Distribution, itself a joint venture of PBS and the WGBH Educational Foundation, which owns the international rights to the bulk of PBS's output. > PBS America operates much like BBC Studios, a profit-making enterprise managed separately from the main non-profit, publicly financed arm,... So it doesn’t look like I’ll be bugged for pledges. I’ve only seen the American shows that were on last night on it, haven’t seen any of the UK shows. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/5 "2011-11-08T15:08:35Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve only seen the American shows that were on last night on it, haven’t seen any of the UK shows. Roomie records shows from PBS all the time. Invariably, they are British dramas. ---
**Author:** ![nudgenudge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@nudgenudge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nudgenudge)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/6 "2011-11-08T15:38:39Z")
Sounds like they’re not going to show any of the British stuff they show in the US. Probably don’t have rights in the UK, and what would be the point anyway? It does sound like an interesting channel. I’ve always been curious about what PBS is like. Not quite enough to make me subscribe to Sky or Virgin though. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/7 "2011-11-08T16:09:03Z")
> [@nudgenudge](#): > > It does sound like an interesting channel. I’ve always been curious about what PBS is like. Not quite enough to make me subscribe to Sky or Virgin though. You can watch the American version of the _Antiques Roadshow_, and chuckle at how “old” the items typically are. But more seriously, some regular shows I like are: _Nova_, _Frontline_, _Secrets of the Dead_, and _History Detectives_. If you have some interest in US history, you might occasionally check out _The American Experience_, depending on the topic. Also, PBS usually re-runs a couple of Ken Burns’ documentaries sometime during the year. **An Gadaí** mentions “Prohibition”, a new one of his, which will probably be shown again a few months from now (if PBS sticks to habit). Look out also for _Great Performances_. Hugh Laurie was on the last one I saw a few weeks ago. We followed him on a musical pilgrimage to New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/8 "2011-11-08T16:44:14Z")
For Americans, we’ll be running a sequel to _Downton Abbey_ beginning in January. We’re re-running the original in December. kenobi 65, stations do have leeway; we air programming from other sources besides PBS. Also, we have three channels, so we can program repeats more frequently (which is actually a good thing, allowing people to time-shift live, as it were). Our third channel is all-Kentucky related programming, mostly stuff we produce but also from other sources. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/9 "2011-11-08T16:54:17Z")
> [@nudgenudge](#): > > It does sound like an interesting channel. I’ve always been curious about what PBS is like. Not quite enough to make me subscribe to Sky or Virgin though. My thoughts exactly. I wonder if they plan on launching on Freeview when a slot comes available? ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/10 "2011-11-08T17:11:22Z")
I thought at the minimum everyone got PBS. If not through cable it’s almost always available over the air. ---
**Author:** ![nudgenudge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@nudgenudge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nudgenudge)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/11 "2011-11-08T17:20:11Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > I thought at the minimum everyone got PBS. If not through cable it’s almost always available over the air. Yeah, but you’d need a huge antenna to pick it up in Ireland… ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/12 "2011-11-08T17:27:20Z")
> [@nudgenudge](#): > > Yeah, but you’d need a huge antenna to pick it up in Ireland… Oops. Didn’t know the OP is in Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/13 "2011-11-08T17:58:58Z")
> [@nudgenudge](#): > > Sounds like they’re not going to show any of the British stuff they show in the US. Probably don’t have rights in the UK, and what would be the point anyway? No doubt. Over on this side, without PBS millions of Americans would never have grown up watching _Monty Python’s Flying Circus_, _The Prisoner_, _Doctor Who_ (A roommate had a license plate on her car: CARDIS), _Dave Allen At Large_, _Red Dwarf_, _Fawlty Towers_, _Sherlock Holmes_, and the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/14 "2011-11-08T18:23:47Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Over on this side, without PBS millions of Americans would never have grown up watching _Monty Python’s Flying Circus_, _The Prisoner_, _Doctor Who_ …, _Dave Allen At Large_, _Red Dwarf_, _Fawlty Towers_, _Sherlock Holmes_, and the rest. Can’t forget _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_. But also, a lot of American UHF stations used to run British programming. I actually saw Dave Allen on UHF first (fuzzily), along with _The Two Ronnies_ and other shows from that timeframe. However, those programming choices were entirely up to each individual station. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/15 "2011-11-08T18:37:01Z")
It’s kind of like the reverse of BBC America, which is one of my favorite channels here in the US and which shows some of the better stuff from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, etc. (It also shows some crappy UK programming as well.) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/16 "2011-11-10T22:50:33Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Oops. Didn’t know the OP is in Ireland. Yeah I remembered to put in that I wasn’t in the US at the bottom of the post, otherwise this would be the worst thread ever. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/17 "2011-11-10T23:05:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > No doubt. Over on this side, without PBS millions of Americans would never have grown up watching _Monty Python’s Flying Circus_, _The Prisoner_, _Doctor Who_ (A roommate had a license plate on her car: CARDIS), _Dave Allen At Large_, _Red Dwarf_, _Fawlty Towers_, _Sherlock Holmes_, and the rest. Don’t forget _Blackadder_! Also chiming in to mention that _I_ just found out that you can stream a ton of PBS programming directly from their website for free. Just watched [Page Eight](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/watch/pageeight.html) in its entirety last night. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/18 "2011-11-11T16:04:07Z")
> [@nudgenudge](#): > > Sounds like they’re not going to show any of the British stuff they show in the US. Probably don’t have rights in the UK, and what would be the point anyway? There doesn’t need to be a point. BBC-America plays **The X-Files** and a couple of other US shows, so this “point” thing obviously eludes networks. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/19 "2011-11-11T18:48:09Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > There doesn’t need to be a point. BBC-America plays **The X-Files** and a couple of other US shows, so this “point” thing obviously eludes networks. Yes. _Battlestar Galactica_ and _Star Trek TNG_ are two of those other shows. BBC America’s logic seems to be: if there’s at least one British actor in the cast, it’s British enough for us. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247/20 "2011-11-11T18:55:24Z")
It annoys me that BBC America plays US shows like Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek: TNG (and also movies with a weak connection to the UK). These shows were already being shown on other US cable channels. I watch BBC America for UK shows not otherwise available in the US. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-we-now-get-pbs/602247.md?page=2)