12:10 pm
This is America, Charlie Brown: “The Birth of the Constitution”
The Peanuts gang is transported to Independence Hall in Philadelphia to help work at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Linus dictates chores to the group and explains the importance of the Convention. He is in awe of George Washington and watches as the delegates argue over the roles of the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative branches of government. Charlie Brown lends Benjamin Franklin his kite, and later develops games similar to basketball and football. Finally, the delegates sign the Constitution, and Linus explains to the gang the importance of what they have witnessed. (1988)

12:35 pm
This is America, Charlie Brown: “The Smithsonian and the Presidency”
The Peanuts gang visits museums within the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., including the National Air and Space Museum, National Gallery of Art, National Museum of Natural History, and National Museum of American History. They visit a special exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of the formation of the United States. Linus talks about Abraham Lincoln’s trip to Gettysburg to give his famous address, and he and Charlie Brown appear in the story. Later, they appear in Linus’s story about Yosemite Valley with Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir. Finally, the Peanuts gang finds themselves in Washington D.C. in 1933 for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inauguration. (1989)

1:00 pm
This is America, Charlie Brown: “The Music and Heroes of America”
Lucy, Schroeder, and the Peanuts gang perform musical selections as part of a school report on the music and heroes of America. They talk about “Oh Susanna,” “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” and composers John Philip Sousa and Irving Berlin. Lucy reports on the accomplishments of Susan B. Anthony and the Seneca Falls Convention, as well as Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, and W.E.B. DuBois. Finally, they incorporate a film strip with historical footage of jazz composers George Gershwin, Fats Waller, and Duke Ellington before concluding with a discussion on President Dwight Eisenhower, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Vietnam War. (1989)

1:25 pm
School House Rock: “ABC History Rock”
In this special episode of School House Rock, actress Cloris Leachman and a group of children introduce nine short programs that focus on major historic events in United States history. Such topics set to lively songs include the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, important inventions in American history, the “Great American Melting Pot,” and the classic favorite song, “I’m Just a Bill.” (1987)

2:00 pm
ABC Independence Day Concert
This ABC Independence Day concert from Great Woods Performing Arts Center outside Boston features performances and appearances by Eagles, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Tom Jones, Blues Traveler, and more. This special celebration is hosted by David Hasselhoff and Gina Tognoni. (1995)

3:30 pm
America Celebrates July 4th at Ford’s Theatre
This Independence Day special at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. features performances and appearances by Kelly Clarkson, Renée Fleming, George Lopez, General Colin Powell, Lionel Richie, Robin Roberts, Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix, Laura Michelle Kelly, Gavin Lee, Montego Glover, the United States Army Soldiers’ Chorus, and Bill Conti and the American Celebration Orchestra. The show is hosted by Modern Family star Ty Burrell. (2010)

4:30 pm
A Capitol Fourth
This annual Independence Day event, held on the lawn of the United States Capitol, features performances and appearances by acapella group Pentatonix, Jimmy Buffett and the Broadway cast of the musical Escape to Margaritaville, the Beach Boys, Luke Combs, Renée Fleming, Lauren Alaina, the Temptations, Andy Grammer, composer John Williams, Chita Rivera, CeCe Winans, Kyla Jade, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jack Everly, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music, the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, U.S. Army Presidential Salute Battery, the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard, all concluded by a spectacular fireworks display. The event is hosted by television star John Stamos. (2018)

12:10 pm
The West Wing: “Pilot”
The “Pilot” deftly established the main characters of their series so that the audience understands their idealistic dedication to their respective jobs. Creator Aaron Sorkin’s signature style of fast-paced witty dialogue is on display from the beginning as the White House grapples with President Bartlet crashing his bicycle on vacation. (1999)
 
12:55 pm
The West Wing: “Celestial Navigation”
Like all great West Wing episodes, “Celestial Navigation” is character-driven, nicely balancing humor and drama. With a story by Dee Dee Myers and Lawrence O’Donnell, Sorkin frames the episode with Josh narrating everyday White House events to a college audience as press secretary C.J. Cregg struggles after root canal surgery and the President’s nominee for the Supreme Court is arrested for drunk driving. (2000)
 
1:40 pm
The West Wing: “Noel”
Against the backdrop of White House holiday festivities, deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman is still struggling with being shot and is ordered to see a psychiatrist.  Josh slowly grasps the meaning of his depression, revealing his vulnerabilities and resilience after a panic attack at a holiday concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma. Sorkin was highly praised for his sensitive and realistic portrait of post-traumatic stress disorder.  (2000)
 
