A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
Judy Woodruff recently visited the September 11 Memorial in New York for a look at how the attacks, 25 years ago, continue to shape our lives today. It's part of her series, Crossroads: America at 250.
On 9/11, when a hijacked plane struck the Pentagon, two WETA camera men and a NewsHour with Jim Lehrer intern rushed to the scene.
Home to PBS News for decades, the WETA studios in Arlington, Virginia, are just a five-minute drive from the building that houses the Defense Department.
"As a camera man, you divorce yourself from reality when you're looking through the viewfinder. It's just, you're doing your job. But this one hit home with me, it really did," Ed Lee said, recalling that day.
As the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks approaches, Lee, Jeff Rathner and Josh Gershenson reflect on the scenes they captured, and how it stays with them.
Twenty-five years ago, George Pataki was governor of New York when the Sept. 11 attacks transformed his state and the country. In the hours that followed, Pataki helped lead New York through an unimaginable crisis as the country confronted the enormity of what had happened. Pataki joined Geoff Bennett to discuss that response.
New York City officials released thousands of documents on Tuesday that raise new concerns about air quality following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
More than 170,000 documents from across government agencies were made public via an online portal. They suggest that authorities were aware of the health risks at the time, despite public assurances that the air was safe to breathe.
At a news conference, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that families, survivors and first responders deserve transparency.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum says at least 49,000 first responders and survivors have been diagnosed with cancer as a result of the attacks.
A quarter century later, the death toll is still mounting.
That's a wrap for today's holiday post. Stay tuned for more Emmy Awards coverage. Tragedy today, comedy tomorrow.
I'm returning to the News & Doc Emmy Awards for this week's Sunday entertainment feature with the category I was originally planning on covering the day I posted 'Katrina: Come Hell and High Water' leads social issue documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday, Outstanding Historical Documentary. Turning Point: The Vietnam War leads this category with five nominations, including Best Documentary. It's followed by Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time with four, also including Best Documentary, Vietnam: The War That Changed America with three, then Becoming Katharine Graham, Becoming Thurgood: America's Social Architect, The Disappearance of Miss Scott, and Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On, all tied at one with just this nomination. I'm sharing their trailers in that order, beginning with Turning Point: The Vietnam War | Official Trailer | Netflix.
From Luminant Media and director Brian Knappenberger, Turning Point: The Vietnam War offers an unfiltered look at one of the most defining and divisive conflicts in modern history and the profound, lasting impact it has had on America’s global identity and on the lives of countless people. Following in the footsteps of Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War and Turning Point: 9/11 and the War On Terror, this five episode docuseries showcases a war that was more than just a military failure; it was a political and cultural reckoning that reshaped America, exposed deep divisions at home and shattered trust in the government. With unprecedented access to CBS News archives, rare Vietnamese footage, declassified government records and previously unearthed White House recordings, the series spans nearly two decades and three different presidential administrations, amplifying often overlooked perspectives. As both America and Vietnam mark the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, Turning Point: The Vietnam War offers a timely exploration of how the war’s unresolved wounds, unlearned lessons, and enduring consequences continue to shape the world today.
I'm having flashbacks to my childhood seeing reports from Vietnam on the evening news as I watch this trailer. I'm sure anyone else old enough is, too. Since this is the most nominated entry in this category, it's the one most likely to win, although it's not the one I'm rooting for. That distinction goes to Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time | Official Trailer | National Geographic, which I recommend to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Told in unflinching, moment-by-moment detail, HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME transports viewers into the chaos that engulfed New Orleans as one of the deadliest catastrophes in U.S. history unfolded—capturing the fear, heroism and resilience of those who fought to survive the storm and its aftermath. With the clear-eyed perspective of two decades of hindsight, this gripping historical record corrects persistent false narratives and exposes how a natural disaster became a national tragedy. Grounded in gut-wrenching eyewitness testimony from survivors, first responders and officials, and brought to life with immersive archival footage, the series is an unparalleled, emotionally raw examination of the storm’s personal, political and societal fallout. From the Oscar®- and Emmy®-winning producers at Lightbox and acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler and his production company, Proximity Media, and directed by Oscar-nominated Traci A. Curry, this landmark documentary series arrives in time to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
I can see why this trailer earned a nomination for Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary. It looks like it was created by the same team that produced the Emmy-winning trailer for 9/11: One Day in America, so I have it penciled in as my co-favorite for Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary along with Love + War. As for it winning Outstanding Historical Documentary, its best hope is that Turning Point: The Vietnam War splits its votes with VIETNAM: THE WAR THAT CHANGED AMERICA | Official Trailer | Apple TV+.
