PBS Fall 2026 Schedule: ‘NOVA,’ Ken Burns, ‘Crime and Punishment’ & More

PBS is heading into fall with a packed lineup of documentaries and specials exploring everything from ancient human creativity to the space race, evolution, and the complicated history of crime and punishment in America.

The upcoming slate kicks off in September with NOVA: The Battle to Breathe, which examines the breakthrough treatment that transformed life for many people with cystic fibrosis, followed by NOVA: Knowledge Keepers and NOVA: Stone Age Masterpiece. October brings the timely NOVA: Space Wars, a five-part NOVA: Evolution series, and In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership.

Then, in November, PBS looks to both the stars and American history with We Chose to Go to the Moon and the four-part Crime and Punishment in America, directed by Lynn Novick and executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard.

Here’s what’s coming to PBS this fall and when you can watch:

NOVA: The Battle to Breathe
Premieres: Wednesday, September 16, 9/8c on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Official Logline: “Witness an extraordinary medical revolution in the battle against cystic fibrosis, the most common fatal genetic disease in the U.S. Once a death sentence, CF saw life expectancies barely reach childhood. But in 2019, an apparent miracle treatment — Trikafta, a potent combination of three drugs — changed everything. People once bedridden and gasping for breath found themselves running marathons. Follow the decades-long scientific quest, fueled by desperate parents, that led to this breakthrough. Experience stories of joy, struggle, and unwavering hope as families confront a disease still marked by profound inequities in diagnosis and treatment. And ponder the implications for the future, as researchers explore whether a new age of ‘personalized’ medicine has finally arrived.”

NOVA: Knowledge Keepers
Premieres: Wednesday, September 23, 9/8c on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Official Logline: “In a fascinating exploration of human ingenuity, see how indigenous communities in North America have long practiced a distinct version of science and engineering. This journey reveals how deeply-held cultural traditions inform remarkable innovations, from ancient sea farming techniques that optimize ecosystems to celestial navigation methods perfectly adapted to extreme environments like the frozen Arctic. See how centuries of observation, experimentation, and adaptation have forged solutions to complex challenges like living in the harsh climate of the desert Southwest. Prepare to reconsider what you know about science and its role in our lives.”

NOVA: Stone Age Masterpiece
Premieres: Wednesday, Sep. 30, 9/8c on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Official Logline: “Deep in the gorges of southern France lies the Chauvet Cave, an archaeological treasure hidden from the world for millennia. Sealed by a rockfall 20,000 years ago and rediscovered in 1994, it protects some of the world’s oldest and best-preserved Stone Age art, including depictions of lions, mammoths, and rhinos that still vibrate with life. Join a team of scientists as they unlock the secret history of the cave, from giant bears that prowled through it to mysterious large fires that illuminated it. Watch as they uncover how these early humans created carefully planned compositions on the walls, upending our traditional understanding of art history and connecting us intimately to the dawn of human creativity.”

NOVA: Space Wars
Premieres: Wednesday, October 7, 9/8c on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Official Logline: “A high-stakes war is silently escalating above our heads. Once purely a realm of scientific wonder, space is now a critical battleground, as global military powers race to weaponize it. Satellites, vital to our daily lives and economies, are vulnerable to attack both from adversaries and the debris that’s filling increasingly crowded orbits. What can we do to protect them when even the smallest objects, travelling at 17,000 miles per hour, can spell doom? What if the first-ever space battle has already happened without anyone knowing? Explore the technology and strategy of a rapidly developing arms race and hear how experts are wrestling with the implications of this looming conflict.”

NOVA: Evolution
Premieres: Wednesdays, October 14 – November 11, 9/8c on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Official Logline: “Ponder this: All the incredible diversity of animal life on Earth sprang from a single organism. Every animal, no matter how weird, is related to every other. And behind each species is an incredible story of the millions of generations that gave rise to them. In this landmark series—featuring passionate scientists, gorgeous photography, and stunning animations of long-lost ancestors—discover how every animal we know and love today sprang from creatures that looked nothing like them. Full of surprising twists and turns over billions of years, each chapter in this epic tale reveals how animal life became so diverse and resilient through the awesome power of evolution.”

In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership
Premieres: Tuesday, October 27, 10/9c on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Official Logline: Based on More Perfect’s groundbreaking In Pursuit project, Retro Report brings leadership lessons learned from presidents and first ladies vividly to life, weaving together new voices, archival material, and documentary storytelling to honor America’s 250th birthday. Featuring Insights from Chief Justice John Roberts, Ken Burns, Sharon McMahon, Lonnie Bunch, Judy Woodruff, General Stanley McChrystal, and more.

We Chose To Go To the Moon
Premieres: Tuesday, November 10, 8/7c on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app

Official Logline: “We Chose To Go To the Moon is an immersive theatrical experience telling the dramatic story of America’s race to space and the decision to land a man on the Moon. Created, written, and narrated by writer and historian John Monsky and directed for the stage by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer, the production brings together a 45-piece orchestra and band, Broadway vocalists, and archival photographs to create an emotional history of mankind’s journey to the Moon. Filmed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in April 2026 against the backdrop of the Artemis II mission, the special features performances by Skylar Astin, Grammy nominee Brent Comer, Claybourne Elder, Elizabeth Gillies, Tony nominee Taylor Louderman, and Grammy and Tony nominee Joy Woods. Neil Armstrong’s son Mark Armstrong and granddaughter Kali Armstrong also perform a tribute to the astronaut.”

Crime and Punishment in America
Streaming Premiere: Monday, November 16; Binge all 4 episodes with the PBS app
Premieres: Monday-Thursday, November 16-19, 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org & PBS app
Official Logline: “Crime and Punishment in America tells the consequential story of criminal justice in America as it has never before been told — from the colonial era to today. The series, directed by Lynn Novick, executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard, and narrated by Keith David, explores arguments Americans have had over the problem of crime, the purpose of punishment, and the meaning of justice for more than 250 years.”