2:25 pm
The West Wing: “Two Cathedrals”
The second season finale “Two Cathedrals” is one of The West Wing’s most emotional episodes as President Bartlet’s confronts grief, faith, and the burden of leadership. A devout Catholic, Bartlet must decide to seek re-election as he grieves for his executive secretary killed by a drunk driver. Few scenes in television history are as powerful as the President screaming at God in the National Cathedral, replete with Latin phrases.  (2001)

3:10 pm
The West Wing: “Twenty Five”
In one of the most wrenching episodes of The West Wing, President Bartlet must decide what comes first, his family or nation.  This season four finale focuses on the crisis after the President’s daughter Zoe is kidnapped. Sorkin’s last script for The West Wing takes its title from the Twenty-fifth amendment, which deals with presidential succession. (2003)
 
3:55 pm
The West Wing: “The Supremes”
After the death of a Supreme Court Justice, deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman comes up with a plan to nominate two justices, one liberal and one conservative. This fifth season episode features two remarkable guest starring roles: Glenn Close as the liberal Evelyn Baker Lang and William Fichtner as the conservative Christopher Mulready.  (2004)
 
4:40 pm
The West Wing Documentary Special
This acclaimed special was produced during The West Wing’s third season and features conversations with real-life White House staff, including interviews with Presidents Ford, Carter, and Clinton. Directed by Bill Couturié, this documentary received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program.  (2002) 

12:30 pm
The Flintstones: “The Swimming Pool”
In this episode of The Flintstones, Fred and Barney decide to build a swimming pool to share. However, their friendship is tested when they cannot agree on a schedule for using the pool, leading to disagreements and a surprise visit from the police. (1960)

12:55 pm
The Wonderful World of Disney: Camp Rock
This Disney Channel Original Movie features Demi Lovato as Mitchie Torres, a talented singer whose family is unable to afford the fees required to attend the summer music camp, Camp Rock. Her mother gets a job as a chef, providing a discounted rate to Mitchie as long as she helps her mother in the kitchen between classes. She befriends fellow camper Caitlyn (Alyson Stoner) but is intimidated by other talented and well-to-do campers. She leads a double life, fearing her fellow campers will discover she's the chef’s daughter. One day, she is overheard singing by teen pop star and camp instructor Shane Gray (Joe Jonas), lead singer of the group Connect Three. Impressed by an unknown voice, he sets out to find the identity of the talented singer. This modern-day pop Cinderella story follows Mitchie as she steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight. (2008)

3:15 pm
The Wonder Years: “How I’m Spending My Summer Vacation”
In this season two finale, Kevin (Fred Savage) is daydreaming about the Coopers’ annual start-of-summer barbecue and spends the final days of school signing classmates’ yearbooks. He decides to declare his love for Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar) in her yearbook, concluding his note with “I love you.” He is embarrassed to see she has only written a generic note in his yearbook. Humiliated, Kevin decides to forego the Coopers’ barbecue until Winnie stops by and gives him a special message, rejuvenating his spirits for the summer ahead. (1989)

3:45 pm
The Middle: “Last Whiff of Summer”
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) are determined to spend a summer of fun with their kids that does not include sitting in front of the television. However, the summer gets off to a bad start when Mike tells Sue (Eden Sher) that Axl (Charlie McDermott) is his favorite child. Panicked, Sue declares it “The Summer of Dad and Sue,” and attempts to engage Mike in a variety of activities. Frankie learns Axl is failing one of his classes, forcing him to enroll in summer school to correct his grades. Meanwhile, Brick (Atticus Shaffer) spends the summer nurturing a tomato that he later enters in the local fair. Wanting to revive the spirit of summer, Frankie and Mike take the kids to a drive-in movie, set up the sprinkler in the yard, and watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. (2012)

4:45 pm
Black-ish: “VIP”
The Johnson family is off to Disney World for a fun family vacation. Wanting to treat his family to a special experience, Dre (Anthony Anderson) pays for a VIP experience, including a guide (James Rash) that takes them through the parks and escorts them to the front of the line for rides. When the guide’s time with the Johnsons is over, Dre is flummoxed at the loss of his VIP status and is frustrated when his children are ungrateful for what he has given them. Meanwhile, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) and Dre’s parents Earl (Laurence Fishburne) and Ruby (Jenifer Lewis) are surprised to find they are having a magical and enjoyable time at the parks. (2016)

