What to Watch in September

There's a huge amount of worthwhile TV out there nowadays, so it can be hard to choose what to watch. But who better to recommend shows than the person who programs them? Lisa Tipton, WTTW’s Head of Programming and Pledge, constructs the WTTW schedule by searching through offerings from many different sources which include the national PBS network, the BBC, and independent filmmakers to put together a varied and engaging broadcast schedule. Each month, she recommends a few shows that she thinks you should watch.

Find all the ways to watch WTTW here. Many of the below shows are available to stream or will be once they premiere, especially by WTTW Passport members.

New seasons of cooking shows – and an anniversary celebration

As the school year starts, we've got some appetizing lessons for you, as new seasons of some of our favorites start airing during our Saturday cooking lineup. Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Television begins season 8 on September 14 at 3:00 pm, followed by the premiere of season 13 of Pati's Mexican Table at 3:30 pm. The following week, on September 21, Cook's Country joins in with season 17 at noon, then America's Test Kitchen starts its season 25 at 2:00 pm. We've also got an hour-long celebration of that landmark 25 years on Monday, September 16 at 8:00 pm.

Make sure to check back at wttw.com/food for recipes from all of these shows, or sign up for our Deep Dish newsletter to get them right in your inbox.

Sunday mysteries

Two mysteries return with new seasons, while characters from another series show up in a sequel starting Sunday, September 15. First up is the second season of Ridley at 7:00 pm, followed by the premiere of the Magpie Murders sequel Moonflower Murders at 8:00 pm and the fourth season of Van der Valk at 9:00 pm. You can recap all of them at wttw.com/recaps, or stream previous seasons if you're a WTTW Passport member. 

We're also bringing back Agatha Christie's Poirot and Midsomer Murders on Thursday evenings at 7:00 and 8:30 pm, respectively, if you need more mystery in your life. To keep up with it all, make sure you're signed up for our Dramalogue newsletter.

Big Cats 24/7

Wednesdays beginning September 18 at 7:00 pm

Stalk the incredible big cats of Botswana's Okavango Delta day and night to learn about their lives in intimate detail in this six-part series. 

A new season of Chicago Stories

There are endless fascinating stories in Chicago, so we've got another exciting season of our documentary program Chicago Stories. First up, "the crime of the century," in Deadly Alliance: Leopold and Loeb, Friday, September 20 at 8:00 pm. Then it's The Black Sox Scandal on September 27 at 8:00 pm, with more episodes to come in October and November. 

You can also revisit previous episodes in a marathon showing of the previous season of Chicago Stories beginning at 9:00 am on September 15, or any time at wttw.com/chicagostories, where you can also dive deeper into each subject with exclusive stories.

Check back at wttw.com/playlist for interviews with the producers of both Leopold and Loeb and Black Sox.

Perspectives on the upcoming election

As the election grows ever nearer, we have programs to help dissect the campaigns and issues. There's Crossroads: A Conversation with America, with Judy Woodruff exploring political polarization, on Monday, September 23 at 8:00 pm. Frontline's The Choice 2024: Harris vs. Trump digs into the backgrounds of each candidate on Tuesday, September 24 at 8:00 pm. Independent Lens unravels the complexities of the Electoral College by following four presidential electors from Colorado during the 2020 election in One Person, One Vote? on Monday, September 30 at 9:00 pm. And you can watch the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on Tuesday, September 10 at 8:00 pm.