PBS SoCal Celebrates Community and Culture With June Programming Honoring Identity and Creativity
Press Contact
Chelsea Grosbeck
cgrosbeck@pbssocal.org
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Select programming will also be available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App. Members of PBS SoCal get extended access with PBS Passport.
Los Angeles, Calif. – May 15, 2025 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS station, announced today a curated slate of content that invites Southern California audiences to celebrate identity, creativity and community. Five all-new programs will debut throughout the month that reflect the month’s Pride celebrations and recognize Juneteenth (June 19), also known as Freedom Day recognizing the end of slavery in the U.S. Included in the lineup is an intimate new AMERICAN MASTERS special highlighting the legendary life of GRAMMY ® award-winning singer-songwriter, Janis Ian ("At Seventeen," "Society's Child," "Stars"). A folk icon and advocate, the special traces Ian’s life and career after her launch into the spotlight as she overcame homophobia, record industry misogyny and even a life-threatening illness to produce a lasting body of work that continues to draw large audiences around the globe today. The documentary chronicles all six decades of her legacy and premieres on Fri., June 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
Additional new content for the month features an intimate look at record-breaking gamer, Narcissa Wright, in a new documentary from POV exploring gamer culture. After losing her massive fanbase after coming out as a trans woman, she sets out to reclaim her place by attempting to set a new record in the video game, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” by live-streaming every minute of her quest. The documentary confronts the realities of online harassment and the mental health implications of living in a digital age. POV “Break the Game” premieres on Mon., June 30 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Renowned performer BeBe Zahara Benet is spotlighted in the documentary BEING BEBE: THE BEBE ZAHARA BENET DOCUMENTARY which follows Benet over the course of 15 years as an immigrant from Cameroon who rose from performing at Minneapolis Pride to becoming the first winner on the groundbreaking reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The documentary raises timely concerns celebrating the power of art, self-acceptance and staying deeply connected to roots and family. The new documentary premieres on Sat., June 14 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
Encore presentations of PBS SoCal’s original series also return this June, including Emmy® award-winning arts and culture series ARTBOUND and the locally produced, historical documentary series LOST LA. ARTBOUND: “Mustache Mondays” explores the legendary Southern California nightclub scene that became a creative incubator for some of today’s most influential contemporary artists, examining how underground nightlife shaped expression and a cultural movement in Southern California. The 60-minute documentary airs on Wed., June at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus. While the encore airing of LOST LA “Coded Geographies” delves into the hidden geographies and systems of exclusion many Angelenos had to navigate shedding light on the dynamics of coded segregation that has continued to shape Los Angeles today. The 30-minute episode airs on Wed., June 11 at 8:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
All PBS SoCal programs can be found on the free PBS Video App and are available to stream on the PBS SoCal website where digital resources dedicated to informing and educating the community can also be found.
Select content slated to air is listed as follows (*schedule subject to change):
TOM DALEY: ILLEGAL TO BE ME - Sat., June 7 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – NEW!
Double-world champion diver Tom Daley visits the most homophobic countries in the Commonwealth to explore how athletes are facing extreme persecution – and asks what the Commonwealth Games can do to help.
UNIDAD: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos - Sat., June 7 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
GLLU was founded in 1981, only a few years before HIV/AIDS began to ravage communities and was Los Angeles area’s first major Queer Latin@ organization. The film chronicles events at a pivotal time in the history of equality, women’s rights and civil rights movements.
LOST LA “Coded Geography” - Wed., June 11 at 8:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
This episode of LOST LA explores two underground guidebooks, The Negro Travelers' Green Book and The Address Book, that reveal the hidden geographies many Angelenos had to navigate, exposing Los Angeles as a place of coded segregation and resistance.
ARTBOUND: Mustache Mondays - Wed., June 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
See how a roving night club event in Los Angeles called “Mustache Mondays” became a creative incubator for today’s leading edge contemporary artists. This film examines the history of these spaces and how they shaped the cultural fabric unique to Southern California.
BEING BEBE: THE BEBE ZAHARA BENET DOCUMENTARY – Sat., June 14 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – NEW!
The rise of performer BeBe Zahara Benet, who went from performing at Minneapolis Pride to being crowned the triumphant winner of season one of "RuPaul's Drag Race" in 2009.
AMERICAN MASTERS “Janis Ian: Breaking Silence” – Fri., June 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – NEW!
