World Broadcast Premiere of Award-Winning Documentary on Hollywood’s Influential Celebrity Priest, Father ‘Bud’ Kieser, Debuts on PBS SoCal and KCET in August
Press Contact for PBS SoCal/KCET
Chelsea Grosbeck
cgrosbeck@pmgsocal.org
747.201.5202
Press Contact for Paulist Productions/The Asbury PR Agency
Dan Harary
dan@asburypr.com
310.859.1831
pbssocal.org/hollywoodpriest andkcet.org/hollywoodpriest
Select programming will also be available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App. Members of PBS SoCal | KCET get extended access through PBS Passport.
Los Angeles, Calif. – July 12, 2022 – PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS organizations for new PBS program premieres as well as award-winning, original content, announced today the world broadcast premiere of a new documentary HOLLYWOOD PRIEST: THE STORY OF FATHER ‘BUD’ KIESER. Produced by Paulist Productions (founded by Kieser), the special tells the extraordinary life story, entertainment industry career and national influence of Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser during the “Golden Age of Television.” HOLLYWOOD PRIEST: THE STORY OF FATHER ‘BUD’ KIESER premieres on Mon., Aug. 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. on KCET.
The film recounts the professional arc of the Los Angeles-based Roman Catholic priest and his forty-year career as a television and film producer through interviews with Bob Newhart, Martin Sheen, Tim Matheson, John Amos, Catherine Hicks, Ana Alicia, Marion Ross, Lee Purcell and more. In addition to exploring his career, the documentary explores his personal life including his relationship with a nun and his search for the meaning of life.
Encouraged by entertainment professionals attending his parish, Kieser found a broader way to reach new audiences as executive producer of the 1960s nationally syndicated television series Insight and the 1989 film Romero that helped launch the careers of many famous actors and gave him the moniker "The Hollywood Priest.” During the course of his long career, he became renowned throughout Hollywood and the United States as the creator of televised content that reflected his deeply held, personal faith in social activism, non-violence, and the resilience of the human spirit. During his decades as a television producer, Kieser received six Emmys Awards; a Christopher award; the Imogen Award of the National Conference of Christians & Jews; the Gabriel Award; and the Board of Directors Award from CIMA (Catholics in Media Associates).
A longtime resident of Los Angeles and 44 years as a beloved Priest in the community, Kieser passed away in 2000 at the age of 71. His legacy continues to this day, with the annual awarding of the prestigious Humanitas Prize - an honor which he founded in 1974. Awarded annually, the Humanitas Prize honors film and television writers whose work inspires more compassion, peace, love, and dignity within the human family.
HOLLYWOOD PRIEST: THE STORY OF FATHER ‘BUD’ KEISER is a recent winner of the 2022 Gabriel Award for “Best Documentary Film of the Year” by the Catholic Media Association and the “Best Documentary Film of the Year” Award from the Catholics in Media Association (CiMA). The film was also selected as part of the 2021 Dances With Films Film Festival and a featured entry at the October 2021 Newport Beach Film Festival.
The one-hour documentary is produced by Father Tom Gibbons, Vice President of the LA-based Paulist Productions, and Produced by Maria-Elena Poblacion Pineda. For more information, please visit www.HollywoodPriest.com.
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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.
About Paulist Productions
Founded by Father Ellwood “Bud” Kieser in 1960, Paulist Productions produces content in for film, television, and digital media that advances the conversation between the sacred and the secular. Throughout its long history, Paulist Productions has provided programming for Paramount, Warner Bros., CBS, ABC, A&E, the History Channel, Hallmark Hall of Fame and UPtv to name a few. The Humanitas Prize, one of screenwriting’s most prestigious awards, was founded by Paulist Productions. Please visit: www.PaulistProductions.org