With never-before-seen archival footage, Vietnam: The War that Changed America tells the story of the war through the eyes and memories of the people who lived it — 50 years later.
Narrated by Ethan Hawke, this six-part docu-series premieres January 31 on Apple TV+.
The reunion of old friends, first-person accounts, and rarely seen footage paint an extraordinary and deeply profound picture of what it was like to live through one of history’s longest wars. Narrated by Ethan Hawke.
Some of the featured voices include: Bill Broyles, a celebrated Hollywood screenwriter and Lieutenant in the war who reunites with a member of his platoon after 50 years; Hilary Brown, ABC News’ first female foreign correspondent who covered the fall of Saigon firsthand; Melvin Pender, the Olympic gold-medal winning runner who competed in 1968 between tours in Vietnam; soldiers from the Viet Cong who fought in the Tet Offensive, including the first Viet Cong woman in her district to shoot down an enemy aircraft; a veteran who thought his life was over, forced to parachute into the Ho Chi Minh trail, who reunites with the man who rescued him; and Vietnamese civilians who witnessed and fled from the war.
"Vietnam: The War That Changed America” is produced for Apple TV+ by the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning team at 72 Films, directed by Rob Coldstream (“John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial”) and produced by Caroline Marsden (“9/11: One Day in America”), with executive producers David Glover ("9/11: One Day in America”) and Mark Raphael (“Crime and Punishment”). This series marks the second collaboration for Apple TV+ and 72 Films, following the launch of “John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial” last year.
This looks like a more personal examination of the Vietnam War than Turning Point: The Vietnam War, which took more of a big picture look at the conflict.
The story of a woman’s evolution from a self-proclaimed “doormat-wife” into one of the most powerful newspaper publishers of the 20th century. Becoming Katharine Graham is now streaming on Prime Video.
This is a documentary about journalism and many of the voters are journalists. However, they are television journalists while this is a story about print. Turning Point: The Vietnam War features the power of television reporting and that alone is enough to make the difference. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter.
Explore the life and legacy of the nation’s first African American Supreme Court justice. The film follows Justice Marshall, known as “Mr. Civil Rights,” from his legal career with the NAACP to his 1967 appointment to the nation’s highest court.
The Disappearance of Miss Scott chronicles Hazel Scott’s meteoric rise as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star before being blacklisted during the Red Scare. Hazel Scott was one of the most revered stars of the early 20th century. Not only was Scott a beloved musical sensation, but she also channeled her talents into Hollywood stardom, becoming the first Black American to host their own television show.
Discover her storied life, from her childhood as a musical prodigy in Trinidad to her prolific career on stage and the silver screen in the new documentary American Masters – The Disappearance of Miss Scott, premiering nationwide Friday, February 21 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App in honor of Black History Month. Watch the first three minutes of the film in this official preview.
This is another documentary that could have been nominated for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, showing why I cover entertainment like I do. It's important.
Renowned historian Simon Schama, a lifelong documenter of Jewish history, examines the Holocaust as a worldwide crime and its lasting impact today, 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, in this deeply personal film.
As James Faulkner wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." That's why history is important.
2000 Meters to Andriivka leads with six nominations, Turning Point: The Vietnam War follows with five nominations, Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, Life After, and Love + War tie at four nominations, and Black Snow and Union tie at this one nomination. I had 2000 Meters to Andriivka penciled in to win this category because of its awards history, especially its wins at the DGA and WGA Awards, but seeing it lead this category, if not all nominees, in nominations inks that prediction in.
This nomination will help 2000 Meters to Andriivka win best Current Affairs Documentary, unless it boosts Life After, and either Turning Point: The Vietnam War or Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time win Outstanding Historical Documentary. It might help Love + War win one of its other categories, but it's a dead end for Black Snow and Union; both are extreme long shots at winning this category and have no other nominations.
Outstanding Research: Documentary
The American Revolution Florentine Films | PBS [WETA-TV] Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time Lightbox [Proximity Media | National Geographic] Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America 72 Films [National Geographic] The Strike UPHSF LLC The Stringer Netflix [LinLay Productions | Netflix | VII Foundation | XRM Media] Syria’s Detainee Files FRONTLINE | PBS [BBC] Turning Point: The Vietnam War Netflix [Luminant Media | Netflix] The White House Effect Actual Films | Netflix [Netflix | The Department of Motion Pictures]
Turning Point: The Vietnam War leads this category with five nominations, followed by Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time and The Stringer tied at four, then The Strike with three, Syria's Detainee Files and The White House Effect tied with two, then The American Revolution tied with Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America at just this one. That there are so many nominees indicates that this is a very competitive category, so I won't designate a favorite right now. Just the same, I'm noting that The American Revolution earning just this one nomination here suggests to me that it's eligible for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so I expect it to be nominated there, too. That happened for The U.S. and the Holocaust, so I've seen it happen before.
