Written by Julio Martinez
June 19, 2025
PBS ON WORLD TV
Manish Chauhan
“Call Me Dancer,” the award-winning documentary, will make its U.S. television debut this summer on WORLD. Directed by Leslie Shampaine and Pip Gilmour, the film follows the unlikely and deeply human journey of Manish Chauhan, a street dancer from Mumbai, and the unexpected bond he forms with a 75-year-old ballet master who changes the course of his life. At the heart of the story is the transformative relationship between Manish, a self-taught b-boy in his early 20s, and Yehuda Maor, a retired Israeli-American ballet teacher living in Mumbai. What begins as a chance meeting becomes a life-altering mentorship, one built on discipline, trust, and love of the artform. As Yehuda pushes Manish beyond what he thought possible, their connection becomes one of mutual healing and growth, crossing generational and cultural divides. With 21 festival awards, 2 international TV awards, including the Art & Inspiration Award from Hamptons Doc Fest, “Call Me Dancer” is a moving portrait of resilience and how a shared passion can bridge generations and transform artistic paths. “Call Me Dancer” is part of PBS SoCal’s Link Voices Collection and will premiere Sunday, June 29 on Doc World presented by WORLD.
BROADWAY AND BEYOND
Throughout May and June, The WNET Group’s star-studded Broadway and Beyond programming slate has been showcasing Broadway’s best and brightest stars and performances for theater lovers nationwide on PBS and ALL ARTS – from Great Performances “Broadway’s Best” to ALL ARTS original programming and more. The latest offerings include Tony-winning musical Girl from the North Country featuring 20 reimagined songs by Bob Dylan; and Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate starring Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block; and the hit musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, “The Great Gatsby.” The lineup is part of The WNET Group’s special Broadway and Beyond festival, celebrating theater productions and the people who bring them to life. Broadway and Beyond programs are available across all of The WNET Group’s public media channels and platforms: THIRTEEN, ALL ARTS, WLIW/WLIW-FM, and NJ PBS. Enjoy the show!
PLEX TV
Mark Damon Espinoza Elena Wohl
From Writer/Director/EP Michele Palermo, the Eight-Episode Show, “Middlehood, celebrates the dramatic comedy of midlife and the American immigrant family. Stars NYC International Film Festival Best Actress Winner Elena Wohl, Mark Damon Espinoza and Krista Warner, special guest star Gabrielle Carteris. In the tradition of “Modern Family,” “All in the Family,” and “This is Us” comes a new, award-winning streaming TV series, exploring the comedy and drama found in one woman’s midlife “lifequake” within her American immigrant family. Independently produced by Writer/Director/EP Michele Palermo and filmed in LA, the eight-episode, 30-minute series debuts on popular Plex streaming channel this Friday, June 20, making it free to U.S. audiences for the first time.
LIFETIME’S SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIES
(L to R) Chrissy Metz, Alexa PenaVega, Kat Graham and Paula Patton
Lifetime announces new Saturday night movies centered on women facing unfathomable circumstances who use their faith to lead them through. “Faith in the Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story, based on the true story of the devastating 2018 fire that ripped through Paradise, California, is set to debut on July 19 and stars Emmy nominee Chrissy Metz. The following week on July 26, Alexa PenaVega stars and executive produces “Before Your Father Finds Us,” the story of a woman who must draw on her faith to hide her and her teen daughter from her violent ex-husband. On Aug 2, Lifetime adapts the best-selling Christian suspense book, “Terri Blackstock’s If I Run,” with Kat Graham set to executive produce and star as Casey Cox, a woman on the run after discovering her best friend is murdered – and she is being framed for it. She must turn to her faith to guide her through the obstacles before her. Lifetime also acquires the inspirational movie “Finding Faith,” starring Paula Patton, the story of Faith Mitchell whose life is shattered by an unexpected tragedy and must rebuild her life through a journey of rediscovery, hope and purpose, to premiere Aug 9.
- Julio Martinez
###