‘Walt Disney’ to Premiere on ‘American Experience’ on PBS in 2015

PBS has announced a new four-hour, two-night film exploring the life and legacy of Walt Disney.

The film, Walt Disney, will premiere in 2015 on American Experience.

Walt Disney is being produced and directed by Sarah Colt (Henry Ford, RFK) and was written by Mark Zwonitzer (JFK, Triangle Fire).

The film will include archival footage from the Disney vaults, scenes from Disney films, and interviews with animators and artists who worked on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in addition to interviews with Imagineers who worked on Disneyland.

"For many Americans, and for me, the twinkle and swish of the Sunday night Disney logo was pure magic. It was an invitation to a special event," said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Officer and General Manager, General Audience Programming for PBS. "For my kids, introducing them to animated Disney movies from Beauty and the Beast to The Lion King brought us great joy and taught them life lessons. Now viewers of all ages can learn about the life and legacy of the man behind the magic and his continuing impact on our lives and culture."

When Walt Disney died in 1966, 100 million people watched a weekly Disney television program, 240 million people saw a Disney film, and nearly 7 million people visited Disneyland.

"Walt Disney is an entrepreneurial and cultural icon," said AMERICAN EXPERIENCE executive producer Mark Samels. "No single figure shaped American culture in the 20th century more than he."

American Experience recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and the series regularly brings to life the characters and stories that have shaped America's past and present. The American Experience documentaries have won 30 Emmy Awards, four DuPont-Columbia Awards, and 16 George Foster Peabody Awards.

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