By Kelsey Derby
Valentine’s Day is coming soon, February 14 to be exact, and we’re looking forward to the day of love, hearts, flowers and more. In an especially hard year, we could all use a little extra love in our lives. That’s why we’ve rounded up a little something for everyone on TPT Passport.
Whether you’re craving a romantic storyline (most likely in the British countryside), something heartwarming for the whole family, capturing the beauty of nature, “Galentine’s Day” picks, or are looking for the anti-Valentine’s pick, keep reading.
Stream Your Favorite Shows Now
Don’t know what TPT Passport is? It’s our online member benefit that allows access to thousands of TPT shows right at your fingertips. All it requires is a $5+ monthly donation and a computer, a smart TV, a tablet or whatever device you use to watch your favorite shows! Download the PBS app for easy viewing.
Don’t know what TPT Passport is? It’s our online member benefit that allows access to thousands of TPT shows right at your fingertips. All it requires is a $5+ monthly donation and a computer, a smart TV, a tablet or whatever device you use to watch your favorite shows! Download the PBS app for easy viewing.
Hint of Romance
TPT’s love of Masterpiece programs and fictitious historical dramas lends its hand to romantic encounters. Of course, what could be more idyllic than watching some old-timey people in period costumes beat around the bush and then finally fall into everlasting love? These picks are sure to strike the mood of the holiday.
Jane Austen Trio
Janeites rejoice! And if you’re new to the romantic world of Jane Austen, now is best time to give it a go. TPT Passport is streaming three Jane Austen miniseries produced by the BBC, Mansfield Park, Sense & Sensibility, and Pride & Prejudice.
Miss Scarlet & the Duke
Go on the case with private eye Eliza Scarlet, Victorian England’s first-ever female sleuth, as she solves crimes – and sometimes flirts – with her partner and childhood friend, Detective Inspector William “The Duke” Wellington.
Poldark
Captain Ross Poldark rides again in a swashbuckling new adaptation of the hit 1970s series. Aidan Turner stars as a redcoat who returns to Cornwall after the American Revolution; Eleanor Tomlinson plays the miner’s daughter taken in by the captain. Keep your eyes peeled for the epic romance between Ross and Demelza!
Victoria
Victoria, the drama series about the epic life of Queen Victoria has twists, turns, romance, and strife. Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) stars as the young Victoria, a tiny (4’11”), neglected teenager who overnight became Queen and eventually the most powerful woman in the world.
Line of Separation
After the fall of the Third Reich, the small town of Tannbach is cruelly divided between East and West regimes and the town’s inhabitants suffer the consequences. An historical drama exploring the devastating effects decades of conflict had on communities from the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Family-friendly Picks
If lovey-dovey romance isn’t your thing, we’ve got you covered! These family friendly picks are just heartwarming enough to feel like you’re celebrating but don’t bring any of the ick-factor of the above. Great to watch with a younger audience and will leave you with a happy glow!
PBS American Portrait
PBS American Portrait, a national storytelling project aligned with PBS’s 50th anniversary celebration, invites America to participate in a national conversation about what it really means to be an American today.
All Creatures Great and Small
James Herriot’s adventures as a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire get a glorious new adaptation in All Creatures Great and Small, a seven-part series based on his beloved books.
Exciting newcomer Nicholas Ralph will make his television debut as the iconic vet who became renowned for his inspiring humor, compassion and love of life. Samuel West (Mr. Selfridge, On Chesil Beach) plays Siegfried Farnon, the wonderfully eccentric veterinary surgeon and proprietor of Skeldale House, who reluctantly hires the recently qualified Herriot into his rural practice.
Great British Baking Show
Did you know series two was filmed at Valentine’s Mansion?
Follow the trials and tribulations of passionate amateur bakers whose goal is to be named the U.K.’s best. Each week, the bakers tackle a different skill, the difficulty of which increases as the competition unfolds. Mary Berry, a leading cookbook writer, and Paul Hollywood, a top artisan baker, serve as judges. Together with hosts and comic foils Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, Berry and Hollywood search for the country’s best amateur baker by testing the competitors’ skills on cakes, breads, pastries and desserts, crowning a winner after 10 weeks of competition.
Nature: Family Matters
Family is everything for primates. They have the most complex social lives of any animal group on the planet. Meet devoted monkeys’ uncles, playmate apes and tender troops.
