Looking for some great shows to dig into this Valentine's Day? GBH Passport is where you should be looking, and below are some top selections from Ron Bachman, Senior Director of Programming, and Devin Karambelas, Senior Programming Manager. GBH Passport is the member benefit that provides you with extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming, features current and past seasons of PBS and GBH shows — including drama, science, history and the arts. Watch anytime on GBH.org or on the PBS App.
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Sanditon Season 1
Streaming now with GBH Passport on GBH.org or on the PBS App
The only people more excited than we are about the upcoming second season of Sanditon—aka The Series That Wouldn’t Die—are the avid fans of the show. If you are among them, what better occasion than Valentine’s Day to catch up on all eight episodes of season one, in anticipation of the long-awaited second season, premiering on March 20? It’s a swoon-worthy opportunity to snuggle up with your Special Someone and revisit the Regency world of Jane Austen. A beautiful seaside setting. Romantic rivalries. Fabulous frocks. It’s all here, for your Valentine’s viewing pleasure.
Legacy of Love
Streaming with GBH Passport on GBH.org or the PBS App
Not all the great love stories are fictional. This revealing documentary tells the story of how Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott first met in Boston when he was pursuing doctoral studies at Boston University and she was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. For King, it was love at first sight. Scott took a little more convincing. It all started with a simple introduction by a mutual friend, but together they went on to make civil rights history.
Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet
Streaming now with GBH Passport on PBS.org or on the PBS App
In this National Theatre production, Josh O’Connor (The Crown, The Durrells in Corfu) and an incandescent Jessie Buckley portray Shakespeare’s star-crossed sweethearts. This is a contemporary retelling, in which a company of actors in a shuttered theater bring to life the tale of two young lovers who strive to transcend a world of violence and hate. This stylized film celebrates the theatrical imagination, moving from the stripped-down aesthetic of a rehearsal into a cinematic journey that embraces the architecture of the National’s Lyttelton Theatre—all in service to perhaps the most famous love story of them all.
Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts
Streaming now with GBH Passport on PBS.org or on the PBS App
Fall in love with soul-soothing comfort food in this utterly charming six-part series about food and travel. British culinary icon Mary Berry braves the elements to discover the most indulgent and fuss-free dishes on offer in the UK and abroad: the perfect bistro lunch in Paris, hidden seafood gems along the Thames river, steaming Irish stew and a decadent chocolate pudding inspired by Scottish highland truffles. When it comes to Valentine’s Day plans, channel your inner Mary Berry and keep it simple.
Emma (2009)
Streaming now with GBH Passport on PBS.org or on the PBS App
Few writers have taken up matters of the heart more fully than Jane Austen, and this four-part adaptation from Sandy Welch (North and South, Jane Eyre) is Exhibit A. Emma Woodhouse (Romola Garai) delights in the delusion that she’s a perfect matchmaker, and meddles in the affairs of her neighbors to often tragicomic results. As an Austen adaptation, there’s a lot to love here, including palpable chemistry between Emma and Mr. Knightley (Johnny Lee Miller) and a production value that rivals the revered 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.
Seaside Hotel
Streaming with GBH Passport on PBS.org or on the PBS App
It’s easy to understand why this delightful Danish series has become a hit among American viewers. Set in the late 1920s, the lives of staff and guests intertwine at Andersen’s Hotel on the North Sea, delivering plenty of “Danish Downton-by-the-sea” vibes. You can now stream all eight seasons with Passport, so feel free to spend Valentine’s Day (or week) catching up on the complicated love triangle between Fie, Amanda and Morten. For an added treat, we think this show pairs well with a glass of refreshing pale lager or a celebratory Koningsdad cocktail for a taste of summer in February. Skål!
View more suggestions in the GBH Passport highlights collection.
GBH Passport is a GBH member benefit that provides you with extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming. GBH Passport features current and past seasons of PBS and GBH shows — including drama, science, history and the arts. Watch anytime on GBH.org or on the PBS App.
