Documentaries Reflect on the 50th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination
This November 22, we arrive at the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The events of that grim day in Dallas have continued to shape the way we live, even five decades later. On the night of Friday, November 22, KCET explores some of these ways with two insightful documentaries.
On Nov. 22, 1963, the motorcade transporting President John F. Kennedy was met by thousands of citizens and hundreds of members of the press as it slowly made its way through downtown Dallas. Moments later, the president's assassination would forever change the country, the world and the landscape of broadcast journalism. Narrated by Emmy-winning newscaster Jane Pauley, "JFK: Breaking the News" focuses on media coverage of the national tragedy, with an insightful look at the emergence of television as the nation's primary source of breaking news information.
9PM: "The Kennedy Half-Century"
Based on Larry Sabato's book, "The Kennedy Half-Century" chronicles the impact and influence of John F. Kennedy's life, administration and tragic death on the general public, the media and every subsequent U.S. president. John F. Kennedy's legacy endured due to the early efforts of family and friends, Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" programs, Ronald Reagan's tax cuts and Cold War strategies, Bill Clinton's infatuation with the 35th president, and the "twinning" of JFK and Barrack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign. The compelling one-hour documentary features interviews with major political and media figures, including Bob Schieffer, Ron Reagan Jr., Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Ari Fleischer, James Carville, Julian Bond, Andrew Bell and Larry Sabato, among others
