If you were thinking of quitting social media, the upcoming Frontline film The Facebook Dilemma on PBS might just push you over the edge, judging by the ominous insights shared at a panel this afternoon at TCA summer press tour. Roger McNamee, an early Facebook investor and venture capitalist, recalled reaching out to…

Acclaimed filmmaker Steve James has built his reputation primarily on the strength of Chicago-oriented documentaries, among them Hoop Dreams (1994), The Interrupters (2011) and Life Itself (2014). But he finds himself in the Oscar race this year with a story that took him from the Second City to the first. In Abacus: S…

PBS Fall 2017 lineup has a mix of hard-hitting journalism, history, family trees, Great Performances, and a dramatic slate of Masterpiece dramas. The broadcaster announced its full fall schedule with Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s previously announced docuseries The Vietnam War taking the spotlight. The 10-part epic…

Jelani Cobb, whose Frontline documentary Policing the Police explored the Newark Police Department's fractured relationship with the city's African-American community, has been named the first recipient of the WGA West's newly created Walter Bernstein Award. In the documentary, Cobb embedded with two Newark police…

In a repeat of 2015, PBS was the single biggest winner tonight, with CBS right behind in second place, to more than dwarf all other competitors at the 37th News and Documentary Emmy Awards, handed out tonight at the Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Public Broadcasting took home 14 statuettes…

NBC launched Donald Trump’s presidential campaign years ago when it debuted The Apprentice, filmmaker Michael Kirk insisted this afternoon at TCA, in case you’re looking for someone to blame. The reality competition series, which was hugely popular in its early seasons, “was far more important than we thought it would…

As is typically the case, PBS dominated the nominations for News and Documentary Emmy Awards announced today. The pubcaster grabbed 54 noms — three fewer than last year’s haul — fueled by 18 for Frontline and eight apiece for its Independent Lens and Nature series. CBS more than doubled its nearest network rival with…

Drug Lord: The Legend of Shorty made its world premiere earlier this year at the SXSW Film Festival and its European premiere at the Biografilm Festival in Italy. Now Gravitas Ventures, PBS’ Frontline and Submarine Deluxe are teaming up to release the docu this fall. Submarine release theatrically on November 14,with…

CBS was the big winner at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony last night, bagging 12 statuettes — more than CNN (3), NBC (2), and ABC (1) combined. PBS was CBS' closest competition with 9 Emmys, followed by HBO's 6. Sunday newsmag 60 Minutes scored half of CBS’ statuettes. CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley…

Discovery Channel announced this morning it will air a two-part special, NFL In Season, in which the network goes on the road with the NFL as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for two “critical regular season games” — in London. It will be produced by NFL…

ESPN President John Skipper told a report posted today that a promotional trailer for PBS‘ Frontline documentary investigating NFL concussions was the “catalyst” for ESPN‘s pulling out of its partnership with the project. The League Of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis trailer was screened at an August 6 media panel…

Diane Haithman contributes to Deadline’s TCA coverage. Producers of PBS' Frontline documentary League Of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis, said today at TCA that the NFL has not cooperated in any way with the project or approved any of the film footage. The two-part series is a collaboration between Frontline and…