Watch & Explore
Discover compelling stories, news perspectives, and groundbreaking documentaries
PBS Video
Home to exceptional storytelling, WTIU Public Television and Indiana Public Media present award-winning programs highlighting arts, culture, history, and people from Indiana and around the world.
PBS
Investigative Series
City Limits
We want to explore the past, present and future of Bloomington with you with City Limits.
Data Centers
Several large data centers have been proposed throughout Indiana in recent years, prompting questions from readers
Finding the Fix: Heroin's Hold on on the Heartland
Heroin addiction along the shared borders of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky has sparked an unprecedented increase in overdose deaths and contractions of HIV and Hepatitis C. Finding the Fix explores the epidemic of heroin and opioid abuse and addiction in the Midwest.
Paper Cuts
Paper Cuts: When private equity firms control local newspapers is a project on the influence private equity has had on local news.
Red, White, and Righteous
Red, White, and Righteous, a four-part series from WFIU, investigates the political actions, theological divisions, and historical context of Christian Nationalism.
Rush to Kill
The U.S. government’s sole execution chamber is on the grounds of a prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. A team of public radio journalists covered each execution in person.
Shadows Of Innocence: Sexual Assault Among Indiana's Youth
We take a look at the high rate of sexual assault in Indiana, and we’ll also look at states that are doing much better to find out what they’re doing differently.
Nature
Along the Wabash
Travel along the Wabash river and discover the inspiring stories of the people who lived along side it—from Tecumseh’s attempt to form a pan-Indian coalition to the experimental societies of New Harmony, and many destinations in between.
Goose Pond: The Story of a Wetland and Its Neighbors
Travel along the Wabash river and discover the inspiring stories of the people who lived along side it—from Tecumseh’s attempt to form a pan-Indian coalition to the experimental societies of New Harmony, and many destinations in between.
The Hoosier Way: Trails of Indiana
With nearly 6,000 miles of hiking, pedestrian, and biking trails within its borders, Indiana boasts a wide range of recreational trails. Tour some of Indiana’s finest outdoor nature trails, hikes, rails-to-trails conversion projects, and urban trails systems.
Indiana's Wild Landscape
Indiana’s Wild Landscape uses striking aerial drone footage and time-lapse techniques not available just a few years ago to give audiences a look at Indiana as it has never been seen before.
Indiana State Parks: Treasures in Your Own Backyard
Indiana State Parks: Treasures in Your Own Backyard showcases and celebrates Indiana state parks, and introduces viewers to their vibrant, natural beauty and the people who have dedicated their lives to preserving them for future generations.
Journey Indiana: Underground
Southern Indiana is home to some of nature’s most amazing treasures – over 4,000 caves, stretching for hundreds of miles beneath the surface of the Hoosier state. From show caves to state parks, Journey Indiana: Underground transports viewers to a world that few will experience in person.
Hoosier Made
Hoosier Spirits: Distilling in Indiana
Discover the diverse history of distilling across Indiana and its rebirth as a thriving business. The film features the inimitable voices and music of Reverend and Breezy Peyton, as well as interviews with historians, legislators, and distillers.
Hoosier Brew
Hoosier Brew is about capturing the heart and soul of Indiana's craft beer industry. Our goal with Hoosier Brew was to explore the culture, community, and industry that has grown over the last 25 years, and find out what makes Hoosier beer unique.
Hoosier Hospitality: Craft Beer
WTIU’s Hoosier Hospitality: Craft Beer is an hour-long travelogue and informative television documentary that takes you on an arm-chair journey into the world of craft beer and micro-brewing in Indiana.
Hoosier Hospitality: Wine
Take a journey across Indiana to uncover the rich history and culture of Hoosier winemaking. We sit down with local vintners to explore their year-round production process and take you to two of the state’s largest wine festivals. Along the way, experts from the Indiana Wine Grape Council share the secrets to a perfect tasting.
Indiana Legends
Bill Cook: A Heck of a Ride
Bill Cook is the visionary founder and leader of the medical devices company Cook Group.
Bob Hammel & Bloomington: A 50-Year Love Affair
Bob Hammel & Bloomington: A 50-Year Love Affair explores how a city, a newspaper, and history intersected to propel Hammel from small-town reporter to a nationally-celebrated figure in the world of sports.
Clessie Cummins: Hoosier Inventor
The father of the American diesel truck engine, Cummins combined elbow grease, a keen mind, and rural pragmatism to co-found what became Cummins, Inc., a Fortune 500 international diesel and alternative fuel engines company headquartered in Columbus, Indiana.