After today, I'm penciling in Turning Point: The Vietnam War as the favorite.
Sally should just be happy to be nominated in this category. 2000 Meters to Andriivka has six nominations, including Best Documentary. Life After has four, also including Best Documentary, as does The Stringer. Katrina: Come Hell and High Water and Vietnam: The War That Changed America both tied Sally with three. Apocalypse in the Tropics and Music Box: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley have just this one. Out of this field, 2000 Meters to Andriivka is my provisional favorite.
Secrets of the Penguins deserved this nomination, but I doubt it will win. Instead, I think it's between Turning Point: The Vietnam War with five total nominations and Love + War with four nominations. Both are also nominated for Best Documentary. The sounds of combat would probably impress the journalists and documentarians, possibly even more than the sounds of nature or music. If the entertainment professionals in the Creative Arts Emmys were voting, they might give WE WANT THE FUNK! the advantage. Not here; electorates matter.
I think the same of Underdogs' chances for Outstanding Sound: Documentary. Given the competition in its categories, it has an apt title.
I haven't changed my mind, but let's see how I feel after watching the war documentaries.
Now I have to watch Love + War before the ceremony on May 28th.
This is the second nominated category for both The Last Rhinos: A New Hope and Pangolin: Kulu's Journey. Without listening to the score, I can't make an accurate assessment of the music. That written, my gut feels that it's between Vietnam: The War That Changed America and Chasing Time. The former has three nominations and the latter is the first short documentary I recall having a second nomination at these awards. Also, Exposure Labs has a strong track record with music, with Chasing Ice earning an Oscar nomination for its song and Chasing Coral earning a nomination for Music & Sound.
I've changed my mind. I now think that Songs from the Hole is the favorite. The journalists and documentarians might just vote for JJ’88. The composers might not, but I suspect there aren't a lot of them in this Televison Academy, especially voting for the News & Doc Emmy Awards.
The composers might want to vote for one of their own, which JJ'88 almost certainly isn't.
I close the nominations for Turning Point: The Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time with two categories I haven't blogged about.
Outstanding Lighting Direction: Documentary
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden Netflix [The Cut | Tillerman Films | Ventureland | Netflix] Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders Netflix [Third Eye Motion Picture Company | Netflix | Radical Media | MA Productions | Silvio Films] Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam Library Films [Amazon MGM Studios | Library FIlms | Vice Studios | Article 19 Films] Lockerbie: The Bombing of Pan Am 103 Mindhouse Production [Sky Studios | CNN Original Series] Turning Point: The Vietnam War Netflix [Luminant Media | Netflix]
It's Turning Point: The Vietnam War versus a bunch of documentaries with just this one nomination. Somehow, I don't think that will help it, especially if 2000 Meters to Andriivka sweeps, which I expect. The News & Doc electorate isn't into consolation prizes, but they have surprised me by going against the most nominated entry before.
Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember National Geographic [Mattock] LOVE+WAR Trailer Love + War
National Geographic [Mark Woollen & Associates] NATURE Season 44 Trailer Nature
PBS [The WNET Group] Race Against Time Trailer Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time National Geographic [Buddha Jones] Trailer In Waves and War
Actual Films | NETFLIX [Netflix | Participant | Chicago Media Project]
I need to watch Love + War before the 28th to call this category, too.
Follow over the jump for the most active shares about the News & Doc Emmy Awards on social media during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
Slight change of plans from yesterday, when I wrote, "I'll probably examine Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time tomorrow." I decided to highlight the other nominee about Hurricane Katrina, Katrina: Come Hell and High Water, which leads the nominees for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary with three nominations, including Outstanding Direction: Documentary and Outstanding Editing: Documentary in addition to Outstanding Social Issue Documentary. It's followed by The Ride Ahead with two nominations, then Born Poor, Enigma, and Searching for Amani with just this one category nomination. I'm sharing the trailers in that order, beginning with Katrina: Come Hell and High Water | Official Trailer | Netflix.
