Grammy-Nominated Musician Tarriona “Tank” Ball Returns to Host PBS Series Exploring Identity, Heritage and Community in the American South
ARLINGTON, VA; Thursday, August 6, 2026 – PBS Digital Studios and ITVS, the award-winning co-producer of independent documentary films, announced today that the highly anticipated second season of RITUAL will premiere Thursday, August 6 onthePBS DOCUMENTARIES YouTube channel. Co-produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) and ITVS and presented by INDEPENDENT LENS, each episode explores how sacred rituals and everyday traditions across the American South shape identity, preserve history, and sustain communities.
Tarriona 'Tank' Ball, the powerhouse frontwoman of the Grammy-nominated, New Orleans-based group Tank and the Bangas, returns as host and narrator for the new season of RITUAL. Season 2 moves through the streets, kitchens, and ancestral spaces of the South, revealing how everyday practices carry deep meaning. From the vibrant energy of New Orleans second lines to the sacred tradition of New Year’s meals, and from the intimate art of Black hair to spiritual ancestral reconnections, each episode examines ritual as a living language of love, resilience, memory, and survival.
“Telling stories from the past and rediscovering history with such deep roots to my own feels so special and deeply personal,” said host Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball. “This is why I'm so excited for RITUAL to be back. This is a show for all of us to enjoy and feel connected to.”
The 6-part series will release one new episode monthly. A brief description of the pilot episode is listed below:
Season 2, Episode 1: Code Switching
Premieres: August 6, 2026
The ritual of “code switching” takes form through repeated, patterned behaviors that signal membership through social signaling. Code switching is something everyone does, at different moments in their lives. It can be about race, class, profession, or a number of things - but the need to be viewed in “code” is the key. In this episode, Tank explores the complex roots of code-switching and examines the battle between being authentic to oneself and being accepted by a group.
Watch the one-minute series trailer: Discover Ritual
“We launched the PBS DOCUMENTARIES YouTube channel in March for the purpose of amplifying diverse voices and powerful visual storytelling, and RITUAL does exactly that," said Maribel Lopez, Head of PBS Digital Studios. "By exploring the American South through the lens of its enduring traditions, this beautiful series is both deeply authentic and culturally resonant, and we’re extremely proud of it.”
“RITUAL reminds us that some of the most meaningful stories begin with the traditions that shape our communities,” said Royd Chung, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production at ITVS. “INDEPENDENT LENS is proud to partner with PBS Documentaries and Louisiana Public Broadcasting to bring these stories to new digital audiences and expand the reach of public media.
RITUAL will be available to stream on PBS.org and the PBS app. Audiences are encouraged to engage with PBS DOCUMENTARIES by subscribing to the PBS DOCUMENTARIES YouTube channel. Keep up with all of your favorite PBS Digital Studios shows by following the PBS Digital Studios accounts on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
PBS and PBS Digital Studios provide a wide variety of digital programming on YouTube. Its themed channels include PBS DOCUMENTARIES, PBS FOOD, PBS TERRA (science and nature), PBS ORIGINS (history), and PBS STORIED (arts and humanities). In March 2026, PBS DOCUMENTARIES replaced PBS VOICES, becoming the new home for the original documentary series SUBCULTURED, PRIDELAND, and RITUAL. This channel continues to serve PBS VOICES’ primary audience, ages 18 to 45, while expanding its documentary offering.
About the Filmmakers
Donald “D.Ray!” Washington is an executive producer and director with Louisiana Public Broadcasting. He leads documentary and cultural storytelling projects focused on community, history and lived experience across Louisiana and the American South.
My Sherie A’Mour Johnson is a producer and multimedia journalist whose work centers on storytelling, culture, and community voices. Her approach blends documentary production with grounded, human-centered narratives across diverse subjects.
Sabrina Canfield is a screenwriter and journalist whose work explores culture, identity, and human behavior. Based in New Orleans, she has spent 20 years reporting on events including Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and environmental racism in Cancer Alley, and has developed the screen projects Henry and Birds of Paradise.
About PBS Digital Studios
PBS Digital Studios produces original, digital programming designed to engage, enlighten, and entertain online audiences. The PBS Digital Studios network has more than 35 million subscribers on YouTube, generating an average of 50 million views each month. Since 2012, it has launched over 120 original series and has accumulated over five billion lifetime views on YouTube. Series include the Webby Award-winning BE SMART and SOUND FIELD, as well as popular series such as WEATHERED, EONS, MONSTRUM and SPACE TIME. For more information on PBS Digital Studios, visit PBS.org.
About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 56 million viewers on YouTube, and 10 million followers on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children ages 2 to 8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV—including a PBS KIDS channel—and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.
About ITVS
Independent Television Service (ITVS) is the largest co-producer of independent documentaries in the United States. For more than 30 years the San Francisco non-profit has funded and partnered with documentary filmmakers to produce and distribute untold stories. ITVS incubates and co-produces these award-winning titles and premieres them on our Emmy® Award-winning PBS series, INDEPENDENT LENS. ITVS titles reach audiences across PBS, WORLD, and NETA, with streaming access available on digital platforms including the PBS app and the PBS Documentaries channel on YouTube. ITVS is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Acton Family Giving, Ford Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Artemis Rising Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, Brandt Jackson Foundation, the deNovo Initiative, and RandomGood Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. For more information,visit itvs.org
About Independent Lens
INDEPENDENT LENS is an award-winning documentary series that fosters understanding, seeks to build empathy, and encourages a more united society. Produced by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS documentaries have premiered on PBS for 25 years and streamed on YouTube, helping Americans foster deeper connections between communities and themselves. From the Oscar-nominated "I Am Not Your Negro" to the Peabody-acclaimed docuseries "Philly D.A." and the Emmy Award-winning "The Invisible War," INDEPENDENT LENS provides viewers with in-depth, nuanced storytelling reflecting the experiences of people from a variety of voices and communities. Funding is provided by the Action Circle for Independent Lens with major funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Acton Family Giving, Ford Foundation, and Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, with additional support from Artemis Rising Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, Brandt Jackson Foundation, the deNovo Initiative, and RandomGood Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Stream anytime on the PBS app or YouTube. Learn more at pbs.org/independentlens.