The crew of Lifetime’s Where Is Wendy Williams? set out to document the TV personality’s comeback after losing her talk show and disappearing from the public eye.
The results of the series actually are quite different. Instead of chronicling Williams as she reclaimed her legacy, the team pulled back the curtain on what had been going on in Williams’ life since she was placed under financial guardianship.
“It really wasn’t until we got into filming and saw the reality of the situation that we were aware that there was something deeper and, ultimately, disturbing, going on in Wendy’s life,” executive producer Mark Ford said during the series’ panel at Deadline’s Contenders TV: Documentary + Unscripted event.
Related: A+E Networks Argued That Wendy Williams’ Guardian Sought To “Unconstitutionally Silence” Criticism Via Effort To Halt Airing Of Documentary
Since filming, Williams has been receiving treatment for “cognitive issues” at a wellness center,...
The results of the series actually are quite different. Instead of chronicling Williams as she reclaimed her legacy, the team pulled back the curtain on what had been going on in Williams’ life since she was placed under financial guardianship.
“It really wasn’t until we got into filming and saw the reality of the situation that we were aware that there was something deeper and, ultimately, disturbing, going on in Wendy’s life,” executive producer Mark Ford said during the series’ panel at Deadline’s Contenders TV: Documentary + Unscripted event.
Related: A+E Networks Argued That Wendy Williams’ Guardian Sought To “Unconstitutionally Silence” Criticism Via Effort To Halt Airing Of Documentary
Since filming, Williams has been receiving treatment for “cognitive issues” at a wellness center,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s Emmy race features some of the most explosive nonfiction content in recent years: docuseries on the fate of a beloved talk show host, a vulnerable young woman victimized in a case of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, the scandal involving Nickelodeon kids shows, and a revealing look inside one of professional sports’ greatest dynasties.
Deadline’s Contenders TV: Documentary + Unscripted virtual event — your indispensable guide to TV awards season — goes in depth on all of it Saturday in a showcase that kicks off at 9 a.m. Pt.
Click here to register and watch the livestream.
Among the panelists joining today are key talent behind Lifetime’s Where Is Wendy Williams?, Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, and The Dynasty: New England Patriots from Apple TV+. Gypsy Rose Blanchard herself joins us to talk about telling her shocking story in Lifetime’s The Prison...
Deadline’s Contenders TV: Documentary + Unscripted virtual event — your indispensable guide to TV awards season — goes in depth on all of it Saturday in a showcase that kicks off at 9 a.m. Pt.
Click here to register and watch the livestream.
Among the panelists joining today are key talent behind Lifetime’s Where Is Wendy Williams?, Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, and The Dynasty: New England Patriots from Apple TV+. Gypsy Rose Blanchard herself joins us to talk about telling her shocking story in Lifetime’s The Prison...
- 4/27/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Lifetime docuseries “Where Is Wendy Williams?” was originally supposed to be a chronicle of the popular talk show host’s return to the A-list after numerous personal struggles and health crises. But as executive producer Mark Ford tells Gold Derby, the final product was much different. “I think it’s safe to say that no one who joined the team on this project expected it to be the project that it turned out to be,” declares Ford.
What it turned out to be was a look at how Williams’s mental health drastically declined during the film of the series; she was ultimately diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and is currently under the control of a court-ordered guardianship. The filmmakers realized early on that something was very wrong with Williams, leading to debates over exactly what should be filmed and what should make it to air. “At the time we began filming,...
What it turned out to be was a look at how Williams’s mental health drastically declined during the film of the series; she was ultimately diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and is currently under the control of a court-ordered guardianship. The filmmakers realized early on that something was very wrong with Williams, leading to debates over exactly what should be filmed and what should make it to air. “At the time we began filming,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
The strikes are behind us, Emmy season is upon us, and it’s time to hear from the creatives and talent behind some of the TV season’s most talked-about nonfiction programs. Deadline’s daylong Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted virtual event will offer just that this weekend, giving awards-watchers a chance to kick back at home and take in the tales.
You can RSVP for Saturday’s livestream here.
Starting at 9 a.m. Pt Saturday, the fourth annual event features 20 panels with cast and creatives from series, specials and telefilms.
Here is what and who you can expect to see.
From ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
From Prime Video: Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story (Writer/Director...
You can RSVP for Saturday’s livestream here.
Starting at 9 a.m. Pt Saturday, the fourth annual event features 20 panels with cast and creatives from series, specials and telefilms.