A journey through the life of singer-songwriter Janis Ian, who challenged norms while overcoming professional and personal challenges including a life-threatening illness.
QUILTMAKERS OF GEE’S BEND – Sat., June 21 at 1 p.m. on PBS SoCal – NEW!
Explore the extraordinary lives of a group of African-American artists, primarily women, from Alabama’s Black Belt region as they journey to see their quilts exhibited at The Milwaukee Art Museum.
HARRIET TUBMAN: VISIONS OF FREEDOM – Sat., June 21 at 2:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Go beyond the legend and meet the inspiring woman who repeatedly risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from slavery. Born 200 years ago in Maryland, Harriet Tubman was a conductor of the Underground Railroad, a Civil War scout, nurse and spy, and one of the greatest freedom fighters in our nation’s history.
HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.: THE FABRIC OF AMERICA – Sat., June 21 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal
A retrospective look at cultural historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. and how his work has made history come alive for millions of Americans.
DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION: “Rock the Boat” – Sat., June 21 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The opening episode of the series looks at the roots of disco – how it emerged from a basic desire for inclusion, visibility, and freedom among minority communities of New York City. It tells the remarkable story of how a global phenomenon began in the loft apartments and basement bars of New York City, where a new generation of DJs and musicians, like David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Francis Grasso and Earl Young (The Trammps), pioneered a distinct sound and a new way of spinning records.
DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION: “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” – Sat., June 21 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Part two of the series is set against the backdrop of black power and sexual liberation, the second episode takes viewers to the high watermark of disco in the mid ’70s. It was the birth of the “disco diva” from Gloria Gaynor and Candi Staton to Donna Summer and Thelma Houston. However, mainstream success by The Bee Gees’ soundtrack album “Saturday Night Fever” and Studio 54 soon took disco further and further from its roots of inclusivity and freedom.
DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION: “Stayin’ Alive” – Sat., June 21 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The final episode documents the wellspring of resentment from middle Americans, as a vocal “Disco Sucks” movement began to gain momentum. Culminating in the “Disco Demolition Derby” at Comiskey Park Stadium in Chicago, organizers destroyed thousands of disco records in front of a baying audience of baseball fans. In addition, the hedonism and sexual liberation embodied by disco found itself stopped in its tracks by the AIDS crisis. Pushed out of the mainstream, the pioneers of disco retreated and regrouped.
JODI FOSTER, HOLLYWOOD UNDER THE SKIN - Fri., June 27 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
This documentary follows actress Jodie Foster through her many accomplishments in her life and career in the film industry. Featuring clips from her many productions, this retrospective cements Foster as one of the most significant individuals to have ever worked on both sides of the camera. From her origins as a child model and acclaimed young actor, she later transitioned behind-the-camera as a celebrated filmmaker.
POV: “Break the Game” - Mon., June 30 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal – NEW!
After coming out as a trans woman, world-record-holding gamer, Narcissa Wright loses her massive fanbase. To win them back, she attempts to set a new record in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” live-streaming every minute of her quest. The documentary is a moving exploration of gamer culture, the realities of online harassment and the mental health implications of living a digital life.
QUEER SILICON VALLEY - Mon., June 30 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Filmmakers Bob Gliner ("We're Still Here," "Schools That Change Communities," "Walk the Walk") and Ken Yeager explore the rich history of Silicon Valley and its profound impact on the LGBTQ+ movement in the United States.
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About PBS SoCalP
PBS SoCal uses the power of public media for good, strengthening the civic fabric of Southern California and providing our community with an essential connection to a wider world. As a local, donor/member-supported non-profit organization, PBS SoCal manages 7 channels — including 2 primary broadcast channels, PBS SoCal and PBS SoCal Plus as well as 5 digital subchannels. With a commitment to make content available anytime and anywhere for free, PBS SoCal reaches nearly 19M viewers in the region with programming that reflects the diversity of Southern California and showcases the full schedule of beloved and trusted PBS content spanning Education, News, Environment and Arts & Culture. PBS SoCal programming is available to viewers over-the-air, on all key streaming platforms via the free PBS App and PBS KIDS App. PBS SoCal also sparks the sharing of ideas at in-person cultural events and community conversations as well as prepares children for kindergarten and beyond by bringing bilingual, hands-on learning experiences to the community for free.