WTCI-TV (PBS) is launching new seasons and episodes for three of its locally-produced series this week. “Southern Accents with Karen Elliott” and “The A List with Alison Lebovitz” will both air tonight 8 and 8:30 p.m., respectively. “First Things First with Julie Baumgardner” will launch its fifth season on Saturday at 6:30 a.m.
Now entering its 18th season, “Southern Accents” is WTCI’s longest running locally produced series and has received four Mid-South Regional Emmy nominations. Tonight’s season premiere will feature the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Alabama; Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock, N.C.; Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams in Madisonville, Tenn; and the Blue Willow Inn Restaurant in Social Circle, Ga.. “Southern Accents” airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. with encores on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m.
“The A List” is a one-on-one weekly interview series that features local and national personalities. The second season debuts February 4th with a revealing interview with Chattanooga native Jordan Thomas, a young man recently recognized nationally for his philanthropic endeavors. The A List” airs Thursday nights at 8:30 p.m. with an encore presentation on Sundays at 10 a.m.
Topics to be explored Saturday on “First Things First” include intimacy in marriage; blended families/step-families; and cohabitation/living together. WTCI produces the series in partnership with First Things First, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families in Hamilton County. First Things First with Julie Baumgardner airs Saturday mornings at 6:30 a.m. with encores on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and Fridays at 10:30 p.m.
In addition to airing locally on WTCI, these three local series are also available statewide through the Tennessee Channel, a new four-hour block of original Tennessee-centered programming. The Tennessee Channel is available locally Saturdays from 6-10 p.m. and Sundays from 2-6 p.m. on WTCI Create, available to viewers on Comcast Digital Cable channel 201 and over-the-air on channel 45.2.