The Television Academy has announced its recipients for the 17th Television Academy Honors, which recognizes seven television programs and their producers “who have leveraged the extraordinary power of storytelling to propel social change,” according to the Academy.
The honorees are four non-scripted series and three scripted series: 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed, The 1619 Project, A Small Light, Beef, Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, Heartstopper and Lakota Nation vs. United States.
“This year’s honorees have leveraged the medium’s power to drive meaningful conversation and create social impact,” says Television Academy chair Cris Abrego. “We honor their commitment to authentic, evocative storytelling that tackles important social issues that affect the global audience.”
Scott Freeman, Governor of the Reality Programming Peer Group, chaired this year’s Television Academy Honors selection committee with Bobbi Banks, governor of the Sound Editors Peer Group, serving as vice chair.
Added Banks: “The...
The honorees are four non-scripted series and three scripted series: 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed, The 1619 Project, A Small Light, Beef, Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, Heartstopper and Lakota Nation vs. United States.
“This year’s honorees have leveraged the medium’s power to drive meaningful conversation and create social impact,” says Television Academy chair Cris Abrego. “We honor their commitment to authentic, evocative storytelling that tackles important social issues that affect the global audience.”
Scott Freeman, Governor of the Reality Programming Peer Group, chaired this year’s Television Academy Honors selection committee with Bobbi Banks, governor of the Sound Editors Peer Group, serving as vice chair.
Added Banks: “The...
- 4/25/2024
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As one Emmys season has ended, with a new one already en route, the Television Academy has taken a moment to announce the recipients of its 17th Television Academy Honors, with a recognition ceremony set for Thursday, May 23 at Citizen News in Hollywood, CA.
The Television Academy Honors are meant to recognize compelling TV programs, and the producers behind them, who have leveraged the power of storytelling to propel social change. The seven honorees, including four unscripted programs and three scripted series, are “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” “The 1619 Project,” “A Small Light,” “Beef,” “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court,” “Heartstopper,” and “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”
The projects, which all premiered in 2023, have been recognized for addressing complex topics relevant to society today, including social injustice, civil rights, Lgbtqia+ rights and experiences, Indigenous history and reparations, the experience of mixed-race Americans, racism and racial justice, and mental health.
The Television Academy Honors are meant to recognize compelling TV programs, and the producers behind them, who have leveraged the power of storytelling to propel social change. The seven honorees, including four unscripted programs and three scripted series, are “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” “The 1619 Project,” “A Small Light,” “Beef,” “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court,” “Heartstopper,” and “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”
The projects, which all premiered in 2023, have been recognized for addressing complex topics relevant to society today, including social injustice, civil rights, Lgbtqia+ rights and experiences, Indigenous history and reparations, the experience of mixed-race Americans, racism and racial justice, and mental health.
- 4/25/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
The Television Academy have revealed the recipients of its 17th Television Academy Honors. The recipients include four non-scripted series and three scripted series.
Each year, Television Academy Honors celebrates programs that raise awareness about complex issues facing society.
“This year’s honorees have leveraged the medium’s power to drive meaningful conversation and create social impact,” said Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego. “We honor their commitment to authentic, evocative storytelling that tackles important social issues that affect the global audience.”
The Honors recipients will be celebrated during a recognition ceremony slated for Thursday, May 23 at Citizen News in Hollywood, CA.
Recipients are:
1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed (Get Lifted Film Company; HBO Documentary Films). From four-time Emmy-winner W. Kamau Bell, this documentary explores what it means to grow up mixed-race in America through conversations with multiracial children and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area, including his own. Bell tackles...
Each year, Television Academy Honors celebrates programs that raise awareness about complex issues facing society.
“This year’s honorees have leveraged the medium’s power to drive meaningful conversation and create social impact,” said Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego. “We honor their commitment to authentic, evocative storytelling that tackles important social issues that affect the global audience.”
The Honors recipients will be celebrated during a recognition ceremony slated for Thursday, May 23 at Citizen News in Hollywood, CA.
Recipients are:
1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed (Get Lifted Film Company; HBO Documentary Films). From four-time Emmy-winner W. Kamau Bell, this documentary explores what it means to grow up mixed-race in America through conversations with multiracial children and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area, including his own. Bell tackles...
- 4/25/2024
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
There has been no shortage of television series centering the horrors of the Holocaust. Last year alone, Netflix’s “Transatlantic” depicted a group of resistors living in Marseille, and National Geographic’s “A Small Light” offered a retelling of Anne Frank’s experience through the eyes of Miep Gies, the woman who aided the Franks during their years in hiding. Though both of these series and those like them are important, Hulu’s “We Were the Lucky Ones,” an adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s best-selling novel based on a true story, showcases something different. The show chronicles a family torn apart by war and hatred. Devastating, and profoundly moving, “We Were the Lucky Ones” illustrates the scope of World War II, the inhumanity of others and the anguish of disconnection and loss.
The series premiere, titled “Radom,” opens in an overcrowded Red Cross office in Poland in 1945. Halina Kurc (an...
The series premiere, titled “Radom,” opens in an overcrowded Red Cross office in Poland in 1945. Halina Kurc (an...
- 3/27/2024
- by Aramide Tinubu
- Variety Film + TV
“Peaky Blinders” breakout Joe Cole enjoyed “little moments of levity” in his upcoming show “Nightsleeper.”
“I play a lot of serious, moody characters. But I read this role and went: ‘This is close to me as a person.’ I could be free and use my life experience, everything I have been through. I try to have fun in life and bring it to the parts I play. I haven’t always been able to do it, because I am usually killing people or stabbing them,” he tells Variety.
These days, Cole wants to be “stimulated and challenged” as an actor.
“I am working on a film now, these are Russian filmmakers and they tell dark stories, but they do it with levity. They don’t relentlessly bang you on the head. The story itself is grim enough, so find the humor!,” he notes, also mentioning a recent turn in “A Small Light” about Miep Gies,...
“I play a lot of serious, moody characters. But I read this role and went: ‘This is close to me as a person.’ I could be free and use my life experience, everything I have been through. I try to have fun in life and bring it to the parts I play. I haven’t always been able to do it, because I am usually killing people or stabbing them,” he tells Variety.
These days, Cole wants to be “stimulated and challenged” as an actor.