Here is what and who you can expect to see.
From ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
From Prime Video: Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story (Writer/Director...
- 4/24/2024
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Wendy Williams’ legal guardian claimed that the talk show host was unable to consent to her participation in Lifetimes’ Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary that aired last month, according to an unsealed lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone.
Sabrina Morrissey, acting as Williams’ guardian, filed the suit in February just days before the docuseries aired. Morrissey filed the suit, which was sealed until Thursday, in New York seeking to block the project’s release — though it aired as planned on Feb. 24 and 25.
In the complaint, Morrissey claimed that Williams, referred in the suit as W.
Sabrina Morrissey, acting as Williams’ guardian, filed the suit in February just days before the docuseries aired. Morrissey filed the suit, which was sealed until Thursday, in New York seeking to block the project’s release — though it aired as planned on Feb. 24 and 25.
In the complaint, Morrissey claimed that Williams, referred in the suit as W.
- 3/15/2024
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Lifetime’s two-night documentary special Where is Wendy Williams? has set a new ratings record for the network. The documentary averaged 1.2 million total viewers over the two nights in Nielsen Live+3, and 6.2 million total viewers across linear and digital platforms to date.
The network says Where is Wendy Williams? is Lifetime’s best new non-fiction performance in two years since the Janet Jackson documentary, with total viewers, W25-64 and A25-64, beating out January’s The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard which is now ranked No. 2 in L+Sd.
On premiere night on February 24, Where is Wendy Williams? was the No. 1 program across all of TV in total social interactions, according to Lifetime.
The full documentary will repeat starting tonight at 7pm Et/Pt and again on Saturday, March 2 at 1:30pm Et/Pt.
The documentary aired just days after Williams was diagnosed...
The network says Where is Wendy Williams? is Lifetime’s best new non-fiction performance in two years since the Janet Jackson documentary, with total viewers, W25-64 and A25-64, beating out January’s The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard which is now ranked No. 2 in L+Sd.
On premiere night on February 24, Where is Wendy Williams? was the No. 1 program across all of TV in total social interactions, according to Lifetime.
The full documentary will repeat starting tonight at 7pm Et/Pt and again on Saturday, March 2 at 1:30pm Et/Pt.
The documentary aired just days after Williams was diagnosed...
- 3/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifetime’s controversial Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary proved to be a big draw for the cable network.
The 4 1/2-hour documentary, which aired over two nights on Feb. 24 and 25, averaged 1.04 million same-day viewers, according to Nielsen. That’s more than triple the average primetime audience for Lifetime in the previous three weeks, which hovered a little above 300,000 viewers.
After three days of delayed viewing, the documentary grew to 1.2 million viewers, which Lifetime says is its biggest nonfiction debut since its Janet Jackson documentary two years ago.
Where Is Wendy Williams? also brought in more viewers than Lifetime’s January docuseries The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, which averaged 887,000 viewers over its six hours. Lifetime cited a three-day average of 1.1 million viewers for the latter show, a 24 percent lift from delayed viewing. (Nielsen ratings figures don’t include streaming.)
A few days before the documentary premiered, a press release from...
The 4 1/2-hour documentary, which aired over two nights on Feb. 24 and 25, averaged 1.04 million same-day viewers, according to Nielsen. That’s more than triple the average primetime audience for Lifetime in the previous three weeks, which hovered a little above 300,000 viewers.
After three days of delayed viewing, the documentary grew to 1.2 million viewers, which Lifetime says is its biggest nonfiction debut since its Janet Jackson documentary two years ago.
Where Is Wendy Williams? also brought in more viewers than Lifetime’s January docuseries The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, which averaged 887,000 viewers over its six hours. Lifetime cited a three-day average of 1.1 million viewers for the latter show, a 24 percent lift from delayed viewing. (Nielsen ratings figures don’t include streaming.)
A few days before the documentary premiered, a press release from...
- 2/28/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Wendy Williams Show‘s co-executive producer is reflecting on working with her former talk show host following the news of her diagnosis being made public. Suzanne Bass says there were early signs pointing to what has now been publicly revealed to be primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia diagnosis (Ftd).
“You can go back and see the show, and there’s really long periods of quietness where she’s not speaking,” Bass told People, two days after a press release was sent out, claiming to be from her care team, announcing Williams’ diagnosis, which impacts language, communication behavior and cognitive function. “And you’re thinking, ‘What’s happening?’ There were early signs [of something wrong] where you’re grasping for words, having a hard time collecting your thoughts and remembering things. Maybe that’s what was happening back then.”
