What to Watch in July
Lisa Tipton
July 1, 2026
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 via the PBS app or will be once they premiere, especially by WTTW Passport members.
America 250
As the United States recognizes its 250th anniversary on July Fourth, we have plenty of programming before and after to look back at America in the past and where we are today. There are two celebratory birthday bashes: the fireworks-and-music PBS favorite A Capitol Fourth on Friday, July 3 at 7:00 pm, with a repeat at 8:30 pm and on July 4 at 5:30 pm and 11:00 pm; and Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together, which brings live performances from the likes of Judy Collins and Ryan Speedo Green to colonial Williamsburg on Saturday, July 4 at 7:00 pm.
Local figures are highlighted in WTTW's Firsthand: Democracy, which follows everday figures like a woman who teaches people to disagree cordially on political issues or a high school teacher who inspires his students to be active citizens. Both of those episodes air Thursday, July 2 at 7:00 pm; the others are free to stream.
Becoming American: Philadelphia's Story (Monday, July 6 at 9:00 pm) uses the founding of America's first capital as a lens on the country's history. America the Bountiful celebrates the 250th with a special exploring colonial food, and how Americans built an independent food system (Saturday, July 11 at 5:00 pm). And Amerigo: The Search for the American Dream (Monday, July 27 at 9:00 pm) features Americans from across the 50 states about the "American Dream."
Breaking the Deadlock: How to Fix an Election
The latest episode of Breaking the Deadlock brings together politicians, experts, and more to enact a scenario involving election issues. Breaking the Deadlock shows panelists trying to address complex problems by working to find common ground and solutions that are not just about messaging. You can catch up on previous episodes addressing executive power in the U.S. government, disinformation on social media, and sports gambling Tuesdays beginning July 14 at 9:00 pm.
New Dramas and Mysteries
Thursday nights bring new episodes from old favorites to keep you guessing whodunnit through the long summer nights. We have new episodes from the 1960s intergenerational detective drama Inspector George Gently Thursdays beginning July 9 at 7:00 pm.
Saturday evenings beginning July 11 see the return of the lovable Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators in a fifth season at 7:00 pm. That's followed by season three of the Australian My Life Is Murder at 8:00 pm. Then we jaunt over to New Zealand at 8:45 pm for the new Under the Vines, in which an Australian socialite wants to sell her stepfather's winery, but a U.K.-born lawyer who is a co-owner has other plans.
Once Upon a Time in Space
Tuesdays beginning July 14 at 8:00 pm
Space exploration, which is ramping up once again, is a technological marvel, full of incredible scientific break-throughs. This new four-part series co-produced with the BBC looks at the people behind those break-throughs, including the astronauts who help enact them. From astronauts on the space shuttle to Russian astronauts in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the cooperation of the International Space Station, take a look inside the space rockets.
