Full PBS listings for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, with times in Eastern Time (ET).

PBS tonight: a three-hour documentary run with nothing to fight over

See also: What's on tonight across all channels | Wednesday's TV guide

PBS is the only channel in primetime tonight that asks for no decision. Nature at 8pm ET/PT (7pm Central), Nova at 9pm and Secrets of the Dead at 10pm make a straight run of three documentaries, and the sensible plan is to settle in at eight and stay put. Nature’s “Tiger Island, Part II” is the pick, and it earns that on scheduling logic as much as anything: it is the second half of a two-parter whose first half aired at 4pm this afternoon, so anyone who caught Part I has a reason to be back.

The competition at eight is mostly noise. Survivor is on CBS, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City on Bravo, Expedition Unknown on Discovery, and Final Destination 2 on AMC. Of that lot only Expedition Unknown is chasing the same viewer, and PBS has the more established brand for wildlife. Nature has been around for 45 seasons, and the number is the argument. A series that has run that long has learned how to fill an hour without padding it, which is more than can be said for most of the reality shows alongside it.

Nova at 9pm is the sturdier hour rather than the exciting one. “Evolution: Body Builders” is the second Nova episode of the day, after “Evolution: Need to Feed” at 5pm, so PBS is treating this as a mini-run and you can pick it up from either end. Nova has been on the air since 1974 and has passed 950 episodes, and it faces Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on ABC and The Lowdown on FX. If you were already watching Nature, the handover costs nothing. If you weren’t, it’s a fair place to join, though not a reason on its own to change channel.

Secrets of the Dead closes primetime at 10pm with “Field of Vampires”, the second episode of its 22nd season. Three days out from Halloween, the title does the marketing, and a documentary slot is a more thoughtful way to spend the week than the horror movies running elsewhere: Ghostbusters II on FX, The Final Destination on AMC and Ghost Adventures on Discovery. It has opposition from Shark Tank on ABC, which is the likelier choice for anyone who wants to be entertained rather than informed. Our rating is three stars because the slot is reliable, not because there is anything here to be excited about.

The afternoon has one thing worth a diary note. Hotel Portofino, the period drama, is on at 3pm ET with “Alliances”, the second episode of its second season. It has turned up eight times across our window, so this is a weekday fixture in the daytime schedule rather than an event, but it’s the only drama PBS has on all day and a handy catch-up for anyone who missed the evening run.

Everything else is routine: children’s blocks until early afternoon, PBS News Hour at 7pm, Amanpour & Company at 11pm. Independent Lens, the documentary film strand, turns up at 3am for those who record overnight. The night is a quiet one for PBS, and a good deal better for it.


Also on TV tonight at 8pm ET

  • ABC: Scrubs
  • NBC: Chicago Med
  • CBS: Survivor
  • FOX: 2026 World Series
  • The CW: Police 24/7
  • ION: Blue Bloods
  • TCM: 100 Rifles
  • AMC: Final Destination 2
  • FX: Grown Ups 2 (from 7pm ET)
  • Freeform: Beetlejuice (from 6:45pm ET)

Every channel tonight, side by side · Movies on TV this week · Tomorrow’s TV


Frequently asked questions

What’s on PBS tonight?

On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, PBS shows Nature at 8pm ET, Nova at 9pm ET and Secrets of the Dead at 10pm ET.

Is there a movie on PBS tonight?

No. PBS has no movies in its evening schedule on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

What’s on PBS late tonight?

After 11pm ET, PBS has Amanpour & Company at 11pm ET.

What time does PBS’s evening start?

The evening schedule starts with Antiques Roadshow US at 6pm ET.