The Wendy Williams Show ran for 14 seasons from 2008 to 2022. The show relied on...
“You can go back and see the show, and there’s really long periods of quietness where she’s not speaking,” Bass told People, two days after a press release was sent out, claiming to be from her care team, announcing Williams’ diagnosis, which impacts language, communication behavior and cognitive function. “And you’re thinking, ‘What’s happening?’ There were early signs [of something wrong] where you’re grasping for words, having a hard time collecting your thoughts and remembering things. Maybe that’s what was happening back then.”
The Wendy Williams Show ran for 14 seasons from 2008 to 2022. The show relied on...
- 2/27/2024
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The producers behind the new Wendy Williams documentary said they wouldn’t have begun filming it if they knew about her mental health diagnosis ahead of time.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Where Is Wendy Williams? producers Mark Ford and Brie Miranda Bryant discussed the news last week that Williams had been diagnosed with new primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
“Of course, if we had known that Wendy had dementia going into it, no one would’ve rolled a camera,” Ford said Monday in the interview,...
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Where Is Wendy Williams? producers Mark Ford and Brie Miranda Bryant discussed the news last week that Williams had been diagnosed with new primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
“Of course, if we had known that Wendy had dementia going into it, no one would’ve rolled a camera,” Ford said Monday in the interview,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
A producer who worked on Lifetime‘s Where is Wendy Williams? documentary is speaking out.
The two-part project aired on Saturday (February 24) and Sunday (February 25), almost immediately following the Wendy Williams‘ aphasia and dementia diagnosis.
Ahead of the documentary’s premiere Wendy‘s guardian Sabrina Morrissey filed a lawsuit against the channel’s parent company A&e attempting to stop it from airing. The request was dismissed by a judge.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Mark Ford explained his team’s motivation behind filming and releasing Where is Wendy Williams?
Keep reading to find out more…
Mark explained the original concept of the film.
“It was supposed to be a documentary that would follow her journey back into her career doing a podcast. We thought it was a great idea, and we were hopeful that Wendy’s story would be redeeming and we’d be able to document this journey,...
The two-part project aired on Saturday (February 24) and Sunday (February 25), almost immediately following the Wendy Williams‘ aphasia and dementia diagnosis.
Ahead of the documentary’s premiere Wendy‘s guardian Sabrina Morrissey filed a lawsuit against the channel’s parent company A&e attempting to stop it from airing. The request was dismissed by a judge.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Mark Ford explained his team’s motivation behind filming and releasing Where is Wendy Williams?
Keep reading to find out more…
Mark explained the original concept of the film.
“It was supposed to be a documentary that would follow her journey back into her career doing a podcast. We thought it was a great idea, and we were hopeful that Wendy’s story would be redeeming and we’d be able to document this journey,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
“At a certain point,” says Where Is Wendy Williams? producer Mark Ford, “we were more worried about what would happen if we stopped filming than if we continued.”
So, for the better part of a year, his cameras kept rolling, documenting the increasingly fragile state that the former talk show host had found herself in, as she alternately craved family, her former TV platform and an excessive amount of alcohol, all while struggling to remain coherent. What ultimately came of that footage is a raw, devastating, four-plus hour documentary, which aired on Lifetime over two nights last weekend. Williams, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., and her jeweler-turned-manager, William Selby, are all credited as executive producers.
Nevertheless, the eOne and Creature Films project asks more questions than it answers, including what, exactly, was going on with Williams, and why a court-ordered guardian has largely cut her off from her family. Though...
So, for the better part of a year, his cameras kept rolling, documenting the increasingly fragile state that the former talk show host had found herself in, as she alternately craved family, her former TV platform and an excessive amount of alcohol, all while struggling to remain coherent. What ultimately came of that footage is a raw, devastating, four-plus hour documentary, which aired on Lifetime over two nights last weekend. Williams, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., and her jeweler-turned-manager, William Selby, are all credited as executive producers.
Nevertheless, the eOne and Creature Films project asks more questions than it answers, including what, exactly, was going on with Williams, and why a court-ordered guardian has largely cut her off from her family. Though...
- 2/26/2024
- by Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wendy Williams Diagnosed With Dementia & Aphasia As Her Guardian Seeks To Stop Documentary’s Release
Former talk show host Wendy Williams‘ guardian, cited in media reports as Sabrina Morrissey, has filed a lawsuit against A&e Television Networks, the parent company of Lifetime.
