Yes, PBS is fun: dramas, concerts, more

OK, we all know that PBS likes to educate. It’s the place to learn about French chefs, Russian czars and Roman aquaducts.
But it’s also a fun place.We’re reminded of that with a new batch of Sunday dramas (starting March 17) that includes Helena Bonham Carter (shown here) … a four-Friday slice of Broadway (starting May 10) … and music, from Willie Nelson to Elton John.
“Art has been at the heart of our work for more than 50 years,” Paula Kerger, the PBS president, told the Television Critics Associatiion. She means 50 years literally:
— Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Nelson concert that launched “Austin City Limits.” A “yearlong celebration” is coming, Kerger said, with old and new shows.
— Last year was the 50th anniversary of what is now “Great Performances.” Coming in May are four Broadway specials, half of them with Audra McDonald.
— And “Masterpiece” recently turned 53, but seems younger. It started with stories by Tolstoy, Balzac and Dostoevsky. Coming are true, modern-era stories – Helena Bonham Carter as a steel-willed soap star and Toby Jones as a postmaster fighting officials. The latter, said “Masterpiece” chief Suzanne Simpson, “created a firestorm in the UK.”
All of this is part of a basic philosophy: For those of us who don’t live near Broadway (or Austin or Hollywood), PBS is a key link to many types of entertainment.
When he was growing up in Philadelphiia, Leslie Odom Jr. said, “PBS was my access to the great performances happening all over the American stages. It was the first place that I saw the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, the first place I was introduced to a hero and beacon in my life, Anna Deavere Smith.” He went on to Tony-winning fame in “Hamilton” and on May 31 stars on PBS in the comedy, “Purlie Victorious.”
Kerger had a similar link. “I grew up outside of Baltimore, in an area that was somewhat rural,” she said. “My access to the arts was through television.”
PBS still sometimes leans to the classical side. Kerger. grew up with telecasts of Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, now she’s looking forward to charismatic conductor Gustavo Dudamel taking over the Philharmonic next year. “The potential impact … could be hugely powerful.”
But the music isn’t confined to orchestras. Kerger talked about a Gershwin Prize celebration (April 8), with the music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin … and a series on disco (next season) … and the two main entertainment packages:
— “Great Performances” will wrap up its season with a Broadway emphasis. There are two plays directed by Kenny Leon – a modern twist on “Hamlet,” May 10; and Odom in “Purlie Victorious” (May 24). There will also be two concerts – McDonald solo (May 17) and with others to celebrate 80 years of Rodgers-and-Hammerstein (May 31).
— “Masterpiece” is “known maybe more for our period dramas,” Simpson granted. There’s still some of that: Next season has Keeley Hawes as Jane Austen’s sister and Damian Lewis (as Henry VIII) and Mark Rylance in a “Wolf Hall” sequel.
But the emphasis is on more-recent tales,. When Simpson saw “Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office,” she rejuggled her schedule, nudging “MaryLand” (Stockard Channing and Eve Best as estranged sisters) back a few weeks.
Before that, she has the March 17 shows – “Call the Midwife,” “Nolly” (shown herem a vibrant showcase for Carter) and then “Alice & Jack,” a complex romance.
That last one may seem slightly out-of-place in a network that often eyes crises.
“The world is dearly and desperately in need of stories about love in all its forms right now,” said Victor Levin, the “Alice & Jack” writer. “And stories in which love is held up as a value to fight for.”