ARLINGTON, VA – February 13, 2012 – PBS announced that the first hour of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Clinton” will premiere exclusively on the free PBS apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch beginning today, Monday, February 13, one week before its broadcast on Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 20, and Tuesday, February 21. This hour will also be available for free download on iTunes for one week before broadcast.
The full four-hour biography will be streamed on video.pbs.org, timed to the national broadcast. All episodes will be available for purchase on iTunes or on DVD and Blu-ray at shoppbs.org.
“Clinton,” the latest installment in the critically acclaimed collection of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE presidential biographies, explores the fascinating story of an American president who rose from a turbulent childhood in Arkansas to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history — and one of the most complex and conflicted characters ever to stride the public stage. The documentary recounts a career full of accomplishment and rife with scandal, a marriage that would make history and create controversy, and a presidency that would define the crucial and transformative period between the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11. It follows Clinton across his two terms as he confronted some of the key forces that would shape the future, including partisan political warfare and domestic and international terrorism, and struggled, with uneven success, to define the role of American power in a post-Cold War world. Most memorably, it explores how Clinton’s conflicted character made history, even as it enraged his enemies and confounded his friends. Click here to see a clip from the first hour.
From Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director Barak Goodman (“My Lai”), the four-hour “Clinton” premieres in two parts on PBS. Part 1 premieres on Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 20, 2012, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET. Part 2 premieres Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET. The entire four-hour “Clinton” will be available for purchase on iTunes or on DVD and Blu-ray at shoppbs.org.
“The themes of William Jefferson Clinton’s life — promise and achievement followed by crisis and then comeback — are the recipe for the secret sauce of great drama,” said Mark Samels, executive producer of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. “We like to explore the people who have shaped the times in which they live, and Bill Clinton, both charismatic and confounding, certainly had a profound effect on the country during his presidency.”
"With nearly one-third of our 148 million video streams in January coming from mobile apps*, we felt that mobile was a perfect platform to preview the first hour of this much anticipated biography," said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, Product Development & Innovation, PBS. "We've seen that these kinds of previews can help generate viewer buzz and drive tune-in."
The PBS for iPad App features 250 hours of free video, including full-length programs and local programming from PBS member stations, as well as TV schedules, previews and a tune-in reminder calendar that can be synced with iCal. The PBS for iPad App is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore. The PBS App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch at www.itunes.com/appstore.
About PBS
PBS, with its nearly 360 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches 124 million people through television and 20 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.
About AMERICAN EXPERIENCE |
Television’s most-watched history series, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE has been hailed as “peerless” (Wall Street Journal), “the most consistently enriching program on television” (Chicago Tribune), and “a beacon of intelligence and purpose” (Houston Chronicle). On air and online, the series brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America’s past and present. Acclaimed by viewers and critics alike, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE documentaries have been honored with every major broadcast award, including 14 George Foster Peabody Awards, four duPont-Columbia Awards, and 30 Emmy Awards, including, most recently, Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking for FREEDOM RIDERS.
Exclusive corporate funding for AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is provided by Liberty Mutual. Major funding provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers. AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is produced for PBS by WGBH Boston.
*Google Analytics, January 2012
CONTACTS: Cara White, CaraMar, Inc., 843-881-1480; cara.white@mac.com
Jennifer Byrne, PBS Communications, 703-739-5487; jrbyrne@pbs.org
Carrie Johnson, PBS Communications, 703-739-5129; cjohnson@pbs.org
For images and additional up-to-date information on this and other PBS programs, visit PBS PressRoom at pbs.org/pressroom.