This is the story of a brutal coastal hurricane turned cataclysmic through human error and neglect. Over the course of a gripping and emotional three episodes, the people of New Orleans recount their past, extoll their present and lean into the future of what they and their beloved city survived and have become 20 years later. The series sets the stage for a tragedy - whose man-made elements expose the systemic governmental neglect that led to the city being defenseless in the face of the storm - and Katrina’s devastating impact that changed New Orleans irreparably. Detailed, harrowing and triumphant first-person accounts and never before seen archive illustrate the magnitude of Katrina, the aftermath of the levees breaking and the bungled recovery.
Katrina was a foreseeable disaster. I remember listening to an NPR story a year or more before Katrina hit explaining how New Orleans' levees were only built to withstand a category three hurricane, so they would fail under a category four or five storm, and describing what would likely happen if — when — one struck. It did. It also mentioned in passing that, while being poor is hard, New Orleans was probably the easiest city to be poor in. Katrina took that away. I've been recommending Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time to my students. Now I can recommend Katrina: Come Hell and High Water to them, too. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
What does adulthood look like when the world isn’t built for your body?
In THE RIDE AHEAD, Samuel Habib is ready for independence as he turns 21—but every rite of passage is complicated by ableist systems and physical barriers. Facing seizures, inaccessible housing, and degrading encounters, he sets out to find community and answers.
With humor, honesty, and a deep commitment to disability justice, Samuel travels across the U.S. to meet activists and role models who help him reimagine what freedom, adulthood, and love can look like.
A coming-of-age story rooted in interdependence, dignity, and the power of community.
As soon as I read the video description, I thought of Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. Sure enough, the trailer advertises that the co-director of Crip Camp is involved, as is Judith Heumann, who won Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. The trailer also features some of the animation in the movie, which shows me it deserves its second nomination for Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary.
Meet Brittany, Johnny and Kaylie, whose journeys — filmed across 14 years — are at the heart of the new documentary "Born Poor." Watch the prologue now.
This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate
The 90-minute documentary "Born Poor" premieres Tues., Oct. 7, 2025 on @frontline's YouTube channel, in the PBS App, at pbs.org/frontline and on PBS stations. The film follows these three kids from three families across three chapters of their lives — from childhood through the teen years to young adulthood — and offers a powerful, personal and longitudinal look at the realities of growing up in poverty in the U.S.
“Born Poor” is a FRONTLINE production with True Vision Productions. The director is Jezza Neumann. The producers are Jezza Neumann and Lauren Mucciolo. The senior producer is Frank Koughan. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
This looked familiar, but I probably am misremembering FRONTLINE's "Two American Families: 1991-2024," nominated in this category last year. FRONTLINE does good work examining poverty and society.
A thirteen-year-old aspiring journalist investigates his father’s mysterious murder within the boundaries of one of Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancies. As a ravaging drought encroaches, his quest to find the killer shifts and an activist is born as the collateral damage of a warming world is revealed.
Looks like I found another movie I can recommend to my students. Again, welcome to blogging as professional development, even if I'm only planning on teaching one more semester, which begins Monday.
Now to examine the other nominations for Katrina: Come Hell and High Water and The Ride Ahead.
Outstanding Editing: Documentary
Cover-Up Netflix [Plan B | Netflix | Praxis Films] Folktales Loki Films [Fifth Season | Impact Partners | Topic Studios] Katrina: Come Hell and High Water Netflix [Netflix | Message Pictures] Life After Multitude Films | PBS [ITVS] Love + War Little Monster Films [National Geographic] 2000 Meters to Andriivka FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Associated Press] Thoughts & Prayers HBO Documentary Films [Tony Tina] The White House Effect Actual Films | Netflix [Netflix | The Department of Motion Pictures]
I think 2000 Meters to Andriivka is the favorite, if only because it's the only nominee also nominated for Best Editing at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and I suspect 2000 Meters to Andriivka might sweep its categories.
Sally should just be happy to be nominated in this category. 2000 Meters to Andriivka has six nominations, including Best Documentary. Life After has four, also including Best Documentary, as does The Stringer. Katrina: Come Hell and High Water and Vietnam: The War That Changed America both tied Sally with three. Apocalypse in the Tropics and Music Box: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley have just this one. Out of this field, 2000 Meters to Andriivka is my provisional favorite.
Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary
Antidote/Kill List
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Passion Pictures | Bellingcat] The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets
Texas Crew Productions [Peacock Original | New York Post Entertainment | G Unit Film & Television, Inc.] The Ride Ahead
LikeRightNow Films Titanic: The Digital Resurrection
Atlantic Productions [National Geographic] Underdogs
Wildstar Films [Maximum Effort | National Geographic] In Waves and War
Studio AKA [Netflix | Actual Films]
This is likely to be Underdogs' best shot to win, but it faces a tough competitor in Titanic: The Digital Resurrection. Either way, National Geographic would win.
The Ride Ahead's animation looks impressive and fun and it advances the narrative well, so I wouldn't count it out.
I found an entry about Hurricane Katrina among the most read during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News, so I'm featuring it and another from the back catalog at the intersection of entertainment, climatechange and extremeweather over the jump.
Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story Amblin Documentaries [Nedland Films | National Geographic] The Merchants of Joy Dial Tone Films [Amazon MGM Studios | Dial Tone Films | Artists Equity | Boat Rocker Studios | Matador Content | Epic Magazine] The New Yorker at 100 Netflix [Netflix | Marshall Curry | Apatow] Songs From the Hole
Netflix [Cocomotion Pictures | Question Culture | Impact Partners | Artemis Rising Foundation | Netflix] Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan Delirio Films [MPS LEGACY PRODUCTIONS | SOFA Entertainment | Mass Appeal | Diamond Docs | MRC] Tiler Peck: Suspending Time
Great Performances Late Autumn Productions, LLC. [THIRTEEN Productions LLC] WE WANT THE FUNK!
Independent Lens Firelight Films [ITVS]
Songs From the Hole leads with four nominations, WE WANT THE FUNK! sits in second with two nominations, and the rest have this one nomination. On that basis, I consider Songs From the Hole to be the favorite. I'm also embedding Songs From The Hole | Official Trailer | Netflix first to reflect its number of nominations.
Songs from the Hole is an innovative documentary/visual album composed by JJ’88, a musician incarcerated at 15 and serving a life sentence. Told through first-person narration and lyrical journal entries, the film explores his identity and untangles the complex emotions stemming from his crime and the loss of his brother.
In addition to Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, Songs from the Hole earned nominations for Outstanding Writing: Documentary, Outstanding Art Direction: Documentary, and Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary. This moving trailer shows why it is competing in all these categories.
On another note, Songs from the Hole reminds me of Art & Krimes by Krimes, which also straddled the line between Arts and Culture and Crime and Justice. It won, so that's another good sign for Songs from the Hole.
“WE WANT THE FUNK!,” a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spans from gospel, soul, highlife, and early jazz roots, to its rise and impact on new wave and hip-hop, as funk music has been transcendent for creators and listeners alike. Revolutionary moments in the movement are captured in James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, and other influential musicians of the genre.
"Gotta have that funk!" This probably won't win either of its nominated categories, the other being Outstanding Sound: Documentary, but it sure looks like fun.
JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY is the authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Alongside Steven Spielberg, JAWS @ 50 charts the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the documentary uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.
This also looks like lots of fun. I also think it's nominated at the wrong Emmy Awards. I think it would have done better at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards; Hollywood loves a good show about itself!
Of all the trailers for the next film, "The Merchants of Joy" Trailer by majorfilmevents had the best description, which was enough to overcome its less flashy preview image.
In the city that never sleeps, five families hustle each winter to turn sidewalks into holiday outposts. The Merchants of Joy follows these Christmas die-hards as they source, sell, and safeguard a family tradition at risk. It's a warm, grounded portrait of pride, grit, and the joy they bring—one tree, one customer, one season at a time.
This also looks like lots of fun and leans into culture more than art, which is probably why it wasn't nominated for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary. Those can be fun, too, but they're more about the money. This is more about the joy of the season. Ho! Ho! Ho!
For the first time, The New Yorker opens up its offices to Academy Award-winning director Marshall Curry, allowing unprecedented access to its newsroom at a pivotal moment for all media, offering a rare look at what it took to publish a century of intrepid journalism, generation-defining fiction, and unforgettable cartoons.
In contrast to Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, this documentary is nominated at the right Emmy Awards. The voters here are mostly journalists and this is a story about journalism. A lot of them are also based in New York. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter. Also, this trailer has the most views of any nominee in this category, 652,263 to 267,831 for Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story and 119,879 for Songs from the Hole. People are watching, which is a good sign and makes me think that this is the most likely to win in an upset.
A new Netflix documentary, "Sunday Best," looks back at how Ed Sullivan fought to showcase Black performers at a time when discrimination was rampant on TV. Sullivan featured stars like James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. On December 14, 1969, the Jackson 5 made their network television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. Andrew Salt and his son Josh are the executive producers of the documentary. They spoke with Inside Edition.