The new lawsuit is an attempt to stop the airing of the upcoming documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, comes just days before the premiere of Lifetime’s documentary about Williams’ life after her talk show.
A hearing date has been scheduled for next week to determine whether the sealed documents should remain confidential. Both Morrissey and A&e have declined to comment on the matter.
The executive producer of the documentary, Mark Ford, confirmed that Williams’ attorneys, as well as the guardianship attorneys, were consulted and approved the project. He stated that all necessary permissions were obtained from Williams, her management, her attorneys and the guardianship.
However, as the film progressed, the filmmakers discovered a different truth about Williams’ situation,...
The new lawsuit is an attempt to stop the airing of the upcoming documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, comes just days before the premiere of Lifetime’s documentary about Williams’ life after her talk show.
A hearing date has been scheduled for next week to determine whether the sealed documents should remain confidential. Both Morrissey and A&e have declined to comment on the matter.
The executive producer of the documentary, Mark Ford, confirmed that Williams’ attorneys, as well as the guardianship attorneys, were consulted and approved the project. He stated that all necessary permissions were obtained from Williams, her management, her attorneys and the guardianship.
However, as the film progressed, the filmmakers discovered a different truth about Williams’ situation,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Lifetime’s documentary about Wendy Williams will air this Saturday and Sunday evening as planned, TVLine has confirmed, despite Williams’ guardian filing a lawsuit seeking injunctive relief.
The two-part Where Is Wendy Williams? arrives on the heels of the daytime-tv personality being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, as well as the language disorder aphasia.
More from TVLineWendy Williams Thanks Fans, Asks for 'Personal Space and Peace' in First Statement Since Dementia DiagnosisHere's Why The View Ignored Wendy Williams' Dementia Diagnosis During Thursday's SegmentWendy Williams Diagnosed With Dementia and Aphasia
Per TMZ, Sabrina Morrissey on Thursday filed with the New York Supreme...
The two-part Where Is Wendy Williams? arrives on the heels of the daytime-tv personality being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, as well as the language disorder aphasia.
More from TVLineWendy Williams Thanks Fans, Asks for 'Personal Space and Peace' in First Statement Since Dementia DiagnosisHere's Why The View Ignored Wendy Williams' Dementia Diagnosis During Thursday's SegmentWendy Williams Diagnosed With Dementia and Aphasia
Per TMZ, Sabrina Morrissey on Thursday filed with the New York Supreme...
- 2/23/2024
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
For the first time in over a year, we are seeing the return of Wendy Williams in her new Lifetime documentary Where is Wendy Williams?
The documentary, set to premiere on Lifetime over two nights, February 24 and 25, was filmed over the two years following Williams’ exit from The Wendy Williams Show in 2021. It captures Williams’ struggles after she was placed under a financial guardianship and her hit talk show was unexpectedly canceled. Per Lifetime. “Opening the doors to her private life like never before, cameras chronicled her comeback journey to reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence.”
“Since I was six years old, all I wanted was to be famous,” Williams says in a voiceover heard over chants of fans and behind-the-scenes footage of her talk show.
Lifetime was granted unprecedented access by Williams to film her and her family.
“Wendy has been part of...
The documentary, set to premiere on Lifetime over two nights, February 24 and 25, was filmed over the two years following Williams’ exit from The Wendy Williams Show in 2021. It captures Williams’ struggles after she was placed under a financial guardianship and her hit talk show was unexpectedly canceled. Per Lifetime. “Opening the doors to her private life like never before, cameras chronicled her comeback journey to reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence.”
“Since I was six years old, all I wanted was to be famous,” Williams says in a voiceover heard over chants of fans and behind-the-scenes footage of her talk show.
Lifetime was granted unprecedented access by Williams to film her and her family.
“Wendy has been part of...
- 2/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
First Horizon Bank announced today the launch of its limited-series podcast, Bucket List-ening. The podcast offers aspiration for people's inspiration through captivating stories of real clients who have achieved remarkable milestones and are reaching new ones with the support of First Horizon Bank.
"The heart of the 'Bucket List-ening' podcast is about humanizing the experiences and aspirations of our clients. As they share their stories, we begin to understand how they got to where they are today, where they are going and what help they had along the way," said Erin Pryor, CMO. "In the end, it creates a community for people to share, learn from and inspire one another."
