PBS’ programming lineup for April is very heavy on two of public broadcasting’s signature shows: Finding Your Roots and Antiques Roadshow. Both series are excellent, but they don’t cater to the crowd who comes to PBS for the influx of British dramas. Unfortunately, there aren’t any new shows from the United Kingdom this month. But Walter Presents is bringing over mystery shows from Finland and France to help fill the void. There are also new installments of Independent Lens, and we’ve picked one to round out this month’s suggestion for the PBS shows you need to watch.
There’s still plenty of time to catch the other new shows on PBS in April. You can even go back and revisit the great PBS shows to watch in March as well. For now, here are our recommendations for the three PBS shows you should watch in April.
Are you looking for more shows to watch this month? If so, check out our guides on the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, and the best shows on Disney+.
Evilside
You may need PBS Passport to find Evilside, a Finnish original mystery series that’s being released on PBS through Walter Presents. Amira Khalifa leads the cast as Ulla Penttinen, a police detective on a small Finnish island. The island’s strong bonds of community are tested when a woman named Johanna (Olivia Ainali) is accused of murdering her best friend in a ritualistic killing.
There aren’t many people in town who believe in Johanna’s innocence, and Ulla has to get to the truth before the people tear themselves apart over this case. This show will be streamed in Finnish with English subtitles.
Watch Evilside on PBS.
Independent Lens — We Want the Funk!
Three-time Emmy winner Stanley Nelson is behind the documentary We Want the Funk!, which is premiering on PBS through Independent Lens. We Want the Funk! is Nelson’s comprehensive exploration of funk music, which traces its roots to African music, soul, and jazz.
Funk came to the forefront in America thanks to artists like James Brown and George Clinton, but it still influences the next generation of musicians in hip-hop and new wave. In other words, the evolution of funk continues.
Watch Independent Lens — We Want the Funk! on PBS.
The Mountain Detective
Walter Presents is also bringing The Mountain Detective back for its third season on PBS. Like Evilside, this French series is presented in its original language with English subtitles. Samuel Le Bihan headlines the series as Alex Hugo, a former policeman who left his life in Marseilles behind him so he could start a new chapter.
But as Alex has discovered, the people in the mountains of the Hautes also need someone who solves mysteries and murders as needed. Alex hasn’t escaped the violence of his old job; it’s just reappeared in a new location. But at least by now, he’s used to it.
Watch The Mountain Detective on PBS on April 25.