This does show why this is an important documentary, but Inside Edition's reporting replaces the voice of the documentary that would be expressed in the trailer. That written, I can see why Inside Edition is interested; Ed Sullivan was on CBS, which is owned by the same parent company as Inside Edition. It's not just news and entertainment value that's driving this.
A world premiere documentary, Tiler Peck: Suspending Time offers a raw and deeply personal look at one of ballet’s most celebrated artists as she faces a career crossroads.
Following a series of life-altering events — a major injury, a pandemic, a personal loss — New York City Ballet prima ballerina Tiler Peck is forced to reckon with the unknown and reimagine her relationship to dance, to her body, and to herself.
Directed by Alex Ramsey, the film follows Tiler over the course of six years of her life, through rehearsal studios, stages, and quiet moments of reflection, as she fights to return stronger, not just as a prima ballerina, but also as a choreographer and creative force. Featuring original work by Peck alongside choreography from Alonzo King, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, and Christopher Wheeldon, the film blends vulnerability and resilience with artistic brilliance.
This documentary pushes a boundary one might not expect, between arts and culture on one side and science and technology, which covers health, on the other. STEAM in action! Also, I used to live in Bakersfield, so I feel a connection to Tiler Peck, enough of one that I can understand why she'd leave.
Follow over the jump for the other categories in which Songs from the Hole and WE WANT THE FUNK! earned their other nominations plus a retrospective continuing my examination of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
Fox 5 Morning News celebrates Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
I'm with you, Shally.
I'm moving on to the blog's 15th birthday, because lingering more on Nowruz would make me even sadder. On that note, I'm sharing a childhood memory in video form, Put Another Candle on My Birthday Cake - Sheriff John Birthday Song sung by
Bruce Kaplan (Claudia and Bruce).
Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan perform their version of the Sheriff John Birthday Song aka the Birthday Polka. If you're from Los Angeles and grew up in the 1950s and early 60s, you very likely know this song.
Unless you grew up in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 1960s, you probably don't know who Sheriff John is, so I'll let Wikipedia explain.
Sheriff John was an American children's television host who appeared on KTTV in Los Angeles from July 18, 1952, to July 10, 1970, on two separate series, Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade and Sheriff John's Cartoon Time. He was played by John Rovick[1] who served as a radio operator-gunner in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, surviving 50 combat missions in the European Theater of Operations. After the war he became a radio announcer, moving to television in its early days. He developed the program's concept himself.
As Sheriff John he began each program entering his office, singing "Laugh and be happy, and the world will laugh with you." He then said the Pledge of Allegiance and read a safety bulletin. He showed cartoons including Q.T. Hush, Underdog, Crusader Rabbit, and Porky Pig; he was often visited by farm animals.[2] An artist, Sketchbook Suzie, drew pictures requested by viewers; he would complete squiggles sent by the children and make a squiggle for them to complete. He also gave them lessons on safety and good health habits.
The show's highlight was the birthday celebration. Sheriff John read as many as 100 names, then brought out a cake and sang the Birthday Party Polka ("Put Another Candle on my Birthday Cake").
I used to watch this show every day after school and have fond memories of it, so when I saw YouTube recommend this video, I knew immediately that it would be today's song. I especially couldn't resist because Claudia and I dated in 1987 when we both worked at the Tar Pits.* It's good to see her again.
That's a wrap for today's double (triple if one counts today as Twitter/X's 20th birthday) celebration. Stay tuned for Marche du Nain Rouge as the Sunday entertainment feature.
*Yes, Claudia is an ex-girlfriend, but she's not the ex-girlfriend I usually mention. As I've written many times, the latter lived in Canada while we were dating, while Claudia and I were both living in Los Angeles. Coincidentally, both have since moved to the San Francisco Bay area. I would find it ironically funny if they have encountered each other while not knowing they both know me.
Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic and the fifteenth anniversary of the Fukushima triple disaster. Stay tuned to see which one I write about.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to discuss further investment and energy cooperation when she meets with U.S. President Trump this month — with nuclear power and related technology likely to remain a key theme. On the 15th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, CNBC's Kaori Enjoji examines how this deepening economic and energy engagement could draw Japan further into a geopolitical tug-of-war and weigh on its companies.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a lot like Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump in choosing an old technology over a newer one. In her case, it's nuclear energy over renewables. In his case, it's coal and other fossil fuels. I think she's maker the smarter choice. I really don't like coal and would pick nuclear energy over it, although I really prefer renewables.
