PBS Masterpiece Announces Full Lineup for 50th Anniversary (EXCLUSIVE)
Programming for the 50th anniversary of PBS’s Masterpiece will now include performances by Martin Freeman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Kyle MacLachlan and Tom Hollander.
The full lineup was announced exclusively to Variety on Thursday morning. The anthology drama series, produced by GBH Boston, will mark five decades on Jan. 10, 2021.
While “Elizabeth Is Missing,” “All Creatures Great and Small” and “Miss Scarlet & the Duke” were announced earlier this year, “The Long Song,” a three part mini-series about the end of slavery in Jamaica starring Tamara Lawrance, Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden, has been added to the schedule for Jan. 31.
The rest of the year’s lineup is below. Premieres dates have not been announced.
Spring 2021
“Atlantic Crossing”: Eight-part series about Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (Kyle MacLachlan) relationship with Norwegian Crown Princess Martha during WWII (Sofia Helin).
“Talking Heads: The Hand of God”: The first of two performances of Allen Bennett’s classic monologues stars Kristin Scott Thomas as an antiques shop owner who finds herself on the evening news when she makes a big sale.
“Talking Heads: A Chip in the Sugar”: Martin Freeman is a bachelor navigating his widowed mother’s interest in one of her old flames.
Summer 2021
“Us”: Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves star in the four-part series as a couple on the brink of divorce who take a long-planned vacation through Europe.
Fall 2021
The 50th anniversary celebration ends with select seasons of Masterpiece mysteries, including “Baptiste,” “Grantchester,” “Van der Valk” and “Unforgotten.”
“Fifty years in, Masterpiece remains the true home for acting royalty,” Masterpiece executive producer Susanne Simpson said in a statement. “Whether it’s elegant costume dramas, addictive mysteries, or edgy contemporary programs that appeal to an audience of streamers, we have stunning new shows for our anniversary year.”
Since its launch 50 years ago, Masterpiece has won 83 Emmys, 18 Peabody Awards, seven Golden Globes and two Oscars.
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