“I am working on a film now, these are Russian filmmakers and they tell dark stories, but they do it with levity. They don’t relentlessly bang you on the head. The story itself is grim enough, so find the humor!,” he notes, also mentioning a recent turn in “A Small Light” about Miep Gies,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Pedro Pascal arrives at the 2024 SAG Awards (Photo Provided by SAG)
Members of the Screen Actors Guild honored their own at the 2024 SAG Awards held on February 24, 2024 and streaming live on Netflix. The 2024 awards recognized the best performances in film and television of 2023, with Oppenheimer continuing to rule the season with three SAG Awards wins.
The Oppenheimer ensemble won the Outstanding Performance by a Cast award, and Cillian Murphy was named the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role winner. Robert Downey Jr took home a SAG win in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role category.
On the television side, Succession, The Bear, and Beef cast members were big winners. And The Last of Us‘ Pedro Pascal pulled off a surprise win in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series category over three Succession actors and Billy Crudup from The Morning Show.
Members of the Screen Actors Guild honored their own at the 2024 SAG Awards held on February 24, 2024 and streaming live on Netflix. The 2024 awards recognized the best performances in film and television of 2023, with Oppenheimer continuing to rule the season with three SAG Awards wins.
The Oppenheimer ensemble won the Outstanding Performance by a Cast award, and Cillian Murphy was named the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role winner. Robert Downey Jr took home a SAG win in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role category.
On the television side, Succession, The Bear, and Beef cast members were big winners. And The Last of Us‘ Pedro Pascal pulled off a surprise win in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series category over three Succession actors and Billy Crudup from The Morning Show.
- 2/25/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Writers of nine limited series ranging from “A Murder at the End of the World” to “Tiny Beautiful Things” traded shop talk and stories of how they crafted muscular worlds to tell extended, standalone stories.
Ed Solomon of Max’s “Full Circle” astounded the crowd at Variety’s A Night in the Writers Room at Hollywood’s NeueHouse with the origin story of his 586-page spec script for the twisty thriller. “And then Steven [Soderbergh] decided to direct it and that led it to be great.”
Andy Breckman, of Peacock’s “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie,” explained to moderator Jazz Tangcay, Variety’s senior artisans editor, how he had to pad the original 2002 pilot for the detective franchise into a USA Network TV movie – because star Tony Shalhoub was contractually prohibited against starring in a competing pilot. “I had to fatten up the animal and get it to 90 minutes...
Ed Solomon of Max’s “Full Circle” astounded the crowd at Variety’s A Night in the Writers Room at Hollywood’s NeueHouse with the origin story of his 586-page spec script for the twisty thriller. “And then Steven [Soderbergh] decided to direct it and that led it to be great.”
Andy Breckman, of Peacock’s “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie,” explained to moderator Jazz Tangcay, Variety’s senior artisans editor, how he had to pad the original 2002 pilot for the detective franchise into a USA Network TV movie – because star Tony Shalhoub was contractually prohibited against starring in a competing pilot. “I had to fatten up the animal and get it to 90 minutes...
- 12/1/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Lily Gladstone, Charles Melton, Ali Wong take acting honours.
Celine Song’s Past Lives at A24 was named best feature while Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall at Neon collected two honours at the 33rd Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night.
In the first major awards ceremony of the season – with actors in attendance since the end of the 118-day strike –Triet’s crime mystery Anatomy Of A Fall was crowned best international feature, and Triet and Arthur Harari took home the award for best screenplay.
Lily Gladstone won the prize in the...
Celine Song’s Past Lives at A24 was named best feature while Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall at Neon collected two honours at the 33rd Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night.
In the first major awards ceremony of the season – with actors in attendance since the end of the 118-day strike –Triet’s crime mystery Anatomy Of A Fall was crowned best international feature, and Triet and Arthur Harari took home the award for best screenplay.
Lily Gladstone won the prize in the...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Five TV composers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2023 Emmy Awards nominees. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Tuesday, August 8, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Rob Licuria and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
Ginny and Georgia (Netflix)
Synopsis: Ginny Miller, an angsty 15-year-old, often feels more mature than her 30-year-old mother, the irresistible and dynamic Georgia Miller.
Bio: Lili Haydn and Ben Bromfield are Emmy nominees for songwriting in “Ginny and Georgia.” Other projects for Haydn have included “Anita: Speaking Truth to Power,...
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
Ginny and Georgia (Netflix)
Synopsis: Ginny Miller, an angsty 15-year-old, often feels more mature than her 30-year-old mother, the irresistible and dynamic Georgia Miller.
Bio: Lili Haydn and Ben Bromfield are Emmy nominees for songwriting in “Ginny and Georgia.” Other projects for Haydn have included “Anita: Speaking Truth to Power,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Chris Beachum and Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
During a recent Gold Derby video interview, news and features editor Ray Richmond spoke in-depth with Liev Schreiber about his role in the eight-part, Holocaust-themed limited series “A Small Light” from National Geographic, which is eligible at the 2023 Emmy Awards. Watch the full video above and read the complete interview transcript below.
By his own admission, Liev Schreiber wasn’t particularly eager to go back to work. He had spent eight years starring in the Showtime series “Ray Donovan” and was “really enjoying” being off and being home with his kids. But when he was sent the script for the National Geographic eight-part limited series “A Small Light” just before making his second trip to Ukraine in support of that nation’s war against Russia, he realized he couldn’t say no.
“It just seemed like the right story at the right time,” the nine-time Emmy nominee stresses. “There...
By his own admission, Liev Schreiber wasn’t particularly eager to go back to work. He had spent eight years starring in the Showtime series “Ray Donovan” and was “really enjoying” being off and being home with his kids. But when he was sent the script for the National Geographic eight-part limited series “A Small Light” just before making his second trip to Ukraine in support of that nation’s war against Russia, he realized he couldn’t say no.
“It just seemed like the right story at the right time,” the nine-time Emmy nominee stresses. “There...
- 6/23/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
During a recent Gold Derby video interview, news and features editor Ray Richmond spoke in-depth with Bel Powley about her starring role in the eight-part, Holocaust-themed limited series “A Small Light” from National Geographic, which is eligible at the 2023 Emmy Awards. Watch the full video above and read the complete interview transcript below.
“I don’t think many people know the story of Miep (Gies),” believes Bel Powley, the British-born actress who portrays her in the eight-part Nat Geo limited series “A Small Light” that has now premiered on the channel and the following day on Disney+ and Hulu. “In terms of our industry, in terms of film and television, I think one of the reasons for it is that pre-#MeToo, people weren’t making shows or spending money on projects with stories about women. I’ve been searching for a role like this my entire career. Post-#MeToo,...
“I don’t think many people know the story of Miep (Gies),” believes Bel Powley, the British-born actress who portrays her in the eight-part Nat Geo limited series “A Small Light” that has now premiered on the channel and the following day on Disney+ and Hulu. “In terms of our industry, in terms of film and television, I think one of the reasons for it is that pre-#MeToo, people weren’t making shows or spending money on projects with stories about women. I’ve been searching for a role like this my entire career. Post-#MeToo,...
- 6/23/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Editor’s note: The interviews conducted in this podcast were recorded at Deadline’s Contenders TV event, prior to the WGA’s strike starting on May 2.
With just a few days left for Emmy voters to get their ballots in, Deadline TV Critic Dominic Patten and Deadline Chief Film Critic and Awards Columnist Pete Hammond continue their TV Talk podcast discussing the tight race for Outstanding Limited Series as well as its lead acting races.
Always a major prestige area for the Emmys, this year’s Limited Series race is no different: Last year’s big winner in the category, The White Lotus, won 10 Emmys and clearly dominated. Despite appeals by that HBO juggernaut’s producers, the Television Academy ruled that Season 2 would have to move to the Outstanding Drama Series category, and that is largely because Jennifer Coolidge’s character from...
With just a few days left for Emmy voters to get their ballots in, Deadline TV Critic Dominic Patten and Deadline Chief Film Critic and Awards Columnist Pete Hammond continue their TV Talk podcast discussing the tight race for Outstanding Limited Series as well as its lead acting races.
Always a major prestige area for the Emmys, this year’s Limited Series race is no different: Last year’s big winner in the category, The White Lotus, won 10 Emmys and clearly dominated. Despite appeals by that HBO juggernaut’s producers, the Television Academy ruled that Season 2 would have to move to the Outstanding Drama Series category, and that is largely because Jennifer Coolidge’s character from...
- 6/22/2023
- by Pete Hammond and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Musical tag-teaming doesn’t have results much more fruitful than what came about when the showrunners of “A Small Light” picked Ariel Marx to compose the score for the limited series and Este Haim to serve as executive music producer. Neither Haim nor Marx was in a position to take anything about the job lightly, given that the eight-episode series for National Geographic and Disney+ tells the story of a Dutch woman, Miep Gies, who helped hide Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis. Yet, in their very separate roles, both found ways to bring musical light or even levity into a drama that inevitably skews toward tension.
Este Haim took on the Emp job for the first time with “A Small Light” after previously scoring or co-composing “Maid” and “Cha Cha Smooth” — on top of her day job as one-third of the rocking sister trio Haim. For “A Small Light,...
Este Haim took on the Emp job for the first time with “A Small Light” after previously scoring or co-composing “Maid” and “Cha Cha Smooth” — on top of her day job as one-third of the rocking sister trio Haim. For “A Small Light,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
National Geographic’s “A Small Light” takes the well known story of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who hid in a cramped Amsterdam attic with her family during the Nazi occupation, and presents it though a new lens.
The narrative focuses on a tenacious young woman, Miep Gies (Bel Powley), Otto Frank’s secretary, who risked everything to save the Frank family and many others. While the story centers around the horrors of World War II, the story finds resilience and hope through it all.
Here the artisans behind the limited series break down how their respective crafts reflect hope, resilience and the atrocities of war.
Costume design
Costume designer Matthew Simonelli wanted to pay respect to the period and region. “It had to feel 1942, but that it was taking place in Amsterdam,” Simonelli says.
The Amsterdam Museum‘s exhibit on wartime fashion was his biggest guide where he was...
The narrative focuses on a tenacious young woman, Miep Gies (Bel Powley), Otto Frank’s secretary, who risked everything to save the Frank family and many others. While the story centers around the horrors of World War II, the story finds resilience and hope through it all.
Here the artisans behind the limited series break down how their respective crafts reflect hope, resilience and the atrocities of war.
Costume design
Costume designer Matthew Simonelli wanted to pay respect to the period and region. “It had to feel 1942, but that it was taking place in Amsterdam,” Simonelli says.
The Amsterdam Museum‘s exhibit on wartime fashion was his biggest guide where he was...
- 6/21/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Bel Powley stars in the National Geographic series “A Small Light” as Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Otto Frank and his family during WWII. During a reception for the show Thursday at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood, the actor recalled being on set when she first heard about Kanye West’s antisemitic comments in October 2022.
“We were filming the show when all of the Kanye stuff was happening,” Powley told me. “I was obviously living in the world of the show, which has a lot of Nazi rhetoric because we’re making a show about the Nazi occupation in 1942, but then suddenly seeing and hearing that same rhetoric spoken now by a world-famous celebrity with huge influence was so freaky and unsettling and saddening.”
During a Q&a earlier in the evening, moderator Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”) took off her Star of David necklace and gave it...
“We were filming the show when all of the Kanye stuff was happening,” Powley told me. “I was obviously living in the world of the show, which has a lot of Nazi rhetoric because we’re making a show about the Nazi occupation in 1942, but then suddenly seeing and hearing that same rhetoric spoken now by a world-famous celebrity with huge influence was so freaky and unsettling and saddening.”
During a Q&a earlier in the evening, moderator Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”) took off her Star of David necklace and gave it...
- 6/16/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Joan Rater wasn’t interested in making another Holocaust project about Anne Frank, in part because the story had been told so often and so well but also because she always felt personally distanced from historical pieces. But after Rater and husband Tony Phelan visited the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, they were inspired to want to tell the story of the woman who hid Anne and her extended Jewish family from the Nazis in the Netherlands in the early 1940s. “But if we were going to do this, I needed it to feel modern and relatable,” she says. “I needed it to feel like something I’d get into.” The result was “A Small Light,” a Nat Geo eight-part limited series that Rater and Phelan served on as creators, showrunners, co-writers and executive producers. It has attracted consistently stellar reviews while dramatizing the courage of a Dutch woman named...
- 6/16/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
The National Geographic eight-part limited series “A Small Light” (currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+) follows the remarkable true story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank and her extended Jewish family from the Nazis for more than two years in the early 1940s. It was filmed last year in Prague and Amsterdam, where the Franks were hidden in an area of a structure that came to be known as the Secret Annex. To celebrate the powerful Holocaust drama, check out our special 42-minute “Making of” roundtable discussion with castmates Bel Powley, Billie Boullet and Ashley Brooke as well as costume designer Matthew Simonelli, production designer Marc Homes and makeup and hair designer Davina Lamont. Watch our exclusive video panel interview above.
Powley, who portrays the heroic Gies, discusses how “Small Light” creator-writer-executive producers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater insisted that the period...
Powley, who portrays the heroic Gies, discusses how “Small Light” creator-writer-executive producers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater insisted that the period...
- 6/14/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Behind the tragic story of Anne Frank and her family, there is an oft-unsung hero who risked her life to protect them in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
The limited series A Small Light from National Geographic with Hulu and Disney+ tells the true story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who hid the Franks and other members of the Jewish community in a secret apartment above her place of work.
For Bel Powley (The Morning Show; The King of Staten Island), playing Gies meant telling a story steeped in heart-wrenching tragedy, but also the touching connection Gies had with those she protected, and her role in preserving Anne Frank’s diary for her father Otto (Liev Schreiber), the immediate family’s only survivor.
Here, Powley describes the research and emotional process involved in playing the role and the impact of telling a story that remains so vital today, during a time when anti-semitism remains prevalent.
The limited series A Small Light from National Geographic with Hulu and Disney+ tells the true story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who hid the Franks and other members of the Jewish community in a secret apartment above her place of work.
For Bel Powley (The Morning Show; The King of Staten Island), playing Gies meant telling a story steeped in heart-wrenching tragedy, but also the touching connection Gies had with those she protected, and her role in preserving Anne Frank’s diary for her father Otto (Liev Schreiber), the immediate family’s only survivor.
Here, Powley describes the research and emotional process involved in playing the role and the impact of telling a story that remains so vital today, during a time when anti-semitism remains prevalent.
- 6/12/2023
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
Bel Powley Says She Was ‘Blown Away by How Contemporary’ Making Holocaust Drama ‘A Small Light’ Felt
This story about Bel Powley and “A Small Light” first appeared in the Limited Series / TV Movies issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Like so many of us, Bel Powley read “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank when she was in school. But she was less familiar with the woman responsible for the world’s awareness of the diary: Miep Gies. The secretary of Otto Frank, Gies helped hide the Frank family from the Nazis for two years in Amsterdam and kept Anne’s diary safe after the family was arrested in 1945.
“I know a lot about this part of history — the big historical and political backdrop — but I didn’t know anything about Miep or the Dutch resistance,” Powley said. So playing Gies in the National Geographic limited series “A Small Light” was a daunting experience — but also a deeply rewarding one. “It’s so rare...
Like so many of us, Bel Powley read “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank when she was in school. But she was less familiar with the woman responsible for the world’s awareness of the diary: Miep Gies. The secretary of Otto Frank, Gies helped hide the Frank family from the Nazis for two years in Amsterdam and kept Anne’s diary safe after the family was arrested in 1945.
“I know a lot about this part of history — the big historical and political backdrop — but I didn’t know anything about Miep or the Dutch resistance,” Powley said. So playing Gies in the National Geographic limited series “A Small Light” was a daunting experience — but also a deeply rewarding one. “It’s so rare...
- 6/5/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
Miep Gies stood out as a symbol of courage, resilience, and compassion in the National Geographic production A Small Light. Miep Gies, a real-life figure, played a pivotal role in sheltering Anne Frank’s family during the horrors of the Holocaust. Her undying determination and selflessness were masterfully portrayed in the series, leading the audience to fall in love with her character. Portrayed by Bel Powley, Miep Gies was initially introduced as a vibrant and spirited young woman seeking employment to avoid the societal pressure of marriage. Her rebellious nature shone through as she challenged traditional expectations. When she was hired by Otto Frank to work at his pectin company, Opekta, her professionalism was evident, but it was her deep bond and friendship with the Frank family that truly stood out. This connection served as the cornerstone of her commitment to safeguard and support them despite the dreadful situation of war.
- 5/25/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
The National Geographic production A Small Light skillfully captures the atmosphere of Amsterdam during the 1940s amidst the ongoing turmoil of World War II. Under the watchful and oppressive eye of the Nazis, many Jewish families faced the grave risk of capture and subsequent deportation to death camps. Some managed to find secret shelter within the city, while others sought refuge in hidden locations. Among them were the renowned diarist Anne Frank and her family, who found solace in a secret annex. The series poignantly portrays their harrowing journey and the individuals who aided them, notably Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s secretary, who played a pivotal role in hiding these Jewish families. However, tragedy ultimately befell the Franks and their fellow hiding companions when some Nazi Gestapos raided Otto Frank’s office premises and found the hidden Jews in a secret annex.
Spoilers Ahead
Otto Frank
Born in Frankfurt, Germany,...
Spoilers Ahead
Otto Frank
Born in Frankfurt, Germany,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Previously in A Small Light, Jan’s secret involvement with the resistance was exposed to Miep by her brother, Cas. Miep’s fears grew when she learned that Jan was supposed to participate in a dangerous bombing mission. However, Jan decided not to go through with it, to Miep’s relief. Meanwhile, the attack was successfully carried out, but Willem Arondeus along with the attackers were captured and given a death sentence. However, Miep and Jan started to feel that the Franks and the other families in the annex were no longer safe there. With lists of Jewish hideouts in the hands of the Nazis and increased surveillance, they realized it was necessary to move them. As news of the Allies’ landing reached the annex, bringing hope for liberation, Miep faced a terrifying encounter. A Nazi officer held her at gunpoint, creating a sense of impending danger.
Spoilers Ahead
How...
Spoilers Ahead
How...
- 5/23/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
NatGeo’s widely acclaimed new limited series “A Small Light” chronicles the heroism of Miep Gies and several other brave Amsterdam residents who hid Anne Frank and her family, as well as four other people from the Nazis in a hidden attic apartment in Otto Frank’s office building. After the eight Jewish residents were arrested and sent to concentration camps in 1944, it was Gies who saved Anne’s diary and kept it in her desk drawer. Otto Frank, who was the only member of the immediate family who survived the camps — Anne died of typhus in March 1945 at Bergen-Belson — returned to Amsterdam, Gies gave him Anne’s diary. And in 1947 “The Diary of a Young Girl” was published in Europe. Five years later, “Diary” made its way to America. It has been translated into over 67 languages.
