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Download NowQUEEN LATIFAH and JOHN MAYER VISIT SESAME STREET TO HELP MILITARY FAMILIES COPE WITH CHANGE ON
Primetime Special Premiering April 1 AT 8PM ET/PT on PBS
New York, NY., March 13, 2009
Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change, a brand-new primetime special, will be premiering on PBS on April 1 at 8pm ET/PT (check local listings). Featuring Queen Latifah, John Mayer and Elmo, this half-hour HD special tells stories of service members who return home with injuries, visible and invisible, and explores the heroic struggles their families face in discovering a new way of finding a “new normal.” Coming Home, which premieres in conjunction with April as the “Month of the Military Child,” salutes the extraordinary courage and strength of these military families and offers the general public a powerful glimpse into what they often must endure. The program was created by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, in association with David Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated and Lookalike Productions.
| John Mayer with Elmo |
“Nobody puts their life on the line like our military does - they defend our country and they do it without question. I don’t think people always realize the sacrifice that the families make.” said Grammy and Golden Globe winner, Queen Latifah. “We’ve grown up with Sesame Street, we’ve learned from it, and we’re endeared to the characters. The characters break the barriers down, they break the nervousness down; they make this whole subject more approachable.”
“It’s really important that families talk about the changes and say what’s on their minds,” said Grammy-Award winner, John Mayer.
"The range of media tools available through Talk, Listen, Connect truly provides fundamental ways for each family member to support each other through all stages,” said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. “The deep impact of this project continues to inspire us, which is why we are excited to
| Queen Latifah with Elmo and Rosita |
“The men and women of our military have made indescribable sacrifices," said David Letterman. "The very least we can do is tell their stories, and to honor the bravery and strength of both the soldiers and their families." “As America’s public broadcaster, PBS is proud to bring resources and tools to families that help them navigate their way through life,” said John F. Wilson, Chief TV Programming Executive, PBS. “These stories of courage and strength from military moms and dads will not only help reach and support families facing similar challenges, but also illustrate to all Americans the extraordinary sacrifices these military families make every day.”
The Talk, Listen, Connect Initiative provides support and offers significant resources for military families with young children experiencing the effects of deployments, multiple deployments or when a parent returns home changed due to a combat related injury. The materials consist of a bilingual (English/Spanish) multimedia outreach kit with DVDs for children and adults starring the Muppets from Sesame Street, and print materials for children, parents and caregivers and facilitators. Sesame Workshop has produced over 1.3 million kits which are being distributed, at no cost, to individual families, schools, child care programs, family support programs, hospitals and rehabilitation centers and other organizations serving the needs of military families. The Talk, Listen, Connect materials are also available online at www.sesamestreet.org/tlc so that families everywhere can view the videos and download the information. Families can also find information about the program on www.pbsparents.org.
About LOOKALIKE PRODUCTIONS – Lisa Lax & Nancy Stern
Lookalike Productions represents the diverse collaborative efforts of twin sister filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern, whose television and film productions have earned them a combined 16 Emmy Awards. After spending fifteen years in network television producing & directing documentary films, live sporting events, entertainment specials and series, Lisa and Nancy became producing partners in 2002. Telling stories on film is Lookalike’s specialty, and their first collaboration was the award-winning documentary “Emmanuel’s Gift”. The film highlighted the courageous efforts of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah as he fought for the rights of two million of his fellow disabled in Ghana, West Africa. “Emmanuel’s Gift” sparked a call to action. In July, 2006, Ghana’s Parliament passed a Disability Bill that had been ignored for decades, guaranteeing unparalleled rights for this long-overlooked community. Lisa and Nancy take great pride in producing important and meaningful projects that generate awareness and trigger social change.
About PBS
PBS, with its 356 member stations, offers all Americans – from every walk of life – the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches more than 115 million people on-air and online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and Web site, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. As the single largest informal educator of young children, local Sesame Street programs produced in countries as diverse as South Africa, Bangladesh and India are making a difference in over 120 nations. Using proprietary research to create engaging and enriching content, Sesame Workshop produces programs such as Dragon Tales and Pinky Dinky Doo. In addition, multimedia needs-driven initiatives provide families tools for addressing such issues as children’s health, military deployment and emergency preparedness. As a nonprofit, product proceeds and philanthropic donations support Sesame Workshop’s educational research and creative content for children around the world. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.
About Worldwide Pants Incorporated
Worldwide Pants, Inc. (WPI) is the independent, New York City-based entertainment company that David Letterman founded in 1993. WPI creates original content for television and film, as well as for new media platforms including broadband and wireless. It currently has several comedy, animation, variety/talk, and feature projects in active development. WPI's successful network productions include "The Late Show with David Letterman;" "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson;" and the Emmy award-winning "Everybody Loves Raymond," which completed a successful nine-year run in 2005. WPI also created the critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated "Ed," which ran for four seasons on NBC; "The Knights of Prosperity," which aired on ABC in 2006-2007; and "Welcome to New York," which aired on CBS in 2000. WPI has garnered more than 100 Emmy nominations and won 24 Emmy awards. "The Late Show" alone has received 60 Emmy nominations and won nine Emmys awards, including "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program" in 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. "Everybody Loves Raymond" received 69 Emmy nominations and 15 Emmy awards in its nine seasons. WPI expanded into feature films with the 2004 production of "Strangers with Candy," which debuted at Sundance to wide critical acclaim and was distributed by THINKFilm in 2006, and "The Youngest Candidate," a feature documentary released earlier this year, that follows teens running for elected office.
Contacts
Tom Keaney
Worldwide Pants Incorporated
212.843.8088
tkeaney@rubenstein.com
Stephanie Baumoel
FerenComm for Sesame Workshop
212.983.9898
stephanieb@ferencomm.com
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