Takuma Hashimoto was just three when the 2011 tsunami triggered a nuclear meltdown near his home in Japan’s Fukushima prefecture. Now, the 18-year-old student is training to become a nuclear engineer. His journey mirrors a national shift; 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, Japan is choosing energy security over its nuclear trauma. As the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East squeeze global supplies, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is leading a pivot back to nuclear power. With public support at record highs, Japan is waking up to a stark reality: for the most resource-poor G7 nation, nuclear energy is no longer a risk, but a lifeline.
The world's biggest nuclear power plant is back on line in Japan. Engineers flipped the switch to power up the plant 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, which killed an estimated 20,000 people. Tokyo Electric Power Company is responsible for Fukushima, and is also in charge of this plant. That fact alone has residents near the facility opposed to the plan.
Al Jazeera’s Patrick Fok reports from Kashiwazaki in western Japan.
Two things. First, the tsunami killed the overwhelming majority of victims, not the meltdown. Second, the Fukushima plant performed as designed; it was the failure of the backup generators, which the tsunami drowned, that led to the meltdowns. The higher seawalls help protect against both of those reoccurring, so I'm relieved to see them.
That's a wrap for today's anniversary. Stay tuned to see if I cover COVID-19 tomorrow.
Happy 250th birthday to our beloved United States Marine Corps. As we look back on 250 years and ahead to the future, we thank all Marines, past and present, for their service to our country.
This arrangement of The Marines’ Hymn was performed with "The Commandant's Own" United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and the United States Fleet Marine Composite Band at The Music Center at Strathmore for the Marine Band’s annual gala performance in March 2025.
This may be The President's Own's video, but The Commandant's Own is right there in the balcony.
The United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band performing The Marines' Hymn at the 136th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. This composite group brings three Marine Bands together from around Southern California: Marine Band San Diego, the 1st Marine Division Band and the 3D Marine Aircraft Wing Band. The band members are fully combat-trained, and many have been on combat deployments. This fine band has marched in the Rose Parade for over 20 consecutive years.
Before the band, we have the USMC Mounted Color Guard. It is the only equestrian unit that carries the American flag.
Two decades ago, Hurricane Katrina became one of the most devastating and defining storms in modern history. Now, 20 years on, we’re bringing together weather experts and meteorologists who were on the ground during the disaster to share untold stories, lessons learned, and how Katrina reshaped the way we understand extreme weather.
Those images and stories are still stunning, 20 years later.
In the 20 years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, New Orleans has rebuilt and redefined itself through relentless efforts to restore homes and revive traditions. Two decades on, those who lived through the tragedy remember lessons learned and rejoice in the unity and resilience that helped shape the future of the Crescent City.
I'm glad to see stories of recovery.
I could post lots more, but this has been a draining day in real life, so I'll stop here. Stay tuned for a resumption of my Emmy Awards coverage tomorrow.
100 Foot Wave leads this field with four nominations, followed by Chef's Table and SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night with three each and Simone Biles Rising and Social Studies with just this one nomination. Gold Derby handicaps this field differently; all of the experts and 80% of the editors have chosen SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night as the winner, while 20% of the editors and 3.4% of the users picked Chef's Table, 6.5% of the users believe in Simone Biles Rising, 4.5% of users are surfing 100 Foot Wave, and a mere 2.4% of users think that Social Studies will earn the top grade. This resembles my reasoning for why Gold Derby's prognosticators have Pee-wee as Himself and Will & Harper leading their choices for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, "all things being equal, the Television Academy voters would rather vote for one of their own...." The cast and crew of Saturday Night Live are definitely the Television Academy's own and the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live is a celebration of television. They can't resist. Electorates matter.
Synopsis: SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night is a four-part documentary series honoring the legacy of SNL, with over 60 contributors, including SNL alumni, and covering decades of SNL history. Spotlighting some of the show’s most iconic elements, each episode delves into the rich history of SNL and pulls back the curtain on the audition process, the writers’ room, the fan favorite "More Cowbell” sketch and the pivotal season 11.
As I wrote, "a celebration of television...they can't resist."
"Chef's Table: Legends" will pay tribute to the culinary icons who have helped shape the modern world of food. This season, which coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the “Chef’s Table” franchise, will feature a lineup of legendary celebrity chefs whose influence has transcended borders (and mediums) and inspired generations of cooks and food lovers alike.