Ernie Pyle: Life in the Trenches
Ernie Pyle: Life in the Trenches is a 90-minute WTIU documentary that tells the story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist who reached millions each week with stories about ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things.
The Ernie Pyle Experiment
The Ernie Pyle Experiment was created from the archives of the Ernie Pyle collection at the Lilly Library of Indiana University. It is a thirteen-episode podcast chronicling Ernie Pyle’s pre-war work as a traveling columnist for the Scripps-Howard Newspaper syndicate.
Indiana Legends: George Taliaferro
This half-hour documentary chronicles George Taliaferro’s rise to stardom, from his emergence as a high school phenom in Gary, Indiana to an All-Pro career in the NFL in the 1950s.
James Whitcomb Riley: Hoosier Poet
During his lifetime (1849–1916), James Whitcomb Riley was one of the most popular poets in America. James Whitcomb Riley: Hoosier Poet explores his lasting legacy and the personal and professional challenges and successes he experienced as he became a beloved literary icon.
Lew Wallace: Shiloh Soldier, Ben-Hur Bard
Lew Wallace led a storied life: He fought in the Civil War as the youngest major general in the Union Army; wrote Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ; as a lawyer, tried two of the most infamous acts of the Civil War; served as governor of the New Mexico territory; and served as minister to the Ottoman Empire.
Madam C.J. Walker - Two Dollars and a Dream
Indiana Legends: Madam C.J. Walker - Two Dollars and a Dream is a story of the first woman in history to start with nothing and earn her own million-dollar fortune. This pioneering businesswoman is an inspiring illustration of a rags-to-riches existence.
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race
This WTIU documentary examines the life and accomplishments of Major Taylor, the world's first Black sports superstar and early civil rights pioneer. Taylor set more than 20 world speed records and was one of most famous people on three continents, all while battling segregation in Jim Crow America.
Singing Winds: The Life and Works of T.C. Steele
Theodore Clement “T.C.” Steele was one of the most celebrated American Impressionist painters of his time. We look at the life and works of the great Hoosier Impressionist – from his hardscrabble youth, to his journey through some of the major art centers of Europe, to his return to his native Indiana.
Wes Montgomery
Discover the story of a legendary jazz guitarist and composer from Indiana. Wes Montgomery was born in Indianapolis on March 6, 1923, and rose from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. This documentary of Wes Montgomery is told through the eyes of his youngest child, Robert Montgomery.
Regional
Bloomington: Remember When
Through interviews, archival photos, and videography, the program features places, locations, and customs of note in Bloomington that have survived, as well as those of a bygone era.
Hometown – A Journey through Terre Haute, IN
In 1926 Terre Haute, Indiana was at the geographic crossroads of America. Terre Haute was a small town on the edge of greatness, building the artifacts of big cities—Shrine Temples, train hubs, and baseball parks—some still here, others, long gone.
Our Town: Bedford
Bedford is more than just the Limestone Capital of the World. This WTIU production highlights the community's hidden gems, including its museum, local theater, Otis Park, manufacturers, and annual Christmas parade.
Our Town: Columbus
Our Town: Columbus tells the story of this truly surprising city, from its origins as a small agricultural community to its modern incarnation as a multicultural city, home to one of the world's most impressive collections of modern buildings, and one of the country's most dynamic corporations.
Our Town: Martinsville
Martinsville, Indiana—a small town with a big reputation is the focus of WTIU’s 2008 OUR TOWN production. The “City of Mineral Water” is the hometown of legendary basketball coach John Wooden, sanitariums featuring healing waters, outstanding high school academics and athletes, an aerospace industry and much more.
Our Town: Seymour
With a colorful history, a vibrant downtown, and expanding industrial, service and cultural sectors, Seymour, Indiana is a town on the move. Its roots are in the railroad and its proximity to major highways continues to make Seymour an important transportation and industrial center.
Our Town: Spencer
OUR TOWN: SPENCER explores the rural Owen County community of Spencer, Indiana from the perspective of the people who live there.
Our Town: Terre Haute
Our Town: Terre Haute tells the story of Terre Haute, Indiana, from its origins as a trading post on the banks of the Wabash River in the early 1800s to today’s modern, thriving city with a fast-developing Riverscape Project. The hour-long documentary takes you on a journey through the history of the town known as the “Queen City of the Wabash”
Spirit of Brown County
WTIU's Spirit of Brown County explores the art, history, and culture that developed out of the rugged and beautiful landscape of Brown County, Indiana! It is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful vistas and colorful autumn foliage.
Spirit of Greene County
Nestled in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, Greene County brings together the Hoosier state’s natural beauty, small-town hospitality, and beloved traditions in a way few places can. Explore the heart of this vibrant, tightly-knit community in The Spirit of Greene County.
Spirit of Orange County
Go inside the historic and breathtakingly beautiful French Lick Resort and West Baden Springs Hotel to uncover their rich history, detail their survival, and explore their future. Experience Orange County’s natural beauty by visiting Patoka Lake and the Hoosier National Forest. Ski the slopes of Paoli Peaks; travel the parade route of the Orleans Dogwood Festival.
Terre Haute: Rise and Resilience
Terre Haute: Rise & Resilience is a story of the American experience. A blue-collar community and a college town, Terre Haute has survived bouts of political corruption, labor unrest, and hard-hitting economic setbacks, yet the city remains resilient.
Arts & Music
Amen: Music of the Black Church
Explore the rich traditions of Black church music in a new concert film. Recorded before a live audience at the Second Baptist Church in Bloomington, Indiana, Dr. Raymond Wise leads the Indiana University African American Choral Ensemble in a performance of African traditional music to contemporary praise and worship music.
Brown County Artists: Expanding the Legacy
Brown County, Indiana has been an artistic refuge since the early 1900s. That early artist colony included T.C. Steele, Adolph and Ada Walter Shulz, Will Vawter and Gustave Baumann. Brown County Artists documents the legacy of these early artists and then visits the studios of current Brown County artists.
Beautiful By Design: The IU Bloomington Campus
Walking across the IU Bloomington campus one cannot help but be charmed by its natural topography, native limestone, and appealing architecture. Careful planning and cultivation went into creating an environment that evokes feelings of admiration and wonder. Beautiful by Design explores distinctive features of this campus—and the reasons for its appeal.
Crooked Stick: Songs in a Strange Land
American slave spirituals of the 18th and 19th centuries often evoke feelings of raw power, deep empathy, pathos, and poetry. These important archival songs get an imaginative retelling in a new concert presentation, featuring internationally-acclaimed mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson in an intimate performance.
Fingerstyle! Indiana's Guitar Festival
Fingerstyle is a musical technique practiced by guitarists such as Chet Atkins and Merle Travis that involves plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers. Discover the story behind an Indiana competition that celebrates this unique plucking-style of guitar play in Fingerstyle! Indiana’s Guitar Festival.
The Indiana Theatre at 100
Explore the fascinating story of a historic Bloomington theater and the secret to its longevity in The Indiana Theatre at 100. The Indiana Theatre opened to great applause on December 11, 1922. A crowd of 1,300—nearly ten percent of Bloomington’s population at the time—turned out on a cold Monday night to celebrate the theater’s opening.
The Indiana University Singing Hoosiers
Make Your Own Kind of Music is the best kind of concert film: Great music performed by America’s most celebrated show choir, the 100-member Singing Hoosiers. Combining tradition classics by Cole Porter, the Gershwins and Hoagy Carmichael with pop medleys, and show tunes, Make Your Own Kind of Music is an entertaining hour of song and dance.
The Nutcracker
Enjoy a new take on The Nutcracker from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Featuring a full orchestral performance conducted by Judith Yan and stunning choreography, this beautifully filmed production blends the live theater experience with cinematic artistry. A holiday tradition for audiences of all ages.
The Music Makers of Gennett Records
During the early 20th century, one tiny recording studio in Richmond, Indiana, had a big impact on the soundtrack of the Jazz Age. The Music Makers of Gennett Records tells the unlikely story of the Gennett Recording Studios, where many of the greatest artists in American jazz, blues, country, and gospel music first recorded.
Reverend Marvin Chandler: Open to the Moment
He has never stopped sharing his love of music, commitment to justice, and passion for ministry with others. Learn about the fascinating story of native Hoosier Reverend Marvin Chandler, whose life not only made a significant impact on Indiana, but on our nation as well.
Saving Places: Preserving Indiana's Architectural Heritage
SAVING PLACES: PRESERVING INDIANA'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE tells the stories of individuals engaged in revitalizing, protecting, and preserving our historic places in Indiana. Indiana University professor of History James H. Madison gives a tour of four Indiana historic landmarks: Wilson Bridge, John Jay Center for Learning, Maple Grove Road and Lyles Station School.
