WNET UP Next

David Zabel, Executive Producer of  Mercy Street shares his thoughts on the series and his career as a writer-producer of television drama. Mercy Street is now in it’s second season; the first season received an overwhelmingly positive response, as it marked the first PBS dramatic series to be be presented in many years with an American cast and themes.  The drama  takes place during the Civil War and is centered on Mansion House, a luxury hotel being used as a Union Army hospital.  Mercy Street follows the lives of  civilians, female volunteers, doctors, wounded soldiers, free blacks, contraband, prostitutes, speculators and spies whose lives intersect at the hospital in Alexandria, Virginia.  The second season, while continuing go explore events in Alexandria, broadens  the focus to the battlefields and the confederate capitol of Richmond.

In his conversation with Tom Stewart, David reveals how the the series grew out of an earlier idea for a documentary on Civil War medicine.  With his collaborator Lisa Q. Wolfinger, the idea evolved into  a full fledged multipart historical drama with the support of Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Officer of PBS.  He speaks of the joy of writing for a PBS audience and has high praise for his actors, who are a cross section of Broadway stage performers (many TONY award winners) as well as those from film and television. Viewers will be captivated by  the great atttention to accurate period detail, made possible by historical experts in many fields including medicine, women’s health, Southern gentility, and Civil War battles.  Not only did the location shooting in Virginia provide authentic settings and a unique look for the series, but the input of the Virginia crews on the film provided  a special degree of sensitivity and context  for the filmmakers.

David has had a long career in television with previous long runs on dramatic series such as ER , but he has particularly enjoyed his relationship with PBS and its ability to entertain, educate, inform, and stimulate the audience’s thirst for finding out more about the subject at hand.  If they get the go ahead, he has many stories ready for a third season.

Recorded at WNET’s Audio C on January 6, 2017

A presentation of the Design & On-Air Promotion Department of WNET New York Public Media

Special thanks to Jordan Lawrence of DKC

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David Horn, WNET’s Director of Performance and Arts  Programming and Executive Producer of Great  Performances returns to the podcast to discuss several  new productions from his portfolio, particularly The Wars of the Roses and Theater Close-Up.  The Wars of the Roses is a three-part film adaptation of Henry VI, Parts I & II featuring Tom Sturridge, Sophie Okonedo and Hugh Bonneville;  the final chapter is Richard III starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Dame Judi Dench.    It will  premiere on PBS on three successive Sunday evenings at 9PM: December 11th, 18th, and 25th. The series continues the saga of The Hollow Crown which showcased the Bard’s Henry IV and Henry V.  Theater Close-Up, a series  of plays from off-Broadway and regional theater, now in its second season,  hopes to have a national airing on PBS next year. Notable episodes from this season include Buyer and Cellar with Michael Urie and Sam Shepard’s Buried Child with Ed Harris and Amy Madigan.

David also describes the December 23rd and 25th Great Performances special, Shakespeare Live! From the Royal Shakespeare Company,  recorded in London earlier this year as a part of the  commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Another local  special slated for December 13th celebrates NYC-Arts,  the weekly series devoted to the arts in New York.  On New Year’s Day, Great Performances, in a long standing tradition,  presents Julie Andrews hosting From Vienna:  The New Year’s Celebration 2017 with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.

In his conversation with Tom Stewart, David pays special tribute to his team of collaborators and producers who make these programs possible,  including Joan Hershey, Bill O’Donnell, John Walker and Mitch Owgang.

This episode with David Horn is a sequel to an episode published in December of 2015.

WNET Up Next is a presentation of the Design and On Air Promotion Department of WNET New York Public Media

Production:  Daena McBride

Audio:  Jonathan Berman

Recorded at WNET Audio C  on  November 17th, 2016

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The film “Military Medicine: Beyond the Battlefield”  is the first documentary produced by NJTV to receive a nationwide airing on PBS.  The film, hosted by ABC news correspondent Bob Woodruff,  covers military medical advances and technology from the battlefield  to the return home.  Executive Producer and Writer Sally Garner and Producer Ally Gimbel take us behind the scenes to share  how the production came together from original idea to completion.  The film features the  stories of physicians, scientists, active duty troops, veterans, civilians and military families to show the impact and potential of military medicine. The film has been produced as a part of the multimedia “Veterans Coming Home”  initiative which seeks to bridge the military-civilian divide.

The filmmakers share with host Tom Stewart their feelings about working on such an important and timely project, and how for both of them it was a great privilege to meet and interview the subjects involved and tell their story. The program first airs on PBS on Wednesday, November 9th, 2016.

Recorded on October 17th, 2016.

WNET Up Next is presentation of the Design and On Air Promotion Department of WNET New York Public Media

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Ed Hersh, Producer of “Chasing the Dream: Poverty & Opportunity in America” is the featured guest on this edition of WNET Up Next. “Chasing the Dream” is the umbrella title for an ongoing and sustaining look at the issues of poverty and economic opportunity that currently face the United States. Instead of being merely a single program, a series, or a website, the initiative is a huge collaborative effort for generating reports that appear across multiple platforms online, on air,  on cable,  and in social media. So far over 100 stories have been covered, appearing everywhere from WLIW’s MetroFocus and Long Island Business Report to the PBS Newshour and PBS Newshour Weekend, to NJTV, and to local public media stations around the country, not to mention a very active Facebook presence.  To  access the project’s content, log onto  www.PBS.org/chasingthedream.

