When Pop Culture Saved America

{{Infobox television

| image = When_Pop_Culture_Saved_America.jpg

| image_upright =

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption = Title screen from the documentary

| genre = Documentary

| creator = David P. Levin

| developer =

| writer = David P. Levin
Emmett Williams

| screenplay =

| story =

| director = David P. Levin

| creative_director =

| narrated = Alan Kalter

| presenter =

| starring = Kristin Chenoweth
Idina Menzel
Denis Leary
Dan Rather
Regis Philbin
Ray Romano

| executive_producer = David P. Levin (Brainstorm)
David McKillop (Biography)
Lily Neumeyer (Biography)

| producer = Emmett Williams

| cinematography = Martin Cole
Christian Meyers

| editor = Barry Hirschberg
David P. Levin
Memo Salazar

| camera =

| runtime = 120 minutes

| company =

| budget =

| network =

| released = {{Start date|2011|09|05}}

}}

When Pop Culture Saved America is an American documentary dealing with how American culture helped the country deal with the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Produced by David P. Levin, the film consists of interviews with stars and personalities such as Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Denis Leary, Dan Rather, Regis Philbin, and Ray Romano. It was produced by Brainstorm, Inc. for The Biography Channel (now called FYI), as part of their remembrance of the attacks on their 10th anniversary.{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/08/16/ae-and-bio-channel-present-four-commercial-free-documentary-specials-commemorating-the-10th-anniversary-of-911/100536/|publisher=TV by the Numbers|title=A&E and BIO Channel Present Four Commercial-Free Documentary Specials Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of 9/11|date=August 16, 2011|access-date=May 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610075106/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/ae-and-bio-channel-present-four-commercial-free-documentary-specials-commemorating-the-10th-anniversary-of-911/100536/ |url-status=dead|archive-date=June 10, 2022}} Which Entertainment Weekly cited as one of the 10 specials to watch on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.{{cite web | url=http://www.ew.com/article/2011/09/02/911-specials | title=9/11 Specials: 10 shows to watch | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | date=September 2, 2011 | first=Tanner | last=Stransky| accessdate=May 1, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118120711/http://ew.com/article/2011/09/02/911-specials/ | url-status=live |archivedate=January 18, 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/when-pop-culture-saved-america-featuring-kristin-chenoweth-and-idina-menzel-airs-on-biography-sept-11-12-com-182481 | publisher=Playbill | title="When Pop Culture Saved America," Featuring Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, Airs on Biography Sept. 11-12 |first=Andrew | last=Gans | date=September 11, 2011 | accessdate=February 18, 2017 | archivedate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220010708/http://www.playbill.com/article/when-pop-culture-saved-america-featuring-kristin-chenoweth-and-idina-menzel-airs-on-biography-sept-11-12-com-182481}}

The documentary

As the United States prepared to remember the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 on their tenth anniversary, many television networks developed specials. The Biography Channel (Bio), one of A&E Networks' channels prepared three to be aired in observance. with an additional production slated for the A&E channel. The three slated for Bio were: When Pop Culture Saved America, I Survived ... 9/11, and Beyond: Messages from 9/11; A&E's entry was Portraits from Ground Zero.{{cite web | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/911-anniversary-what-tv-networks-227943 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |title=9/11 Anniversary: What the TV Networks Are Planning | last=Guthrie | first=Marisa | date=August 26, 2011 | accessdate=February 19, 2017 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220013539/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/911-anniversary-what-tv-networks-227943 | url-status=live | archivedate=February 20, 2017}} The producer, David P. Levin, interviewed almost two dozen celebrities from the worlds of television, film, theater and music to show how those in the world of entertainment chose to help the nation heal after the attack. The documentary also delved into how the terrorist attacks changed pop culture on television and in films.{{cite web | url=http://www.welovesoaps.net/2011/09/popculturesavedamerica.html |publisher=We Love Soaps |title=When Pop Culture Saved America: a 9/11 Story | last=Mulcahy, Jr. | first=Kevin | date=September 5, 2011 | accessdate=February 19, 2017 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220011630/http://www.welovesoaps.net/2011/09/popculturesavedamerica.html | url-status=live | archivedate=February 20, 2017}}

The show premiered on September 5, 2011, and was aired several more times over the following week, including a prime time airing on September 11, with its final showing the following day.{{cite web | url=http://www.tv.com/shows/biography/when-pop-culture-saved-america-a-9-11-story-1623638/ |publisher=TV.com |title=When Pop Culture Saved America: a 9/11 Story | date=September 5, 2011 | accessdate=February 19, 2017 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220015106/http://www.tv.com/shows/biography/when-pop-culture-saved-america-a-9-11-story-1623638/ | url-status=dead | archivedate=February 20, 2017}} The show utilized Alan Kalter as its narrator.{{cite web | url=http://celebritywc.com/film/when-pop-culture-saved-america-a-9-11-story.html |publisher=CelebrityWC.com |title=When Pop Culture Saved America: a 9/11 Story | accessdate=February 19, 2017 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220015049/http://celebritywc.com/film/when-pop-culture-saved-america-a-9-11-story.html | url-status=live | archivedate=February 20, 2017}} In the run-up to the anniversary of the attacks, both the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, named the documentary to their top 10 lists of shows to watch in commemoration of the terror attacks.{{cite web|url=http://www.brainstorm-inc.com/www.brainstorm-inc.com/Home.html |title=BrainStorm, Inc. |publisher=BrainStorm, Inc. |accessdate=February 19, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207112748/http://brainstorm-inc.com/www.brainstorm-inc.com/Home.html|url-status=dead |archivedate=February 7, 2016}}

Highlighted in the documentary is Alan Jackson's performance of his post-9/11 song, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)".{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/08/alan-jackson-to-reprise-where-were-you-at-sept-11-memorial-concert-in-washington.html |title=Alan Jackson to sing 'Where Were You' at Washington 9/11 concert |publisher=L. A. Times |date=August 31, 2011 |accessdate=February 19, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930002108/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/08/alan-jackson-to-reprise-where-were-you-at-sept-11-memorial-concert-in-washington.html |url-status=live |archivedate=September 30, 2015}} The documentary also featured how pop culture was changed and influenced by the events of 9/11, such as the creation of the play 110 Stories, a "docu-play" which follows the course of the day as seen through the lives of ordinary people who lived through it.{{cite web|url=http://www.110storiesplay.com/ |title=110 Stories |publisher=110 Stories |accessdate=February 19, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220015001/http://www.110storiesplay.com/ |url-status=live |archivedate=February 20, 2017}}

Appearances

The list of interviewees ran the gamut of the entertainment industry: theater, film, prime time and daytime television, and music.

References

External links

[https://vimeo.com/88610609 When Pop Culture Saved America on Vimeo]
{{IMDb title|2056782}}

Category:American documentary films

Category:Documentary films about the September 11 attacks

Category:Documentaries about historical events