Maryland Public Television (MPT) celebrates the Chesapeake Bay region once again in April with its 20th annual Chesapeake Bay Week® slate of documentaries and specials highlighting the beauty, importance, and fragility of the nation’s largest estuary. A video preview and more information about MPT’s 2024 Chesapeake Bay Week lineup can be found at mpt.org/bayweek.
During the week of April 21-27, MPT will offer more than 22 hours of broadcast and livestream programming focusing on the Chesapeake Bay’s history, heritage, and resources as well as efforts to protect its diverse ecosystem. Even more content will be available to stream live and on-demand using the free PBS App and MPT’s online video player.
This year’s lineup includes more than 30 documentaries and specials, including eight programs viewers will see on MPT for the first time. Cornerstone MPT productions debuting in April are Racing Rivals: Log Canoes of Chesapeake Bay on Monday, April 22 at 8 p.m. and The Chesapeake Bay Summit 2024: Course Correction on Tuesday, April 23 at 8 p.m. Another six programs acquired by MPT from talented film producers will premiere throughout the week.
MPT’s annual Chesapeake Bay Week is a unique programming initiative and part of the statewide public TV network’s ongoing commitment to celebrating the bay and examining critical issues faced by communities throughout the Chesapeake region.
New Chesapeake Bay Week 2024 programs
Racing Rivals: Log Canoes of Chesapeake Bay – Monday, April 22 at 8 p.m.
Elegant, agile, and propelled by outsized sails offset by nimble crew serving as human ballast, the iconic racing fleet of Chesapeake Bay log canoes embodies tradition, speed, and grace. On breezy summer weekends along the Eastern Shore, those who restore, race, and revere them are out to win, but not at the expense of preserving these unique vessels and the heritage they represent.
Eroding History – Monday, April 22 at 9:30 p.m.
Eroding History tells the story of two Black communities on the Deal Island Peninsula in Somerset County that are losing their land and their history due to the intersection of historical racism and modern climate changes. Meet the passionate people working to save these communities while exploring the challenges they face.
The Chesapeake Bay Summit 2024: Course Correction – Tuesday, April 23 at 8 p.m.
With a major restoration deadline looming, some of the world’s foremost experts on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed join esteemed journalist and host Frank Sesno to discuss complex questions about the best course of action to clean and protect our nation’s largest estuary. Panelists grapple with why progress has been slower than expected, what new approaches are needed, and what a healthier Bay of tomorrow will look like – all in front of an MPT studio audience.
A River Called Home – Wednesday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
Follow the journey of four women who launch at the headwaters of the James River in Virginia and paddle to the Chesapeake Bay. Along the way, the team conducts a water quality study to help assess how our waterways are being protected and what more we have left to do.
A Passion for Oysters – Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
The oyster presents challenges for protection and restoration unique among Bay seafood. A Passion for Oystersexplores these issues and more, evoking the history, culture, art, and science surrounding the Chesapeake Bay oyster, with an eye to explaining the roots of the never-ending conflict it inspires.
Salted Earth – Wednesday, April 24 at 8:30 p.m.
Through interviews with scientists, farmers, and community leaders, Salted Earth provides a sobering yet inspiring look at the very real and present challenge of sea-level rise. It asks a question that affects us all: Can our strategy against the rising sea succeed, or are we fighting an unwinnable war?
Rob and the Litter Bug – Wednesday, April 24 at 8:50 p.m.
Maryland filmmaker Rob Simmons sets out on a 15-mile bike ride along the Caroline County backroads to pick up any trash along the way and see just how much litter is out there. With the help of family, friends, and even strangers, Rob collects far more litter than he had initially imagined.
Reviving the Forgotten River – Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m.
The Anacostia River nicknamed “DC’s forgotten river,” is an infamously polluted tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. But after years of work by local activists, progress toward the river’s restoration is being made – so much so that the Anacostia may soon be swimmable for the first time in over half a century.
