The filmmakers behind “Bucks County, USA” | Studio 2 from WHYY | 09/16/26

A five-part documentary series premieres on PBS this weekend. The subject? Pennsylvania’s own Bucks County. In an attempt to better understand our national political climate, camera crews set up shop in a county that Governor Josh Shapiro once dubbed 'the swingiest of all swing counties in the swingiest of all swing states.' Over the course of several years, filmmakers followed a community whose fault lines had been cleaved open by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tense rivalries formed in school board meetings as pandemic-era policy debates gave way to heated battles over gay pride flags and library books. At the heart of the series are the relationships – former friends turned political rivals, teachers with opposing viewpoints trying to find common ground, and two teenage best friends trying to navigate through the culture wars around them. Award-winning filmmakers Robert May and Barry Levinson join Studio 2 to discuss their new series, the people at the center of it, and what Bucks County might tell us about the broader political moment we’re in in 2026. Guests: – Robert May, award-winning independent filmmaker known for documentaries like "Kids for Cash" and "The Fog of War.” – Barry Levinson, Oscar-winning director and producer known for movies like "Rain Man," "Diner" and "Good Morning, Vietnam.”