Former KGB chief of foreign counterintelligence Oleg Kalugin and former FBI agent David Major at Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown (WETA)

Jaded Washingtonians may think that a public television documentary series could teach them little about their native city that they don’t already know. Premiering July 5, WETA Neighborhoods will more than likely prove them wrong.

A similar series documented the city a decade ago in a series of two-minute segments. This one-hour special weaves together multiple short subjects on four District neighborhoods: Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill, and Anacostia. Even viewers who work and live in these areas may learn something about their backyards.

Or alleys. The Capitol Hill segment includes a visit to the Rose’s Luxury, the Barracks Row success story you’ve probably heard of. But have you heard of the tiny alley dwellings preserved by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society? Or John Matthews, proprietor of the Peterbug Shoe Repair Academy?

Georgetown is represented with a tale that may be familiar to DCist readers, that of the KGB agent who defected after escaping from Au Pied du Cochon, which was until recently a Five Guys. Still, these cobblestone streets have their secrets, like the neglected Mount Zion United Methodist Church and Cemetery.

You can get your cute wildlife fix along the Anacostia River, where a local photographer kayaks the waters in search of colorful native amphibians. Did you know the neighborhood is the star of an Emmy-award winning YouTube soap opera?

Dupont Circle segments are less obscure, but the program reminds you to hit the farmer’s market and gives you a look at preparations for Raise/Raze, the installation at Dupont Underground. Still, for every familiar story in this show, there’s an unfamiliar one that will make you want to explore your city even more.

Premieres Tuesday, July 5 at 8 p.m. on WETA 26 and WETA HD.

Watch a trailer: