American Masters Spotlights Loretta Lynn on PBS March 4th!

Hi Love!

THIRTEEN's American Masters Presents the World Premiere of the New Documentary

Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl March 4 on PBS

Features never-before-seen performances and new interviews with Lynn,

Jack White, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood,

Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Sissy Spacek and others

Inducted into more music Halls of Fame than any female recording artist to date, Loretta Lynn (b. April 14, 1932) has earned four Grammy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and sold more than 45 million records worldwide. Still going strong after more than 50 years, "The Queen of Country Music" is now the subject of the new documentary American Masters -- Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl, premieringFriday, March 4 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) during Women's History Month as part of the 30^th anniversary season of THIRTEEN's American Masters series. The world premiere broadcast is the same day as the release of Lynn's first new studio album in over 10 years, Full Circle (Legacy Recordings).

With unprecedented access to Lynn, her family and archives, Still a Mountain Girlfeatures never-before-seen home movies, performances and photos, as well as insightful interviews with her friends and fellow musicians, including Jack White (producer of Lynn's Grammy-winning album Van Lear Rose), Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Bill Anderson. The documentary also features never-before-seen footage of Lynn in the studio with producer John Carter Cash, as she records Full Circle and other new songs at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tenn. Filming with Lynn, her family and business team also took place at her ranch and other locations in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., the community she formed as a re-creation of her Appalachia birthplace, Butcher Hollow, Ky., where she was raised in poverty. Other interviews include Sissy Spacek, who starred as Lynn in the Oscar-winning biographical film of her life,Coal Miner's Daughter (based on Lynn's 1976 autobiography), and its director Michael Apted.

American Masters -- Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl explores Lynn's hard-fought road to stardom, her struggles to balance her marriage to Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn and six children with her music career, her friendships and collaborations with Spacek, Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and music producer Owen Bradley, along with her life on the road, her Nashville and Hurricane Mills communities, her songwriting inspirations and her music's lasting impact on her peers and fans.

"She's written anti-war anthems, songs about birth control, pregnancy and divorce, all with a sincerity and honesty that transcends music genres, politics and gender," said executive producer Elizabeth Trojian of Yap Films Inc.

"You couldn't make up a better example of the American Dream than Loretta Lynn's astonishing rags-to-riches story. Her 48-year marriage to Doo and their rare partnership is also one of the great love stories of our times," said executive producer Elliott Halpern of Yap Films Inc.

"You don't have to know country music to love Loretta Lynn," said Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters. "Somehow the Lynn family makes you feel like there is a little country in all of us."

"Being part of the American Masters series makes you feel like, "Hey, I really have accomplished something great," said Lynn.

Launched in 1986, American Masters has earned 28 Emmy Awards - including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special - 12 Peabodys, an Oscar, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards and many other honors. The series' 30^th anniversary season on PBS features new documentaries about Mike Nichols (January 29), B.B. King (February 12), Carole King (February 19), Fats Domino (February 26),Janis Joplin (May 3) and The Highwaymen (May 27). To further explore the lives and works of masters past and present, the American Masters website (http://pbs.org/americanmasters) offers streaming video of select films, outtakes, filmmaker interviews, photos, educational resources and more. The series is a production of THIRTEENPRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET and also seen on the WORLD channel.

American Masters -- Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl is a production of Yap Films Inc. in association with THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC's American Masters for WNET, BBC Arena, and CBC's documentary Channel. Vikram Jayanti is director. Elliott Halpern is executive producer. Elizabeth Trojian is executive producer and producer. Michael Kantor is executive producer for American Masters.

Funding for American Masters is provided by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rosalind P. Walter, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Rhoda Herrick, Michael & Helen Schaffer Foundation, Vital Projects Fund, Rolf and Elizabeth Rosenthal, Lenore Hecht Foundation, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, Judith and Burton Resnick, and public television viewers. Additional funding for Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

About WNET

As New York's flagship public media provider and the parent company of THIRTEEN andWLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13,NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore App where users can stream PBS content for free.

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American Masters websites:   

http://pbs.org/americanmasters 

http://facebook.com/americanmasters 

@PBSAmerMasters

http://pbsamericanmasters.tumblr.com 

http://instagram.com/pbsamericanmasters  

http://youtube.com/AmericanMastersPBS    

#AmericanMasters  

   

-- Love Rae

American Masters Premieres New Doc Spotlighting Singer Carole King

Hi Love!

