Kansas City PBS has added a new, locally produced show to its lineup. The Flatland show, named after the station’s digital journalism platform, is a monthly current affairs program that takes a deep dive into a single local issue that is raising questions, causing tensions or is curiously unexplored. It premieres Thursday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. on Kansas City PBS Channel 19.1, with new episodes airing on the third Thursday of every month.

Hosted by local writer, radio personality and activist D. Rashaan Gilmore, Flatland takes a multimedia approach, featuring an in-depth video report followed by a diverse panel of voices with different takes on the topic, supported by reporting on FlatlandKC.org.

Flatland sources experts over pundits, solutions over divisions and informed insight over partisan talking points. Everything’s up for discussion: from the future of work in a post-COVID world to gentrification, houselessness, the environment and criminal justice reform.

“Flatland is unique,” said host D. Rashaan Gilmore. “It’s not a scattershot of different news and topics. It’s a John Oliver, This Week Tonight-esque long-form discussion. We’re giving people an opportunity to get to know an issue, the people affected by it and those who are leading around it.”