In his conversation with Tom Stewart, Ed also points the way toward two “Chasing the Dream” documentaries which are appearing on PBS on Friday evening, October 7th.  “Getting Ahead” takes host Tavis Smiley on an investigation of the issue of  the minimum wage with a look at life in Northern California.  “Dream On”,   a film by Roger Weisberg, follows comedian John Fugelsang as he retraces the journey made famous by Alexis deTocqueville  recounted in his “Democracy in America”.  We also learn about an online series from NJTV, “Voices from Atlantic City”, which is an example of content that has found a home on many other websites and will soon, itself, become a television broadcast.

With a extensive career ranging from print to broadcast to cable, and now online,  Ed appreciates that public media is not driven by “monitizing”,  but is devoted  to getting  important information into the world and stimulating  public discourse.   He also has some great advice for anyone considering a career in the world of media!

Recorded on September 22, 2016

A Presentation of the Design and On Air Promotion Department WNET – New York Public Media

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In a Special Author Series Edition of WNET Up Next, MetroFocus anchor Rafael Pi Roman and author David Reid talk about the latter’s new book,  “The Brazen Age, New York City and the American Empire:  Politics, Art, and Bohemia”.

The book focuses on the New York of the late forties, from the end of World War II to the Korean War.  Reid writes about the city’s important figures, cultural accomplishments, and political climate during that fascinating period of New York City history.

WNET Up Next is a presentation of the Design and On Air Promotion Department of WNET – New York Public Media.

Special support for this episode from MetroFocus.

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Scott Davis, the Executive Producer of PBS Newshour Weekend shares a backstage look at the three-year old program which originates at WNET in New York.  Scott has had an award-winning career in television news and documentaries including stints with Larry King,  Phil Donahue and Bill Moyers, as well as production roles in several noted PBS news and documentary series including That Money Show, Expose: America’s Investigative Reports  and Need to Know. In addition he has a management role serving as General Manager of WNET’s Creative News Group.

In a conversation with Tom Stewart, Scott takes us inside PBS Newshour Weekend  and describes both the mission and the process that goes into making each broadcast happen.  Airing on Saturday and Sunday evenings the PBS Newshour Weekend has extended  PBS Newshour  coverage to  seven day service.  The  program provides updates on breaking news as well as longer “Signature Segment”  pieces that shine a light on stories often overlooked by other media outlets.

WNET Up Next is a production of the Design and On Air Promotion Department of WNET –  New York Public Media.  (Recorded June 30, 2016)

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This episode features a conversation with Lois Vossen, the Executive Producer of the documentary series  Independent Lens.  In the interview, recorded  with Tom Stewart on May 20th, 2016, Lois explains the goals and mission of the series, its parent organization ITVS, and its special position in the world of public media.  Independent Lens is dedicated to presenting the voices of diverse and truly independent filmmakers with the goal of sparking conversation and promoting democracy.  Celebrating the conclusion of its fourteen season on the air, and the  twenty-fifth anniversary of ITVS, the award winning series is noted for its focus on social issues.

Among this season’s highlights have been  Stanley Nelson’s “The Black Panthers:  Vanguard of the Revolution”  as well as two film perspectives on the gun culture, Abigail Disney’s “The Armor of Light” and Scott Christopherson & Brad Barber’s “Peace Officer”.    Lois also reveals a bit about next season which will include films on the Sandy Hook tragedy and the University of Texas shootings of 1966.

On August 2nd, a few days prior to the Olympic Summer Games, Independent Lens will present Dave Cooper & Zachery Canepari’s “T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold”, the story of Claressa Shields,  who became the world’s first Olympic women’s boxing gold medal winner in 2012, who will again be seeking gold this year in Rio.

She also reveals the surprising parallels between filmmakers and farmers!

WNET Up Next is a presentation of the Design and On Air Promotion Department of WNET – New York Public Media.

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Ken Burns talks with Tom Stewart about his new film on the life of Jackie Robinson and recounts the personal history that’s led to his over forty-year career as a filmmaker.  We learn about the elements that comprise his style, what he  refers to as the “the authentic application of technique” and hear about his collaborators such as cinematographer Buddy Squires and writers Geoffrey Ward and Dayton Duncan.

Ken  describes his films as “hand made…labor intensive” and stresses the importance of the time he spends in the editing room.  We learn how WNET made an important contribution to getting his first films on the air, and hear advance word about upcoming projects including Vietnam, Country Music and Ernest Hemingway.

WNET Up Next is produced by the Design and On Air Promotion Department of WNET New York, with the special assistance of the WNET Community Relations Department.

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WNET, in association with Independent Lens and Fork Films,  recently hosted a screening and followup discussion of “The Armor of Light” at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City.  The film,  the directorial debut of activist and filmmaker Abigail Disney,  follows Evangelical pastor and anti-abortion activist Rev. Rob Schenck as he questions the morality and inconsistency of being at the same time both  “pro life” and “pro gun”.    It also profiles Lucy McBath, the mother of an unarmed teenager whose life was taken  in a “stand your ground” shooting in Florida.

Jack Ford, of WNET’s MetroFocus  moderated a discussion of the film’s issues with Ms. Disney, Rev. Schenck and Ms. McBath with the additional participation of Rev. A.R. Bernard of the Christian Cultural Center of New York and New York City Civil Service Commissioner Rudy Washington.

The conversation was recorded by the WNET Community Relations Department.

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