THIRTEEN's American Masters Premieres New Documentary Carole King: Natural Woman February 19 on PBS in Honor of 45^th Anniversary of Her Landmark Album Tapestry

Four-time Grammy Award-winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, recent Kennedy Center Honoree and the first woman to be awarded The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, Carole King's (b. February 9, 1942) career as a singer-songwriter is unparalleled. To date, more than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles, including songs co-written with Gerry Goffin: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (The Shirelles), "Up on the Roof" (The Drifters) and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin). Now, King tells her own story in the new documentary American Masters -- Carole King: Natural Woman,premiering nationwide Friday, February 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the 30^th anniversary season of THIRTEEN's American Masters series. This year also marks the 45^th anniversary of King's landmark solo album Tapestry, which was released February 10, 1971, and spawned the hits "It's Too Late," "I Feel the Earth Move," "You've Got a Friend" and "So Far Away."

Weaving previously unseen and rare performances and home movies with a new, exclusive interview with King, American Masters -- Carole King: Natural Womandelves into her life and career. New interviews with friends and colleagues, including fellow songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Tapestry producer Lou Adler, drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, daughter and manager Sherry Goffin Kondor, lyricists Toni Stern and Carole Bayer Sager, and former manager Peter Asher, complete the biographical tapestry.

Director George Scott (Rufus Wainwright - Prima Donna, Great Performances"Elizabeth Taylor: England's Other Elizabeth") journeys through King's Brooklyn childhood, her early success co-writing some of the best-loved pop songs of the 1960s with then-husband Goffin for Aldon Music, and, following their divorce, her move to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles with two young children. There, she achieved solo success and became a central figure in the 1970s singer-songwriter movement, along with her contemporaries James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. King speaks candidly about her abusive marriage to Rick Evers, life on a ranch in Idaho, eco-activism, and initial hesitance about Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Douglas McGrath, writer of the Broadway musical's book, and author/music critic Anthony DeCurtis provide additional insights.

"Carole King has provided the soundtrack to so many Americans' lives, and her music remains current - when Aretha Franklin sang 'Natural Woman' last week, it trended on social media," said Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters.

Launched in 1986, American Masters has earned 28 Emmy Awards - including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special - 12 Peabodys, an Oscar, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards and many other honors. The series' 30^th anniversary season on PBS features new documentaries about Mike Nichols (January 29), B.B. King (February 12), Fats Domino (February 26), Loretta Lynn (March 4), Janis Joplin (May 3) and The Highwaymen (May 27). To further explore the lives and works of masters past and present, the American Masters website (http://pbs.org/americanmasters) offers streaming video of select films, outtakes, filmmaker interviews, photos, educational resources and more. The series is a production of THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET andalso seen on the WORLD channel.

American Masters - Carole King: Natural Woman is a production of 1515 Productions in association with THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC's American Masters for WNET. George Scott is director. Celia Moore is producer. Nick de Grunwald is executive producer. Michael Kantor is executive producer for American Masters.

Funding for American Masters is provided by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rosalind P. Walter, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Rhoda Herrick, Michael & Helen Schaffer Foundation, Vital Projects Fund, Rolf and Elizabeth Rosenthal, Lenore Hecht Foundation, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, Judith and Burton Resnick, and public television viewers.

About WNET

As New York's flagship public media provider and the parent company of THIRTEEN andWLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13,NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore App where users can stream PBS content for free.

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American Masters websites:   

http://pbs.org/americanmasters 

http://facebook.com/americanmasters 

@PBSAmerMasters

http://pbsamericanmasters.tumblr.com 

http://instagram.com/pbsamericanmasters  

http://youtube.com/AmericanMastersPBS    

#AmericanMasters  

   

-- Love Rae

American Master's Returns with Lead Female Director: Elaine May

Hi Love!

American Masters has returned! Starting their 30th Anniversary Season is a documentary about Legendary Director Mike Nichols Premiering January 2016. This documentary was directed by Elaine May.

Here’s the release:

THIRTEEN's American Masters Launches

30th Anniversary Season with First Documentary about Legendary Director Mike Nichols Premiering January 29, 2016 on PBS

Directed by Elaine May, featuring new interviews with Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Alec Baldwin, Paul Simon and others

(NEW YORK - November 2, 2015) Winner of an Oscar, a Grammy, four Emmys, nine Tonys, three BAFTAs and many other awards, director, actor, writer, producer and comedian Mike Nichols (November 6, 1931 - November 19, 2014) was an artistic trailblazer. As the legendary comedy duo Nichols and May, Nichols and his partner Elaine May revolutionized comedy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Now, May has directed the first documentary about her former partner, American Masters: Mike Nichols(w.t.), premiering Friday, January 29, 2016, on PBS (check local listings) to launch the 30th anniversary season of THIRTEEN's American Masters series.

