Documentary Archives - Page 22 of 63

Discovery documentary looks at deadly Mount Everest avalanche

May 1, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

What began as efforts to begin production on the live Discovery Channel special Everest Jump Live — which would have seen climber Joby Ogwyn attempt to make the first wing suit flight off the summit of Mount Everest — turned into tragedy on April 18 when an avalanche struck the Khumbu Icefall, the area just above Mount Everest base camp. The disaster killed 13 Sherpas, and left three missing. The NBC News team that was at base camp intending to produce the live event, instead found themselves witnessing the avalanche, which will be chronicled in the 90-minute documentary Everest Avalanche […]

New BBC America series explores “The Real History of Science Fiction”

April 16, 2014 Ryan Berenz

The Real History of Science Fiction documentary series on BBC America (Saturdays at 10pm ET beginning April 19) aims to tell the definitive history of the genre and its impact on cinema, television and literature. Each episode in the four-part series explores one of the enduring themes of sci-fi: time travel, space exploration, robots and artificial intelligence, and aliens. The list of sci-fi notables contributing to the series include William Shatner (Star Trek), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek), Steven Moffat (Doctor Who), Richard Dreyfuss (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Chris Carter (The X-Files), Ronald D Moore […]

“Pioneers of Television” returns for Season 4 on PBS

April 15, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

PBS’ wonderful series Pioneers of Television returns tonight for a run of four new episodes looking back at groundbreaking people, shows and themes that have helped turn television into the medium that it is today. This season’s episodes are: “Standup to Sitcom,” featuring new interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, Ray Romano and Bob Newhart; “Doctors and Nurses,” which examines TV’s love affair with the medical profession, from Dr. Kildare to ER and beyond; “Breaking Barriers,” which traces the story of people of color in television; and “Acting Funny,” a look at the backstage techniques of America’s favorite […]

Ken Burns’ “The Address” demonstrates lasting impact of the Gettysburg Address

April 15, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

Last November was the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, a brief but impactful speech that has gone down in history as one of our nation’s greatest. Perhaps befitting the brilliant conciseness of that address, filmmaker Ken Burns looks at the speech in one of his shortest projects, the 90-minute film The Address. While it is nowhere near as sprawling as Burns’ other works, like The Civil War or Baseball, it — as the original address did — delivers an effective message in its brief time. The Address differs from most of Burns’ other projects […]

ESPN’s 30 for 30 Soccer Stories kick off with “Hillsborough”

April 14, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Gearing up for its coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil this summer, ESPN launches a series of documentaries in its popular 30 for 30 franchise devoted to soccer, looking at some fascinating but little-known or long-forgotten stories surrounding the world’s most popular game. The “Soccer Stories” series includes two feature-length documentaries and six 30-minute films, each examining key moments and figures in soccer and placing them in the context of historical events. Sign up to receive all the latest Soccer news, delivered straight to your inbox! The series opens with Hillsborough (April 15, 8pm ET), a feature-length […]

Preview: Golf Channel’s “Arnie” documentary tribute to Arnold Palmer

April 11, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Golf Channel’s Arnie three-night documentary tribute to Arnold Palmer examines Palmer’s rise to becoming one of the most beloved figures in sports. Arnie premieres Sunday, April 13, at 10pm ET following Golf Channel’s Live From The Masters tournament roundup with the first installment, “Arnie & His Army.” The series continues Monday, April 14, with “Arnie & His Majors” and concludes Tuesday, April 15, with “Arnie & His Legacy.” Golf Channel spent the past year traveling with Palmer and collected hundreds of hours of archival film footage, including never-before-released Palmer family videos. Arnie also features more than 100 interviews with luminaries […]

NGC special looks at the hunt for Boston bombers

April 11, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the horrific Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, National Geographic Channel (NGC) will air a two-hour “factual drama” that relives the hunt for those behind it. Called Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers, the special, debuting April 13, includes unprecedented access to authorities, including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; former Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino; William B. Evans, former superintendent and current commissioner of the Boston Police Department; Edward F. Davis, former commissioner of the BPD; and Richard C. DesLauriers, former special agent in charge of the FBI, Boston Division. NGC says that Inside […]

Years of Living Dangerously: Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron present a powerful look at climate change

April 10, 2014 Lori Acken

Though it’s produced by a veritable Hollywood power squad — Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron and Jerry Weintraub — and stocked with celebrity correspondents, the real stars of Showtime’s stunning climate-change docuseries Years of Living Dangerously are the everyday souls from around the globe whose lives have been irreparably changed by the weather. While the verity of global warming has been a polarizing issue even before the Kyoto Protocol made greenhouse gases a matter of international policy, the show’s creators and advisers wanted their story to be one of the power of people, not politics. “Politics are covered, but the path […]

Historian Simon Schama: “Too much obligation to have perfect balance” in history filmmaking today

April 1, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

Historian Simon Schama’s latest series, The Story of the Jews, concludes tonight on PBS. It’s a wonderful program, not just for the many fascinating and informative elements in it, but also for Schama’s presentation of the history. His guiding us through the series recalls old-school hosts in that it’s him, the history, and his passion for the topic first and foremost. Nothing is particularly spiced up with CGI, and it’s the historical facts, and Schama’s expertise with presenting them in an educational yet emotional way, connecting with audiences as he would with a classroom, that makes the show. His presentation […]

On HBO’s “The University of Sing Sing,” An Education Can Change Everything

March 30, 2014 Kellie Freeze

“What happens to a dream deferred?” Asks Langston Hughes in his poem, “Harlem.” What happens when poor choices and incarceration interrupt hopes and aspirations? For the 1700 men of New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility, many of whom are serving time for violent crimes, those dreams no longer need end. Many of the inmates have found dignity, hope, purpose and a future through Hudson Link, a privately funded non-profit organization that offers inmates access to college courses and the opportunity to earn a diploma. The University of Sing Sing (premiering on HBO March 31) brings viewers inside the walls of […]