The PBS portion of the 2011 Television Critics Association summer press tour began Saturday, with news about an ambitious new arts series showcasing local and regional fare. It's called the PBS Arts Fall Festival, and it's a big enough umbrella to include Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park, a production of HMS Pinafore from Minnesota's Guthrie Theatre, and, as a Cameron Crowe study of the rise of Seattle grunge, an American Masters special called Pearl Jam 20.

And, though it's not part of that new series, the classic 1971 Great American Dream Machine will be saluted in a new PBS retrospective special next season...

The Arts Fall Festival showcases will include segments for which local member stations can feature their own community arts, much the way NPR's All Things Considered delivers a national program with spots for local stations to participate as well. PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, in a press conference Wednesday, stressed how important in was, as the network moved forward, to "plug into the local community."

Meanwhile, though I'll have more on this very soon, previews have identified two gratifyingly excellent new arts productions. American Masters has a program devoted to the comedy of Woody Allen (a 15-minute clip looks wonderful), and a new four-part series, America in Primetime, is -- based on one episode -- easily the most intelligent and entertaining documentary about television to be made in about 20 years.

For more breaking news press tour coverage, see Diane Werts' latest For Better or Werts column, on Doctor Who and more, click HERE.