Skip to main content
Donate

TUNE IN ALERT- WHEN MICKEY CAME TO TOWN

October 27, 2016
Support Provided By

Press Contact

Emily Merkley
Publicist
​emerkley@kcet.org
747-201-5298

Community Fights to Prevent Disney Park Developmenton Historic Ground in Link TV’s Television Premiere of WHEN MICKEY CAME TO TOWN Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

A Film About How a Group of Virginians Stood Up To America’s Favorite Mouse

When Mickey Came To Town Press Image
Photo by Ken Garrett

linktv.org/whenmickeycametotown

Airs Thurs., Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV (DirecTV 375 and DISH 9410) 
Also available for streaming on LinkTV.org

Against overwhelming odds, a local Virginia community challenges one of America’s most beloved icons to save a historic battleground in the television broadcast debut of the 30-minute documentary special WHEN MICKEY CAME TO TOWN.  In the 1990s, The Walt Disney Company unveiled plans for a new theme park in Haymarket, Virginia, near some of the most significant battlefields of the Civil War. Originally, state government officials hailed the plan as a boon to the state of Virginia. Soon, however, local residents, regional environmentalists and national Civil War historians came to realize that the promise of new jobs and the shine of the Disney brand were masking the many ways in which a multi-billion dollar development on historic ground on the edge of the Washington D.C. metropolitan region was a bad idea.

Against an initial 75 percent public approval rating, a small team of residents and advocates joined forces to mount a campaign to convince Disney and the State of Virginia that these rural and sacred lands were not the appropriate sites for an American history-themed Disney park. In less than a year, in the face of mounting opposition, Disney withdrew its plans to build “Disney's America” which would have leveled hundreds of acres of forest and farmland throughout Virginia's northern Piedmont.

WHEN MICKEY CAME TO TOWN is produced and directed by Sam Sheline.  Executive Producers are Chris Palmer and Kristin Pauly. The film won two awards at American University's Visions Media Festival in May including Best Editing and Outstanding Thesis Film.

Support Provided By
Read More
OTT_SoC_TitleCard-02_1920x1080.png

WWII Japanese American Legacies Explored In PBS SoCal's TV Premiere of 'Snapshots of Confinement' Honoring Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May

Curated AAPI programming features actor-activist George Takei in TO BE TAKEI and photographer Corky Lee in "Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story"; plus, screening event at Los Angeles Public Library honors Foster Care Awareness Month in May with local premiere of "Possible Selves: Overcoming the Odds in Foster Care."
Roots of Comedy Mezzanine Image

New PBS Stand-up Comedy Documentary Series ROOTS OF COMEDY WITH JESUS TREJO Reveals How Humor Mirrors Society's Complex Social Issues

Streaming May 24 and broadcasting June 21, new series showcases six comedians located in diverse regions across the U.S. telling the "Stories Behind the Laughs."
PBS SoCal production team staff members and award winners for the 2024 Golden Mike Awards.

Radio & Television News Association's Golden Mike Awards® Honors Locally Produced Arts Series 'Artbound' and PBS Digital Studios' 'Hip-Hop and the Metaverse' With Two Awards for Outstanding Broadcast Journalism

"Artbound's" documentary about groundbreaking Asian American pop culture magazine Giant Robot wins for best long form program or documentary after receiving five nominations for the acclaimed regional arts & culture series.