Sunday will mark the beginning of the farewell season of North Carolina Bookwatch after 24 years on-air.
The longtime host of the show, D.G. Martin, is also the host of WCHL’s Who’s Talking and author of the weekly One on One column.
D.G. Martin hosts “North Carolina Bookwatch,” Sunday at 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 5:00 pm on UNC-TV. The program also airs on the North Carolina Channel Tuesday at 8:00 pm and other times.
PBS North Carolina announced the 23rd season of the show will be its last. The final season will feature four episodes from North Carolina authors, including:
- Barry Saunders, former columnist for The News & Observer and publisher of online news platform The Saunders Report
- Wiley Cash, author of thriller When Ghosts Come Home
- Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, author of debut novel Even As We Breathe, the first novel to be published by a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
- Clyde Edgerton, Durham native and accomplished author of twelve novels, including two film adaptations
- Bland Simpson, longtime member of the Red Clay Ramblers, environmentalist, and author of the newly released North Carolina: Land of Water, Land of Sky
The long-running literary series will end with a primetime retrospective special on Tuesday, December 7. Bland Simpson will join host D.G. Martin to reflect on the show’s best episodes and authors.
“For more than two decades, D.G.’s program has advanced our mission to educate, inform, entertain, and inspire our audiences,” says PBS North Carolina CEO Lindsay Bierman. “He captivated his viewers with an abiding love of reading and storytelling while introducing us to some of the nation’s most powerful voices and prolific writers. D.G.’s legacy and contribution to our network will have archival significance and enduring impact.”
North Carolina Bookwatch first debuted in 1997 with original host Robin Minietta. After three seasons, Minietta left the anchor chair, opening the position for longtime public servant and politician D.G. Martin in 1999.
Over the next 22 years, Martin filmed more than 450 episodes and interviewed hundreds of authors with state ties, from literary giants Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham and Kathy Reichs to local celebrities Roy Williams, Vivian Howard and North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green.
“Hosting North Carolina Bookwatch has been a happy part of my life for more than 20 years,” Martin said. “I will always be grateful to PBS North Carolina for giving me the privilege and responsibility of hosting more than 450 programs that brought North Carolina writers into the homes of viewers all over the state and beyond.”
In a nod to the program’s staunch support of local writers and booksellers, the final season of North Carolina Bookwatch was filmed at independent bookstore Chapel Hill’s Flyleaf Books.
“I’ll never forget the day I was tapped to be the producer/director of this show,” said Katy Loebrich, North Carolina Bookwatch producer for the past seven seasons. “I come from a long line of teachers, linguists and librarians and I’ve been an avid reader since childhood, and working with D.G, meeting authors and working on this show with our amazing crew has been a dream for me.”
PBS North Carolina will host a virtual event on Thursday, November 18, at 7 p.m. The event will begin with a preview screening of the final retrospective episode followed by a discussion with D.G. Martin and moderated by PBS North Carolina CEO Lindsay Bierman. The event is free and open to the public. Additional event information and registration can be found here.
North Carolina Bookwatch airs on Sundays, at 3:30 PM, and Tuesdays, at 5 PM, on PBS NC, and on Tuesdays, at 8 PM, on the North Carolina Channel. Full episodes are also available on demand at video.pbsnc.org
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