SS United States: Lady in Waiting the Saga of a Maritime Marvel Coming to Public Television Stations in May

SS United States: Lady in Waiting the Saga of a Maritime Marvel Coming to Public Television Stations in May

CHICAGO, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- WTTW National Productions, the award-winning PBS affiliate in Chicago, is proud to be the presenting station for Big Ship Films, LLC's SS United States: Lady in Waiting, an original one-hour documentary profiling the once iconic 20th century ocean liner. This groundbreaking documentary is scheduled to premiere on public television stations nationwide in May 2008 through American Public Television (check local listings).

SS United States: Lady in Waiting has been in development for more than a decade, and is truly a labor of love for director Robert Radler (Best of the Best 1&2, The Substitute - HBO World Premieres, V.I.P.), Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning producer Mark B. Perry (Ghost Whisperer, Brothers & Sisters, Party of Five, The Wonder Years), and producer Dea Shandera (former EVP of Worldwide Marketing for MGM Television and producer of multiple projects for the Disney Channel including Earth Day at Walt Disney World). Radler, Perry and Shandera's film follows the ship's journey from its status as being a mid-20th century technological and design marvel to a largely-forgotten relic -- a ship that was abruptly laid up in 1969.

The one-hour documentary, shot in high-definition, takes the viewer on a fascinating journey of discovery about and aboard the SS United States. The program features compelling interviews with crew and passengers, archival footage, and examines the ship's top secret design and capabilities. The ship still holds the east and westbound transatlantic passenger ship speed record for a vessel of its size, and deserves preservation and recognition as a national treasure.

Amazingly, the ship still exists, moored and seemingly derelict at a pier in Philadelphia, where the production team has been allowed access to examine her current state and explore the concept that she might again sail the seas.

SS United States: Lady in Waiting has been produced with the cooperation of the SS United States Conservancy, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the ship and her legacy. The Conservancy has granted the producers exclusive access to its archives of stills, vintage films and home movies.

   Producer/Director: Robert Radler   Producer: Mark B. Perry   Producer: Dea Shandera   Editor: Curt David Sackett   Composer: Steve Edwards     About Big Ship Films, LLC  

Los Angeles-based Big Ship Films, LLC represents the shared dream of director Robert Radler and producer Mark B. Perry, both of whom have had a lifelong fascination with the story of the SS United States. When they joined forces to produce a documentary about our nation's flagship, Big Ship Films was born. The company's name is a nod to the ship's designer, William Francis Gibbs, who always referred to his life's work as "The Big Ship." More information on Big Ship Films, LLC and SS United States: Lady in Waiting is available at: http://www.bigshipfilms.com/

About American Public Television (APT)

With more than 10,000 hours of programming in its library, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations for 47 years, distributing more than 300 new program titles per year. APT milestones include distribution of the first HD series on public television and the 2006 launch of Create(TM) -- the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. Known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming, APT has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert, Winged Migration, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves' Europe, Great Museums, Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way, America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia's Family Table, California Dreamin' - The Songs of The Mamas & the Papas, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, The Big Comfy Couch, Monarchy With David Starkey, and other prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs, children's series and classic movies. For more information about APT's programs and services, visit http://aptonline.org/.

About WTTW National Productions

WTTW National Productions is a premier producer and presenter of original, high-quality television programs for both public and commercial television broadcast. WTTW National Productions is a division of Window to the World Communications, Inc., the parent company of WTTW11 Chicago. For more than 50 years, WTTW11 and WTTW National Productions have introduced a wide array of ground-breaking television programming -- reflecting the world's rich and diverse arts and entertainment scene as well as education, politics, public affairs, business, and religion -- to a national audience. Its landmark innovative series and original productions include the critically-acclaimed performance showcases Soundstage, Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis and David Broza at Masada: The Sunrise Concert; cultural series Grannies on Safari and MEXICO -- One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless; the business series CEO Exchange and WordWorld, the first of four children's properties to come from the Ready to Learn Partnership, a creative consortium that includes WTTW National Productions and Word World, LLC. WTTW National Productions is the presenting station for SS United States: Lady in Waiting. More information about WTTW National Productions is available at http://www.wttw.com/national.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: WTTW National Productions

CONTACT: Holly H. Gilson of WTTW National Productions, +1-773-509-5424,
hgilson@wttw.com

Web site: http://www.wttw.com/national
http://www.networkchicago.com/
http://www.bigshipfilms.com/
http://aptonline.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment