or


[07/07/11 - 10:25 AM]
Current TV Announces New Premiere Date and Additional Contributors for "50 Documentaries To See Before You Die" Premiering Tuesday, August 2nd at 9 PM ET
Michael Moore, Seth Gordon and Diablo Cody are among those featured in the five-part series, hosted by Morgan Spurlock.

[via press release from Current TV]

CURRENT TV ANNOUNCES NEW PREMIERE DATE AND ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS FOR "50 DOCUMENTARIES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE" PREMIERING TUESDAY, AUGUST 2ND AT 9 PM ET

FILMMAKERS, MICHAEL MOORE, SETH GORDON, HEIDI EWING, RACHEL GRADY, JENNIE LIVINGSTON, STEVE JAMES, JAIMIE D'CRUZ, DIABLO CODY AND MANY OTHERS SPEAK OUT ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE FILMS

Host Morgan Spurlock Tags Up the Streets with Mr. Brainwash from "Exit Through the Gift Shop", Balls with "Hoop Dreams" Players, Vogues with "Paris is Burning" Stars, Pays an Ode to the Joystick with "King of Kong" Champ and Gets Spiritual with a "Jesus Camp" Minister on His Road Trip Through Film History

NEW YORK, July 7, 2011 - Current TV today announced an additional roster of talent to be featured in the new original series, "50 Documentaries To See Before You Die." Hosted by renowned documentarian Morgan Spurlock, the five part hour-long weekly series, which kicks off Tuesday, August 2 at 9 p.m. ET counts down fifty of the modern documentary era's most powerful, provocative and moving films. In each show, Spurlock hits the road and revisits several of the iconic figures from films ranging from "Paris is Burning" to "Hoop Dreams" to "Exit Through the Gift Shop."

Joining previously announced contributors to the series, Chris Hegedus ("STARTUP.COM"; "The War Room"), Errol Morris ("The Thin Blue Line", "The Fog of War") D.A. Pennebaker ("War Room", "Don't Look Back") and Penelope Spheeris, ("The Decline of Western Civilization" parts I, II and III) is a veritable who's who list of documentary filmmakers that includes: Michael Moore ("Bowling for Columbine", "Fahrenheit 9/11"), Seth Gordon ("King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters"), Heidi Wing and Rachel Grady ("Jesus Camp"), Jennie Livingston ("Paris is Burning"), Steve James ("Hoop Dreams"), Jaimie D'Cruz ("Exit Through the Gift Shop"), and Academy Award winner Diablo Cody ("Juno").

Additional contributors to the series are Academy Award winner Alex Gibney ("Taxi To The Dark Side", "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"), former Vice President and Academy Award-Winner Al Gore, Academy Award winner Rob Epstein ("The Times of Harvey Milk", "Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt", "Paragraph 175", "The Celluloid Closet") and his producing partner Jeffrey Friedman ("Paragraph 175", "The Celluloid Closet"), Academy Award winning director Luc Jacquet ("The March of the Penguins"), Andrew Jarecki (,"Capturing the Friedmans"), Stacy Peralta ("Dogtown and Z-Boys"), award-winning co-director/producer/editing duo Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger ("Brother's Keeper", "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster"). Other notables weighing in on the list are actor/musician, Jared Leto, "Entertainment Weekly" film critic Dave Karger, musician/actor Henry Rollins, Current TV Chairman, skateboard legend Tony Hawk and other pop culture pundits.

During the series, Spurlock heads to Florida where he meets Billy Mitchell, the legendary gamer and subject of Seth Gordon's "King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters" (2007). Spurlock finds Mitchell at the Donkey Kong-themed arcade he opened in the main terminal of the Orlando airport, and challenges the flamboyant, controversial and mullet-sporting champion to an afternoon of classic gaming action. Spurlock also travels to rural Missouri to hear a sermon from the now-teenage Billy Graham in-training Levi O'Brien, one of the subjects from "Jesus Camp" (2007).

Additionally, Spurlock sets out in the streets of Hollywood to find out if Mr. Brainwash is who he says he is while discussing "Exit through the Gift Shop" (2010). Spurlock also explores the Pennsylvania countryside on a journey to the heart of the gay ball scene, so memorably captured in Jennie Livingston's film "Paris Is Burning" (1990). Hooking up with flamboyant Jack Mizrahi, Spurlock enters a portal into a different realm: an exclusive world of Vogueing, posing, swearing and strutting; a hidden and complex subculture rarely caught on camera. Spurlock wraps up his adventures on a basketball court in Chicago with William James, Arthur Agee and director Steve James who reunite to talk about "Hoop Dreams" (1994).

The panel members who were involved in the selection of films include Brian Graden, former President of Programming MTV Networks and Executive Producer for Current TV's "4th and Forever," Betsy McLane, Project Director for the American Documentary Showcase and co-author of 'A New History of Documentary Film,' Michael Renov Associate Dean of USC's School of Cinematic Arts and author of 'The Subject of Documentary,' Eddie Schmidt President of the International Documentary Association, and Rahdi Taylor Associate Director of the Sundance Documentary Film Program.

