'Inside The Met': New Series Goes Behind The Museum's Doors

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Ever wondered what was concealed in the back rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or what was going on within its gargantuan Fifth Avenue home while it was closed for months during the coronavirus pandemic?

A new PBS documentary, "Inside The Met," aims to bring viewers behind the scenes at the storied institution — the largest art museum in the Americas, spread across four city blocks and 2.3 million square feet, with an inventory of 1.2 million works of art.

Its three episodes, airing starting 9 p.m. on May 21 and 28, examine the museum at three critical junctures: the run-up to the Met's 150th Anniversary celebration in spring 2019; the derailing of those plans during the pandemic and the ensuing anti-racism protests in 2020; and the Met's reopening last fall.

"People are mad at the institution, and I did not fully see that coming," admits Dan Weiss, the Met's president and CEO, in a preview clip discussing the George Floyd protests, which also spurred a painful reckoning within the museum.

"These objects were stolen — they were never intended to be in a space like the Met," says one worker, backed by a set of indigenous artworks, referring to the looting issues that have plagued museums worldwide.

More clips show Met curators wandering through deserted galleries during the museum's five-month closure last spring and summer, as well as a packed gathering in May 2019 where Weiss seeks to reassure reporters of the museum's health, following reports of "mismanagement and a drop in visitor numbers."

Other moments showcased in the series include: staff fighting to preserve the museum's objects despite a $150 million budget deficit, curators working to add historical context to culturally insensitive artworks, executives examining the Met's record on exclusion and diversity, and departments "calling in favors" to donors and collectors ahead of last fall's reopening.

"Inside the Met" was produced by Oxford Films, in association with the BBC and Apostles, for WNET — New York's public television affiliate.

The first and second episodes, "The Birthday Surprise" and "All Things to All People?" will air at 9 and 10 p.m., respectively, on May 21. The third episode, "Love and Money," airs at 9 p.m. May 28.