World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in September Recognized With New Documentary 'Have You Heard About Greg? A Journey Through Alzheimer's' Distributed Nationwide by PBS SoCal and KCET
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Allison Gray
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agray@pmgsocal.org
kcet.org/HaveYouHeardAboutGreg and pbssocal.org/HaveYouHeardAboutGreg
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Los Angeles, Calif. – Aug. 16, 2023 – PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations, announced today the broadcast premiere of “Have You Heard About Greg? A Journey Through Alzheimer’s.” The documentary is written and narrated by Greg O’Brien, a lifelong award-winning investigative reporter who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at 59 after a traumatic brain injury. Drawing inspiration from the international award-winning book "On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's" the film endeavors to humanize the disease by following O’Brien’s journey to foster discussions about this quiet killer. The film will premiere locally in Southern California on Sat., Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. on KCET. It will also air on Thurs., Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal. The film will then be distributed nationally to PBS stations across the country.
“Have You Heard About Greg? A Journey Through Alzheimer’s” is produced/directed by Steve Ecclesine (Amazon’s Chasing Happiness: Jonas Brothers and Universal/Fox TV’s Sliders) who had the idea for the documentary after a 50-year high school reunion when a childhood friend asked Ecclesine, “Have you heard about Greg?” Ecclesine realized he wanted to tell the story about a real-life hero on a real-life hero’s journey and attempt to put a human face on this most dreaded disease.
The film highlights O’Brien’s ability to live with, not die from, this disease 13 years after his diagnosis. His tenacity as an investigative reporter for many national and regional publications, including the Associated Press, Time, and The Washington Post has allowed him to share his story with faith, hope and humor. Surrounded by his family, O’Brien introduces viewers to many dedicated experts he has befriended on his journey. “Have You Heard About Greg? A Journey Through Alzheimer’s” challenges the audience to push aside the stigma of Alzheimer’s and get the conversation started with family members, friends and caregivers who are all impacted.
“This film truly underscores the crucial sense of urgency needed to address this devastating disease and the importance of clinical trials,” said O’Brien. “I’m grateful to have this platform to share my story and help others cope with some of the things I face all the time along with my family.”
The film features appearances by author Lisa Genova and Rudy Tanzi, Harvard Neurologist, a world Alzheimer's expert and chief researcher for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. Author of "Still Alice" Lisa Genova commented “If you’re trying to understand what it feels like to live with Alzheimer’s… then you need to see this movie!”
Join the conversation on social media using #haveyouheardaboutgreg and @kcet, @pbssocal
About PBS SoCal and KCET
PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California. Through innovative storytelling, KCET explores and expresses our dynamic local communities helping residents understand and connect with the region's diverse communities and ideas. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org and pbssocal.org KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.