For more, go to current.com/docs.

# # #

ABOUT CURRENT MEDIA:

Current Media, the Peabody-and Emmy Award-winning television and online network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, features the very best in commentary and information programming. Home to the newly launched "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," as well as the celebrated documentary series "Vanguard," Current is dedicated to providing insightful analysis of important issues --- and digging deep into real stories to uncover how they affect real people. Current shines a light where other networks won't dare and boldly explores provocative subjects - opening minds, sparking conversations and forming deep connections with our viewers. Current creates the commentary and delivers the independent, unexpected point-of-view our viewers want and need to hear. On air and on all platforms, Current is media that matters.

Current is now available via cable and satellite TV in 75 million households worldwide - 60 million households in the US - through distribution partners Comcast (Channel 107); Time Warner; DirecTV (Channel 358 nationwide); Dish Network (Channel 196 nationwide); Verizon and AT&T. In the UK and Ireland, Current is available on BSkyB (Channel 183) and Virgin Media (Channel 155), and in Italy, Current is available on Sky Italia (Channel 130). Viewers can also find Current online at www.current.com.





  [july 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[08/21/26 - 10:46 AM]
HBO Max Orders New Comedy Series "The People v. Gorilla Grodd"
The series stars Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, and "Superman" actors Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

[08/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: HBO Max Releases Official Season 3 Teaser and First Look Images for the Max Original Drama Series "The Pitt"
The critically acclaimed series, which earned 26 Emmy Award nominations for season 2, will return for its third season in January 2027.

[08/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
BritBox Reveals First Look of Edward Bluemel as Hercule Poirot in "Hercule," Now in Production
The series, which has commenced filming in Liverpool, is an intimate study of Hercule Poirot, the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars.

[08/21/26 - 06:33 AM]
Video: "Masterpiece" Fall 2026 Preview
New seasons of "The Marlow Murder Club," "Maigret," and "The Gold," plus the premiere of "Marble Hall Murders" are all coming this fall.

[08/20/26 - 10:31 PM]
A Mother's Fight Against All Odds: Netflix's Gripping Thriller "Gandhari" Premieres September 3, 2026
The emotionally charged action-thriller led by Taapsee Pannu explores the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to when everything she loves is at stake.

[08/20/26 - 07:15 PM]
ESPN Schedule Update: Little League Baseball World Series Coverage Revised for Friday, Aug. 21
The changes are a result of weather-related postponements.

[08/20/26 - 05:01 PM]
Netflix Levels Up Anime-Inspired Slate
"Bass X Machina," "Blue Eye Samurai," "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," "Fool Night," "Lego One Piece," "Sakamoto Days," and "The One Piece" are among the featured titles.

[08/20/26 - 02:11 PM]
"Lanterns" Debuts Among HBO Max's Biggest Series Premieres with 9.3M Global Viewers
The light shines bright.

[08/20/26 - 02:01 PM]
Prime Video to Exclusively Stream Live-Action Drama Adaptation of "Please Save My Earth" in Autumn 2027
The series is a live-action adaptation of Saki Hiwatari's acclaimed reincarnation-themed sci-fi romance manga, which has sold over 16 million copies since its 1986 debut.

[08/20/26 - 12:31 PM]
Netflix and AMC Global Media Announce New Gritty Drama Series, "Bannerman"
The series will premiere on AMC in the US and Canada and will also be available on Netflix in the US and Canada 90 days after the premiere of the season finale on AMC.

[08/20/26 - 11:24 AM]
"Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence": Modernized Crime-Solving Duo Leads BritBox's Fall 2026 Slate
BritBox heads into fall with the highly anticipated return of some of its most acclaimed crime and mystery favorites.

[08/20/26 - 11:00 AM]
CBS to Mark 25 Years Since the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks with Extensive Live Coverage and Two Primetime Specials
At 8:00 PM, Tony Dokoupil will anchor a CBS News special from Ground Zero, "9/11: We Remember," featuring three stories of survival, loss and hope.

[08/20/26 - 10:01 AM]
Headed Back to Muskoka: Prime Video Renews "Sterling Point" for a Second Season
The eight-episode series debuted on August 5 and quickly became a top series on Prime Video.

[08/20/26 - 09:45 AM]
Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Winner Steven Yeun to Lead Netflix Series "Pagans"
Yeun will play Gus: A single father struggling to raise two kids alone following his wife's death.

[08/20/26 - 09:37 AM]
AMC Global Media's September Highlights Include "The Walking Dead: Dead City," "Blue Murder Motel," "Age Inappropriate," "Hell Mode," the Return of "Season of Screams" and More!
Other offerings include Sundance Now's "Murderer Behind the Mask"; Acorn TV's "The Sommerdahl Murders"; and We TV's "Love After Lockup: The Road to Rehab."