Theodore Roosevelt, Will Rogers, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy Spotlighted in Special Independence Day Programming on KCET
CONTACT
Nichole Goodman
ngoodman@kcet.org
747.201.5202
Fourth of July Documentaries Highlight Americans With
Powerful Political Voices in Times of Poverty, War and Prosperity
KCET celebrates this Independence Day in Southern California with a marathon of special programming highlighting some of the country’s most iconic and patriotic figures that influenced the political landscape then and still resonate today – Theodore Roosevelt, Will Rogers, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. KCET will broadcast four documentary specials examining some of the most powerful political voices in U.S. history on Wed., July 4 beginning at 11 a.m. PT.
The lineup of episodes on Independence Day will be telecast as follows (*subject to change):
“Theodore Roosevelt: A Cowboy’s Ride To The White House - 11 a.m. PT
The skills that Theodore Roosevelt acquired on the western front ultimately led him to become a war hero and an American President. Filmed on location at the Roosevelt ranches in the Badlands of North Dakota, the life experiences of the nation's 26th President are retold.
“Will Rogers and American Politics” – 12:00 p.m. PT
In the 1930s, with the United States mired in the Great Depression and teetering on the brink of a second World War, millions of Americans turned to a rope-twirling, plain-talking cowboy for clarity, comfort and common sense. The documentary reveals how Oklahoma native Will Rogers emerged as one of the most powerful political voices in the United States.
“Eisenhower’s Secret War: From Warrior To President & Building Weapons, Talking Peace” –
1 p.m. PT (Streaming on kcet.org)
Dwight D. Eisenhower was unwaveringly committed to peacefully co-exist with the Soviet Union during the Cold War years. Based on recent research by established scholars and writers, the two-part documentary series provides a new understanding of Eisenhower's path to the presidency from the time of the successful D-Day landing to his national security policies as a president that kept a divided world at peace during the 1950s.
“Kennedy Half-Century” – 3:00 p.m. PT
This hour special tells the compelling story of how John F. Kennedy's life, administration and tragic death influenced the general public, the media and every subsequent U.S. president including Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and even Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Join the conversation on social media using #KCET and #IndependenceDay
*KCET and Link TV are expected to merge with PBS SoCal, subject to regulatory approvals, by mid-2018.