Premium entertainment network EPIX announced today that Forgotten
Four: The Integration of Pro Football, an EPIX Original
Documentary, will make its World Premiere on Tuesday,
September 23, 2014, at 8PM ET. The 60-minute documentary, narrated
by Tony Award® winner Jeffrey Wright and produced by 52 time Emmy® award
winner Ross Greenburg, tells the little-known story of four outstanding
and brave African American men – Kenny Washington, Woody Strode,
Marion Motley and Bill Willis – who broke the color barrier
in pro football in 1946, one year before Jackie Robinson and Branch
Rickey were credited with integrating Major League Baseball. EPIX has
joined forces with the National Football League to celebrate the
achievements of the Forgotten Four with local screenings in NFL team
markets across the country, followed by panel discussions on the current
state of race relations and athletics. The first team to kick off the
commemoration is the Denver Broncos on August 2, 2014. Other NFL teams
confirmed to host events as of now include the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo
Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas
Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars,
Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco
49ers, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans and
Washington Redskins. More teams will be announced over the coming weeks.
The hardships and triumphs of the Forgotten Four are told through the
recollections of their families and those who have researched these
remarkable pioneers. Those interviewed for this Epix Original
Documentary include Forgotten Four family members Tony Motley (Marion
Motley's grandson), Mike Brown (Paul Brown's son), Clem and William
Willis, Jr. (Bill Willis' sons), Karin L. Cohen (Kenny Washington's
daughter) and Kalai Strode (Woody Strode's son). An all-star lineup of
football legends also shares its insights, including: Don Shula
(Hall of Fame coach who also played for the Cleveland Browns), Bob
Gain, Sherman Howard, Jim Hardy (Los Angeles Rams) and George
Taliaferro (Indiana University). Participating writers/historians
include Joe Horrigan (Pro Football Hall of Fame), Lonnie G. Bunch
(National Museum of African American History and Culture), Khalil Gibran
Muhammad (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture), Jarrett Bell (USA
Today) and Brad Pye, Jr. (Los Angeles Sentinel).
"EPIX is pleased to work with the National Football League to bring the
story of these trailblazers in civil rights and professional sports to a
new national audience," said Mark Greenberg, President and CEO, EPIX.
"We believe Forgotten Four presents an insightful and
informative account of the profound impact these courageous men had on
the sport."
Join the conversation about #ForgottenFour on Twitter http://Twitter.com/EpixHD,
on Facebook http://Facebook.com/EPIX
and on the EPIX webpage http://www.epix.com/forgotten-four-the-integration-of-pro-football/.
Forgotten Four: The Integration of Pro Football, an EPIX
Original Documentary, was produced by Ross Greenburg and directed by
Johnson McKelvy. Ross Greenburg and Wesley E. Smith are executive
producers. Ross Bernard is executive producer and Jill Burkhart is
producer for EPIX. Donovan McNabb, former star NFL quarterback
with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, served as creative
consultant for the film.
About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service
delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original
documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on
devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development
and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network
to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and
was the first premium network to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android
tablets and phones, Windows 8.1 and Roku® players. EPIX is available to
authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads®
and iPhones® and is the only premium service providing all its
programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other
premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.
EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its
Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and
telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide.
For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com.
Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD)
and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX),
YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX),
Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX),
Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX)
and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX).
Copyright Business Wire 2014