WWL-TV may have lost a transmitter but it gained a worldwide audience, when its coverage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath was streamed to the whole world. Today WWL was one of four broadcasters honored with Peabody Awards. Among the many other winners were "The Shield," "House," "Boston Le" -- yes, "Boston Legal," "South Park" (take that, Isaac and Tom), "The Wire" -- no, not the HBO series but a CBC documentary -- several local TV stations, and my choice as the best program of 2005, Sundance's "The Staircase."
65th Annual Peabody Awards Winners Announced
Jon Stewart to host Awards Ceremony on June 5 at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
ATHENS, Georgia - The winners of the 65th Annual Peabody Awards were announced today by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Thirty-two winners, chosen by the Peabody board as the best in electronic media for 2005, were named in a ceremony in the Peabody Gallery on the University of Georgia Campus.
The Peabody recipients - from three continents and in seven languages - reflect the international scope of the competition. They range from television stations in Biloxi, Miss., and New Orleans, La., that provided heroic coverage of Hurricane Katrina's devastating landfall and aftermath, to "Yesterday," a South African film that personalized the continent's AIDS crisis. They include a Spanish documentary about China, the dramatic serials "Battlestar Galactica" and "Bleak House," Martin Scorsese’s "No Direction Home - Bob Dylan," and WNYC's Radio Rookies Project, which enables young people to find voices on radio. Multiple citations were awarded to HBO, the BBC and WGBH-Boston.
The awards will be presented June 5 at a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Jon Stewart, anchor of Comedy Central's two-time Peabody Award winner, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” will be the master of ceremonies.
"As is the case every year, submissions for consideration by the Peabody Board provide insight into the astonishing array of electronic media productions," said Horace Newcomb, Director of the Peabody Awards. "These are the works self-selected by creators and producers as their very best work from the previous calendar year. This year's Peabody Award recipients stand as hallmarks of excellence in news, documentary, comedy, drama, education and public service."
"Battlestar Galactica," a drama about a war-ravaged, homeless civilization attempting to begin anew, gave SCI FI Channel its first Peabody victory. Also new to the winners' circle were two other basic-cable channels. FX Networks won for the intense police serial "The Shield" and Sundance Channel for presenting "The Staircase," French filmmaker Jean Xavier de Lestrade's eight-part documentary about a North Carolina murder case.
In addition to "The Shield" and "Battlestar," three other entertainment series with devout followings got nods from the Peabody judges. They were "House," a FOX medical drama about a brilliant, misanthropic diagnostician; ABC's "Boston Legal," a David E. Kelley dramedy that uses a blue-chip Beantown law firm's civil cases as springboards to comment about issues from the death penalty to credit-card companies' predatory practices to morning-after contraceptives; and "South Park," Comedy Central's notoriously rude, undeniably fearless lampoon of all that is self-important and hypocritical in American life, regardless of race, creed, color or celebrity status.
International winners also included CBC/Radio-Canada for "What If Winter Never Comes? (Et si l'hiver ne venait plus?),” a report on how global warming is affecting the Arctic and the Inuit people who live there; Madrid's TVE, for "China: A Million Steps Ahead," which dealt with that country's staggering rural-to-urban shift; and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for its ear-opening, eight-part radio documentary "The Wire: The Impact of Electricity on Music."
Various arms of the British Broadcast Corporation received Peabodys. The BBC won for "This World BBC: Bad Medicine," a brave investigation of international trafficking in fake drugs, and as co-producer with WGBH of an exemplary dramatization of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House." The BBC Factual and Learning department, in partnership with the Drama division, were honored for "BBC DoNation Season: Life on the List," a multi-media campaign to encourage organ donations. BBC America's winner was "Viva Blackpool," a musical drama both grittily and giddily creative.
HBO's versatility was similarly demonstrated by its wins for the South African-produced film "Yesterday"; a documentary, "Children of Beslan," about the aftermath of terrorists' taking a Russian elementary school hostage in September 2004; and its "Classical Baby," an inventive, whimsical marriage of animation to classical music.
For the second consecutive year Showtime received an award for an original movie. "Edge of America," based on real incidents, illuminated two minority cultures with its story of an African-American teacher-coach taking a job at an American Indian-reservation school in Utah.
