Saddle up, partners. There’s good news for anyone who likes to explore the heroes and the hardships of the Old (and not so old) West. PBS presents a series of programs that explore life on the American frontier, as well as the legends and lore that persist today.
• In April, PBS presents “Show Cattle,” a new documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes of the Fryeburg Fair-New England’s biggest and most prestigious show cattle competition. Held annually in October, the fair signals a time when cattle lovers gather to bathe, groom, clip and show their animals over three days of intense competition for the coveted crown of Supreme Champion.
• In May, viewers can circle their wagons around the latest hands-on-history series, “Texas Ranch House.” This program challenges a group of intrepid time-travelers to experience the exhilaration and exhaustion of life in the Old West.
• Leaving the present in search of the past, viewers in May can also travel to the heart of Western history in “Remember the Alamo.” Long before the Alamo made heroes of Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, Jose Antonio Navarro...