Public television will launch a new weekly newsmagazine next fall, and it will be produced in part by ABC News' "Nightline," PBS announced yesterday.
The working title for the magazine is "Life in Bold," and it will spotlight everyday people, according to Pat Mitchell, who has been promising more partnerships with commercial broadcasters and filmmakers since taking over as president at PBS earlier this year.
"In a television environment that often confuses celebrities with heroes, `Life in Bold' will spotlight compelling stories of extraordinary achievement by ordinary people," Mitchell said.
Michel Martin, an ABC News correspondent who formerly worked for the Wall Street Journal, will be host of the program, which will be co-produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting and "Nightline."
PBS also announced yesterday that it will pick up the critically acclaimed but quickly canceled reality series "American High," by documentary-maker R.J Cutler.
The series about a year in the life of students at suburban Chicago high school was canceled by Fox after only four episodes in August. PBS will air 14 new episodes of the series starting in April, Mitchell said.
