Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What’s the best documentary series you’ve seen on TV? Opening this up to past series, current ones, and those that you may have seen screeners for that are coming up soon.
Liz Shannon Miller (@lizlet), IndieWire
While we debate whether or not it technically counts as a TV show (certainly that Oscar it won would suggest otherwise), “O.J.: Made in America” was without question a seminal work, and one which owed a lot to its episodic structure while proving to be an addictive binge. Documentaries aren’t exactly my favorite genre, but “Made in America” was as gripping as any scripted series — and we have definitive proof of this,...
This week’s question: What’s the best documentary series you’ve seen on TV? Opening this up to past series, current ones, and those that you may have seen screeners for that are coming up soon.
Liz Shannon Miller (@lizlet), IndieWire
While we debate whether or not it technically counts as a TV show (certainly that Oscar it won would suggest otherwise), “O.J.: Made in America” was without question a seminal work, and one which owed a lot to its episodic structure while proving to be an addictive binge. Documentaries aren’t exactly my favorite genre, but “Made in America” was as gripping as any scripted series — and we have definitive proof of this,...
- 9/19/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Filmmaker Peter Berg will direct a new documentary about Rihanna styled after D.A. Pennebaker's famous 1967 Bob Dylan film, Don't Look Back, Deadline reports.
The doc will be one of the first from Berg's new non-scripted production company, Film 45 (the logical offshoot of his film/TV company, Film 44). Berg described the as-yet-untitled movie as an "unfiltered look into Rihanna's life and how she's ascended to become a global icon."
Berg added that he was interested in exploring "a young artist at the top of her professional field...
The doc will be one of the first from Berg's new non-scripted production company, Film 45 (the logical offshoot of his film/TV company, Film 44). Berg described the as-yet-untitled movie as an "unfiltered look into Rihanna's life and how she's ascended to become a global icon."
Berg added that he was interested in exploring "a young artist at the top of her professional field...
- 4/13/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Filmmaker Peter Berg (Lone Survivor), principal of film/TV production company Film 44, has launched a new production company, Film 45, focused on non-scripted and branded entertainment for film, TV and other platforms. Film 45 formalizes a partnership between Berg and TV/documentary producer Matthew Goldberg (CNN's The Sixties), who have been working together on Berg’s HBO Sports series On Freddie Roach and State Of Play. Goldberg serves as President of Film 45, which is…...
- 3/10/2015
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: HBO Sports is re-teaming with filmmaker Peter Berg for another documentary series. Following their collaboration on the cinéma vérité series On Freddie Roach, HBO has given the green light to State Of Play, from Berg and Sarah Aubrey’s Film 44 and Herzog & Co. Each episode will spotlight a topic or person that has had a great impact on the sports world, opening with a brief overview followed by a 40-minute cinéma vérité documentary and concluding with an in-depth, 20-minute roundtable discussion of the issue with the filmmakers, subjects and guest experts to be moderated by Berg. State Of Play will premiere on December 4 with State of Play: Trophy Kids, an examination of the obsession a growing number of parents have in the scholastic athletic competition of their children. The documentary was produced by Jake Wood, Chris Bell, Leland Anderson and Anthony Melillo. “Peter Berg has a long history of producing exceptional,...
- 10/8/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
The Producers Guild of America announced the winners of its theatrical motion picture and TV nominations for the 2013 PGA Awards. Check out the full list of nominees and winners (marked in red) below. This year's big winner was Ben Affleck's "Argo," which means that the film will likely also go on to win the Oscar for Best Pictures since the PGA Awards predict the Academy Award winner almost 80% of the time, including last year when PGA and the Oscars both selected "The Artist." In the animation category, "Wreck-It Ralph" won, beating out Pixar's "Brave." On television, "Modern Family" was once again chosen as the best comedy and "Homeland" as the best drama. Theatrical Motion Picture Nominees: Theatrical Motion Pictures: * Argo * Beasts of the Southern Wild * Django Unchained * Les Miserables * Life of Pi * Lincoln * Moonrise Kingdom * Silver Linings Playbook * Skyfall * Zero Dark Thirty Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: * Wreck-It Ralph * Brave...
- 1/27/2013
- WorstPreviews.com
Earlier this week The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the nominations for their annual awards for theatrical motion picture, animated motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 2013 Producers Guild Awards.
This was an incredible year for films, and most of the movies nominated here deserve to be. Out of all the films listed here, I'd like to see Zero Dark Thirty or Silver Linings Playbook take the top prize for motion picture, Paranorman for animated film, Game of Thrones for TV drama, and Curb Your Enthusiasm for TV Comedy. In case you missed them, here they are! Look them over and let us know what films you'd like to see win!
Ten nominations in the theatrical motion picture category include:
Argo (Warner Bros.)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)
Django Unchained (The Weinstein Company)
Life of Pi (20th Century Fox)
Lincoln (DreamWorks)
Les Misérables (Universal)
Moonrise Kingdom...