Anne had received a red checkered autograph book for her 13th birthday on...
Anne had received a red checkered autograph book for her 13th birthday on...
- 5/17/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Ariel Marx recalls that her marching orders after being hired to compose the musical score for the powerful Holocaust-themed Nat Geo limited series “A Small Light” was to put a contemporary modern spin on a story that’s been told many times before but never quite like this. “It was inspiring to bring something that would make it feel lived in and accessible,” she says. “I was told by (executive producers) Tony (Phelan), Joan (Rater) and Susanna (Fogel) that they wanted to dust the cobwebs off the story. For me musically, that meant getting to explore a lot of different genres. The score is inspired by Benny Goodman and Tom Waits and the Squirrel Nut Zippers and contemporary neo-classical. It also has a large use of electronics. All of those elements really helped anchor it.” See our exclusive video interview above.
“A Small Light” tells the true story of Miep Gies,...
“A Small Light” tells the true story of Miep Gies,...
- 5/14/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
A Small Light, the National Geographic limited series about Miep Gies, who helped hide Anne Frank’s family during World War II, continues to have its soundtrack released in two-song intervals. The latest covers from the series, with music executive produced by Este Haim, include Sharon Van Etten and Michael Imperioli’s take on the Ink Spots’ “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire” and Angel Olsen’s rendition of “My Reverie,” originally performed by Larry Clinton & His Orchestra.
Last week, following the May 1 premiere of the series,...
Last week, following the May 1 premiere of the series,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
A Small Light tells the devastating, familiar Anne Frank story, except from a different perspective, focusing in on the tragedies that befell the Frank family during the Second World War, through the remarkable woman Miep Gies, who risked everything to help keep the family safe in hiding. As such, this new mini-series, which is available to watch now on Disney+, is one that is actually full of hope, finding the good in humanity during a time when it felt like there was no such thing.
To mark the launch we had the pleasure in speaking to the talented leading duo in Bel Powley and Schreiber, as well the brains behind the operation, in creators Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanne Fogle. You can watch both interviews in their entirety below.
Bel Powley & Liev Schreiber
Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanna Fogel
Synopsis
Follows the remarkable story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman...
To mark the launch we had the pleasure in speaking to the talented leading duo in Bel Powley and Schreiber, as well the brains behind the operation, in creators Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanne Fogle. You can watch both interviews in their entirety below.
Bel Powley & Liev Schreiber
Tony Phelan, Joan Ratner & Susanna Fogel
Synopsis
Follows the remarkable story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman...
- 5/9/2023
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
National Geographic's A Small Light continues tonight with another two episodes.
TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at what's ahead, and it looks like things are going from bad to worse for Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber).
In the clip, we see Miep (Bel Powley) speak to Otto about recent events and how things might change very soon.
Otto is worried about the Nsb officer snooping around, but Miep tries to calm him down.
With his back pushed against the wall, Otto ponders what will happen next.
It's an excellent look at the series and how Miep tries to help Otto by making him realize that he's a wonderful father and has made the right decisions.
Based on an inspiring true story, Miep Gies (Bel Powley) was young, carefree and opinionated — at a time when opinions got you killed ― when Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber) asked her to help hide his...
TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at what's ahead, and it looks like things are going from bad to worse for Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber).
In the clip, we see Miep (Bel Powley) speak to Otto about recent events and how things might change very soon.
Otto is worried about the Nsb officer snooping around, but Miep tries to calm him down.
With his back pushed against the wall, Otto ponders what will happen next.
It's an excellent look at the series and how Miep tries to help Otto by making him realize that he's a wonderful father and has made the right decisions.
Based on an inspiring true story, Miep Gies (Bel Powley) was young, carefree and opinionated — at a time when opinions got you killed ― when Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber) asked her to help hide his...
- 5/8/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Bel Powley has revealed that she was touched “inappropriately” by a senior crew member while on a project in her early twenties.
“I’ve had someone grab my arse and basically touch me inappropriately before…I was too scared to say anything. I was too scared to rock the boat,” revealed the actress, who is now 31, during an interview with The Independent to be published in full on Saturday. “I just avoided that person and it was fine, but what really has changed post-MeToo is you just know that you’re protected.”
Continued Powley, “At the beginning of MeToo it was weird. For a while it was like, I feel protected because men are just f***ing scared, which was fine too, but now everything’s settled into itself. People have learned and it’s like there’s a new code of conduct.”
Powley also spoke to the outlet about...
“I’ve had someone grab my arse and basically touch me inappropriately before…I was too scared to say anything. I was too scared to rock the boat,” revealed the actress, who is now 31, during an interview with The Independent to be published in full on Saturday. “I just avoided that person and it was fine, but what really has changed post-MeToo is you just know that you’re protected.”
Continued Powley, “At the beginning of MeToo it was weird. For a while it was like, I feel protected because men are just f***ing scared, which was fine too, but now everything’s settled into itself. People have learned and it’s like there’s a new code of conduct.”
Powley also spoke to the outlet about...
- 5/5/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Danielle Haim takes on the classic Doris Day record “Till We Meet Again” for the first official release from A Small Light: Songs From the Limited Series, the soundtrack set for release on May 23 to accompany the new National Geographic series.
Este Haim served as executive music producer on A Small Light, which premiered on May 1 but will be unveiling its soundtrack two songs at a time for the duration of the month. Alongside Danielle Haim’s “Till We Meet Again,” Kamasi Washington has shared his rendition of Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl.
Este Haim served as executive music producer on A Small Light, which premiered on May 1 but will be unveiling its soundtrack two songs at a time for the duration of the month. Alongside Danielle Haim’s “Till We Meet Again,” Kamasi Washington has shared his rendition of Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl.
- 5/5/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
A National Geographic production, A Small Light, is based on the true account of Dutch citizen Miep Gies, who, with the help of her husband, managed to find a safe haven for Otto Frank and his family, as well as other Jewish families, from the Nazis. The Nazi invasion of the Netherlands in 1940, at the start of World War II, was a foreseeable threat, particularly for the Jews, who were being persecuted by the Nazis. In order to protect his family from the approaching Nazi menace, Otto Frank reached out to his secretary, Miep Gies, and her husband for assistance. Otto wished to escape the Netherlands but lacked the necessary resources to do so. Miep and Jan supplied the Franks with a safe haven in a hidden annex on Otto’s office grounds. Despite the danger of being apprehended by the Nazis, Miep and Jan were determined to assist and support the Franks,...
- 5/4/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
The big developments in May: summer movie season kicks off in earnest with new Marvel movies and the latest in a long-running, car-centric franchise, Fast X, while a major streaming service undergoes a name change (or at least a name shortening).
On May 23, HBO Max becomes simply Max, but it will still be home to HBO series. Got that? Good. Because there’s plenty to watch on HBO, Max, all the other streaming services and networks and it’s a busy month in theaters, too.
Let’s start with a...
On May 23, HBO Max becomes simply Max, but it will still be home to HBO series. Got that? Good. Because there’s plenty to watch on HBO, Max, all the other streaming services and networks and it’s a busy month in theaters, too.
Let’s start with a...
- 5/3/2023
- by Keith Phipps
- Rollingstone.com
“Until this project, I didn’t even know that Anne Frank had a sister,” admits Ashley Brooke, who portrays Anne’s older sibling Margot Frank in the Holocaust-themed eight-part limited series “A Small Light” that premiered with a pair of episodes on May 1 on Nat Geo and repeated May 2 on Disney+ and Hulu. “I’ve had Anne’s diary in my room since I was a little girl, and was told the story at a young age. But I must have forgotten a lot because I really had to start at ground zero when I started researching Margot. I fell in love with her little quirks. She’s really the opposite of Anne in terms of personality, more quiet and reserved. She likes to follow the rules.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Unfortunately, this was a time where the rules didn’t matter, particularly for the Jews of Europe.
Unfortunately, this was a time where the rules didn’t matter, particularly for the Jews of Europe.
- 5/3/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Despite erratic nationwide weather pattern, May Day 2023 has nevertheless brought with it a palpable sense of Spring reverie and renewal—not least of all in movie theaters and on streaming platforms. The freshly-launched Writers Strike (necessary and overdue) will no doubt result in some crinkling of the garden hose of fresh content, but that’s for future content consumers to worry about. In the meantime, enjoy this month’s Don’t-Miss Indies!
A Small Light
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Disney+, Hulu, NatGeo, ABC
Creators: Joan Rater, Tony Phelan
Cast: Bel Powley, Liev Schreiber, Joe Cole, Amira Casar, Billie Boullet, Ashley Brooke
Why We’re Excited: Shot in Prague and Amsterdam in the summer of 2022, this eight-part National Geographic limited series brings us the true story that transpired during the Nazi occupation of both nations in WWII. Austrian-born Dutch woman Miep Gies works for Otto Frank at a spice company.
A Small Light
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Disney+, Hulu, NatGeo, ABC
Creators: Joan Rater, Tony Phelan
Cast: Bel Powley, Liev Schreiber, Joe Cole, Amira Casar, Billie Boullet, Ashley Brooke
Why We’re Excited: Shot in Prague and Amsterdam in the summer of 2022, this eight-part National Geographic limited series brings us the true story that transpired during the Nazi occupation of both nations in WWII. Austrian-born Dutch woman Miep Gies works for Otto Frank at a spice company.
- 5/2/2023
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
Thanks to The Diary of Anne Frank and the historians who’ve studied it, the world has a good sense of what happened in the Amsterdam annex where Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II.
Less celebrated, however, are the people who risked their lives to facilitate the Franks’ (and friends’) two-year period of hiding. The premiere of A Small Light, which aired Monday on National Geographic, spotlights the everyday work of Dutch resistance workers by telling the story through the eyes of one of them: Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s secretary.
More from TVLineA...
Less celebrated, however, are the people who risked their lives to facilitate the Franks’ (and friends’) two-year period of hiding. The premiere of A Small Light, which aired Monday on National Geographic, spotlights the everyday work of Dutch resistance workers by telling the story through the eyes of one of them: Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s secretary.
More from TVLineA...
- 5/2/2023
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
The Diary of Anne Frank, with all its hope, love, and teenage yearning, has long been essential reading. A Small Light, the latest miniseries from Nat Geo, takes a new angle on the story. It’s told through the eyes of charming and persistent Miep Gies (Bel Powley), the young secretary, and later friend, to Anne’s father, Otto (Liev Schreiber). Gies, along with other employees, helped hide the Franks and others from the Nazis for 761 days in a secret apartment above Otto’s Amsterdam offices. “The title [of the series] comes from something she said, ‘Anyone, even an ordinary secretary or housewife or teenager, can turn on a small light in a dark room. She was adamant that she never be called a hero,” Powley tells us. The series is buoyed by Powley’s energetic portrayal of the resolute Miep, who’s always thinking on her feet; early on, there’s a...
- 5/1/2023
- TV Insider
Bel Powley is an actor without subterfuge, which I mean only as a high compliment. I feel the same way about Florence Pugh. Their characters are still capable of lying, but neither performer can lie to the camera. When they’re miserable, it bursts through the screen. When they’re joyful, it’s contagious.
Powley is an interesting and effective choice, then, to play the lead in A Small Light, an eight-part NatGeo limited series that’s all about hiding and subterfuge. Playing an ostensibly ordinary woman who responds to an extraordinary challenge by finding the hero within, Powley sets the tone, or rather a variety of tones, for A Small Light. She brings more humor and hopeful energy than you might expect based on the topic, and underlines every emotionally crushing twist and turn you’d expect from a series adjacent to one of the most beloved and devastating stories ever told.
Powley is an interesting and effective choice, then, to play the lead in A Small Light, an eight-part NatGeo limited series that’s all about hiding and subterfuge. Playing an ostensibly ordinary woman who responds to an extraordinary challenge by finding the hero within, Powley sets the tone, or rather a variety of tones, for A Small Light. She brings more humor and hopeful energy than you might expect based on the topic, and underlines every emotionally crushing twist and turn you’d expect from a series adjacent to one of the most beloved and devastating stories ever told.
- 5/1/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On May 1, 2023, National Geographic premieres “A Small Light,” which centers on the real life story of Miep Gies. The limited series stars Bel Powley as the often unsung hero that hides Anne Frank and her family during the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. The limited series opened to rave reviews, holding fresh at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The ensemble cast includes Liev Schreiber, Joe Cole, Billie Boullet, Ashley Brooke, and Amira Casar. Read our full review round-up below.
The series pilot and “Welcome to Switzerland” premiere on NatGeo May 1, with two new episodes airing weekly. Each can be streamed the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
See ‘A Small Light’: Nat Geo series heralds heroes who hid Anne Frank and family
Maggie Lovitt of Collider writes, “The series is blatant in its condemnation of people who reap the benefits of prejudice and hatred, blindly focused on their own small joys and creature comforts.
The series pilot and “Welcome to Switzerland” premiere on NatGeo May 1, with two new episodes airing weekly. Each can be streamed the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
See ‘A Small Light’: Nat Geo series heralds heroes who hid Anne Frank and family
Maggie Lovitt of Collider writes, “The series is blatant in its condemnation of people who reap the benefits of prejudice and hatred, blindly focused on their own small joys and creature comforts.
- 5/1/2023
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
National Geographic’s eight-part limited series “A Small Light” premiering May 1 tells the story of Anne Frank through the eyes of Miep Gies, the brave young woman who hid the Franks and four others in secret annex above Otto Frank’’s office in Amsterdam from the Nazis who were rounding up Jewish residents. Miep, who worked for Frank, was one of six people who took care of them. She was tasked with supplying them with meat and vegetables. Wrote Anne Frank: “Miep is just like a pack mule, she fetches and carries so much. Almost every day she manages to get hold of some vegetables for us brings everything in shopping bags on her bicycle.” Miep also brought them books.
The Nazis discovered their hiding place and on Aug. 4, 1944, they were arrested and sent to the death camps. Miep managed to save Anne’s notes and journals from the annex...
The Nazis discovered their hiding place and on Aug. 4, 1944, they were arrested and sent to the death camps. Miep managed to save Anne’s notes and journals from the annex...
- 5/1/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Taking its title from a quote with which Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family in Amsterdam during WWII, often ended her speeches later in life, “A Small Light” is the latest engaging, richly detailed biographical drama from National Geographic.
Co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan (“Grey’s Anatomy”) find a deeply humanist angle to this well-known piece of history by telling the story of Frank and her family through those who aided them.
Continue reading ‘A Small Light’ Review: A Richly Detailed Portrait Of Anne Frank Protector Miep Gies at The Playlist.
Co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan (“Grey’s Anatomy”) find a deeply humanist angle to this well-known piece of history by telling the story of Frank and her family through those who aided them.
Continue reading ‘A Small Light’ Review: A Richly Detailed Portrait Of Anne Frank Protector Miep Gies at The Playlist.
- 5/1/2023
- by Marya E. Gates
- The Playlist
A Small Light co-showrunner Joan Rater knows that Anne Frank’s story ends in heartbreaking, horrifying fashion. We all do. Frank’s diary, written while the teenage Jewish girl and her family hid from Nazis in World War II-era Amsterdam, comes to an abrupt close when their secret annex is raided. Anne, and most of her family, later died in concentration camps.
“When I read the diary, still to this day — Joan Rater, 60 years old — I get so caught up in Anne’s humanity and in her everyday stuff, her amazing voice and just in her that I find myself going,...
“When I read the diary, still to this day — Joan Rater, 60 years old — I get so caught up in Anne’s humanity and in her everyday stuff, her amazing voice and just in her that I find myself going,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
The Morning Show star on playing the woman who hid Anne Frank, revitalising period dramas and working with her teenage heroes Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon
Isobel “Bel” Powley, 31, was born in west London. In 2016 she was Bafta-nominated for The Diary of a Teenage Girl and shortlisted for a British independent film award for playing Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. Subsequent film roles include The King of Staten Island and Mary Shelley, where she met her fiance, actor Douglas Booth. On TV, she’s starred in The Morning Show and Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love. She now plays Hermine “Miep” Gies in miniseries A Small Light, based on the true story of the young woman who hid the Frank family during the second world war and preserved Anne’s diary.
Were you familiar with Miep Gies’s story?
I’d read Anne Frank’s diary as a kid,...
Isobel “Bel” Powley, 31, was born in west London. In 2016 she was Bafta-nominated for The Diary of a Teenage Girl and shortlisted for a British independent film award for playing Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. Subsequent film roles include The King of Staten Island and Mary Shelley, where she met her fiance, actor Douglas Booth. On TV, she’s starred in The Morning Show and Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love. She now plays Hermine “Miep” Gies in miniseries A Small Light, based on the true story of the young woman who hid the Frank family during the second world war and preserved Anne’s diary.
Were you familiar with Miep Gies’s story?
I’d read Anne Frank’s diary as a kid,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Michael Hogan
- The Guardian - Film News
The story of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who hid in a cramped attic with her family during the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam, is widely known, and amid the atrocities of the Holocaust, Anne’s diary presents a story of resilience and unrealized dreams. Nat Geo’s new limited series “A Small Light” isn’t Anne’s story, though the precocious teen’s legacy is embedded throughout. The brainchild of former “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunners Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, the series is a tale of resistance, activism and humanity. The narrative centers on one tenacious young woman, Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s secretary, who risked everything to save the Frank family, and countless others.
Beautifully shot by Phelan, Susanna Fogel and Leslie Hope, with a slight sepia tone to ground the audience in the time period, the series opens on July 6, 1942, when the Frank family goes into hiding. Miep (Bel Powley...
Beautifully shot by Phelan, Susanna Fogel and Leslie Hope, with a slight sepia tone to ground the audience in the time period, the series opens on July 6, 1942, when the Frank family goes into hiding. Miep (Bel Powley...
- 4/29/2023
- by Aramide Tinubu
- Variety Film + TV
Apple TV+ premieres Silo this week, which is a book-to-screen adaptation I can highly recommend. The books were incredible, creating a world unlike anything you've ever experienced, and the series brings it to life with stunning detail.
Fatal Attraction comes to Paramount+, and we finally see the appeal of having more time with a beloved IP, as the fleshed-out story opens a lot of storytelling opportunities.
See what else is coming this week and what finales to keep an eye on below.
Saturday, April 29
8/7c Hearts In the Game (Hallmark)
Erin Cahill and Marco Grazzini star in a new Hallmark movie about making a name for yourself, forgiving past mistakes, and moving forward.
In this one, a publicist helps a pitcher for the New York Mets – and her boyfriend from high school – find his way back to the game and her heart.
Check out a preview for the movie below.
Fatal Attraction comes to Paramount+, and we finally see the appeal of having more time with a beloved IP, as the fleshed-out story opens a lot of storytelling opportunities.
See what else is coming this week and what finales to keep an eye on below.
Saturday, April 29
8/7c Hearts In the Game (Hallmark)
Erin Cahill and Marco Grazzini star in a new Hallmark movie about making a name for yourself, forgiving past mistakes, and moving forward.
In this one, a publicist helps a pitcher for the New York Mets – and her boyfriend from high school – find his way back to the game and her heart.
Check out a preview for the movie below.
- 4/29/2023
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
It’s not easy to justify a new take on Anne Frank’s story. Her life and death are so tragically familiar that they’ve become emblematic of the Holocaust itself, and it’s hard to say something new about something so well-known. It’s an accomplishment, then, that A Small Light does indeed find a fresh perspective on what happened in that attic in the Netherlands. By focusing on Miep Gies, who helped the Franks hide and eventually rescued Anne’s diary, National Geographic’s limited series becomes a tale of life-saving allyship.
- 4/28/2023
- by Michel Ghanem
- Primetimer
“I’ve been searching for roles like this,” said actress Bel Powley about the character she plays in “A Small Light.” Part of what excited her about the limited series was that generally “people aren’t making shows about women like Miep.” She discussed the project on April 25 at the New York City premiere during a panel moderated by Dan Bucatinsky. Watch the entire panel above.
“A Small Light” tells a familiar story from a different perspective. It’s about Anne Frank‘s family hiding from the Nazis during World War II, but it’s told from the point of view of Miep Gies, Otto Frank‘s secretary who is one of the brave individuals who agrees to harbor the family. Powley actually shies away from period pieces most of the time, but “I immediately felt connected to this character,” noting that Miep was “an incredibly modern woman.”
For Liev Schreiber,...
“A Small Light” tells a familiar story from a different perspective. It’s about Anne Frank‘s family hiding from the Nazis during World War II, but it’s told from the point of view of Miep Gies, Otto Frank‘s secretary who is one of the brave individuals who agrees to harbor the family. Powley actually shies away from period pieces most of the time, but “I immediately felt connected to this character,” noting that Miep was “an incredibly modern woman.”
For Liev Schreiber,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
We first see the remarkable Miep Gies (an incandescent Bel Powley) as she’s leading a scared Margot Frank (Ashley Brooke) on bicycle through a Nazi checkpoint. Their destination: the annex where the Frank family and four others will hide for two years from 1942 until their fateful discovery in 1944. Heroism and terror infuse nearly every moment of A Small Light, a first-rate eight-part docudrama airing over four Mondays on the National Geographic Channel. (Episodes will stream the following day on Hulu and Disney+.) Miep is a crucial part of the Anne Frank story, having been a loyal employee for years of Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber in a movingly restrained performance of grave dignity) before he was forced to ask her and her office co-workers to risk their lives to protect and fend for his family and friends during the oppressive Nazi occupation. To her credit, Powley (The Morning Show) brings...
- 4/26/2023
- TV Insider
One of the anticipated series coming to Disney+ in May is “American Born Chinese,” based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel. Premiering on May 24, the series centers on Jin Wang (played by Ben Wang), an American teen whose life is changed when he becomes friends with a new international student, who just happens to be the son of a mythological god. Identity, family, and kung fu combine in this action-packed show. The “Everything Everywhere All At Once” trio of Stephanie Hsu and Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan star.
Watch the trailer for “American Born Chinese”:
Also coming to the Disney streamer next month is “Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All.” The four-part docuseries will debut in full on May 3. It reveals what inspires the singer-songwriter personally and professionally, providing a rare insight into what is behind his music. This series follows Sheeran after he...
Watch the trailer for “American Born Chinese”:
Also coming to the Disney streamer next month is “Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All.” The four-part docuseries will debut in full on May 3. It reveals what inspires the singer-songwriter personally and professionally, providing a rare insight into what is behind his music. This series follows Sheeran after he...
- 4/26/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
Sharon Van Etten, King Princess, and Orville Peck are among the artists who’ve contributed covers to the soundtrack for the upcoming National Geographic limited series, A Small Light.
A Small Light is based on the life story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who hid Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II. The show’s soundtrack, executive produced by Haim’s Este Haim, will feature contemporary artists covering popular songs from that era.
For instance, Van Etten recorded a rendition of “I Don’t...
A Small Light is based on the life story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who hid Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II. The show’s soundtrack, executive produced by Haim’s Este Haim, will feature contemporary artists covering popular songs from that era.
For instance, Van Etten recorded a rendition of “I Don’t...
- 4/26/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Most people have learned the story of Anne Frank. In many schools, her story is taught in history classes and her diaries are read as classic works. But in the new series, “A Small Light,” the story of Anne Frank is told through the perspective of the woman who promised to keep her safe.
Read More: ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ Review: Jennifer Garner Can’t Save Apple TV+’s Plodding Thriller
As seen in the trailer for “A Small Light,” the limited series tells the story of Miep Gies, a young woman who takes on the challenge of hiding the Frank family from the Nazis during WWII after Otto Frank asked her to help.
Continue reading ‘A Small Light’ Trailer: Bel Powley, Joe Cole & Liev Schreiber Tell The Story Of Hiding Anne Frank’s Family in WWII at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ Review: Jennifer Garner Can’t Save Apple TV+’s Plodding Thriller
As seen in the trailer for “A Small Light,” the limited series tells the story of Miep Gies, a young woman who takes on the challenge of hiding the Frank family from the Nazis during WWII after Otto Frank asked her to help.
Continue reading ‘A Small Light’ Trailer: Bel Powley, Joe Cole & Liev Schreiber Tell The Story Of Hiding Anne Frank’s Family in WWII at The Playlist.
- 4/18/2023
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
"People have lost everything, and still they resist!" National Geographic has revealed an official trailer for a series titled A Small Light, telling the inspiring true story of Miep Gies, the Dutch woman who hid Anne Frank and her family during World War II. It's ready to premiere on the National Geographic Channel and for streaming on Hulu at the beginning of May. Miep is a young Dutch woman who is asked by her employer Otto Frank, in the summer of 1942, to shelter his family from the Nazis. She helps keep the Franks hidden, while Anne Frank writes her diary, which has become the iconic book that everyone already knows. English actress Bel Powley co-stars as Miep with Billie Boullet as Anne Frank, plus Joe Cole as Miep's husband Jan Gies, Liev Schreiber as Anne's father Otto Frank, Amira Casar as Edith Frank, and Ashley Brooke as Margot Frank. This...
- 4/16/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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