With charm and wit, Nichols discusses his life and 50-year career as a performer and director. American Masters: Mike Nichols(w.t.) features new interviews with his friends and colleagues, including Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Alec Baldwin, Paul Simon, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane and many others, conducted by film, TV and theater producer Julian Schlossberg (Bullets Over Broadway, American Masters - Nichols & May: Take Two, American Masters: The Lives of Lillian Hellman). Schlossberg also conducted an exclusive interview with Nichols for the film. The documentary features insights and highlights from Nichols' acclaimed films, including The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Catch 22, Silkwood, Biloxi Blues, Working Girl, Angels In America and Charlie Wilson's War,as well as his theatrical productions Barefoot in the Park, Luv and The Odd Couple.

"Producing this special was a labor of love. Working with Elaine May was a nightmare," says Schlossberg, who has produced many of May's plays, including Relatively Speaking,Power Plays and Death Defying Acts.

"Julian Schlossberg was very nice and he really seemed to like me," says May.

"Elaine and Julian can joke about each other because they've known each other 40 years, and their work together has been so successful. What seems to unite them in both humor and friendship is a deep love and respect for Mike Nichols and his legacy," says Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters. "They are the perfect team for this documentary."

Launched in 1986, American Masters has earned 28 Emmy Awards - including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series since 1999 and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special - 12 Peabodys, an Oscar, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards and many other honors. The series is a production of THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET and also seen on the WORLD channel. To take American Masters beyond the television broadcast and further explore the themes, stories and personalities of masters past and present, the series' companion website (http://pbs.org/americanmasters) offers streaming video of select films, interviews, photos, outtakes, essays and more.

American Masters: Mike Nichols(w.t.)is a production of Jumer Productions Inc., Witnesses Documentary Productions LLC, Bennington Productions Inc., and THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC's American Masters for WNET. Elaine May is director. Julian Schlossbergis producer. Roy Furman is Executive Producer. Michael Kantor is executive producer forAmerican Masters.

Funding for American Masters is provided by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rosalind P. Walter, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Rhoda Herrick, Michael & Helen Schaffer Foundation, Vital Projects Fund, Rolf and Elizabeth Rosenthal, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Jack Rudin, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, and public television viewers. Additional funding for American Masters: Mike Nichols(w.t.) is provided by Harold and Ruth Newman, Daryl and Steven Roth Foundation, Andrew Tobias, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About WNET

As New York's flagship public media provider and the parent company of THIRTEEN andWLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13,NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore App where users can stream PBS content for free.

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American Masters websites:   

http://pbs.org/americanmasters

http://facebook.com/americanmasters

@PBSAmerMasters

http://pbsamericanmasters.tumblr.com

http://instagram.com/pbsamericanmasters  

http://youtube.com/AmericanMastersPBS    

#AmericanMasters  

As always we will continue to support Female Directors so be sure to tune in for American Master's this January!

-- Love Rae

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' The Women's List, Premiering Nationwide Friday, September 25 on PBS

Hi Love,

Meet 15 women who have created and defined contemporary American culture in American Masters: The Women's List, premiering nationwide Friday, September 25, 9-10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and available the same day on DVD via Perfect Day Films Inc. The newest chapter of filmmaker/photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' List documentary series (American Masters: The Boomer List, The Black List, The Latino List, The Out List) features intimate interviews with:

Madeleine Albright, U.S. Secretary of State, 1997-2001

Gloria Allred, lawyer

Laurie Anderson, artist

Sara Blakely, entrepreneur

Margaret Cho, comedian

Edie Falco, actor

Elizabeth Holmes, scientist and entrepreneur

Betsey Johnson, fashion designer

Alicia Keys, singer-songwriter

Aimee Mullins, athlete and fashion model

Nancy Pelosi, politician

Rosie Perez, actor

Shonda Rhimes, writer-producer

Wendy Williams, talk show host

Nia Wordlaw, pilot  

American Masters: The Women's List focuses on these individuals' exceptional achievements, struggles and identities. All trailblazers in their respective fields, these women share their experiences struggling against discrimination and overcoming challenges to make their voices heard and their influence felt. Toni Morrison opens the film with a reading of an introduction she wrote specifically for The Women's List.

"As a lifelong feminist, I'm proud to have made The Women's List and excited to have another one of my films join the American Masters library," said Greenfield-Sanders.

"As with The Boomer List, Timothy has chosen an inspiring mix of talented voices," said Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters. "Brought together, these 15 stories of different modern masters make for a profoundly moving film."

About WNET

As New York's flagship public media provider and the parent company of THIRTEEN andWLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13,NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore App where users can stream PBS content for free.

Check your local listings to watch this epic documentary this September!

-- Love Rae