'Eyes on the Prize' to return to PBS this fall after long absence

'Eyes on the Prize' to return to PBS this fall after long absence

(January 14, 2006) PBS, American Experience, and Blackside today announced the return of the award-winning Eyes on the Prize, a landmark series documenting the history of the civil rights movement. Originally broadcast on PBS in 1987, Eyes on the Prize will air on American Experience in fall 2006 as part of the series' 19th season. Three, two-hour programs will be presented this fall, with an additional eight hours made available at a later date.

"American Experience is committed to telling challenging stories about the diverse communities that make up this nation," said Mark Samels, executive producer. "We are honored to present this groundbreaking work."

Through contemporary interviews and historical footage Eyes on the Prize traces the civil rights movement from the Montgomery bus boycott in 1954 to the Voting Rights Act in 1965; from early acts of individual courage through the flowering of a mass movement and its eventual split into factions. Julian Bond narrates.

Eyes on the Prize tells human stories of the movement for social change in the words of both famous and less-known participants. Since the documentary was completed, a number of key figures who appear in the films (including George Wallace, Ralph Abernathy, and Kwame Ture, also known as Stokely Carmichael) have died, making this record of their testimony all the more valuable.

"Every American, every generation should have the chance to see this epic series," said John F. Wilson, Sr. Vice President, PBS. "It's a great victory for all of us to have it return to PBS this fall."

The driving force behind Eyes on the Prize was Henry Hampton. A participant in many civil rights landmark events -- including the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery -- Hampton set out to share his vision of what he called "the remarkable human drama that was the civil rights movement" through the Eyes on the Prize documentary and a book of the same title by Juan Williams.

After Hampton's death in 1998, his sisters, Judi Hampton and Veva Zimmerman, assumed control of Blackside, Inc., his production company. "So many people have contributed to the making of 'Eyes on the Prize' and so many lives have been impacted by its message," said Judi Hampton. "We are very grateful to The Ford Foundation and The Gilder Foundation whose generosity made it possible to bring this important series back to public television."

When Eyes on the Prize premiered in 1987, The New York Times called it "the most ambitious documentary undertaken by black filmmakers, and one of the largest television series ever undertaken by a black-owned company." The series went on to win six Emmys and numerous other awards.

Go to Target Market News homepage


HOME \| STATS \| PUBLICATIONS \| REGISTER \| CONTACT US \| SEARCH
Departments Advertising & PR News Marketing News TV & Cable News Radio News Magazine News Newspaper News Internet News Retailing News Consumer Research Expenditure Data People in the News Industry News Company Bios and Background Register Here STAY IN-THE-KNOW! Are you getting the latest industry news when it happens via e-mail? Click here for free delivery of the Target Market News Bulletin You'll receive news of breaking stories, exclusives, updates and headlines on the latest developments in African American marketing and media Black Stats Frequently requested data on African American consumers Black Buying Power: $679 Billion (2004) Black U.S. Population: 38.3 million Top Five Black Cities - New York - Chicago - Detroit - Philadelphia - Houston Top Five Black Metros: - New York-New Jersey - Washington-Baltimore - Chicago-Gary - Los Angeles - Philadelphia Top Five Expenditures: - Housing 110.2 bil. - Food 53.8 bil. - Cars/Trucks 28.7 bil. - Clothing 22.0 bil. - Health Care 17.9 bil. Click here for more stats from "The Buying Power of Black America." ______________________ Get quick access to key U.S. Census Bureau Data Click here to go to African-American Census Bureau data _____________________ Copyright `© 2005 by Target Market News Inc.` All rights reserved Business address: 228 S. Wabash Ave. Suite 210 Chicago, IL 60604 t. 312-408-1881 f. 312-408-1867 info@targetmarketnews.com	'Eyes on the Prize' to return to PBS this fall after long absence (January 14, 2006) PBS, American Experience, and Blackside today announced the return of the award-winning Eyes on the Prize, a landmark series documenting the history of the civil rights movement. Originally broadcast on PBS in 1987, Eyes on the Prize will air on American Experience in fall 2006 as part of the series' 19th season. Three, two-hour programs will be presented this fall, with an additional eight hours made available at a later date. "American Experience is committed to telling challenging stories about the diverse communities that make up this nation," said Mark Samels, executive producer. "We are honored to present this groundbreaking work." Through contemporary interviews and historical footage Eyes on the Prize traces the civil rights movement from the Montgomery bus boycott in 1954 to the Voting Rights Act in 1965; from early acts of individual courage through the flowering of a mass movement and its eventual split into factions. Julian Bond narrates. Eyes on the Prize tells human stories of the movement for social change in the words of both famous and less-known participants. Since the documentary was completed, a number of key figures who appear in the films (including George Wallace, Ralph Abernathy, and Kwame Ture, also known as Stokely Carmichael) have died, making this record of their testimony all the more valuable. "Every American, every generation should have the chance to see this epic series," said John F. Wilson, Sr. Vice President, PBS. "It's a great victory for all of us to have it return to PBS this fall." The driving force behind Eyes on the Prize was Henry Hampton. A participant in many civil rights landmark events -- including the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery -- Hampton set out to share his vision of what he called "the remarkable human drama that was the civil rights movement" through the Eyes on the Prize documentary and a book of the same title by Juan Williams. After Hampton's death in 1998, his sisters, Judi Hampton and Veva Zimmerman, assumed control of Blackside, Inc., his production company. "So many people have contributed to the making of 'Eyes on the Prize' and so many lives have been impacted by its message," said Judi Hampton. "We are very grateful to The Ford Foundation and The Gilder Foundation whose generosity made it possible to bring this important series back to public television." When Eyes on the Prize premiered in 1987, The New York Times called it "the most ambitious documentary undertaken by black filmmakers, and one of the largest television series ever undertaken by a black-owned company." The series went on to win six Emmys and numerous other awards. Go to Target Market News homepage	NEW! Search the entire contents of the Target Market News Web site! Looking for hard-to-find information on the African-American consumer market? Now you can easily search the contents of the leading source for information on African-American marketing and media. Scan our entire Web site for news, research and information using Google-powered keyword searches. Hundreds of articles, stories and report findings can be accessed for free. Click here to try it now! _____________________________________________________________________________________ 12th Annual Edition Available Latest 'Buying Power' report shows black consumers spending more on home life As the American economy continues to move sluggishly, African-American households are curtailing their spending in many categories, including food, clothing and basic household items, while investing more in home repair, home entertainment and consumer electronics. Although they are trimming back, black consumers are still spending more than their white counterparts on most of these products. According to the newest edition of “The Buying Power of Black America” report, African-American households are tightening their belts when it comes to dining out, expanding their wardrobes, and leisure activities out of the home. At the same time, they are increasing their spending on home repairs and remodeling, audio and... Story and statistics continued _________________________ SUBSCRIBE TODAY! The trade publication for in-depth coverage of Black Consumer Marketing and Media news ORDER THE WORKBOOK NOW! The sixth annual event examining the latest trends, findings and practices in marketing to African-American consumers Presentations from: America Online Arbitron Inc. Burrell Carol H. Williams Advertising E. Morris Communications Ethnic Print Media Group GlobalHue Hunter-Miller Group Images USA Nia Online NSights Worldwide LLC On Wheels Inc. R.J. Dale Advertising & P.R. Target Market News U.S. Census Bureau ...and more!