The Civil War drama Mercy Street begins its second season on PBS and WITF-TV on January 22.

The critically-acclaimed program is remarkable in several ways. First of all from a cinematography standpoint, Mercy Street has the look and feel of a major motion picture. Like other PBS dramas, there are rich characters and smart writing.. Mercy Street is one of few TV series using the Civil War as its backdrop. A Union hospital located in Alexandria, Virginia is where the show is situated and the location itself brings several storylines into the program.

Mercy Street was hailed in the first season for its historic authenticity whether it be the depiction of medical care during the war or the lives led by freed blacks.

Season one ended with a failed assassination attempt on President Abraham Lincoln at the hospital. This season begins with a small pox outbreak among free African-Americans and former slaves that could have an impact on the hospital and the whites who work there.

ON Tuesday's Smart Talk, we'll discuss season two of Mercy Street with Lisa Wolfinger, the show's co-creator and Executive Producer, Audrey Davis, a historical consultant for Mercy Street and Director of the Alexandria Black History Museum and Dr. Ian Isherwood, Assistant Director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College.