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MTR Announces Spring 2007 Season

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Spotlights Media and the Middle East

Celebrates Comedy, Creativity, Content

New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA—The Museum of Television & Radio's (MTR) spring season, Media as Lens, explores the media's power to illuminate global issues, with a special focus on the Middle East.  The series examines diverse cultures and regions through all types of programming, from news and documentaries to prime-time entertainment.  This spring season, MTR also celebrates excellence in drama, comedy, and documentary film with a range of events that examine the creative process behind great entertainment.

"In a world where media is all-pervasive, it has become the primary lens through which we view ourselves and others.  As such, it is an important factor in the creative, social, and political forces that shape cultures and influences issues like war and peace," said Pat Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of MTR. "Our dynamic spring programming focuses the media lens on the Middle East, in particular, with screenings of both news and entertainment programs from that region as well as conversations with the executives, personalities, and journalists about the power of media to build bridges of understanding."

MTR New York Events

MTR's News & Views from the Middle East events bring together journalists, experts, and media executives from such countries as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, and Iran to examine how countries in the Middle East perceive themselves and others.  Highlights include a discussion on the impact of Al Jazeera as a global news organization with an opportunity to see Al Jazeera's new English-language service, and a panel discussion with leading Middle Eastern women in the media about the efforts of regional radio and TV outlets to incorporate female voices, moderated by Barbara Walters. 

These events are supplemented by a unique gallery exhibit featuring Middle Eastern programming not readily available in the United States; visitors will see excerpts from comedies, soap operas, dramas, and a special series called Ramadan Primetime.

Later in the season, MTR welcomes Queen Noor of Jordan; hosts an evening with CNN's Anderson Cooper; and talks with Darfur activists Mia Farrow, Nick Clooney, and others to talk about the role of media in raising public awareness of international issues.

On the entertainment side, events include an evening with Sopranos creator David Chase to discuss the fine art of "whacking" with many of the actors whose characters now sleep with the fishes; a discussion with Conan O'Brien and his writing team about their unique brand of comedy; and the New York premiere of Canadian hit sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie.  In the area of documentary filmmaking, events include a screening of recently restored outtakes from Dont Look Back presented by filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker and introduced by Patti Smith.

MTR Los Angeles Events

In Los Angeles, the Media as Mirror series examines the media's power to reflect different world cultures in various ways.  Season highlights include an evening with Madeleine Albright focusing on media and foreign policy; a panel discussion on political satire featuring JibJab creators Evan and Gregg Spiridellis; and the L.A. premiere of the Canadian sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie. 

Entertainment events include a Cagney & Lacey reunion, and evenings with the cast and creators of The New Adventures of Old Christine and Friday Night Lights. This season MTR in Los Angeles also celebrates the art and excellence of the documentary form.  Events include previews of Ken Burns's upcoming documentary The War and Robert Stone's Oswald's Ghost followed by a Q and A with the directors, and an advance screening of TCM's Brando with panelists Ed Begley, Jr. and Penelope Ann Miller on hand to discuss his legacy.

The spring schedule in Los Angeles also includes the popular William S. Paley Television Festival, now in its twenty-fourth year. Festival highlights include a celebration of The Simpsons' 400th episode milestone, an evening with George Lucas, as well as events with the cast and creators of American Idol, Brothers & Sisters, The Closer, Dexter, Heroes, Nip/Tuck, The Office, Prison Break, and Ugly Betty.

A complete spring schedule for MTR is attached.

The Museum of Television & Radio, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. Founded by William S. Paley in 1976, MTR draws upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the leaders of the media community to explore and explain the intersections between media and society. For more information, please visit www.mtr.org.

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MTR NEW YORK: SPRING SCHEDULE 2007

TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 1, 2007 - VISIT www.mtr.org

News & Views from the Middle East

Tuesday, April 17; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Has expanded media coverage affected the way peoples in the Middle East perceive their own historical narrative and the U.S.? Copresented with Link TV.

Thursday, April 19; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Barbara Walters leads a discussion with female journalists from such countries as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Iran about their perspectives on media.

Thursday, May 3; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

A look at Al Jazeera and its new English-language channel, from the impact on its Arab audience to perceptions about it in the West.

Thursday, June 7; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

How do Israeli and Palestinian TV differ in the way they report major events in the Middle East conflict? 

SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS: All 4 events: $85, $50 for MTR Members. Individual event: $25, $15 MTR Members

Gallery Exhibit: Window to the Middle East

Media Exhibit Opens April 17

This unique media exhibit will showcase programming from the Middle East not readily available in this country, to give visitors a window into the region's cultures, beliefs, attitudes, and entertainment.  Sources include Al Jazeera, Link TV, Mosaic, as well as material from Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Free with Admission

Special Event

BRIDGING TWO CULTURES: A CONVERSATION WITH
HER MAJESTY QUEEN NOOR

Tuesday, June 5; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, the American-born wife of the late King Hussein of Jordan and an international humanitarian activist, will be interviewed by MTR President Pat Mitchell. Individual Tickets: $30, $25 for MTR Members

Media as Global Public Eye

Tuesday, May 8; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The globe-trotting reporter will show clips of his work and discuss his impassioned approach to news.

Wednesday, May 16; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Mia Farrow, Nick Clooney, and others will discuss the tragedy in Darfur and efforts to use radio to bring information to people living through the crisis.

SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS: 2 events: $43, $25 for MTR Members. Individual event: $25, $15 MTR Members

Media as Entertainment

Wednesday, March 28; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Creator David Chase will discuss the fine art of whacking. In Person: David Chase, Steve Buscemi, Drea de Matteo, Vincent Pastore, David Proval.

Thursday, April 5; 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Conan O'Brien and his crack(ed) team of writers will discuss their unique brand of lunacy.

Thursday, May 17; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Members of the cast and creative team will discuss this new hit CBC sitcom from Canada about a Muslim family in Saskatchewan.

SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS: All 3 events: $75, $60 for MTR Members. Individual event: $30, $25 MTR Members

MTRDocEvents

Monday, February 26; 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Introduced by Patti Smith; clips presented by D.A. Pennebaker. Rare outtakes shed new light on the enigmatic Dylan from that eventful 1965 tour of England. 

Thursday, June 14; 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Acclaimed director Robert Stone offers an unprecedented deconstruction of the myths and controversy surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007; 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Lebanese filmmaker Soula Saad documents the nonviolent uprising among young people in Beirut following the assassination of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

TICKETS: Each MTRDocEvent sold separately: $15, $10 for MTR Members

NOTE: All New York events listed take place at The Museum of Television & Radio, 25 West 52 Street, New York, NY, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

MTR LOS ANGELES: SPRING SCHEDULE 2007

For more details and updates, visit www.mtr.or

MTR PaleyFest: March 1-15, 2007

The spring schedule in Los Angeles includes the popular William S. Paley Television Festival, now in its twenty-fourth year. Festival highlights include a celebration of The Simpsons' 400th episode milestone, an evening with George Lucas, as well as events with the casts and creators of American Idol, Brothers & Sisters, The Closer, Dexter, Heroes, Nip/Tuck, The Office, Prison Break, and Ugly Betty.  Tickets available through TicketMaster.

Media as Mirror

Wednesday, April 4; 7:00 p.m.

Members of the cast and creative team will discuss this new hit CBC sitcom from Canada about a Muslim family living in Saskatchewan.

Thursday, April 5; 7:00 p.m.

JibJab founders Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, Turkish satirical cartoonist Salih Memecan, and others will consider how political satire plays out in a digital age.

Tuesday, May 22; 7:00 p.m.

MTR brings together members of Hollywood's creative community to explore television's portrayal of Arab and Islamic characters in the post-9/11 world.

SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS: All 3 events: $65, $39 for MTR Members. Individual event: $25, $15 MTR Members. Tickets on sale beginning March 1, 2007.

Media as Entertainment

Friday, April 13; 7:00 p.m.

Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, and other cast and creative team huddle at MTR to talk about this widely lauded NBC drama about Texas high school football.

Monday, April 16; 7:00 p.m.

Join Julia Louis-Dreyfus and cast and crew as they talk about the series and new developments in upcoming episodes.

Monday, April 30; 7:30 p.m.

MTR reunites Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless with cocreator Barbara Corday and exec. prod. Barney Rosenzweig to discuss the legacy of this watershed series.

SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS: All 4 events: $52, $35 for MTR Members. Individual event: $15, $10 MTR Members. Tickets on sale beginning March 1, 2007.

MTR Members Event

RAZZLE-DAZZLE!  MITZI GAYNOR, THE SPECIAL YEARS

Tuesday, April 10; 7:00 p.m.

Legendary entertainer Mitzi Gaynor, designer extraordinaire Bob Mackie, and director/choreographer Tony Charmoli will reminisce about her lavish musical variety specials of the sixties and seventies. TICKETS: Free for MTR Members; $25 for Nonmembers.

MTRDocs

Monday, April 23; 7:00 p.m.

Ken Burns presents this look at his next epic documentary months before its release.

Tuesday, April 24; 7:00 p.m.

Ed Begley, Jr., Penelope Ann Miller, Ben Mankiewicz, and others will discuss the Brando legacy before the advance screening of TCM's documentary.

Director Robert Stone, Gary Hart, and others discuss America's forty-year obsession with the defining event of a generation: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Tuesday, June 19; 7:00 p.m.

Morgan "Super Size Me" Spurlock asks everyday Americans to spend a month experiencing something of which they had no previous tolerance or knowledge.

SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS: All 4 events: $52, $35 for MTR Members. Individual event: $15, $10 MTR Members. Tickets on sale beginning March 1, 2007.

Media as Gaming

VIDEO GAMES: THE WRITERS SPEAK

Wednesday, May 9; 7:00 p.m.

D. C. Fontana (Star Trek), Steve Callaghan and Kirker Butler (Family Guy), Duppy Demetrius (24), and others will talk about the role of the writer in the creation of video games.

Individual Tickets: $25, $15 for MTR Members. Tickets on sale beginning March 1, 2007.

Special Event

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT: ON MEDIA AND FOREIGN POLICY

June date to be announced

The former Secretary of State examines the media's impact on foreign policy, with a focus on particular moments when news coverage changed history.

Individual Tickets: $25, $15 for MTR Members. Tickets on sale beginning March 1, 2007.

NOTE: All Los Angeles events, with the exception of the Paley Festival, take place at The Museum of Television & Radio, 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.