Wilderness Plots in Concert
WTIU’s Wilderness Plots in Concert is a 90-minute television show featuring five of Indiana's most beloved singers/songwriters, including Krista Detor, Tim Grimm, Carrie Newcomer, Tom Roznowski, Scott Russell Sanders and Michael White, performing their songs inspired by the book Wilderness Plots by Scott Russell Sanders.
More Documentaries & Specials
Actual World, Possible Future
Actual World, Possible Future explores the lives and work of Elinor and Vincent Ostrom, who sought to address the enormous problems that plague human societies: climate change, endangered species, ocean pollution, deforestation.
Archiving Airwaves
This radio and television documentary from the WFIU/WTIU News team explores Miley’s extensive collection, which includes every Super Bowl, a half-century of the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500 races, the World Series games from 1954 to the present, and more.
Doc: The Oldest Man in the Sea
Documents the successful 1979 attempt of James “Doc” Counsilman to become the oldest man at the time to swim the English Channel.
Fall Creek Massacre
In 1824, a small band of Native Americans were killed by several white Americans near Pendleton, Indiana. Most of these men were subsequently brought to trial for the murders. The resulting legal actions, which rose to the level of the Indiana Supreme Court, led to the conviction and execution of the main defendants.
Feel of Vision
White water kayakers are adventurers and extreme sports enthusiasts who push themselves through stretch after stretch of white water for the love of the challenge and to gaze into the heart of nature. For one man that river exists only in wind gusts, the loud torrent that fills the air, the taste of clay in his mouth and the splash of cool water on his face.
Hard Life
Examines the lives of three local people, their struggles, and the help they received from local agencies.
Indiana Motoring: Concours d'Elegance at French Lick
A stalwart in Indiana, Standardbred racing dates back to the mid-1800s, with events occurring at many county fairs across the state. In exploring this tradition, the program looks into the Hoosier experiences which have produced some of the most famous and celebrated horses in history.
Indiana Motoring: Concours d'Elegance at French Lick
Travel in style to Southern Indiana and get an up-close look at some of the finest and most unique motor vehicles ever created. Look under the hoods, meet the owners, and ride along as we take a few out for a spin.
Journey Indiana: From Above
Travel the skies to see the Hoosier state in a whole new way. Utilizing aerial cinematography exclusively, Journey Indiana: From Above breathes new life into well-known areas of the state and showcases some of Indiana’s hidden gems.
Just Like Me: the Vietnam War: Stories from All Sides
WTIU's Just Like Me: The Vietnam War — Stories From All Sides documents the Vietnam War/American War from the points of view of the former enemies. These first-person stories provide a unique window into the complexities of this controversial war.
A Mother's Justice: The Trials of Lisa Montgomery
The Trump administration executed 52-year-old Lisa Montgomery in January 2021. Her crime was horrific, even by death row standards: In December 2004, Montgomery strangled a pregnant woman named Bobbie Jo Stinnett before cutting out and abducting her unborn child. In 2007, a Kansas City federal jury sentenced Montgomery to death.
Reverend Ernest D. Butler: Rebel with a Cause
Reverend Ernest D. Butler (1913–2003) was a foundational civil rights leader and pastor who spearheaded integration and anti-discrimination efforts in Bloomington, Indiana. Known as a "rebel with a cause," he led the Second Baptist Church for 43 years and was instrumental in establishing fair housing and local human rights commissions.
Reviving the West Baden Colored Church: A Labor of Love
Discover the remarkable story of the revival of the First Baptist (Colored) Church in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Built in the early 1900s, the church was a thriving center of the African American community until its decline. The film chronicles the multi-year restoration and community effort to save one of the last historic Black landmarks in Orange County.
A Rural Revolution: Indiana’s Round Barns
The barn is an icon of the heartland’s rural landscape. Yet one special type of barn is on the verge of disappearing altogether in Indiana. A Rural Revolution: Indiana’s Round Barns examines the importance of round barns to the state’s agricultural history and the current efforts to preserve them.
Spanning Time: America's Covered Bridges
This documentary explores the affection Americans have for covered bridges, and includes a look at preservation efforts, history, construction, tourism and why covered bridges are important. The program contains interviews with preservationists, engineers, builders, restoration experts, tourists, historians and covered bridge aficionados.