Contact: Stan Cleiland, Vice President, Community Relations and Strategic Communications
(904) 358-6366 • scleiland@wjct.org
For Immediate Release
WJCT TO AIR KEN BURNS’ THE ROOSEVELTS:
AN INTIMATE HISTORY BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 14, 2014
(August 26, 2014; Jacksonville, FL) THE ROOSEVELTS: AN INTIMATE HISTORY, a new seven-part, 14-hour documentary by Ken Burns, will air for seven consecutive nights beginning Sunday, September 14, 2014, on WJCT Public Television. The film weaves the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics. The series marks the first time their individual stories have been woven into a single narrative.
THE ROOSEVELTS follows the family’s story for more than a century, from Theodore’s birth in 1858 to Eleanor’s death in 1962. Over the course of those years, Theodore would become the 26th president of the United States, and his beloved niece, Eleanor, would marry his fifth cousin, Franklin, who became the 32nd president. Together, they redefined the relationship Americans had with their government and with each other, and redefined, as well, the role of the United States within the wider world. The series encompasses all the history the Roosevelts helped to make — the creation of National Parks and the digging of the Panama Canal, the New Deal and the defeat of Hitler, and the postwar struggles for civil rights at home and human rights around the world in which Eleanor Roosevelt played a central role. But it is also an intimate human story about love and betrayal, family feeling and personal courage and the conquest of fear.
Legendary actress Meryl Streep portrays Eleanor Roosevelt in readings from her personal letters and writings. Joining Streep are Paul Giamatti as the voice of Theodore Roosevelt and Edward Herrmann, two-time Emmy Award nominee for his performance as Franklin Roosevelt, as the voice of FDR. Rounding out the cast are Patricia Clarkson, Adam Arkin, Philip Bosco, Keith Carradine, Kevin Conway, Ed Harris, John Lithgow, Josh Lucas, Carl Lumbly, Amy Madigan, Carolyn McCormick, Pamela Reed, Billy Bob Thornton and the late Eli Wallach.
Funding is provided by Bank of America; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Public Broadcasting Service; Mr. Jack C. Taylor; The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; National Endowment for the Humanities; Rosalind P. Walter and members of The Better Angels Society, including Jessica & John Fullerton; The Pfeil Foundation; Joan Wellhouse Newton; Bonnie & Tom McCloskey; and The Golkin Family.
THE ROOSEVELTS: AN INTIMATE HISTORY is a production of Florentine Films and WETA, Washington, DC. Director: Ken Burns. Writer: Geoffrey C. Ward. Producers: Ken Burns, Paul Barnes and Pam Tubridy-Baucom. Editors: Paul Barnes, Tricia Reidy and Erik Ewers. Cinematographers: Buddy Squires and Alan Moore.
WJCT is the community-supported public broadcasting station for the First Coast. For more information about WJCT’s programming, news and events, visit wjct.org and news.wjct.org.
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