or


[12/07/11 - 09:23 AM]
"MLK: The Assassination Tapes" Premieres Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 9PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel
The film was "created almost entirely through the use of television and radio news footage from the weeks leading up to Dr. King's visits to Memphis through the aftermath of his murder."

[via press release from Smithsonian Channel]

The Raw, Real-Time Story of an American Tragedy

"MLK: THE ASSASSINATION TAPES" PREMIERES SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2012 AT 9PM ET/PT On Smithsonian Channel

Story of Last Days of Dr. Martin Luther King Told Through Rare Television and Radio News Accounts, Many Not Seen or Heard Since 1968

New York, NY - December 7, 2011 - The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the defining moments in American history. The new Smithsonian Channel one-hour documentary, MLK: THE ASSASSINATION TAPES, premiering during Black History Month on Sunday, February 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, is a chilling, immersive experience of those historic events, created almost entirely through the use of television and radio news footage from the weeks leading up to Dr. King's visits to Memphis through the aftermath of his murder.

It is a rare accomplishment when a filmmaker can recreate the past from contemporary news reports. It was standard practice for most local stations to re-use their tapes and wipe out history, and very few local television and radio stations in Memphis preserved their footage.

But MLK: THE ASSASSINATION TAPES draws extensively from the unique materials at the Special Collections Division at The University of Memphis. When Memphis's mostly black sanitation workers went on strike on February 11, 1968, several University faculty members, believing this was a seminal moment in the civil rights movement, began collecting every piece of media they could find - television, radio and print. When Dr. King arrived in town to lend his voice to their cause, the team from the University was already gathering material in full-force. The process continued throughout both of Dr. King's visits - and after his killing. Much of the footage has never been seen by the public since it was first gathered in 1968... until now.

Compiling the events from authentic accounts was a difficult and painstaking task. With no narrator and with no interviews - other than those conducted by journalists at the time - producer Tom Jennings ("The Lost JFK Tapes: The Assassination") weaves a powerful account of the events leading up to Dr. King's murder, the shocking moment itself, and the aftermath. MLK: THE ASSASSINATION TAPES captures the roiling emotions of the Civil Rights era, when long-simmering anger on both sides of the racial divide reached a boiling point.

What led Dr. King to Memphis began when the cities' sanitation workers went on strike to protest their poverty level wages and dangerous working conditions that led to two workers being crushed to death by a garbage compacter. From the start, Memphis city officials refused to negotiate, insisting the workers had no right to go on strike.

In March, Dr. King decided to take time off from planning his "Poverty March on Washington" to travel to Memphis to lend his voice to the sanitation workers. Unfortunately, a second visit turned into a disaster when a march through the city turned violent, with businesses being burned and looted. Dr. King was whisked out of the city over fears for his safety. The march was one of the most humiliating moments in his career. A week later, against the strong advice from his closest aides and confidantes, Dr. King returned, arguing that that if his message of non-violence didn't work in Memphis, it would not work anywhere.

On April 3, at Mason Temple in Memphis, he gave his famous "Mountaintop" speech that cited the threats and foreshadowed his death: "I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know that we, as a people, will get to the promised land." The next day he was shot.

MLK: THE ASSASSINATION TAPES captures the frantic manhunt for MLK's assassin, the riots that erupted across the country, and the desperate pleas for peace from President Lyndon Johnson and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. It includes poignant footage of Coretta Scott King and her children marching in Memphis just days after King's death, in support of the striking workers.

MLK: THE ASSASSINATION TAPES is produced by Tom Jennings of Tom Jennings Productions. Executive producers for Smithsonian Channel are David Royle and Charles Poe.

ABOUT SMITHSONIAN NETWORKS

Smithsonian Networks is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, whose programs are largely inspired by the assets of the world's largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available to customers of DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.





  [december 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[11/07/24 - 10:30 AM]
CBS Orders Full Seasons of "Poppa's House" and "NCIS: Origins"
According to VideoAmp and internal streaming data, with seven days of multiplatform viewing, "NCIS: Origins'" premiere has been seen by 9.0 million viewers and "Poppa's House" by 6.41 million viewers.

[11/07/24 - 09:15 AM]
Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions Confirm Fight Week & Fight Night Broadcast Team and Livestream Details for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Mega-Event
British sports broadcaster Kate Scott (née Abdo) will serve as the main host with former world champion Andre Ward as lead booth analyst.

[11/07/24 - 09:00 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?" Debuts in January
The comedian, writer, and host of "Real Time with Bill Maher" will tape his special in front of a live audience at the CIBC Theater in Chicago, Illinois.

[11/07/24 - 08:01 AM]
First Season of NWSL on ION: 50 Matches, 53 Studio Shows, 130+ Hours of Content, 20.5 Million Unique Viewers
Matches drew an average audience of 145,000 P2+ per game with a high of 234,000 on July 6 for the Orlando-Kansas City match.

[11/07/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Reveals First Look at Third Season of "Sago Mini Friends"
The five-episode season is a delightful nod to gratitude, featuring Harvey the floppy-eared dog and his best friends, Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit and Robin the bird.

[11/07/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Announces Premiere Date and Teaser Trailer for UK Original Movie "My Fault: London" Starring Asha Banks and Matthew Broome
The new film will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on February 13, 2025.

[11/07/24 - 06:00 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Reveals Official Trailer for the New Christmas Comedy Film "Dear Santa"
The film is the story of a young boy (Robert Timothy Smith) who mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, resulting in a devilish Jack Black's arrival to wreak havoc on the holidays.

[11/07/24 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "Camp Crasher" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In a bid to save her son's end-of-school camping trip, a single mom steps in as the bus driver while trying to show him she really can be a cool mom.

[11/07/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Love Never Lies: South Africa" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Six couples face trust issues, temptations, and a ruthless lie detector in South Africa's first dating show of its kind - testing their love and honesty.

[11/07/24 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain" - Special Trailer - Netflix
In the chambers of the Edo harem, two newcomers uncover political intrigue, rivalry and a vengeful spirit only one traveling medicine seller can vanquish.

[11/06/24 - 11:34 AM]
For the First Time in 16 Years, ABC News Is #1 Broadcast Network Across All Key Demos in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, Adults 18-49 on Election Night
ABC News' "Election Night 2024: Your Voice/Your Voice" ranked No. 1 among the broadcast networks in all key target demos - Total Viewers (5.665 million) and Adults 25-54 (2.156 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.819 million).

[11/06/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "The Only Girl in the Orchestra" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This short documentary celebrates trailblazing double bassist Orin O'Brien, the first woman to become a full-time member of the New York Philharmonic.

[11/06/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Stranger Things 5" - Title Tease - Netflix
In the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins. "Stranger Things 5" coming 2025.

[11/06/24 - 01:01 AM]
Video: "Echoes of the Past" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Accused of his sister's murder, Yehia is fiercely determined to seek vengeance and unmask the true perpetrator.

[11/05/24 - 09:01 PM]
Video: "Tomorrow and I" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This series reimagines Thailand in a dystopian future where technology scrapes at the surface of old customs, exposing rips in the fabric of culture.