Just a few months ago, the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington generated several documentaries and specials.
The upcoming 50th anniversary of Pres. John F. Kennedy’s assassination on Nov. 22 has spawned even more.
While the event was a marker for many from the Baby Boomer generation, younger generations only know about the shooting via films, video archives and history books. This new wave of programs will cover almost every angle, from a film about Kennedy’s death on the National Geographic Channel to a recap of conspiracies on the History Channel to a profile of the shooter Lee Harvey Oswald on GPB.
Here’s a sampling of what programs will air in the coming two weeks:
"Fox News Reporting: 50 Years of Questions: The JFK Assassination" (9 p.m. Saturday, Fox News Channel) — Bill Hemmer hosts a special which looks at the FBI investigation, the autopsy report and the Warren Commission findings.
"Killing Kennedy" (Nov. 10, 8 p.m., NatGeo) This film dramatizes the non-fiction book written by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard with Rob Lowe as Kennedy and Ginnifer Goodwin as his wife Jackie.
"American Experience" (Monday, Nov. 11 and Tuesday, Nov. 12, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night, GPB) A two-part profile of Kennedy, from his early years to his death featuring interviews with family members and historians.
"NOVA Cold Case: JFK" (Wednesday, Nov. 13, 9 p.m, GPB) If investigators of Kennedy's assassination had 2013 tools, could they have done better?
"JFK: One PM Central Standard Time" (Wednesday, Nov. 13, 10 p.m., GPB) Narrated by George Clooney, this "Secrets of the Dead" special recounts what happened the day of his assassination with a special look at CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, the most respected newsman of his day.
"The Assassination of JFK (1963)" (Thursday, Nov. 14, 9 p.m., CNN) This is the first of a 10-part series on the 1960s, with Tom Hanks as an executive producer.
"As It Happened: John F. Kennedy 50 Years" (Saturday, Nov. 16, 9 p.m., CBS) Bob Schieffer, who covered the story in Dallas that weekend, recounts his time there. (Long-time CBS newsman Dan Rather, whose departure from the network was rocky, will recount his own coverage that day on NBC's "Today Show" Nov. 22 instead.)
"Letters to Jackie" (Sunday, Nov. 17, 9 p.m., TLC) Celebrities such as Channing Tatum, Viola Davis and Mark Ruffalo read condolence letters sent to Jackie Kennedy and her family after JFK was killed.
"Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?" (Tuesday, Nov. 19, 10 p.m., GPB) Was Oswald a lone gunman, part of a big conspiracy or a patsy?
"JFK: The Lost Tapes" (Thursday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m., Discovery). This special digs up newly released audio recordings from Air Force One the day Kennedy died, plus remastered on-the-scene audio from other sources.
"JFK Assassination: The Definitive Guide" (Friday, Nov. 22, 8 p.m., History) The network polled thousands of Americans to find out what they do or don't believe regarding the shooting. Nearly three quarters of Americans believe Oswald was not the lone gunman.
"Where Were You?" (Friday, Nov. 22, 9 p.m. NBC) Tom Brokaw combines archival footage with first-person accounts of people who lived through the assassination.
