Austin City Limits

Quick facts

Series overview

Austin City Limits
Genre	Documentary
Created by	Bill Arhos
Country	United States
Language	English
Network	PBS
Network country	United States
Runtime	54 min
Schedule	Saturday at 23:00:00
First air	Jan 1, 1975
Last air	Feb 7, 2026
Status	Continuing

TMDb ID	10472
TVMaze ID	5498
IMDb ID	tt0364784

Overview

Series synopsis

Austin City Limits is an American documentary television series that premiered on PBS on January 1, 1975. It was created by Bill Arhos. It stars Tracy Nelson, Marcia Ball, Charlie Robison and Jonny Lang.

Now the longest-running music series in American television history, ACL showcases popular music legends and innovators from every genre.

Premise

Now the longest-running music series in American television history, ACL showcases popular music legends and innovators from every genre.

Premise: Great music. No limits.

Cast and characters

Leading cast

Tracy Nelson as Self
Marcia Ball as Self
Charlie Robison as Self
Jonny Lang as Self
Brad Paisley as Self
John Hiatt as Self
Junior Brown as Self
Garth Brooks as Self

Supporting cast

Patty Loveless as Herself
Michael Stipe as Self
Rusty Wier as Self
Charlie Daniels as Self
Michael McDonald as Self
Joe Nichols as Self
Paolo Nutini as Self
Manu Chao as Self
Mary Chapin Carpenter as Self
Bobby Bland as Self
Leon Russell as Self
Jakob Dylan as Self

Guest cast

Tracy Nelson as Self
Marcia Ball as Self
Charlie Robison as Self
Jonny Lang as Self
Brad Paisley as Self
John Hiatt as Self
Junior Brown as Self
Garth Brooks as Self
Patty Loveless as Herself
Michael Stipe as Self
Rusty Wier as Self
Charlie Daniels as Self

Episodes

This series spans 20 seasons with 193 episodes.

Season	Episodes	First aired	Last aired
Season 0	32	November 19, 2011	December 31, 2028
Season 1	14	January 1, 1975	January 1, 1975
Season 2	10		December 15, 1977
Season 3	13		July 28, 1975
Season 4	13		January 25, 1979
Season 5	13
Season 6	13
Season 7	13
Season 8	13		June 1, 2004
Season 9	13	January 1, 1984	February 3, 1984
Season 10	14		November 1, 1985
Season 11	1	February 21, 1986	February 21, 1986
Season 12	13		March 21, 1987
Season 13	0	March 19, 1988	April 2, 1988
Season 14	14		April 29, 1989
Season 15	1	February 17, 1990	March 3, 1990
Season 17	1	February 21, 1992	March 7, 1992
Season 18	1	January 23, 1993	January 23, 1993
Season 19	0	January 15, 1994	March 12, 1994
Season 20	1	March 5, 1995	March 5, 1995

Season 0 preview 32 episodes total

Season 0 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2011	November 19, 2011
2	ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2012 Selected performances from the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, including Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Alabama Shakes and more, recorded live at the Ryman Auditorium.	November 10, 2012
3	ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2013 Selected performances from the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, including Dr. John, Stephen Stills, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, and much more.	November 23, 2013

Season 1 preview 14 episodes total

Season 1 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Willie Nelson The Texas-born singer and songwriter performs in the pilot episode of Austin City Limits shot on October 17, 1974 covering such tracks as Whiskey River, Stay all Night... and Bloody Mary Morning.	January 1, 1975
2	Asleep at the Wheel / Bob Wills' Original Texas Playboys
3	Rusty Wier

Season 2 preview 10 episodes total

Season 2 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Willie Nelson / Tracy Nelson
2	Amazing Rhythm Aces / Gove
3	The Earl Scruggs Revue

Season 3 preview 13 episodes total

Season 3 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Michael Martin Murphey
2	Steve Goodman
3	John Prine

Season 4 preview 13 episodes total

Season 4 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	John McEuen and Friends with Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten
2	Dan Del Santo followed by Taj Mahal
3	The Neville Brothers followed by Robert Shaw and Lightnin' Hopkins

Season 5 preview 13 episodes total

Season 5 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Roy Clark & Gatemouth Brown
2	Don Williams followed by Janie Fricke
3	Songwriters Special Willie Nelson, Floyd Tillman and friends

Season 6 preview 13 episodes total

Season 6 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	George Jones with Hank Thompson
2	Charley Pride followed by Razzy Bailey
3	Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys followed by Riders in the Sky

Season 7 preview 13 episodes total

Season 7 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Emmylou Harris followed by Rodney Crowell
2	George Thorogood and the Destroyers followed by Dave Olney and the X-Rays
3	Pete Fountain followed by Jazzmanian Devil

Season 8 preview 13 episodes total

Season 8 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Mickey Gilley followed by T.G. Sheppard
2	Roy Orbison	June 1, 2004
3	Don Williams followed by West Texas Songwriters Special

Season 9 preview 13 episodes total

Season 9 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Ray Charles / Lee Greenwood	January 1, 1984
2	Jerry Lee Lewis	January 1, 1984
3	Freddy Powers with Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard	January 1, 1984

Season 10 preview 14 episodes total

Season 10 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Oak Ridge Boys / Bob Wills’ Original Texas Playboys
2	Neil Young and The International Harvesters	September 25, 1984
3	Exile / The Maines Bros. with Terry Allen

Season 11 preview 1 episodes total

Season 11 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Tanya Tucker / Sawyer Brown	February 21, 1986
5	Tanya Tucker / Sawyer Brown	February 21, 1986

Season 12 preview 13 episodes total

Season 12 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Ronnie Milsap	January 17, 1987
2	Squeezebox Special with Queen Ida, Santiago Jimenez Jr. and Ponty Bone
3	The Fabulous Thunderbirds followed by Omar & the Howlers	March 21, 1987

Season 13 preview 0 episodes total

Season 13 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
3	Ricky Van Shelton / Darden Smith	March 19, 1988
4	Nitty Gritty Dirt Band / New Grass Revival The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has spent 19 years in the music business building a reputation as high-energy performers. Next, the New Grass Revival takes traditional bluegrass instruments and uses them to make a wide variety of music.	April 2, 1988

Season 14 preview 14 episodes total

Season 14 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	George Strait
2	K.T. Oslin followed by Rodney Crowell
3	The Charlie Daniels Band followed by Gary P. Nunn

Season 15 preview 1 episodes total

Season 15 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
4	Kathy Mattea / Tish Hinojosa Kathy Mattea earned this year's Country Music Association's Female vocalist of the Year. In this episode, she hows off her powerful voice and songs. Texas singer/songwriter, Tish Hinojosa, uses her soft voice and complex melodies to play social relevant folk music.	February 10, 1990
5	Waylon Jennings Country music outlaw Waylon Jennings takes the famed "Austin City Limits" stage. Tracks include "Mamas Don't Let You're Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," "Good Hearted Woman," "Trouble Man," "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way," "Me And Bobby McGee," and more.	February 17, 1990
7	John Denver / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Country's Christian roots are celebrated with ACL's tribute show to the Country Music Association's Album of the Year, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken II."	March 3, 1990

Season 17 preview 1 episodes total

Season 17 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
3	Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks / The Acoustic Warriors ACL travels back in time to the 60s and 70s by reuniting Dan Hicks with his first band the Hot Licks, as well as showcasing his current ensemble, The Acoustic Warriors.	February 1, 1992
5	Albert Collins/ Danny Gatton Albert Collins followed by Danny Gatton	February 21, 1992
8	The Subdudes/Béla Fleck and the Flecktones	March 7, 1992

Season 18 preview 1 episodes total

Season 18 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Marc Cohn / Leo Kottke	January 23, 1993
2	Marc Cohn / Leo Kottke	January 23, 1993

Season 19 preview 0 episodes total

Season 19 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
1	Rosanne Cash / Carlene Carter	January 15, 1994
2	Hal Ketchum/Kelly Willis	January 22, 1994
9	Songwriters Special Three Texas natives known for their amazing vocals and powerful songwriting talents share the stage for a night of music and memories.	March 12, 1994

Season 20 preview 1 episodes total

Season 20 episode preview
Episode	Title	Air date
8	Stevie Ray Vaughan: A Retrospective Combing footage of previous ACL appearances, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble give great blue performances.	March 5, 1995

View all episodes

Production

Genres

Documentary

Country

Original language

Release

Original network/platform	PBS
First aired	January 1, 1975
Last aired	February 7, 2026
Runtime	54 minutes
Status	continue
Schedule	Saturday at 23:00:00