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Coming up on PBS day -- 'Downton Abbey' cast on Season 5; Ken Burns on 'The Roosevelts': TV Press Tour [The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. :: ](Oregonian (Portland, OR) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 22--BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- On this first of two days devoted to PBS programming, as the Television Critics Association 2014 Summer Press Tour nears its end, we'll be getting -- we hope -- a few tidbits of info about Season 5 of "Downton Abbey," as well as hearing from the always eloquent Ken Burns about his new epic series, "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History." This morning, it was announced that Season 5 of "Downton Abbey" will premiere on PBS' "Masterpiece" on Jan. 4, 2015. Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS also shared the welcome news that filming on the new series of "Sherlock" episodes will begin in 2015. Answering a question about when we might see the latest "Sherlock," Kerger said that since the talent -- Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman -- has "become very popular," that affects the window of when the filming can occur. Since it's coming from "our partners in the U.K.," Kerger said, PBS has to wait for it, whenever it becomes available. "When it comes," Kerger said, "we'll put in in a wonderful place." Also coming to the schedule: Season 4 of "Call the Midwife," which premieres March 29, 2015, and a new "American Experience" four-hour, two-night documentary, "Walt Disney," that looks at the life and work of the legendary animator-turned-visionary-mogul. "Walt Disney" will premiere in fall 2015. "Navy SEALS -- Their Untold Story" will premiere on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and tells the story of how the U.S. Navy frogmen transformed into the Navy SEALS. At lunchtime, we'll hear from Burns about the latest ambitious project from his Florentine Films, "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History," a 14-hour series, which premieres with a two-hour episode on Sunday, Sept. 14. After the premiere, "The Roosevelts" will run for seven consecutive nights. Each episode will be repeated from 10 p.m. to midnight each night after airing, and a daytime weekend marathon is scheduled for Sept. 20-21. And in a move marking an embrace of Netflix-style streaming technology, beginning Sept. 15, all 14 hours of The Roosevelts" will be online and available to stream through PBS stations' video sites, pbs.org/theroosevelts and PBS station branded digital platforms, such as ROKU, Apple TV and Xbox. The streaming content will be available for two weeks, through Sept. 29. "The Roosevelts" tells the sweeping story of the American family, beginning with the birth of Theodore Roosevelt in 1858 to the death of Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1962. The years in between include Theodore's presidency, the marriage of his niece Eleanor to her fifth cousin, Franklin, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. This evening, we'll have dinner and then hear from four members of the "Downton Abbey" cast, Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary); Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith); Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates); and Allen Leech (Tom Branson.) Also on hand will be Gareth Neame, executive producer of "Downton Abbey" and Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of "Masterpiece." Check back here for more news about "Downton Abbey" Season 5 and other PBS programming later. -- Kristi Turnquist ___ (c)2014 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at www.oregonian.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |