LOS ANGELES: As PBS' "Masterpiece" marks its 50th anniversary Sunday, the drama and mystery showcase could rest on its reputation built with acclaimed programs including "I, Claudius" and "Elizabeth R" and polished anew by surprising pop-culture hits "Sherlock" and "Downton Abbey."

But "Masterpiece" executive producer Susanne Simpson says it's positioned to thrive as it addresses the challenges posed by a changing media industry and increased calls for diversity.

"'Masterpiece' is important to the PBS system. Our viewers expect us to keep finding the best" in TV, Simpson said, even as competition from commercial platforms increases.

With more streaming services and other outlets gobbling up programs, including the British-made dramas that are a "Masterpiece" staple, the public TV program is becoming more aggressive in the marketplace, Simpson said.

She joined the series nearly 14 years ago and became its executive producer in 2019, only the fourth since "Masterpiece" debuted Jan. 10, 1971, with the miniseries "The First Churchills."

"The Long Song," a three-part drama debuting Jan. 31 on "Masterpiece," exemplifies what is hiding in plain sight. Based on Andrea Levy's historical novel of the same name, a finalist for the prestigious Booker literary prize, it tells of a young Black woman's life in the final years of slavery in Jamaica and its aftermath.

Pandemic uncertainty brought it to "Masterpiece," when taping on some of its U.K. shows paused last March and Simpson sought available programs as a safeguard. Already familiar with the late Levy's work because "Masterpiece" had aired an adaptation of her "Small Island" novel in 2010, Simpson said she found "The Long Song" to be "powerful and moving."

Tamara Lawrance, who stars as the main character, said every generation believes "things are changing, things are different," but sees a welcome energy in the British creative community that is building on the past.

"I'm so proud of 'The Long Song' and being in a cast of people like that, of amazing older Black actors that I grew up watching," Lawrance said.