It may seem like there’s a shortage of original programming on PBS in May, but that’s only because the supply of murder mystery shows from Europe has dried up for the month. There is still a new period drama, Miss Austen, as well as fresh installments of Great Performances, which brings Broadway and West End musicals to your home without costing you a thing. PBS is a public service, and you can watch it for free on your local channel or stream the shows online.
There’s still plenty of time to catch the other new shows on PBS in May. You can even go back and revisit the great PBS shows to watch in April 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+.
Miss Austen (2025)
You may assume that Jane Austen is the title character of Miss Austen, but she’s not the only one. Cassandra Austen (Keeley Hawes) takes a central role in a story that explains why she destroyed her late sister’s letter. This four-part series begins in 1830 when an older Cassandra engages in a little subterfuge in order to covertly find the letters her sister wrote, but it isn’t immediately clear if destroying that correspondence is protecting Jane’s legacy or her own. The only thing we do know is that Cassandra’s life hasn’t turned out the way she hoped.
Through flashbacks, the show follows young Cassandra (Synnøve Karlsen) when she was very close to Jane and in love with a man named Tom Fowle (Calam Lynch). Both Jane and Cassandra are also convinced that the latter will marry Tom. Heartache lies ahead, and even Jane’s bond with her sister may be tested.
Watch Miss Austen on PBS.
Great Performances — Yellow Face (2025)
Lost star Daniel Dae Kim headlines this production of David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face and essentially plays Hwang himself in this farce that was loosely based on the writer’s life. In the play, DHH openly criticized Miss Saigon for using non-Asian actors to play Asian roles. When producing his own play about the controversy, DHH makes the same mistake by casting a Caucasian actor in an Asian role.
DHH is so worried about the apparent hypocrisy and the impact on his reputation that he convinces the actor to go along with it and pretend to be Asian. However, he’s enraged when the actor embraces being Asian and starts to play the role in all aspects of his life.
Watch Great Performances — Yellow Face on PBS on May 16.
Great Performances — Kiss Me, Kate (2025)
Kiss Me, Kate is a classic musical that takes place during the production of a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Stephanie J. Block is playing the lead actress, Lilli Vanessi, who is upset with her ex-lover and boyfriend, Fred Graham (Adrian Dunbar), who is also her co-star and director in the new play.
Fred has eyes for Lili’s younger co-star, but his ex accidentally intercepts flowers meant for his new crush and declares that she is still in love with Fred. That puts Fred in a very delicate position, and he’ll be in even bigger trouble if Lilli finds out that the flowers were never meant for her. Somehow, amidst all of this relationship drama, they still have a musical they need to put on.
Watch Great Performances — Kiss Me, Kate on PBS on May 30.
