The acclaimed journalism of Texas Monthly magazine is coming to a national television audience this October. PBS has scheduled two new documentary specials derived from the magazine’s Emmy-nominated series, translating its long-form storytelling from the page to the screen. The first special, Being Texan, will premiere on Friday, October 24, followed by The State of BBQ on Friday, October 31.
Being Texan is structured as a portrait of the state, focusing on the people and places where history and progress intersect. The special will feature a collection of the magazine’s stories. Segments include a report from Peter Holley on the remote desert town of Terlingua as it grapples with its newfound status as a vacation spot, and an investigation by Forrest Wilder into the “ghost wolves of Galveston,” a unique population of coyotes believed to carry the DNA of nearly extinct red wolves. Other stories reported by journalists like Emily McCullar and Doyin Oyeniyi will cover topics ranging from the state’s historic ninepin bowling enclaves to the Dallas woman who fought to overturn discriminatory hair-braiding laws.
The second special, The State of BBQ, follows Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor, Daniel Vaughn, on a tour of the state’s most interesting culinary spots. The program profiles barbecue joints with deep family roots as well as those with innovative new methods. Featured locations include an Austin pitmaster, Ali Clem, who is continuing the legacy of the famed Mueller barbecue family, and KG Barbecue, run by an Egyptian ex-financier who has become one of the state’s top pitmasters.
For the first time, The State of BBQ will also detail the process behind one of the magazine’s signature editorial features: its influential Top 50 BBQ Joints list. The list, published every four years, is a major event in the culinary world with the power to transform a small restaurant into a nationally recognized destination. The special is directed by Owen Schwartzbard and executive produced by Melissa Reese for Texas Monthly. Both specials will be available to stream on PBS.org and the PBS app concurrent with their broadcast premieres.
