FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Della Cassia, 248-305-3770, dcassia@dptv.org
DPTV Tells Detroit Stories with the Broadcast Premiere of Four Local Documentaries
Detroit Remember When: Made in the Motor City; Battles, Bouts and Brawls; Motown 25; and Guardians of Music-The Story of Armenian Music in Detroit
DETROIT (February 23, 2015)- Most people think of Detroit as the Motor City or Motown. Starting February 28 and throughout the month of March, WTVS Detroit Public Television (DPTV) will showcase Detroit in a whole new light—as the mecca of professional wrestling, the birthplace of iconic brands such as Vernors and Better Made Potato Chips, and even the place that allowed Armenian music to be preserved and flourish following the genocide of 1915.
This special lineup of broadcast premieres will kick off on February 28 at 8 p.m. and again on March 3 at 10:00 p.m. with Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever—the 1983 once in-a lifetime reunion of stars, such as Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Michael Jackson and many others. Among its highlights were Michael Jackson's performance of “Billie Jean,” Smokey Robinson's long awaited reunion with The Miracles, a Temptations / Four Tops “battle of the bands,” Marvin Gaye's inspired speech about black music history and his memorable performance of “What's Going On,” a Jackson 5 reunion, and an abbreviated reunion of Diana Ross & the Supremes, who performed their final #1 hit, “Someday We'll Be Together” from 1969.
From the national music stage to the local scene, viewers are invited to tune in to the much anticipated Detroit Remember When: Made in the Motor City on March 3 at 8 p.m. Narrated by broadcast legend, Eric Smith, and through the lens of filmmaker Bill Kubota, the documentary will take viewers cruising down the Woodward and Gratiot automotive corridors, dining at American Coney Island and Buddy’s Pizza, while listening to the voices of famous Detroit personalities such as Jo-Jo Shutty McGregor and Ken Calvert. The film will also include interviews with the likes of Brian Jefferson, the CEO of Sanders Fudge and Keith Wunderlich, the author of Vernor's Ginger Ale.
In addition to music and iconic brands, Detroit is also known as one of the meccas in the world of professional wrestling. On Saturday, March 7 at 4 p.m., DPTV will air Battles, Bouts and Brawls: The Story of Pro Wrestling in Detroit and the Surrounding Areas--A documentary by local filmmaker, Mark Nowotarski, it spans the decades of wrestling in the metro Detroit area from the 1950s through today with interviews and segments with the legends and greats of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
In its ongoing efforts to promote the various cultural groups that have made an indelible impact on Detroit, DPTV will broadcast a special Armenian Heritage Night on Monday, March 16 from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m, featuring the broadcast premiere of Guardians of Music: A History of Armenian Music in Detroit a new documentary by Kresge Fellow, Ara Topouzian. The film features visits to local metro Detroit area locations where Armenian music was once prominent, as well as rare interviews with some of the musicians and nightclub patrons of that era.
The evening will also feature the broadcast of The Armenian Genocide, a film by Emmy Award-winner Andrew Goldberg about the story of the more than one million Armenians who died at the hands of the Ottoman Turks in World War I. The program is narrated by Julianna Margulies, Ed Harris, Natalie Portman, Laura Linney, Orlando Bloom and others. It includes interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winning author (and current US Ambassador to the UN) Samantha Power, as well as never-before-seen historical footage.
For more information about any of these programs, please visit www.dptv.org/detroitstories. To schedule interviews with any of the filmmakers, please contact Della Cassia at dcassia@dptv.org or 248-305-3770.
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About Detroit Public Television
Detroit Public Television (DPTV) is the non-commercial, viewer-supported PBS-member station watched by more than 1.5 million people in Detroit and Southeast Michigan and another 1.2 million people throughout Canada. DPTV also manages WRCJ 90.9 FM, Detroit's classical and jazz radio station, in collaboration with the license-holder, the Detroit Public Schools. The radio station is located in the Detroit School of Arts. DPTV is licensed to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation and governed by a volunteer board of trustees from the local business, civic, and cultural communities.