Local TV stations scored four 2005 Peabodys. WWL and WLOX, the broadcasters in New Orleans and Biloxi, respectively, were cited for their comprehensive Hurricane Katrina coverage. KNBC-TV in Burbank, Calif., won for "Burning Questions," its investigative series about an apartment development built on a toxic and potentially flammable site. And KCNC-TV in Denver won for "How Far Will the Army Go?," an unusual expose that incorporated a teen journalist's hidden-camera footage of desperate Army recruiters explaining how to forge a diploma and beat a drug test. Peabody judges called it "funny and frightening at the same time."
The challenge of covering Katrina also brought out the best in two national news organizations. "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" and CNN both were awarded Peabodys for their multifaceted efforts.
The array of worthy documentaries was again diverse and impressive. The "American Experience" installment, "Two Days in October," juxtaposed pivotal, parallel incidents in Vietnam and Wisconsin in 1967. "P.O.V.: Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed" recalled the campaign of Shirley Chisholm, our first female presidential contender. "Save Our History: Voices of Civil Rights," a simple, moving History Channel special, collected ordinary Americans' memories of the struggle. "The Queen of Trees," a magnificent nature film, profiled an African sycamore fig, an eco-system in and of itself.
Other nonfiction winners included "A Room Nearby," an ITVS-financed meditation on loneliness that turned soul-baring interviews into animated shorts, and "15% of the United States," a public-service investigation by KMEX Univision 34 in Los Angeles that reminded viewers of Latinos' diverse roles in and contributions to the United States. WNYC-New York's "Radio Rookies" demonstrated that there's no better way to understand how teenagers see the world than to go directly to the source and hand them tape recorders. "A Place of Our Own," from KCET in Los Angeles, was a unique bi-lingual effort to help parents and childcare workers better understand how kids develop emotionally and socially. It included outreach workshops, web sites and 120 instructional telecasts, 60 in Spanish, 60 in English.
No documentary was more entertaining than Thirteen/WNET’s "No Direction Home - Bob Dylan," a four-hour, two-part "American Masters" fashioned by award-winning movie director Martin Scorsese from a trove of archival interviews, home-movie footage and concert film provided by the chameleon-like singer-songwriter himself. Even Peabody board members who confessed they'd never "got" Dylan said that Scorsese opened their eyes and/or ears.
The Peabody Board is a 16-member group, comprised of television critics, broadcast and cable industry executives and experts in culture and the arts, that judges the entries. Selection is made by the board following review by special screening committees of UGA faculty, students and staff.
The Peabody Awards, the oldest honor in electronic media, do not recognize categories nor is there a set number of awards given each year. Today the Peabody recognizes distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals.
All entries become a permanent part of the Peabody Archive in the University of Georgia Libraries. The collection is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most respected moving-image archives. For more information about the Peabody Archive or the Peabody Awards, visit www.peabody.uga.edu.
WINNERS
Hurricane Katrina WLOX-TV, Biloxi, MS
Hurricane Katrina ripped the roof off WLOX’s newsroom, toppled one of its transmitting towers and destroyed two of its bureaus, yet courageous employees of the station broadcast 12 consecutive days of life-saving news and information to its storm-shocked Gulf Coast viewers. WLOX-TV.
Preparation and Coverage of Hurricane Katrina WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA
From pre-storm advisories to investigative reports on why the levees failed, WWL’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina began two days before the storm battered and swamped New Orleans and continued, unbroken, thanks to careful pre-planning and dedicated personnel, 99 percent of whom stayed on the job. WWL-TV.
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams: After the Storm: The Long Road Back NBC
NBC’s stated goal was to cover the aftermath of Katrina “with as many resources and as much time and intensity” as it had devoted to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This commitment on the part of a broadcast network resulted in extraordinary coverage and analysis. NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.
CNN Coverage of Hurricane Katrina and Aftermath CNN
No other national, 24-hour news service provided more essential, up-to-the-minute information for viewers, listeners and online users. CNN’s continuous live coverage became a go-to channel for the most current news about Katrina and its effects. CNN.
