Highlights May 26 to June 1

Monday, May 26th

Legendary entertainer Bob Hope and his troupe of performers traveled more than 80,000 miles during World War II to entertain the troops. There were several close calls where Hope and his fellow entertainers were almost killed. Hope and his troupe often performed near the frontlines in Europe and the Pacific as part of an overall Hollywood effort to make sure stars brought some of America to the battle zones.Using animated maps and interviews with Hollywood historians, authors, and combat veterans, MILES, MORALE AND MEMORIES: BOB HOPE AND WORLD WAR II examines Hope's impact on World War II and why President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked some of Hollywood's top radio and movie stars to hold a microphone instead of a gun in the war. Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and World War II at 9:00 pm.

Tattooed Under Fire is a unique, intimate, character-driven portrait of Iraq-bound and returning US soldiers as they go under the tattoo needle: openly professing their pride, sharing their secrets and confessing their fears. The tattoos cross lines of gender, class, and political affinity revealing the inner lives of young men and women as they live through the horrors of the Iraq war. The film's narrative moves from the early expectations and excitement of 18 and 20 year-olds through cynicism and anger to a sense of a psychological aftermath that will never be erased. Each soldier's story is an evocative, poignant, and highly personal look at the human and cultural cost of war. Tattooed Under Fire at 10:00 pm.

Tuesday, May 27th

Painter Viviane Silvera uses art to explore memory and PTSD, animating 30,000 images to provide a visualization of the brain's process of forming, altering, and storing memories. The art is combined with narration based on breakthroughs in neuroscience research by Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel and other scientists to show how we can bridge the conscious and the conscious brain and heal trauma. See Memory at 9:30 pm.

This week on ON STORY, creator and showrunner Tanya Saracho delves into her creative process behind VIDA, the family comedy-drama series which follows two sisters who return home to Los Angeles after the death of their mother. Saracho discusses interweaving issues of gentrification, sexuality, and fraught family dynamics into compelling TV. On Story On Vida: A Conversation with Tanya Saracho at 10:00 pm.

Wednesday, May 28th

The relationship between man and his noble steed is almost as old as civilization itself. Ever since the mysterious beginning of our extraordinary partnership, horses helped shape the human world. At the speed of a horse, our ancestors conquered distances and built empires. Together, humans and horses flourished side by side. What makes us so perfect for each other? Nature Equus: Story of the Horse: Chasing the Wind at 7:00 pm.

When we look at the world at the tiniest scales, the subatomic realm, things get weird - very weird. Welcome to the quantum universe, where particles can spin in two directions at once, observing something changes it, and a thing on one side of the galaxy can instantly affect something on the other, as if the space between them didn't exist. Buckle up for a wild ride through the discoveries that proved all of this to be true and paved the way for the digital technologies we enjoy today - and the powerful quantum sensors and computers of tomorrow. NOVA Decoding The Universe: Quantum at 8:00 pm.

As the world's most diverse and abundant species, the tiny yet mighty beetle plays crucial ecological roles in nearly every environment. Why are these colorful and ingenious creatures often regarded "the most important species on the planet"? Bugs That Rule the World Beetle Mania at 9:00 pm.

Thursday, May 29th

In a time of government upheaval on the federal level, U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett joins to discuss her efforts to limit the role of DOGE as a member of the subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency. Overheard with Evan Smith Jasmine Crockett at 7:30 pm.

Shepherds of grief come in many forms. Featured stories include a traveling hospice nurse in one of the state's most remote counties, and a father who grapples with his son's death the only way he knows how: through music. Texas Monthly Presents: The Story at 8:00 pm.

The Wild West is born out of the desperation following the Civil War. Outlaws rampage and rob while lawmen become legends. It's a time drenched in boozin', gamblin' and womanizing. Although the mountain man, outlaw and lawman, Native Americans and cowboy seem like eternal archetypes, the famed Wild West looked a lot different than what we see in movies. The man responsible? Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show creates the myths of the West, and Hollywood begins turning facts into fiction. The Real Wild West Mayhem and Myth at 9:00 pm.

Friday, May 30th

As the auto industry becomes increasingly diverse, Gerry Meyers becomes the youngest CEO of any American car company. To build a new fuel-efficient car, he partners AMC with French automaker Renault. But a disastrous national recession and second oil crisis threaten to destroy the partnership before the new car is ready. The Last Independent Automaker The Alliance (1977 - 1982) at 7:30 pm.

The original Broadway production of Cole Porter's 1948 classic Kiss Me, Kate ran for over 1,000 performances and went on to become one of the all-time classics of Broadway's "Golden Age" of musicals. A love letter to the theater blending Shakespeare with backstage romance, the show was the crowning achievement of Porter's celebrated career and featured a score brimming with enduring hits including "Another Op'nin, Another Show," "So in Love," "Too Darn Hot," "From This Moment On" and the comic masterpiece "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." The 2024 revival of Kiss Me, Kate at London's Barbican Theatre stars Tony-winner Stephanie J. Block (The Cher Show) and Irish star Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) as Porter's famously feuding couple. The Barbican revival was directed by Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher (Lincoln Center Theater's South Pacific, The King and I, My Fair Lady). Great Performances Kiss Me, Kate at 8:00 pm.

Saturday, May 31st

Celebrate Kristofferson in a 2016 concert featuring Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, Lady A, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Darius Rucker and Hank Williams Jr. Kris Kristofferson: Life & Songs at 5:00 pm.

Music luminaries and some of the brightest stars in Austin City Limits' five-decade history return to the fabled ACL stage in Austin, Texas to celebrate the show's fiftieth anniversary. The all-star line-up includes Leon Bridges, Billy Strings, Gary Clark Jr., Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Angela Aguilar, The Avett Brothers, Indigo Girls, Rufus Wainwright, The Mavericks and more. Longtime Austin City Limits supporters and Austin-based actors Jared and Genevieve Padalecki (Walker, Supernatural, Gilmore Girls) co-host the special. The two-hour broadcast offers salutes to ACL icons including Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and features behind-the-scenes interviews along with rarely-seen vintage clips from the ACL archives. Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years at 7:00 pm.

Sunday, June 1st

Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt calls on Dr. Max Liebermann to help investigate the murder of a young woman and the mysterious circumstances that suggest a supernatural power may be to blame. Vienna Blood The Last Séance, Part 1 and 2 at 7:00 pm.