Ken Burns featured Thursday, June 25 at 8:30 p.m.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – June 22, 2009 – WTCI-TV (PBS) will feature award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, who has been making documentary films for more than 30 years, on The A List with Alison Lebovitz this Thursday, June 25 at 8:30 p.m. The 30 minute one-on-one interview with Burns is an encore presentation of the season finale—back by popular demand.
Since the Academy Award-nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981, Burns has directed and produced some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The War, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, and The West. Burns’ latest documentary project, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, will debut on PBS this September. The six-episode series was filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales—from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.
Lebovitz talks with Burns about his draw to filmmaking as a child, his production process, his latest project, and a common theme woven throughout all of his films: they all convey something truly Americana.
“This interview allowed us to get an insider’s view of what it takes to capture those moments in history that Burns so eloquently brings to life,” said Alison Lebovitz, host of The A List. “Burns’ father was a cultural anthropologist, and he has referred to himself as an emotional archaeologist. I think after watching his interview on The A List our viewers will understand why.”
“The first season of The A List with Alison Lebovitz has been a huge success,” said Paul Grove, President and CEO of WTCI-TV (PBS). “Each week we have received positive comments from the community, reaffirming the importance of the local programming offered by WTCI. As a PBS station, our connection within the community is what makes us different and vital to the members who support us, and local programs like The A List help us build these connections.”
Airing on Thursday nights at 8:30 p.m. (with encores on Sundays at 10 a.m.), The A List with Alison Lebovitz is an exciting weekly series that invites viewers to listen in on conversations with creative and engaging individuals who have made an impact locally and nationally. Other individuals featured this season include two Pulitzer Prize winning authors, Jon Meacham and Doris Kearns Goodwin, as well as Jack Perkins, an award-winning journalist, and Linda Hooper, Principal of Whitwell Middle School who leads the Paperclips project. Episodes can also be viewed online after they air.
“I am so proud of the work that our incredible staff and crew of WTCI have put into making The A List such a wonderful experience and success,” said Lebovitz. “I think we brought something new, distinct and exciting to the Tennessee Valley – real conversations with real people. I want people to find their experience with the show interesting, thought-provoking and above all else authentic. And I hope my conversations with our guests inspire other conversations around the community.”
WTCI, PBS for the Tennessee Valley, has been helping the community “Be more connected” for nearly 40 years. Through quality programming and educational outreach services, WTCI can help you “Be More!”
Click here to watch episodes of The A List with Alison Lebovitz