China: A Million Steps Ahead TVE, Madrid, Spain
More than 100 million Chinese have moved from the countryside to cities in the past 10 years. The documentary gets both the big picture and smaller, personal stories of miraculous, historically unprecedented cultural and economic shifts. TVE.
American Experience: Two Days in October PBS
This extraordinary installment of WGBH Educational Foundation’s “American Experience” juxtaposed concurrent 1967 events – the ambush of an American battalion by Viet Cong and a student protest in Wisconsin – to illuminate a turning point in the Vietnam War. Robert Kenner Films, WGBH Educational Foundation, Wisconsin Public Television, Playtone, BBC.
This World BBC: Bad Medicine BBC 2
Resourceful, physical risk-taking reporting about a Nigerian doctor’s crusade against counterfeit drugs illuminates an international scourge that extends to industrialized nations as well as the Third World. BBC.
P.O.V.: Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed PBS
Not just a lively remembrance of Shirley Chisholm, the United States’ first female presidential candidate, this documentary is also a thoughtful analysis of the viability of third-party candidates. P.O.V./American Documentary Inc., Independent Television Service, Realside Productions.
Boston Legal ABC
David E. Kelley’s series about a blue-chip Boston law firm somersaults from comedy to drama to stinging political commentary with acrobatic assurance and undisguised glee. David E. Kelley Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Organization.
House FOX
An unorthodox lead character – a misanthropic diagnostician fond of saying humanity is “overrated” – and cases fit for a medical Sherlock Holmes have helped make “House” the most distinctive new doctor drama in a decade. Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions, NBC Universal Television Studio.
Edge of America Showtime
Inspired by the true story of an African-American teacher-coach at a Native American reservation in Utah, “Edge of America” mines an atypical culture clash for insight into two marginalized minorities. Showtime, Red House Entertainment.
South Park Comedy Central
Primitive animation is part of the charm of TV’s boldest, most politically incorrect satirical series. Its simple style also makes possible the show’s unmatched topicality. Comedy Central.
American Masters: No Direction Home -- Bob Dylan PBS
Pulling together never-before-seen archival footage and interviews, director Martin Scorsese creates an artful and intimate portrait of the poet, jester and raspy voice of his generation as we’re ever likely to see or hear. Don’t think twice, it’s all right. Thirteen/WNET New York, Grey Water Park Productions, Spitfire Pictures, Cappa/DeFina Productions in co-production with Vulcan Productions, BBC/Arena, and NHK.
The Wire: The Impact of Electricity on Music Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Audio dynamite, this consistently surprising eight-part radio series explores how electricity changed – and continues to change – how we hear music, how we play it, even what we think it is or can be. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
BBC DoNation Season: Life on the List BBC
Public service campaigns rarely combine the potential and power of electronic media – TV, radio, online, interactive – in ways as effective as this concerted appeal for organ donors. British Broadcasting Corporation – Factual and Learning and Drama.
Classical Baby HBO
This whimsical, charming, deceptively simple marriage of animation to the music of Tchaikovsky, Bach and Ellington becomes an interactive treat for young children and parents alike. HBO Family.
A Room Nearby PBS
Five people’s tales of their lonely lives become the soundtracks for idiosyncratic animated vignettes. Peabody board members called it “a beautiful gift.” Independent Television Service.
Burning Questions KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA
KNBC-TV’s four-part investigative series confirmed health and safety concerns about a multi-acre commercial-residential development built on a site that includes a leaking subterranean gas reservoir. KNBC-TV.
How Far Will the Army Go? KCNC-TV, Denver, CO
An enterprising high-school journalist and KCNC-TV teamed up to document U.S. Army recruiters helping a prospective recruit to forge a diploma and beat a drug test. KCNC-TV.
A Place of Our Own (Los Ninon en Su Casa) KCET-TV, Los Angeles, CA
This public-service project, designed to provide parents and child-care providers with information about helping kindergarteners develop social, emotional and cognitive skills, included daily TV programs and web sites in Spanish and English and more than 200 bi-lingual outreach workshops. KCET/Los Angeles in association with Sesame Workshop and 44 Blue Productions Inc.
