Documentaries on Frankie Manning & Dawn Hampton Airing Near You!

In case you have not had a chance to watch the two excellent documentaries about legendary lindy hopper Frankie Manning and the Hampton family band, they may be airing soon on a PBS station near you. The director Julie Cohen (via Cynthia Millman) sent around the following information about air dates around the United States. Check your local listings.

Or you can still watch the Frankie Manning documentary (called "Never Stop Swinging") online at this link.

 

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From Julie Cohen:

Below are the airings that I know of at this point. There are quite a number. Some stations are airing one of the programs, others are airing both. Note that many cities now have multiple PBS stations (just like there's an HBO1, 2, 3 etc). Also people should keep consulting their guides – tv scheds are always subject to change.

If people want to call local stations requesting to air it they can tell the stations the programs can be obtained from NETA (the National Educational Telecommunications Assn. – they will know what it is). NETA sent it up on a satellite feed last week, but they will provide to interested stations after the fact.

It would be too late for a February airing, but there's no reason it couldn't air later. In fact although NETA billed these programs for Black History Month, stations began airing them as soon as the satellite feed went up. Here's what i know in chronological order. All times are local:

(UHF = Hamptons; FM = Frankie)

1/21 NYC, WLIW, channel 21 UHF 10:30 pm DENVER, KBDI2, 7:00pm UHF, 7:30 FM

1/23 DETROIT, WTVS, 11:30pm UHF JACKSONVILLE, WJCT KIDS 11:30pm, UHF FRESNO, KPTV, 11:30pm UHF

1/26 KANSAS CITY, MO KCPT2, 9:30pm, UHF EUREKA, CA, KEET, 9:30pm, FM

1/27 CHAMPAIGN/URBANA, WILL, 9:30 FM IDAHO (whole state) + SPOKANE, WA all pbs stations 10:30 pm, UHF

1/28 NASHVILLE, WCTE, 9:30pm UHF CINCINNATI, WCET3 9:30 pm FM

1/29 AUSTIN, KLRU 2:30pm UHF KENTUCKY (whole state) some stations 10:30pm, others 11:30 pm FM LANSING, MI WKAR4, 10:30 pm UHF CHARLESTON, WV, WKAS 11:30pm FM

1/30 SEATTLE, KCTS, 11:30pm FM YAKIMA, KYVE, 11:30pm FM

1/31 INDIANAPOLIS, WIPB, 11:30pm FM

2/2 CHAMPAIGN, IL, WEIU 9:30pm UHF KNOXVILLE, WETP 9:30pm UHF DETROIT, WTVS 11:30pm FM

2/4 INDIANAPOLIS, WFYI, 4:00pm UHF SAN ANTONIO, KLRN 9:00pm UHF NORTH CAROLINA (whole state), UNC-Explorer, 9:30pm FM; 10:00 pm UHF

2/5 WACO, KNCT 7:00pm UHF; 7:30pm FM MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL, KCTA2 11:00pm FM CLEVELAND, WEAO, 11:00pm UHF COLUMBUS, WOSU 11:00pm FM; 11:30pm UHF YOUNGSTOWN, WNEO, 11:00pm UHF CHARLESTON, WV WPBO 11:30pm UHF

2/6 ANCHORAGE, AK KAKM 8:30pm FM BOSTON + NEW HAMPSHIRE (whole state) NHPTV Explore 10pm FM, 10:30 pm UHF

2/9 HOUSTON, KUHT2 10:00pm FM; 10:30pm UHF TUCSON, UA Channel, 8:00 pm, FM

2/11 WEST PALM BEACH, WXEL 8:00pm FM; 8:30pm UHF COLUMBIA, MO, KMOS 11:30pm UHF

2/12 SACRAMENTO, KVIE 2:30pm UHF MARQUETTE, MI WNMU 11:00pm FM

2/13 QUINCY, IL WMEC 9:30pm FM

2/14 TOLEDO, WGTE 4:00pm UHF; 4:30pm FM

2/19 SAN FRANCISCO, KQED-LIFE, 8:00 pm FM; 8:30 UHF

I expect some additions and will send an update in about a week.

Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging – Emmy Nominee

Swing dancing legend Frankie Manning was the leading dancer, teacher and choreographer of Lindy Hop from the 1930’s until his death in 2009 at age 94. This half hour documentary tells Frankie’s story, mainly in his own words. He describes his days performing with an African American dance troupe revered all around the world, but often denied entry as customers into the venues where they performed because of their race. Frankie tells of the triumph of winning a Tony Award for choreography and performing in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. Includes Frankie’s last television interview as well as an interview with Frankie’s son, Chazz, and a reunion with Ruthie Rheingold, part of the only white couple to dance in the premier swing dance group in Harlem, which Frankie led. The film, which first aired on WNET, New York's PBS station, received a four star rating in the New York Daily News, and has been nominated for a 2010 New York Emmy Award. It is packed with rare archival dance footage from the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, and the soundstages of Hollywood, as well as footage of Frankie’s master classes in New York, Sweden, Italy and Singapore. (High Definition. 29 minutes)

The Unforgettable Hampton Family

Deacon Hampton had a plan to help his twelve children escape the crushing poverty they were born into in the 1920’s and 30’s: they would form a family band. Each child was taught an instrument as soon as he or she grew big enough to hold one and the family traveled through the south performing at carnival sideshows as a novelty act called Deacon Hampton’s Pickaninnys. The children showed remarkable aptitude for music, and the nine who survived to adulthood all continued their interest in music, many of them going on to great acclaim in the jazz world. Slide Hamptonbecame one of the world’s most accomplished trombonists; Aletra and Virtue Hampton formed a much loved, very funky duo on piano and bass; and Dawn Hampton became a popular cabaret singer in Greenwich Village and later a swing dancer and jazz whistler. Through poignant, often hilarious interviews and precious archival photos and recordings, the documentary shines a much-deserved spotlight on this remarkable family of performers. The film first aired on WNET, New York's PBS station. It was a Grand Jury Award Winner at WorldFest Houston; an official selection of the Atlanta Documentary Film Festival; and an Audience Choice Award winner at Palm Springs International ShortFest. (High Definition. 28 minutes.)