WETA is airing the second in a series of documentaries about the recent history of Washington. It began with Washington in the ’60s, since, as baby-boomers insist, history began in 1960— the rest was a trifling prelude.

Tonight comes Washington in the ’70s, the bellbottom-clad follow-up featuring the construction of the Metro system, Marion Barry getting shot, and a president losing his job over a local burglary.

Catch it on channel 26 (WETA) tonight at 9 pm.  (Check rebroadcast times)

What do Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, and Roberta Flack have in common? Their careers began at the Howard Theater.

The WBJ reports that next weekend Channel 50 (WDCW) will air Howard Theatre: A Century in Song looking back at the theater’s place in Washington history and music over the past 100 years.

The show’s producers have posted a photo gallery documenting what the theater looks like inside today— if you thought the outside looked trashy, the inside is worse.

The show will air twice on February 27 and once on February 28.  In the meantime, check out this cool time-lapse video tracking the removal of the 1940s plaster façade.

Howard Theatre: A Century in Song

• Saturday, February 27 at 8 pm
• Saturday, February 27 at 10:30 pm
• Sunday, February 28 at 1:30 pm

The Kennedeys, civil rights, the Beltway, riots, suburbanization.  All this and more will be covered tonight on PBS’s one-hour special, Washington in the ’60s.

Washington in the ’60s airs tonight on WETA (channel 26) at 9 pm.