Radio Rookies Project WNYC Radio, New York
Teenaged reporters pick up microphones and let down their guards in this series of remarkably immediate and illuminating first-person dispatches. WNYC Radio/Radio Rookies.
15% of the United States KMEX-Univision 34, Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by the book “La Nueva California, Latinos in the Golden State,” KMEX-Univision 34’s 19-part series examined the past, present and future of the Latino community, revealing diversity and contributions far beyond the usual television depictions. KMEX-Univision 34.
Save Our History: Voices of Civil Rights The History Channel
Not a professor or celebrity in sight. Just men and women, white as well as black, recalling their personal experience of “the movement.” The History Channel special was eloquent, moving, invaluable. Documania Films, Sierra Tango Productions, The History Channel.
What If Winter Never Comes? (Et si l’hiver ne venait plus?) CBC/Radio-Canada
From the frontlines of global warming, the Arctic, this report brought listeners voices of native people, the Inuit, whose way of life is literally melting away. Deftly employed ambient sound enhanced the piece’s power. La Premiere Chaine (French Radio Network) – CBC/Radio-Canada.
Viva Blackpool BBC America
What would have been at minimum an engrossing tale of ambition, greed and corruption in a depressed seaside city looking to gambling for salvation becomes, with the addition of a song score of pop-music classics and ingeniously staged production numbers, a riveting, at times jaw-dropping entertainment event. BBC America, BBC.
The Staircase Sundance Channel
A controversial murder case in Durham, N.C., is merely the backdrop for the intimate, grippingly constructed eight-chapter documentary in which director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade explores a complex defendant, his divided family and his spare-no-expense defense. Maha Films.
Yesterday HBO
This starkly beautiful, heart-breaking movie from South Africa about a young mother who is diagnosed with AIDS put an indelible face on a continent’s massive crisis. A Distant Horizon/Videovision Entertainment Production in association with Anant Singh, The Nelson Mandela Foundation, M-Net Exciting Films and Video Foundation of South Africa in association with HBO Films.
The Queen of Trees BBC 2
Impeccable, creative cinematography aside, the wondrous thing about this study of a single sycamore fig, Africa’s queen tree, is that it’s a microcosm of the eco-complexity of the Earth at large. Deeble and Stone Productions, NHK, Thirteen/WNET New York, Granada International, BBC, ZDF.
Children of Beslan HBO
Terrorists’ September 2004 siege of a Russian elementary school recalled in the words of children ages 6 to 12 who survived it. The simplest and most direct of several documentaries on the subject, and the most shattering. BBC in association with HBO Documentary Films.
Bleak House BBC
“Absolutely compulsive viewing” said the Peabody board of this masterful, faithful-yet-modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’ serial about a never-ending London law suit. A BBC, WGBH-Boston co-production in association with Deep Indigo.
The Shield FX
Riveting, densely layered adult entertainment – and more. No cop series has posed harder questions than “The Shield” about how far we’re willing to let law-enforcement officers go to keep us safe. Fox Television Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television.
Battlestar Galactica SCI FI CHANNEL
A belated, brilliantly re-imagined revival of a so-so 1970s outer-space saga, the series about imperiled survivors of a besieged planet has revitalized sci-fi television with its parallax considerations of politics, religion, sex, even what it means to be “human.” NBC Universal Television Studio.
And just to emphasize, this "The Wire" from the CBC was a radio program, not television.
This makes it three Peabodys for Comedy Central shows (if the "MST3K" Peabody was awarded while that show was still there). Who would've thought that they'd get more Peabodys than, say, A&E or Bravo when they started?
Posted by: Mark Jeffries | April 05, 2006 at 01:01 PM
New Orleans filmmakers have created the only high definition documentary film regarding Hurricane Katrina which is made from New Orleans natives and with original and the last footage of the New Orleans Ninth Ward the summer of 2005, before the hurricane. Executive Producer Stephen Rue seeks media exposure for his feature length film "New Orleans Story." Filmmaker will share some content with media outlet for coverage of this very important and moving film. For more information, please go to www.NewOrleansStory.com, Identities of many interviews at http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt0496360/ , you may also contact Stephen Rue at StephenRRue@aol.com
Posted by: stephen rue | April 09, 2006 at 05:16 PM