I can see why a minority of editors think it should win. I can also see why the rest of the editor and all the experts disagree. True, Jamie Oliver is a TV chef, but his constituency would be at the Daytime Emmys, run by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which also runs theNews & DocEmmyAwards, not here. Just the same, I can recommend this show, especially the episode featuring Alice Waters, to my students, just like I can Omnivore, which won Outstanding Graphic Design – Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Witness unprecedented access to the most powerful comeback in sports, in Simone Biles Rising. Journey into the world of Simone as she grapples with vulnerability and self-doubt, redefining what it means to be a champion on her own terms.
The waves are bigger, the stakes are higher, and the chase is far from over.
This is the exhilarating and scary trailer I've embedded for this show. Season 3 may not win the program award, but I think it will win a craft Emmy, which I've already predicted and will repeat over the jump.
FX’s Social Studies is a new documentary series created by Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Lauren Greenfield that follows a group of teens as they navigate the complexities of growing up with social media.
Yesterday was the 45th anniversary of the eruption ofMount St. Helens, and the news departments of television stations in the Pacific Northwest observed the occasion by compiling clips from their archives into special reports. I begin with KING 5 Seattle's Mount St. Helens Eruption: 45 Years Later.
A look back at the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980
May 18, 1980, is a day that forever impacted the Pacific Northwest.
After weeks of rumbling, Mount St. Helens unleashed a deadly and explosive eruption that would go down as the most destructive in U.S. history and changed the way we look at volcanoes in the Cascades.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of that monumental event.
Watch as we look back in time through the eyes of the people who lived through the eruption. Past. Present. Future. The 45th anniversary of Mount St. Helens.
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted with a force that reshaped the Northwest and stunned the world. In this KGW+ special, anchor Christine Pitawanich takes viewers through the days leading up to the eruption, featuring rare archival reports, first-hand accounts from journalists and radio volunteers, and powerful footage of the moment disaster struck. With voices from those who witnessed the destruction — and those who didn't survive — it's a moving look at one of the most significant natural disasters in U.S. history, and how it changed science, policy, and lives forever.
While I'm not teaching geology this summer, I am scheduled to teach three sections of it this fall, two sections next winter, and one section next summer, if it's not canceled for low enrollment. These local documentaries both updated me on the status of Mount St. Helens and will provide opportunities for extra credit to my future students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Since I'm in the middle of a series on the News &DocEmmyAwards, I'm wondering if any of these will earn nominations for regional coverage at next year's ceremony. My readers and I will find out next year. In the meantime, stay tuned for WorldBeeDay tomorrow.
Nearly 20 years after Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee investigates the science from the film to see how much holds up today.
While I replaced AnInconvenientTruth with Chasing Ice during the pandemic five years ago, I think it's worth looking back at its predictions. As Zee said, most of what Gore said either was and still is true or became true since 2006. The rest are still likely to come true, although a bit later than he thought when he was giving the slide show 20 years ago.
If I were still showing the documentary to my students as a required exercise, I'd go over the answers to the questions Zee touched on. I'm not, although my students can still watch it for extra credit. I won't go to that much effort for extra credit. Instead, I will close by noting that An Inconvenient Truth is still the only documentary to win two Oscars, Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song. That will definitely hold true through at least next year, as none of this year's nominated documentaries are also nominated for Original Song.
Stay tuned for another entry worth sharing next month tomorrow.
Twenty years ago Hurricane Katrina flooded hundreds of thousands of homes in New Orleans and killed over 1,800 people. In the aftermath, a quarter of the city's housing stock was left vacant or abandoned. The U.S. government has spent billions to rebuild homes, restore infrastructure, and fortify the levee system. But more may be needed to counteract the city’s slow decline into the sea. On top of that, parts of the federal response have been criticized for their complexity and impact on low-income homeowners. Today, the city is facing a housing crisis as homeowner insurance premiums and property taxes rise.
It's a land of fun that has been forgotten. Six Flags New Orleans has been abandoned for nearly 20 years since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Inside Edition's Steven Fabian toured the theme park back in 2017. "From this view you can really see it's like a wasteland up here," he said from the top of stairs that led to a roller coaster. Now it's finally being demolished and turned into something new. Inside Edition Digital has more.
Here's to the site becoming something more than just a filming location for post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows, although that's still part of its future, as one of the projects will be a movie studio.
I'll probably return to this topic for the actual 20th anniversary of Katrina this August. In the meantime, stay tuned for comic takes on America's slide into autocracy tomorrow. The late-night talk-show hosts have a lot of material for tonight!