Hosted by Tabitha Scott, an award-winning speaker and business consultant, listeners can expect monthly releases of inspiring episodes including:
Episode 1 (live now): Bob Emmer, COO at Shout! Factory, discusses his rise in the music industry alongside Mark Ford,...
"The heart of the 'Bucket List-ening' podcast is about humanizing the experiences and aspirations of our clients. As they share their stories, we begin to understand how they got to where they are today, where they are going and what help they had along the way," said Erin Pryor, CMO. "In the end, it creates a community for people to share, learn from and inspire one another."
Hosted by Tabitha Scott, an award-winning speaker and business consultant, listeners can expect monthly releases of inspiring episodes including:
Episode 1 (live now): Bob Emmer, COO at Shout! Factory, discusses his rise in the music industry alongside Mark Ford,...
- 7/25/2023
- Podnews.net
Entertainment One is expanding its partnership with unscripted production company Creature Films by signing the “Siesta Key” producer to a multiyear overall deal, Variety has learned exclusively.
The pact, which is the latest extension of a first-look deal originally signed between eOne and Mark Ford’s Creature Films in 2015, evolves the relationship into exclusive development territory and is good through 2024.
Throughout their six-year partnership, Creature Films, which Variety has confirmed recently appointed Pat Lambert as head of development, and eOne have produced MTV’s “Siesta Key,” which was recently renewed for a fifth season, “Behind the Music” for Paramount+, the upcoming Paramount+ doc “The Lady and the Legend” about Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Amazon’s “Mary J. Blige’s My Life,” Lifetime’s “Wendy Williams: What a Mess,” BET’s “Chronicles,” A&e’s “Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.” and “Biography: Bobby Brown.”
Lambert joins Creature Films as...
The pact, which is the latest extension of a first-look deal originally signed between eOne and Mark Ford’s Creature Films in 2015, evolves the relationship into exclusive development territory and is good through 2024.
Throughout their six-year partnership, Creature Films, which Variety has confirmed recently appointed Pat Lambert as head of development, and eOne have produced MTV’s “Siesta Key,” which was recently renewed for a fifth season, “Behind the Music” for Paramount+, the upcoming Paramount+ doc “The Lady and the Legend” about Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Amazon’s “Mary J. Blige’s My Life,” Lifetime’s “Wendy Williams: What a Mess,” BET’s “Chronicles,” A&e’s “Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.” and “Biography: Bobby Brown.”
Lambert joins Creature Films as...
- 8/3/2022
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Twenty years after the death of the Notorious B.I.G., his murder — as well as the death of Tupac Shakur — still hasn’t been solved. But his widow, Faith Evans, believes a spate of new TV projects could force the Los Angeles Police Department to reveal the truth.
Several projects timed to the anniversary, including A&E’s new documentary “Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.,” Fox’s investigation special “Who Shot Biggie & Tupac?” and USA Network’s scripted drama “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.,” dive into the mystery. (The Johnny Depp feature “Labyrinth,” which also investigates the murders, is on tap for 2018.) Most of the projects have a clear point of view on who was responsible, yet there’s still no consensus.
Evans said she wasn’t familiar with the USA project, which is being produced without the involvement of the Notorious B.I.G. estate.
Several projects timed to the anniversary, including A&E’s new documentary “Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.,” Fox’s investigation special “Who Shot Biggie & Tupac?” and USA Network’s scripted drama “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.,” dive into the mystery. (The Johnny Depp feature “Labyrinth,” which also investigates the murders, is on tap for 2018.) Most of the projects have a clear point of view on who was responsible, yet there’s still no consensus.
Evans said she wasn’t familiar with the USA project, which is being produced without the involvement of the Notorious B.I.G. estate.
- 9/4/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
In the late summer of 2004, MTV premiered “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” a captivating “docu-soap” about a group of wealthy teenagers navigating their lives in a sunny coastal town. Nearly 13 years later, MTV is trying to recreate its success. On Monday, the network will launch “Siesta Key,” about a group of beautiful 20-somethings returning to their Florida hometown for a summer of partying, fun and relationship drama. Hailing from executive producers Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez, both vets of “Laguna Beach,” “Siesta’s” similarities to its predecessor are many. Most notably, the show brings the unscripted genre to the cinematic.
- 7/31/2017
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
There’s no question that Rodney King was brutally beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers – video taken of the savage act proves it. Yet the four men seen clubbing King were acquitted by a Simi Valley jury in 1992, lighting a match for one of the deadliest and costliest civil unrests in U.S. history.
