You might have missed the interactive screening last week that launched our new monthly series “Get With the Program.” As part of our ongoing commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act, Current is looking back at historically significant public television shows. Our monthly screenings feature excerpts from the shows and interviews with experts, scholars and people involved with the shows.
Watch our first screening, which focused on William F. Buckley’s long-running public affairs program Firing Line.
And join us for our next screening Wednesday, June 28, when we’ll look back at the controversial 1991 film Tongues Untied. Directed by Marlon Riggs, the film employed blunt language and imagery in exploring the experiences of black gay men. When it aired as part of the then-new POV series on PBS, some stations refused to air it. We’ll revisit the film and the ensuing controversy by talking with Marc Weiss, former POV EP; Phill Wilson, a friend of Riggs’ involved in the making of Tongues Untied; and Ron Simmons, a field producer, photographer and cast member on the film.
You can RSVP for the Tongues Untied event and sign up for our “Get With the Program” newsletter to stay updated about future screenings.