Enjoying the beauty of the outdoors
Valentine’s is all about that warm and fuzzy feeling we often experience by venturing outside. With travel still off the table for the foreseeable future, escape into the great outdoors with these shows. Drone footage combined with the educational power of PBS makes for light-hearted viewing that’s easy to watch for anyone, young or old.
Nature | The Alps: The High Life
In Europe’s highest mountain range, discover how Eurasian lynx, griffon vultures, ibex, marmots and more face extreme seasonal fluctuations, from volatile thunderstorms and landslides of summer to avalanches and frozen temperatures of winter. In Part One of the miniseries “The Alps”, enjoy the Alps in spring and summertime as newborn animals grow up to face the coming brutal winter.
Expedition with Steve Backshall
Visit the remote and impenetrable Dhofar Mountains in Oman, where Steve Backshall hopes to become the first to climb unexplored cliffs. Along the way, he encounters one of the rarest animals on Earth.
Islands of Wonder
Journey to three of the most exotic, mysterious and remote islands on the planet: Madagascar, Borneo and Hawaii. Isolated from the rest of the world, they harbor remarkable wildlife and pioneering human communities found nowhere else on Earth.
Galentine’s Day
Are you familiar with the alt-Valentine’s holiday Galentine’s Day? It’s a time to celebrate your favorite gal (or guy) pals. Friendship can be a form of love, and therefore deserves to be recognized by the holiday! Check out these stories of sisters/friends/partners on TPT Passport.
Frankie Drake Mysteries
Set in 1920s Toronto, the series follows the adventures of Frankie Drake (Lauren Lee Smith) and her partner Trudy Clarke (Chantel Riley) at Drake Private Detectives, the city’s only all-female detective agency, as they find themselves fighting crime in the age of flyboys, gangsters, rum-runners, and speakeasies.
To Walk Invisible: The Bronte Sisters on Masterpiece
Learn the extraordinary story of how, against all odds, the famous literary trio had their genius for writing romantic novels recognized in a male-dominated 19th-century world.
Grantchester
It’s 1957, and Will Davenport has settled into his role as the vicar of Grantchester, preaching to a packed church. His best friend, Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, has come to accept his wife Cathy’s commitment to her job – just about. Mrs C. happily juggles her roles as the vicarage housekeeper and being a well-to-do married woman, and after a trip to Marrakech, even Leonard has managed to carve out some happiness with Daniel. But Will’s faith will be thoroughly tested as he and Geordie are reminded once more that there’s darkness lurking in their little corner of Cambridgeshire?
Anti-Valentine’s Day
We all know someone who is anti-Valentine’s day – perhaps its you! Of course the pepto-bismol pink and hallmark cards can turn off even the best of us, and some years the idea of diving into a lovey-dovey show just doesn’t feel quite right. Check out these action shows to get your mind off of the holiday.
Roadkill
Ambition knows no bounds, nor does corruption, in a political thriller starring Hugh Laurie as a scheming U.K. government minister. Crime may not pay, but politics sure does.
Modus
Adapted by Emmy award-winning screenwriters Mai Brostrom and Peter Thorsboe, from the book by Anne Holt, Modus follows psychologist and profiler Inger Johanne Vik (Melinda Kinnaman). From Walter Presents, in Swedish with English subtitles.
Thou Shalt Not Kill
As she battles her own demons, Chief Inspector Valeria Ferro seeks to find truth and justice by solving the puzzles behind crimes motivated by jealousy, vendettas and repressed anger. From Walter Presents, in Italian with English subtitles.
MotorWeek
MotorWeek, television’s longest running automotive series, is in its third decade of reviewing cars, trucks and utilities spanning the needs and dreams of a broad spectrum of buyers. From pure-electric to pure performance, MotorWeek looks at factors mattering most to consumers. But, MotorWeek is more than just a show about new cars. It’s also about keeping the car you own running, and keeping pace with the latest automotive lifestyle trends as America continues its love affair with cars.
However you choose to celebrate your Love Day, we’d love to be a part of it! Don’t have TPT Passport yet? What are you waiting for? Become a member and start streaming today.
© Twin Cities Public Television - 2021. All rights reserved.
Comments
Read Next