Read More: How Spike Lee, John Singleton and John Ridley Left Their Marks on the 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots
It’s 25 years later, and Los Angeles – and the Lapd – have changed. But has the rest of the country? Regular reports of police brutality, now well-documented in an age of phone cameras, makes it clear that we haven’t come all that far. Several new documentaries explore the L.A. riots, including the underlying reasons, the actual events, what happened next, and how it relates to today. Among the filmmakers putting their own...
Read More: How Spike Lee, John Singleton and John Ridley Left Their Marks on the 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots
It’s 25 years later, and Los Angeles – and the Lapd – have changed. But has the rest of the country? Regular reports of police brutality, now well-documented in an age of phone cameras, makes it clear that we haven’t come all that far. Several new documentaries explore the L.A. riots, including the underlying reasons, the actual events, what happened next, and how it relates to today. Among the filmmakers putting their own...
- 4/22/2017
- by Ben Travers, Hanh Nguyen, Liz Shannon Miller, Michael Schneider and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Entertainment One has renewed its first-look deal with Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez’ documentary production company Creature Films. Under the pact, first launched in April 2015, the partnership has produced docuseries Streets of Compton for A&E, which was nominated for an Image Award and Ida Award, and the recently announced L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later. "Our collaboration with Creature Films has brought to life an impressive slate of outstanding projects across a…...
- 4/5/2017
- Deadline TV
Todd Larsen, the former president of Dow Jones, will reportedly join Time Inc. to head its news and sports brands. Larsen, who served as the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, AllThingsD and other Dow Jones properties from January 2010 to June 2012, will fill the vacancy at the magazine company, AdAge reported Friday. He fills a position left open since February, 2011, when former news group chief Jack Griffin was ousted. Mark Ford currently heads the sports group and will now report to Larsen. He left the News Corp.-owned company after...
- 8/31/2012
- by Alexander C. Kaufman
- The Wrap
NBC Sports Group and Time Inc. Sports Group are teaming up to produce a monthly TV show titled Sports Illustrated. The announcement was made today by Jon Miller, President of Programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network and Time Inc. Sports Group President Mark Ford. The show will feature segments, original reporting and commentary from Si’s journalists as well as spotlight stories from the past. The show, sponsored by Lexus, will premiere on the NBC Sports Network on July 24, just three days before the Opening Ceremony from the 2012 London Games. Subsequent new episodes with originate on either NBC Sports Network or NBC. Emmy Award-winning Red Line Films has been tapped to produce.
- 7/2/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Los Angeles -- As a 22-year-old white kid from New Jersey fresh out of college, Mark Ford encountered the Los Angeles riots of April 1992 the way most Americans did -- through journalist Bob Turr's striking helicopter footage of the violence at Florence and Normandie avenues.
Turr's impromptu narration as a white outsider literally looking down on South Central Los Angeles ("Terrible, terrible pictures!" and "Nobody's helping him!") shaped how many Americans initially viewed the searing images: A group of angry black residents pulled white truck driver Reginald Denny from his cab and beat him severely. Earlier that day, four white Los Angeles Police Department officers had been acquitted of all charges in the brutal 1991 beating of black motorist Rodney King.
"I remember being kind of confounded by the riots," Ford said in an interview with The Huffington Post. "I understood theoretically why people felt an injustice was done, but I...
Turr's impromptu narration as a white outsider literally looking down on South Central Los Angeles ("Terrible, terrible pictures!" and "Nobody's helping him!") shaped how many Americans initially viewed the searing images: A group of angry black residents pulled white truck driver Reginald Denny from his cab and beat him severely. Earlier that day, four white Los Angeles Police Department officers had been acquitted of all charges in the brutal 1991 beating of black motorist Rodney King.
"I remember being kind of confounded by the riots," Ford said in an interview with The Huffington Post. "I understood theoretically why people felt an injustice was done, but I...
- 4/23/2012
- by Anna Almendrala
- Huffington Post
With their upfronts happening tonight, Bravo announced that it has greenlit 11 new unscripted series, including spin-offs for Top Chef and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, as well as season orders for eight of their returning favorites. Viewers can expect to see another season of Flipping Out, Tabatha Takes Over, Million Dollar Decorators, Million Dollar Listing Lost Angeles, Top Chef Masters, Chef Roble & Co., Pregnant in Heels, and Inside the Actors Studio.
Click below for a description of Bravo’s new shows.
New Series Greenlights:
Silicon Valley (working title)
Produced by Den of Thieves with Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager...
