LA’s Baseball History Celebrated with New Documentary DODGERS STORIES: 6 DECADES IN LA Premiering on PBS SoCal and KCET Thanksgiving Night
CONTACT
Allison Gray
agray@pmgsocal.org
747.201.5298
90- Minute Special Explores Journey of Iconic Los Angeles Team
Through the eyes of Past and Present Players, Staff and Fans
(Image Courtesy of PBS SoCal)
Burbank, Calif. – Oct. 28, 2019 – PBS SoCal, and KCET, announced today the debut of a new documentary DODGERS STORIES: 6 DECADES IN LA. The special is a look back at the colorful history of the team through the eyes of the fans, as well as the players. Through archival footage, interviews and historical photos, the program will explore the rich saga of the team that has been in LA since 1958. The program premieres this Thanksgiving on Thurs., Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal and will also air at 8:30 p.m. on KCET. Following the broadcast, the film will be available for streaming exclusively on PBS Passport, the member-supported streaming service.
The list of Dodgers greats featured in the program is prolific, from Roy Campanella and Jackie Robinson to Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, as well as Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela. The film will include interviews with former all-star players including Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Manny Mota, Steve Sax, Nomar Garciaparra, Kenny Landreaux and others about their most memorable games. Current Dodgers player Justin Turner shares his thoughts about being part of the Dodgers history. Other Dodgers legends featured include former manager Tommy Lasorda and former LA mayor James Hahn, who was a Dodgers batboy. Also included are celebrated sportscasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin, as well as in-depth interviews with Dodgers historian Mark Langill and former LA councilmember Rosalind Wyman, who was influential in bringing the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. The film is narrated by Dwane Brown, anchor for NPR’s All Things Considered.
Rather than a chronological history of the team in LA, the program is divided into themes such as “The Stadium,” “Rivalries,” and “Trailblazers.” The documentary is produced by PBS SoCal’s Emmy® Award-winning production team of Vice President of Membership and On-Air Fundraising Maura Daly Phinney and Director of On-Air Fundraising Andy Trimlett along with acclaimed Executive Producer and Academy Award® nominee Don Hahn and Director Steve Purcell.
Viewers will find a rich multimedia experience including extended video content, articles, and never-before-seen photos on the PBS SoCal and KCET websites. The multimedia experience will offer previews of the documentary, plus stories about major milestones and key people in the team’s rich history — including recollections from fans, since earlier this year, PBS SoCal asked social media participants to submit their own personal Dodgers stories and images to be included in the documentary. DODGERS STORIES: 6 DECADES IN LA is a fundraising special, so viewers will be invited to support PBS SoCal and KCET during the broadcast. Special thank you gifts have been created including a Roz Wyman bobblehead and a DVD of the program.
ABOUT PBS SOCAL
PBS SoCal is a donor-supported community institution that is a part of Public Media Group of Southern California, the flagship PBS station for 19 million diverse people across California formed by the merger of PBS SoCal and KCETLink Media Group. PBS SoCal delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and entertain – over the air, online, in the community and in the classroom. We offer the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Frontline, Independent Lens, a broad library of documentary films including works from Ken Burns; and educational PBS KIDS programs including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Curious George. Our programs are accessible for free through four broadcast channels, and available for streaming at pbssocal.org, on the PBS mobile apps, and via connected TV services Android TV, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
ABOUT KCET
On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 54-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. Select original programming from KCET is also available for streaming on Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon and Roku platforms. For more information please visit kcet.org/apps. KCET is a content channel of the Public Media Group of Southern California.
