To our readers: The fascination with President John F. Kennedy has never waivered; and now that we are approaching the 50th year of his assassination, the SUN is providing this schedule from The Washingtonian of JFK programming through November 22. Refer to local news for TV cable times, channels and rebroadcasts of specials.Ed.
By Carol Ross Joynt
Washingtonian
Almost every night over the next two weeks you can expect to find something on television that revisits the life and death of John F. Kennedy. As we near the date of Friday, November 22, the 50th anniversary of his death in Dallas, there are choices for almost every kind of interest. Below we provide a list of many of the scheduled broadcasts. It is based on premiere air dates, but with cable many programs may repeat or be available on demand. We will update as more information becomes available; and, as always, check local listings.
November 15
Killing Kennedy on National Geographic Channel is a theatrical look at both JFK and Oswald leading up to the assassination, with Rob Lowe as the President. This is a re-airing. Check out our review.
November 16
As It Happened: John F. Kennedy 50 Years, a CBS News primetime special with host Bob Schieffer, recalls Schieffer’s “extraordinary experience as the young journalist who conducted the first interview” with Lee Harvey Oswald’s widow, Marina. CBS will have other JFK programming in regularly scheduled broadcasts, as well.
November 17
Kennedy’s Suicide Bomber, on the Smithsonian Channel, is about a little-known “lone assassin” who had “his own plan to kill JFK” in 1960 in Florida.
The Day Kennedy Died, on the Smithsonian Channel, notes, “The stories of people there on that day have gone largely untold . . . until now.”
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy, on TLC, is based on a book of similar name. The letters are read by more than 20 actors. Read a full review.
This Week With George Stephanopoulos, on ABC, plans to devote the full hour to a tribute to JFK and a discussion of his legacy.
November 19
“Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?,” on PBS, looks at the “man at the center of the political crime of the 20th century.” This broadcast originally aired in 1993.
November 20
“No Day for Games: The Cowboys and JFK,” on the NBC Sports Network’s Costas Tonight, has Bob Costas and Roger Staubach looking back at the first game the Dallas Cowboys had to play after the assassination.
November 21
JFK: The Lost Tapes, on Discovery, presents “rarely seen, real-time news footage and radio reports” in a two-hour special.
The Lost Kennedy Home Movies, on H2, will show the Kennedy clan in home movies through the years.
November 22
JFK Assassination, The Definitive Guide, on the History Channel, asks the question, “Who do Americans suspect was really responsible for JFK’s death?”
Kennedy Brothers: A Hardball Documentary, on MSNBC, is hosted by Hardball anchor Chris Matthews and features interviews with family members and friends.
Lee Harvey Oswald: 48 Hours to Live, on the History Channel, “seeks to explain the enigmatic Oswald” with a “new approach” by tracing his actions in the minutes before and after the assassination.
Tom Brokaw Special: Where Were You?, on NBC, is a two-hour documentary that revisits the assassination through archival footage and interviews.
Leave a Comment