At Harvard University in January, the president resigned under pressure. Weeks earlier, at the University of Pennsylvania, the president there resigned too. The Department of Education has launched discrimination investigations into multiple colleges and universities. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Ivy League schools, state universities and more. Big donors have either pulled their money from some institutions or are threatening to do so. A firestorm is raging on America’s most prestigious campuses, ignited four months ago by the Hamas terror attack on Israel and the catastrophic war in Gaza, and now stirring up some of the most difficult and polarizing subjects in the country - antisemitism, DEI, leadership and accountability, and election year, culture war politics.

With Retro Report, FRONTLINE investigates this historic moment of crisis on campuses. Correspondent James Jacoby and an award-winning team track the story from its earliest days - from campus antisemitic rhetoric and violence, to the doxxing of pro-Palestinian students, to massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the country, to the pivotal clash between college presidents and Rep. Elise Stefanik over antisemitism, to the leadership upheavals that followed, and the competing claims of what it all means from the political left and right.

Press conference panelists: Raney Aronson-Rath, series executive producer | James Jacoby, producer and correspondent | Jerry Kang, Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law | Scott Michels, reporter, Retro Report

In August 2023, WASHINGTON WEEK relaunched in partnership with The Atlantic and welcomed its editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg as the tenth moderator of the longest-running primetime news and analysis program on television. Ranked the most objective weekly news and public affairs program by Erdos & Morgan, the renamed Washington Week with The Atlantic continues to be the primary source of balanced reporting and insightful analysis from leading journalists about the biggest events impacting the lives of Americans. 

Press conference panelists: Jeffrey Goldberg, series moderator | Sara Just, series senior executive producer

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman’s latest PBS film is about the Troisgros family and their three restaurants, Troisgros, Le Central and Colline, located in three neighboring locations in central France. Troisgros, founded more than 90 years ago, has had three Michelin stars for more than 50 years and in 2020 was awarded a Michelin green star for exemplary sustainable practices. Much of the film takes place at Troisgros.

Press conference panelists: Frederick Wiseman, producer and director | John Bredar, vice president, GBH National Programming

When Alice (Andrea Riseborough, "To Leslie") and Jack (Domhnall Gleeson, "The Patient") first meet, they are bound by a connection so powerful it seems nothing can break it. But a deep trauma from Alice’s past causes her to reject Jack, leading them to part ways. Over the years that follow, their lives continue to intersect. Each time, the raw love between them is broken by circumstance, the past, or their own imperfections. Then, just when it seems that their love will finally become tangible, they receive terrible news that will irrevocably change both of their futures. In the end, Alice and Jack may even wonder if it’s possible that love can last beyond life itself. Written by Victor Levin ("Mad Men," "Mad About You"), ALICE & JACK is honest, intimate, and surprisingly funny, and shows love in all its unexpected, technicolor, kaleidoscopic beauty.

Press conference panelists: Victor Levin, series creator, executive producer, and writer | Andrea Riseborough, actor and executive producer, “Alice” | Domhnall Gleeson, actor and executive producer, “Jack,” via Zoom | Susanne Simpson, series executive producer

This one-hour special features multiple Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor John Lithgow going back to school to demonstrate the transformative power of arts education. He immerses himself with teachers and students to explore four arts disciplines: dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing, and vocal jazz ensemble. The program celebrates how arts education nurtures and inspires the hearts and minds of students of all ages.

Press conference panelists: John Lithgow, host | Tamara Gould, executive producer

Tony Award-winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (“Hamilton”) stars in the current Broadway revival of “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch,” directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon. The rousing satiric comedy, written by Kennedy Center honoree Ossie Davis, tells the story of a Black preacher’s scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church.

Press conference panelists: David Horn, series executive producer | Kenny Leon, Broadway show director | Leslie Odom, Jr., actor

With the rise of ChatGPT, the world has been transfixed by the power and potential of the latest generation of A.I.’s ability to answer complex questions, write essays, and generate realistic-looking images — even pass a lawyer’s bar exam — all in a matter of seconds. Emmy and Peabody Award-winning correspondent Miles O’Brien meets scientists using the latest algorithms to accelerate discovery in fields from medicine to climate change — some even using A.I. to build O’Brien a new robotic arm — and explores how humanity can avoid the worst potential impacts of powerful technologies that in some ways we don’t fully understand.

Press conference panelists: Julia Cort, series co-executive producer | Miles O’Brien, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning correspondent | Petrina Kamya, Ph.D., head of A.I. platforms, Insilico Medicin | Alexander Amini, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)

This three-part series travels the globe to discover the creative solutions and breakthrough blue food technologies that could not only feed the planet but help save our threatened seas and fresh waterways as well. Along the way, HOPE IN THE WATER profiles amazing innovators, aquafarmers, and fishers who are working toward a sustainable future.

Press conference panelists: Baratunde Thurston, featured explorer | Shailene Woodley, featured explorer | Andrew Zimmern, executive producer | Bill Gardner, editorial executive for "HOPE IN THE WATER" premiering on PBS

This new, six-part non-fiction documentary series will help viewers imagine - and work toward - a better tomorrow. Hosted by Ari Wallach, the series challenges the dystopian framework embraced by popular culture by offering a refreshing take on the future exploring potential solutions to our existential threats. The program invites viewers to imagine a world that is full of discovery, hope, and possibility - inspiring each of us to understand our power to shape the future that future generations need us to so they can flourish.

Press conference panelists: Kathryn Murdoch, executive producer | Ari Wallach, executive producer and host | Bill Gardner, editorial executive for "A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE" premiering on PBS

This new PBS series explores the power of the arts. Led by renowned actor, dancer, and singer, Dulé Hill, the series captures diverse artists’ stories from across America, celebrating community, humanity, and the transformative potential of creative expression.

Press conference panelists: Dulé Hill, actor and series host | Danny Lee, director and executive producer | Amythyst Kiah, Grammy nominated singer-songwriter | Sylvia Bugg, Chief Programming Executive, General Audience Programming, PBS

In the next decade, NASA plans to send astronauts to Mars. The mission is expected to last three years in extreme isolation. What does that mean for the “soft squishy humans” on board the spacecraft? Prolonged separation from Earth is one of the biggest obstacles to mission success. The selection and screening process is critical. NASA’s Artemis recruitment and training program seeks to meet that challenge. While support is critical to sustain the distance that a space mission requires – there’s an invisible wall between the mission and the families. The goal is to keep contact with families intact for the stability of astronauts as we look to Mars. Among those featured in the film to help provide personal insight is former NASA astronaut Dr. Cady Coleman and her son Jamey Simpson. The two were separated for 159 days while Coleman was on the space station starting in December 2010.

Press conference panelists: Lois Vossen, series executive producer | Dr. Cady Coleman, film participant, former NASA astronaut | Ido Mizrahy, director | Jamey Simpson, film participant

Elton John and Bernie Taupin, one of the great songwriting duos of all time, will be the 2024 recipients of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Press conference panelists: Bernie Taupin, co-honoree | Ken Ehrlich, executive producer | Charlie Puth, featured performer

A four-time Grammy-nominee with more than 40 million social media followers, Charlie Puth, will perform two Elton John / Bernie Taupin songs and three originals in the Viennese Ballroom.