For immediate release
Chicago, IL - September 3, 2026
A spectacular fair that brought the world, and a wave of innovation, to Chicago’s South Side. Toys that forever changed how we play. Skyscrapers that transformed Chicago’s skyline and architecture around the world. An immigrant community that overcame prejudice and helped shape the soul of the city. This fall, WTTW’s CHICAGO STORIES returns with four new documentaries that reveal the people, ideas, ingenuity, conflicts, and communities that helped shape Chicago. Premiering on Fridays at 8:00 pm beginning October 2, the new season journeys back to The World’s Fair of 1893, recalls the era when Chicago became a groundbreaking Toy Town, explores the ambition and innovation behind its world-famous Skyscrapers, and traces how generations of immigrants made Chicago the Home of the Irish. Watch the trailer >>
“Chicago’s history is not one story, but many – shaped by people, ideas, ambitions, and experiences that continue to influence the city we know today,” said WTTW President & CEO Sandra Cordova Micek. “With this new season of Chicago Stories, we invite viewers to look more closely at the familiar, discover what they may not know, and see our city, and our shared history, with fresh eyes.”
The only weekly documentary series that uncovers the sweeping history, rich diversity, and breadth of human experience that shaped this great American city, Chicago Stories airs on Fridays at 8:00 pm on WTTW and is streaming on the PBS app and wttw.com/chicagostories.
The World’s Fair of 1893
Friday, October 2, 8:00 pm
A mere two decades after a devastating fire leveled much of the city, Chicago prevailed in a fierce competition to host a global event: The World’s Columbian Exposition, marking 400 years since Christopher Columbus discovered America. This episode of Chicago Stories journeys back to that magical “White City” – exploring the immense challenges in building it and the physical toll the process took on its creators, its stunning exhibits and many innovations that are still a part of our daily lives, the racial and economic inequities that informed it, and the twisted machinations of a ruthless swindler and serial killer who operated on its outskirts. The show’s companion website takes viewers on a virtual tour of the Fair, highlights its culinary and engineering “firsts,” explores the Fair’s dark side, and uncovers what still remains today from this indelible event.
Toy Town
Friday, October 9, 8:00 pm
Tinker Toys. Lincoln Logs. Beanie Babies. Radio Flyer. Kids obsessed with these iconic toys and games would surely have been surprised to learn that these and many others were born in Chicago. This episode of Chicago Stories takes you on a nostalgic trip back to a time when the city was a leader in toy innovation, introducing the designers who transformed their creative ideas and hard work into child’s play, examining how their creations helped children develop life skills while having fun, and how the business of toymaking wasn’t always fun and games. The program’s companion website recalls how Chicago’s toy pioneers reimagined the industry, relives Beanie Baby mania, and reveals Chicago’s mostly forgotten predecessor to LEGOs.
Skyscrapers
Friday, October 16, 8:00 pm
Chicago, City of the Big Shoulders and even taller buildings, has been America’s leading architectural innovator since the 19th century. The city’s dazzling and ever-evolving skyline, a marvel to residents and visitors alike, is a testament to the imagination, ingenuity, and belief in the future held by architects who thought big and dreamed bigger. This episode of Chicago Stories takes you beyond these towering structures to tell a broader tale of visionaries, rivalries, and their eternal quest to soar higher. The film’s companion website offers a self-guided walking tour of Chicago’s architectural history, features on the first Black architect to design a downtown Chicago high-rise and the rocky rise of the Hancock Center, and a place for viewers to share their own photos.
Home of the Irish
Friday, October 23, 8:00 pm
They fled their homeland to escape poverty, famine, and certain death only to land in a city that didn’t want them. But Chicago’s Irish community fought back, creating vibrant neighborhoods and parishes and building a powerful political coalition like none other. This episode of Chicago Stories celebrates their faith, courage, and perseverance in the face of widespread prejudice and almost unimaginable challenges. Once outsiders, they came to define the soul of the city. On the companion website, learn how the Irish became leaders in Chicago politics, read about early teachers union advocate Margaret Haley, and explore a photo gallery of the architecture of Old St. Pat’s.
Visit wttw.com/events for upcoming community events that enrich lives, engage communities, and inspire exploration throughout the Fall 2026 season of Chicago Stories.
CHICAGO STORIES: Executive Producer: Anna Chadwick Gardner. Producers: Daniel Andries, Eddie Griffin, Tania Lindsay, Peter Marks, and Rachel Pikelny. Narrator: Anthony Fleming III.
Lead support for CHICAGO STORIES is provided by The Negaunee Foundation. Major support is provided by the Abra Prentice Foundation, Inc. (as of 8/7/26)
WTTW is the PBS member station in Chicago, committed to creating and presenting unique media content across distinct television and digital channels – WTTW, WTTW Prime, WTTW Create, WTTW PBS Kids 24/7, wttw.com, and the PBS/WTTW video app. Recognized for award-winning journalism and local productions – such as Chicago Stories, Firsthand, Chicago Tonight, Touring Chicago’s Lakefront, and Chicago Works – WTTW presents the very best in public affairs, arts and culture, nature and science, history and documentary, and children’s public media content. Connect with WTTW on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