5:15 pm
Modern Family: “Hawaii”
The Pritchett/Dunphy/Tucker-Pritchett family is off to Hawaii for a special vacation to celebrate Jay’s birthday. Jay (Ed O’Neill) has plans to spend his time in complete relaxation, but his plans are thwarted by a sudden realization of his own mortality. Phil (Ty Burrell) tries to make the vacation special for Claire (Julie Bowen) to make up for the honeymoon they didn’t have, but she spends her time worrying about their unsupervised children. Meanwhile, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) have differences in opinion for how they should spend their vacation. (2010)

12:30 pm
Sesame Street: “Series Premiere”
Manhattan
This series premiere of the beloved children’s series that teaches numbers, the alphabet, cultural concepts, and life skills introduces us to the adult characters and Jim Henson’s Muppets that audiences have adored since 1969. We meet Gordon, Susan, Bob, and Mr. Hooper, along with Muppets Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Kermit the Frog, and Cookie Monster. Children learn about the concept of “clean” in which Ernie leads a washing song and learn about the source of milk by visiting a dairy farm. Carol Burnett makes a brief special appearance and presents the featured letter W with Kermit the Frog. First filmed in Manhattan, the show moved to Astoria, Queens in the mid-1990s. The show’s set was inspired by streets in Harlem, the Bronx, the Upper West Side, and the blocks where West Side Story was filmed. (1969)

1:30 pm
I Love Lucy: “The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub”
Upper West Side, Manhattan
The series premiere of I Love Lucy introduces audiences to Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ricky (Desi Arnaz) Ricardo and their neighbors and friends Fred (William Frawley) and Ethel (Vivian Vance) Mertz. In this episode, the Mertzes fight over their eighteenth anniversary. Ricky and Fred want to go to the fights, while Lucy and Ethel want to go to a nightclub. When the wives announce that they will find dates and go dancing alone, their husbands become concerned and decide to scare up escorts of their own. Lucy and Ethel get wind of this idea and arrange to show up in hilarious disguises as their husbands’ blind dates. (1921)

2:00 pm
The Honeymooners: “Better Living Through TV”
Brooklyn
In this episode, Ralph’s (Jackie Gleason) latest get-rich-quick scheme is to market a new type of all-purpose kitchen gadget called the “Handy Housewife Helper.” First, Ralph faces the challenge of convincing his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows) to give him money to start his new business, even though she is tired of his schemes that always fail. After Ralph buys a wholesale lot of 2,000 gadgets, he and neighbor Ed Norton (Art Carney) decide to appear in their own television commercial to promote the device. They figure this will be more successful than door-to-door peddling. The only problem is they must perform their commercial on live television, so there is no room for nerves or mistakes. (1955)


2:30 pm
All in the Family: “The Jeffersons Move Up”
Queens/Upper East Side, Manhattan
This episode of All in the Family served as the premiere for the new show The Jeffersons. In this episode, Archie (Carroll O’Connor) and Edith (Jean Stapleton) Bunker’s neighbors, George (Sherman Hemsley) and Louise (Isabel Sanford) Jefferson, move out of their home in Queens and into an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Edith bids Louise a teary farewell before the Jeffersons depart. Thrilled by the new penthouse apartment, George gives his son Lionel (Mike Evans) and his fiancée Jenny (Berlinda Tolbert) a tour of their new home. The Jeffersons meet their neighbor, Mr. Bently (Paul Benedict), and George’s mother drops by. George is angry upon learning that living upstairs is an interracial couple, Jenny’s parents Tom (Franklin Cover) and Helen (Roxie Roker) Willis. As a result, George vehemently insists that he and Louise will move out of the building. But George changes his mind when Mr. Bently reveals the identity of another neighbor. (1975)

2:55 pm
Diff’rent Strokes: “Movin’ In”
Manhattan
In this series premiere, Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain) prepares for the arrival of his two new sons, Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Willis (Todd Bridges). The boys’ late mother was their beloved family housekeeper and asked Mr. Drummond to care for the boys after she passed. He and his daughter Kimberly (Dana Plato) are overjoyed at the boys’ arrival, and housekeeper Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae) quickly gets used to the idea of three children in the home. Older brother Willis is apprehensive and misses their Harlem home, but Arnold is thrilled at their new home’s amenities. Willis argues they are “the wrong color” for their new life and declares they will return to Harlem in the morning. Mr. Drummond makes every effort to make the boys feel welcome and at home but can tell Willis is struggling. Later, Arnold tells Willis he is being unfair, and Willis agrees to stay. (1978)