This was an incredible year for films, and most of the movies nominated here deserve to be. Out of all the films listed here, I'd like to see Zero Dark Thirty or Silver Linings Playbook take the top prize for motion picture, Paranorman for animated film, Game of Thrones for TV drama, and Curb Your Enthusiasm for TV Comedy. In case you missed them, here they are! Look them over and let us know what films you'd like to see win!
Ten nominations in the theatrical motion picture category include:
Argo (Warner Bros.)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)
Django Unchained (The Weinstein Company)
Life of Pi (20th Century Fox)
Lincoln (DreamWorks)
Les Misérables (Universal)
Moonrise Kingdom...
- 1/5/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The Producers Guild of America has announced its nominations for best productions of the year, in what is often looked to as an indicator for how the Academy Awards may go.
The guild selected 10 films — most of them common guesses for the group that could make up the Oscar list of the best films of 2012: Argo, Lincoln, Les Misérables, among others.
The one surprise: Skyfall. No 007 film has ever cracked the Best Picture list, but if this nomination is any indication, that could change when the Oscar nods are revealed Jan. 10.
Check out the full list …
The Darryl F. Zanuck...
The guild selected 10 films — most of them common guesses for the group that could make up the Oscar list of the best films of 2012: Argo, Lincoln, Les Misérables, among others.
The one surprise: Skyfall. No 007 film has ever cracked the Best Picture list, but if this nomination is any indication, that could change when the Oscar nods are revealed Jan. 10.
Check out the full list …
The Darryl F. Zanuck...
- 1/2/2013
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
Last week, after already podcasting on it, I posted my Top 10 TV Shows of 2012 in friendly video format. In case you've forgotten: 1) "Mad Men" 2) "Louie" 3) "On Freddie Roach" 4) "Treme" 5) "Parks and Recreation" 6) "Breaking Bad" 7) "Game of Thrones" 8) "Girls" 9) "Espn's 30 for 30" 10) "The Hour" At the time, I mentioned that I had a Second 10 coming at some point, because I always endeavor to be as much like Sepinwall as possible, structurally speaking. And at the time, I also mentioned that while my Top 8...
- 12/29/2012
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
On Wednesday, the Producers' Guild of America announced the TV and digital nominees for the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The winners will be announced in a ceremony on January 26, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. In addition to the nominees listed below, the PGA will present special honors to Bob and Harvey Weinstein, J.J. Abrams, and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC) Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
"Downton Abbey" (PBS) Producers: Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge
"Game of Thrones" (HBO) Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss
"Homeland" (Showtime) Producers: Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Michael Cuesta, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick, Meredith Stiehm
"Mad Men" (AMC) Producers: Jon Hamm,...
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC) Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
"Downton Abbey" (PBS) Producers: Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge
"Game of Thrones" (HBO) Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss
"Homeland" (Showtime) Producers: Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Michael Cuesta, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick, Meredith Stiehm
"Mad Men" (AMC) Producers: Jon Hamm,...
- 11/28/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The Producers Guild of America has announced its annual award nominations, with Homeland and Downton Abbey both cracking the top category: the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television.
The winners will be announced on January 26...
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Louie" (FX)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:
"American Masters" (PBS)
"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" (Travel Channel)
"Deadliest Catch" (Discovery Channel)
"Inside the Actors Studio" (Bravo)
"Shark Tank" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:
"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC)
"Real Time with Bill Maher...
The winners will be announced on January 26...
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Louie" (FX)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:
"American Masters" (PBS)
"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" (Travel Channel)
"Deadliest Catch" (Discovery Channel)
"Inside the Actors Studio" (Bravo)
"Shark Tank" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:
"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC)
"Real Time with Bill Maher...
- 11/28/2012
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
HBO’s Game of Thrones, Showtime’s Homeland, CBS’ Big Bang Theory and FX’s Louie were among the nominees in the top categories for the annual Producers Guild of America awards.
There’s a lot of overlap here with the 2012 Emmy award nominations, with a few exceptions: HBO’s Boardwalk Empire missed landing a slot for best drama series (there were six Emmy nominees and five for PGA). While on the comedy side, HBO’s Girls and Veep weren’t nominated, but Louie was. If you’re wondering why Comedy Central’s Emmy favorite The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...
There’s a lot of overlap here with the 2012 Emmy award nominations, with a few exceptions: HBO’s Boardwalk Empire missed landing a slot for best drama series (there were six Emmy nominees and five for PGA). While on the comedy side, HBO’s Girls and Veep weren’t nominated, but Louie was. If you’re wondering why Comedy Central’s Emmy favorite The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...
- 11/28/2012
- by James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
Since "Friday Night Lights" came to an end last year, Peter Berg has served as an executive producer on the (since cancelled) remake of the British series "Prime Suspect" (the pilot of which he directed) and HBO's boxing reality show "On Freddie Roach," neither of which got the attention generated by his acclaimed drama about a Texas small town. But there's always the next project, and Deadline's reporting that the "Battleship" director is headed back to NBC (the home of both "Friday Night Lights" and "Prime Suspect") to write and direct a pilot for a new spy drama entitled "M.I.C.E." Short for Money, Ideology, Coercion and Ego, "M.I.C.E." is based on the Israeli series "The Gordin Cell," about a patriotic Israeli Air Force officer whose parents emigrated from the Ussr in 1990 and were, unbeknownst to him, Russian spies. When their old handler turns up and tries to recruit him,...
