NHPTV Connections America’s Stories On American Experience Blackout As July 13, 1977 dawned hot and humid, New Yorkers prepared themselves for another sweltering day. But high temperatures weren’t the only thing making them sweat: the crime-ridden city was on the verge of bankruptcy; unemployment was high; police and firefighters had been laid off; municipal services, including sanitation and after-school programs, had been cut; and a serial killer named Son of Sam was still on the loose, keeping everyone on edge. That evening, a severe thunderstorm hit, and lightning struck a power line in Westchester County. When that line went out, the demand increased on the surrounding lines. As Con Edison engineers struggled to control the cascading effects of the downed lines, their only choice was to start shedding load, disconnecting customers from the grid in order to prevent a catastrophic failure of the system. Despite their efforts, seven million city residents were plunged into darkness. This new documentary explores the city-wide blackout that led to both horrifying lawlessness and acts of selflessness.
Tuesday, July 14 • 9 PM on NHPTV PRIME
The Abolitionists Vividly bringing to life the epic struggles of the men and women who fought to end slavery, The Abolitionist tells the intertwined stories of Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Angelina Grimké, Harriet Beecher Stowe and John Brown. Fighting body and soul, they led the most important civil rights crusade in American history. What began as a pacifist movement became a fiery and furious struggle that forever changed the nation. Black and white, Northerners and Southerners, poor and wealthy, these passionate anti-slavery activists tore the nation apart in order to form a more perfect union. Discover how five abolitionist allies turned a despised fringe movement against chattel slavery into a force that literally changed the nation.
Tuesday, July 7 - 14 • 8 PM on NHPTV PRIME
July 2015 America’s Filmmaker Did you enjoy Ken Burns’s excellent film The Roosevelts last month and wonder what else he has in store for us? Here are some previews. This fall, in conjunction with the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, we’ll be airing the digitally remastered version of Ken’s The Civil War, perhaps his most widely known film. Hearing Ken talk about his creative process and films is always enjoyable and provocative. On July 11th, he’ll be at the Hopkins Center in Hanover to show a rough cut of an episode of his upcoming (2017) film The Vietnam War, followed by a Q&A. The documentary is a 10-part, 18-hour series that presents a groundbreaking 360-degree narrative of the war. Information and tickets for the event are at nhptv.org/events. Also in Ken’s pipeline: a film about country music (2018), Jackie Robinson (2016) and Ernest Hemingway (2019). And here’s some more good cheer! Tickets to our Passport Craft Beer & Food Pairing event went on sale in June. This NHPTV fundraising event sells out; get tickets at nhptv.org/passport. We appreciate your membership support. Enjoy your summer! Peter Frid NHPTV President & CEO
Congratulations to the winners of the 2015 Contest ! Congratulations to the winners of the 2015 NHPTV-PBS Kids Writers Contest, who were recognized in June at an awards ceremony at the Currier Museum of Art. Read these talented kids’ stories at nhptv.org/kidswrite.
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