Click below for a description of Bravo’s new shows.
New Series Greenlights:
Silicon Valley (working title)
Produced by Den of Thieves with Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager...
- 4/4/2012
- by Tim Stack
- EW - Inside TV
Eleven new shows, including a spinoff for "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Vanderpump and a new "Top Chef" series with Jen Carroll, Richard Blais, Fabio Viviani and Spike Mendelsohn, are heading to Bravo. The network has also renewed eight shows, including "Tabatha Takes Over."
"Sur" goes inside "Housewives" star Vanderpump's La hotspot restaurant. "Life After Top Chef" follows the personal and professional lives of the four former "Top Chef" cheftestants. There are also new shows set on yachts, in the offices of icanhascheezburger.com and in art galleries and the network also announced seven new unscripted projects in development.
Two scripted shows are in the works at Bravo, but the subject matter is familiar to the established audience. "22 Birthdays" follows the lives of a group of parents at a private school, with each episode centered around a lavish birthday party. "Blowing Sunshine" hails from "90210's" Jason Ning and...
"Sur" goes inside "Housewives" star Vanderpump's La hotspot restaurant. "Life After Top Chef" follows the personal and professional lives of the four former "Top Chef" cheftestants. There are also new shows set on yachts, in the offices of icanhascheezburger.com and in art galleries and the network also announced seven new unscripted projects in development.
Two scripted shows are in the works at Bravo, but the subject matter is familiar to the established audience. "22 Birthdays" follows the lives of a group of parents at a private school, with each episode centered around a lavish birthday party. "Blowing Sunshine" hails from "90210's" Jason Ning and...
- 4/4/2012
- by Chris Harnick
- Huffington Post
Eleven new shows, including a spinoff for "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Vanderpump and a new "Top Chef" series with Jen Carroll, Richard Blais, Fabio Viviani and Spike Mendelsohn, are heading to Bravo. The network has also renewed eight shows, including "Tabatha Takes Over."
"Sur" goes inside "Housewives" star Vanderpump's La hotspot restaurant. "Life After Top Chef" follows the personal and professional lives of the four former "Top Chef" cheftestants. There are also new shows set on yachts, in the offices of icanhascheezburger.com and in art galleries and the network also announced seven new unscripted projects in development.
Two scripted shows are in the works at Bravo, but the subject matter is familiar to the established audience. "22 Birthdays" follows the lives of a group of parents at a private school, with each episode centered around a lavish birthday party. "Blowing Sunshine" hails from "90210's" Jason Ning and...
"Sur" goes inside "Housewives" star Vanderpump's La hotspot restaurant. "Life After Top Chef" follows the personal and professional lives of the four former "Top Chef" cheftestants. There are also new shows set on yachts, in the offices of icanhascheezburger.com and in art galleries and the network also announced seven new unscripted projects in development.
Two scripted shows are in the works at Bravo, but the subject matter is familiar to the established audience. "22 Birthdays" follows the lives of a group of parents at a private school, with each episode centered around a lavish birthday party. "Blowing Sunshine" hails from "90210's" Jason Ning and...
- 4/4/2012
- by Chris Harnick
- Aol TV.
Austin - Although shown here in SXSW's music-centric "24 Beats Per Second" section, Mark Ford's Uprising: Hip-Hop and the La Riots is too provocative to be lumped in alongside concert docs and rock star profiles. L.A. rappers indeed deserve credit for diagnosing social ills and prophesying unrest, but what this film captures is bigger and, sad to say, more enduring than any epoch in popular music. Thorny and debate-fueling, it should be seen in packed theaters, though a high-profile cable run may be more likely. Photos: SXSW's Can't-Miss Movies The doc's thrust, where music is
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- 3/21/2012
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Uprising: Hip Hop & the La Riots" gets right to the point, starting off with a bang, or perhaps a police baton to the face, as Rodney King walks down the stretch of highway where his notorious beating took place, reenacting that fateful night. The film, produced by VH1 Rock Docs and directed by Mark Ford, tells the story of the 1992 La riots, using stunning archival footage and interviews with people who were there, while also drawing the connection between the riots and the gangsta rap of the time, featuring N.W.A., Ice Cube and Ice T as both the poets and prophets of this outburst of rage and destruction. Fittingly, it's narrated by Snoop Dogg, who found his success in the wake of the riots. The film is an explosive, blistering analysis of this historic event in American history, viewed through the lens of hindsight 20 years later.
'Uprising' lays out the...
