Cold War

Last year, R. E. “Ted” Turner was honored with a personal Peabody Award for his many and varied contributions to broadcasting and cable. Unmentioned in that citation was his original conception of, and complete commitment to, the production of this important documentary series. Cold War is more than an outstanding, unparalleled 24 episode television series. Cold War is also a monumental achievement in research, in the creation of original teaching and learning materials, and in making much of this research available worldwide by the Internet, it represents a landmark contribution to global understanding. The bedrock of the effort is the documentary series, created under the aegis of Sir Jeremy Isaacs and Pat Mitchell, as executive producers. From the Russian Revolution in 1917, through the formation of the Iron Curtain, the Marshall Plan, crises in Berlin, Korea, Cuba, and Vietnam, through Richard Nixon’s overture to China, the era of detente, and, ultimately, the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, each hour is characterized by excellence in reporting and storytelling. This is not just as assemblage of newsreel footage or a compilation of stories well-told elsewhere. Each hour is rife with new information, much of it only recently made available under the Freedom of Information Act in America, and due to the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union. The richness of the educational materials made available on CD-ROM and via the World Wide Web assure that those who lack prior knowledge of these events, or who might have a differing view, have access themselves to the rich raw materials at the heart of the series. For the depth of its commitment, the excellence of its presentation, and for making and creating a wealth of crucial teaching and learning materials, a Peabody to CNN Productions, Atlanta and Jeremy Isaacs Productions for Cold War.