3:20 pm
The King of Queens: “Pilot”
Rego Park, Queens
This unaired pilot episode introduces audiences to Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie (Leah Remini) Heffernan who live in Queens, New York. Carrie surprises Doug with a new big screen television for his basement “man cave,” which Doug is ecstatic to show off to his friends. His joy is short-lived as a knock on the front door is revealed to be Carrie’s sister telling them their father’s wife Tessie died. Conflicted with putting her father in a retirement home, Carrie convinces Doug to let her father stay with them, forcing Doug to give up his “man cave” and changing the dynamic of the household with a new resident. The character Arthur Spooner, Carrie’s father, was written with actor Jerry Stiller in mind. Stiller turned down the part, and the pilot was shot with Jack Carter in the role. Stiller changed his mind and scenes with Carter were re-shot to include Stiller. (1998)

3:45 pm
Grounded for Life: “The Policy of Truth”
Staten Island
In this fourth season premiere, Lily (Lynsey Bartilson) eagerly awaits the return of her boyfriend Brad (Bret Harrison), who has been away at space camp all summer. He has only sent her one postcard, and she has convinced herself he has been cheating on her while he’s been away. She decides to get even by cheating on him with coffee shop employee Mocha Joey (Ryan Devlin). Meanwhile, Sean (Donal Logue) takes a call from his wife Claudia’s (Megyn Price) doctor and believes she is pregnant, which was not planned. To cover himself, he decides not to tell her. (2004)

4:10 pm 
Everybody Loves Raymond: “Marie’s Meatballs”
Long Island
In this episode, Debra (Patricia Heaton) is frustrated that Marie (Doris Roberts) brings over her famous spaghetti and meatballs for dinner when she has already prepared chicken for the family. Conflicted, Ray (Ray Romano) chooses the spaghetti, hurting Debra’s feelings as she feels her food is inferior to her mother-in-law’s. Wanting to help, Ray casually mentions to his mother that she could teach Debra how to make some of her recipes. Reluctant at first, Debra cooks alongside Marie in a cooking lesson, but is disheartened and confused when her meatballs don’t taste like Marie’s, though she followed each step carefully. Debra is enraged when she learns Marie has sabotaged one of the ingredients, and Marie tearfully confesses what she’s done to Ray, claiming the only way to keep her family around was through her cooking. (1998)

4:35pm
Everybody Hates Chris: “Everybody Hates Basketball”
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
In this episode, Chris (Tyler James Williams) struggles to make friends at his new and all-white school and ends up falling in with the “nerds,” including Greg (Vincent Martella), with whom he bonds over their love of talking about sports. Coach Brady (Robert Cicchini) spots Chris tossing a paper into the trashcan and immediately recruits him for the basketball team, despite Chris’s protests that he is terrible at sports. Back at home, Julius (Terry Crews) and Rochelle (Tichina Arnold) attempt to find a reasonable person to rent their upstairs room, and Julius is pleased when a seemingly normal man, Mr. Tate (Clarence Williams III), offers to pay six months’ rent in advance. Mr. Tate’s behavior becomes increasingly odd, concerning Rochelle. (2015)

4:55 pm
Spin City: “Prototype”
Financial District, Manhattan
In this series premiere, New York City Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty (Michael J. Fox) juggles the interests of his boss, Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick) with those of the mayor’s constituents. The city is dealing with a garbage strike and, while on camera, Mayor Winston unwittingly insults gay people. The City Hall staff swarms to correct the Mayor’s mistake. Meanwhile, Mike’s reporter girlfriend Ashley (Carla Gugino) tries to convince Mike to move in together and questions the seriousness of their relationship when it seems Mike is nervous about the idea. (1996)

5:25 pm
Seinfeld: “The Subway”
Manhattan
The gang meets for lunch at their favorite diner on the Upper West Side before going their separate ways via subway. En route to Coney Island Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) finds himself sitting across from a naked man. On the way to an important interview George (Jason Alexander) begins talking with a beautiful stranger who tempts him off the subway to her room at the Hotel Edison. Elaine (Julia Louis Dreyfuss) is trapped on a stalled subway car enroute to a wedding. Kramer (Michael Richards), planning to pay off numerous traffic tickets, overhears a hot tip on a horse race and takes a detour to the racetrack. (1992)