'Uprising' lays out the...
- 3/16/2012
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
Additional highlights include Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods, Nelson George's The Announcement, Gotham Chopra's Decoding Deepak, Mark Ford's Uprising: Hip Hop & The La Riots, Kristen Sheridan's Dollhouse, Gareth Huw Evans' The Raid and William Friedkin's Killer Joe, among many others. The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery. Year after year, the event is a launching pad for new creative content. New media presentations, music showcases and film screenings provide buzz-generating exposure for creators and compelling entertainment for audiences. Conference panel discussions...
- 2/1/2012
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
The U.S. government said Thursday that their data collectors have not seen any significant progress on the cooling of the Japanese nuclear reactors. U.S. aircraft usually used to monitor North Korean nuclear weapon activity were dispatched to fly over the reactor, as the U.S. pressured the Japanese to stop relying on numbers from the operator of the plant, the Tokyo Electric Power Company. But the right for anyone other than the Japanese measuring the radioactivity has been a bitter battle, as the U.S. government called Wednesday for a 50-mile evacuation around the Fukushima Daiichi plant rather than the 12 miles suggested by Japanese officials. The numbers released Thursday indicated no contamination had spread beyond the 18 mile range established by Japanese authorities.
The Daily Beast's Lennox Samuels reports from Japan on how Americans there are frustrated by mixed messages from the Japanese government about the radiation risks.
Related...
The Daily Beast's Lennox Samuels reports from Japan on how Americans there are frustrated by mixed messages from the Japanese government about the radiation risks.
Related...
- 3/17/2011
- by Lennox Samuels
- The Daily Beast
Time Inc. announced on Wednesday a series of executive promotions, internal realignments and a pair of newly formed magazine groups. First, the company promoted Mark Ford, who had served as head of the Time Inc.'s news and sports group, to president of a new "Sports Group," and former National Geographic president and Mpa chairman John Q. Griffin -- no relation to Time Inc. CEO Jack Griffin -- to the same position at its new "News Group." (Both will hold Evp titles.) Time Inc. also announced that Sports Illustrated publisher Kim Kelleher has...
- 12/22/2010
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
Jonathan Franzen's family epic, a new collection from Seamus Heaney, Philip Larkin's love letters, a memoir centred on tiny Japanese sculptures ... which books most excited our writers this year?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In Red Dust Road (Picador) Jackie Kay writes lucidly and honestly about being the adopted black daughter of white parents, about searching for her white birth mother and Nigerian birth father, and about the many layers of identity. She has a rare ability to portray sentiment with absolutely no sentimentality. Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns (Random House) is a fresh and wonderful history of African-American migration. Chang-rae Lee's The Surrendered (Little, Brown) is a grave, beautiful novel about people who experienced the Korean war and the war's legacy. And David Remnick's The Bridge (Picador) is a thorough and well-written biography of Barack Obama. The many Americans who believe invented biographical details about Obama would do well to read it.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In Red Dust Road (Picador) Jackie Kay writes lucidly and honestly about being the adopted black daughter of white parents, about searching for her white birth mother and Nigerian birth father, and about the many layers of identity. She has a rare ability to portray sentiment with absolutely no sentimentality. Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns (Random House) is a fresh and wonderful history of African-American migration. Chang-rae Lee's The Surrendered (Little, Brown) is a grave, beautiful novel about people who experienced the Korean war and the war's legacy. And David Remnick's The Bridge (Picador) is a thorough and well-written biography of Barack Obama. The many Americans who believe invented biographical details about Obama would do well to read it.
- 11/27/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
By Dylan Stableford
Time magazine – one newsweekly currently not for sale – has a new publisher.
Brendan Ripp, currently Time’s VP of ad sales, moves into the publisher slot, which had been vacant under Mark Ford, president and group publisher of Time Inc.’s News Group.
Ripp will continue running the magazine’s ad sales, adding oversight for digital sales for Time.com and Life.com.
In a memo announcing the move, Ford pointed out that Time&rsqu...
Time magazine – one newsweekly currently not for sale – has a new publisher.
Brendan Ripp, currently Time’s VP of ad sales, moves into the publisher slot, which had been vacant under Mark Ford, president and group publisher of Time Inc.’s News Group.
Ripp will continue running the magazine’s ad sales, adding oversight for digital sales for Time.com and Life.com.
In a memo announcing the move, Ford pointed out that Time&rsqu...
- 5/11/2010
- by Dylan Stableford
- The Wrap
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