- 9/18/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
"On Freddie Roach" is a six-part HBO cinéma-vérité documentary series focusing on world-famous boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who owns and operates the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, stomping ground for countless Roach protégés and world champions such as Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan, Oscar de la Hoya and Mike Tyson. It is a powerful and personal insight into Roach's life and career, providing an in-depth look into Roach's battle with Parkinson's disease. For Roach, allowing cameras to capture his life in such detail was never a problem. He found that, over time, the camera crew became like a family. Most important for him was giving the audience a clear understanding of what it means to triumph over adversity. "If you work hard, and don't give up, you can achieve anything," says Roach, echoing the show's underlying message. Multi-hyphenate Peter Berg, a two-time Emmy Award nominee...
- 6/25/2012
- Gold Derby
Peter Berg isn't afraid of infusing political commentary into his films.. Both "The Kingdom" and "Battleship" focus on the U.S. military, and his upcoming film, "Lone Survivor," deals heavily with the Navy SEALs.
Berg, whose father was a Naval historian, says his work provides him with a unique connection to American Armed Forces personnel -- and an insight into their political views.
"I have a lot of friends who are in the military, particularly who are in the Navy Seal community, who are generally Republicans," Berg told THR. "And I’ve had many conversations where a lot of my Republican friends admit reluctantly that the military has given them freedoms that they’ve never experienced before. And Obama really is a warrior in chief. He’s not afraid to get the job done. And I think that’s an important story. I believe in that."
Berg, who in addition...
Berg, whose father was a Naval historian, says his work provides him with a unique connection to American Armed Forces personnel -- and an insight into their political views.
"I have a lot of friends who are in the military, particularly who are in the Navy Seal community, who are generally Republicans," Berg told THR. "And I’ve had many conversations where a lot of my Republican friends admit reluctantly that the military has given them freedoms that they’ve never experienced before. And Obama really is a warrior in chief. He’s not afraid to get the job done. And I think that’s an important story. I believe in that."
Berg, who in addition...
- 6/6/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
A version of this story originally appears in the June 15 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Peter Berg -- actor-director-producer and boxing gym proprietor -- is no stranger to documentary. He directed the 30 for 30 Espn film King’s Ransom about Wayne Gretzky’s 1988 defection to the Los Angeles Kings. But last year he helmed his first longform documentary series, HBO’s On Freddie Roach, about Manny Pacquiao’s trainer. The six-episode program is a hopeful Emmy contender in the nonfiction series category. And while, Berg, 50, still enjoys steering big-budget movies, he says documentary filmmaking gives him “creative balance.
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- 6/6/2012
- by Marisa Guthrie
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Peter Berg & Sarah Aubrey’s production company Film 44 has inked a new overall deal with Universal Television. Under the two-year pact, the two will develop and produce new projects for the studio, which has been transformed by the new NBC regime from an NBC production arm into a supplier to all broadcast and cable networks. Universal TV Evp Bela Bajaria noted that keeping Film 44 in the studio family was an easy decision. “Pete Berg and Sarah Aubrey have exquisite taste and are amazing producers,” she said. “They are well-respected within the community and we look forward to a very productive relationship under the new Universal TV banner.” Under its previous overall deal with the studio, Film 44 produced NBC/Universal TV’s Prime Suspect. Berg directed the pilot, which was picked up to series, with him and Aubrey executive producing the drama starring Maria Bello. Berg and...
- 3/16/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
HBO announced on Tuesday (February 28) that Michael Mann and David Frankham are behind a new docu-series titled "Witness." Seemingly following in the stylistic footsteps of Peter Berg's "On Freddie Roach," "Witness" will be a verite-style limited series focusing on young combat photographers in conflict zones. The first episode of "Witness" was shot in Juarez, Mexico. the next three are currently in production in Brazil, Uganda and Libya. "David Frankham and I share an admiration for combat photography that captures the universal – and sometimes the indescribable – in a single frame in the midst of chaos and...
- 2/28/2012
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
It's a slow week in television, relatively-speaking (no major premieres, at least), which makes for an eclectic Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, where talk of the Dowager Countess of "Downton Abbey" rubs up against discussion of boxing trainer Freddie Roach, Ann Perkins' love life, pilot season, and, of course, new podcast mainstay Jeremy Lin (but only kinda-sorta). The line-up: "Downton Abbey" (00:01:30 - 00:21:00) "On Freddie Roach" (00:21:00 - 00:29:30) Dan's Reality Roundup (00:29:30 - 00:44:10) Listener Mail - Pilots (00:45:55 - 00:59:10) Listen Mail - Linsanity and Asian Representations (00:59:10 - 01:07:00) Listener Mail - Critically acclaimed shows we don't acclaim (01:07:00 -...
- 2/20/2012
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
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