New PBS Documentary entitled "Carrier"

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“CARRIER” OFFERS INTIMATE LOOK AT LIFE ABOARD A U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER

Filmmakers Given Unparalleled Access

to Document Stories During Six-Month Deployment to Persian Gulf

Premieres April 27 – May 1, 2008 on PBS

Arlington, VA; December 12, 2007 — CARRIER, a revealing story of daily life on a United States aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, premieres Sunday-Thursday, April 27-May 1, 2008, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS. Given unprecedented access by the Navy to the ship and its personnel, the filmmakers shot nearly 2,000 hours of high-definition video from May to November 2005, during a full six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. For the first time, a television series takes a raw and personal look at the Navy’s role in this controversial war.

“PBS viewers will get a gripping view of the deployment and operations aboard an aircraft carrier during Operation Iraqi Freedom, including emotional accounts of real-life drama aboard the floating city,” says John F. Wilson, senior vice president and chief TV programming executive. “The universal themes that emerge offer compelling insight into the men and women who commit to military service against the extraordinary backdrop of war.”

The USS Nimitz, 24 stories high and three football fields long, carries 85 military aircraft and 5,300 Navy personnel, with an average age of 19. CARRIER follows a core group of film participants, from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror.

“CARRIER is a character-driven, edge-of-your-seat, nonfiction drama and a once-in-a-lifetime total immersion into the high stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier,” says executive producer and director Maro Chermayeff.

The CARRIER series Web site at pbs.org/carrier offers visitors a unique look at life on an aircraft carrier, picking up where the documentary leaves off, with more stories and behind-the-scenes information, including additional video clips, an interactive tour of the ship, “where are they now?” participant updates, photographs, producer diaries and more.

CARRIERwill be available on DVD through PBS Home Video on shopPBS.com after the broadcast premiere and available in retail stores on May 6, 2008.

CARRIER is a production of Icon Productions, LLC, and Carrier Project, Inc. Executive producers are Mel Gibson, Bruce Davey, Nancy Cotton, Mitchell Block and Maro Chermayeff.

Funding for the series is provided by the CPB/PBS Challenge Fund. The presenting station is WETA Washington, DC.

[phantomfg]

My DB just sent me this link. I thought other SO's of men/women who serve in the Navy might be interested in viewing it.

[Shaky]

Ohh thanks for posting this! wrote it on my calendar and will set DVR as soon as it starts showing. I think it would be interesting to go and "kinda" see how it is.

[phantomfg]

Originally Posted by Shaky Ohh thanks for posting this! wrote it on my calendar and will set DVR as soon as it starts showing. I think it would be interesting to go and "kinda" see how it is.

Sure, Shaky, it's my pleasure! It's going to offer some behind the scenes looks into the daily life of our sailors. (Some controversary is expected.) Let me post some more of the PR release, since you're interested...

Kathy

CARRIER Episode Descriptions

CARRIER, a 10-part series filmed aboard the USS Nimitz, is a character-driven immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. Airing Sunday-Thursday, April 27-May 1, 2008, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS, the episodes follow a core group of film participants, from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror.

“All Hands” (Episode #101)
Sunday, April 27, 2008, 9:00 p.m. ET
On a bright May morning, 5,000 sailors and Marines bid farewell to their loved ones before the mammoth USS Nimitz pulls out of Coronado, California, and sets a course for Hawaii and beyond. Among the men and women who live and work on board are an airman who describes the ship as a small town; a pilot who considers the ship a powerful instrument of diplomacy; a sailor who questions “why we’re fighting to defend someone else’s freedom when we barely have our own”; a cook who dishes out 15,000 meals a day; and an airman who has just learned that his girlfriend is pregnant.

“Controlled Chaos” (Episode #102)
Sunday, April 27, 2008, 10:00 p.m. ET
The men and women of the USS Nimitz live beneath the runway of a major airport. They sleep on the roof of a nuclear power plant. It’s a perilous environment. Their only bulwark against danger and chaos is to bond with their units on board the ship. The “Shooters,” who launch the jets, have a “Circle of Trust”; the Ordies (ordnance personnel) pride themselves on being a “mafia”; the F-18 squadrons — the Black Aces, the Hoboes and the Marine Red Devils — are tight fraternities.

“Super Secrets” (Episode #103)
Monday, April 28, 2008, 9:00 p.m. ET
The ship’s location and itinerary are classified. Details of how the nuclear reactor works are top secret. Many aspects of life on a nuclear aircraft carrier are hush-hush. Dating and sex aboard ship are strictly forbidden, but according to one sailor, with 5,000 people on board, relationships are “inevitable,” resulting in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that applies to relationships as well as sexual orientation. When the Nimitz pulls into Hong Kong for a four-day port call, a scandal dramatically alters the lives of two sailors. As the ship departs, the crew learns their itinerary has changed. The captain announces that they are heading for Korea, but the crew can’t share this information with their families back home … because it’s a secret.

“Squared Away” (Episode #104)
Monday, April 28, 2008, 10:00 p.m. ET
Mentoring and camaraderie are what hold the ship together. But life on deployment is stressful for everyone aboard, and there can be considerable friction between enlisted personnel and their superiors. Port calls allow sailors to blow off steam, but they don’t relieve all the pressure. In Guam, a young sailor coming to terms with his upbringing can’t play by the rules and is forced out of the Navy. From Guam, the Nimitz sails through the Straits of Malacca, past Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, the last liberty call before the long haul to the Persian Gulf.

“Show of Force” (Episode #105)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 9:00 p.m. ET
The mission really kicks off when the Nimitz arrives in the Gulf. The conditions are extreme: flight deck personnel endure temperatures hovering around 120 degrees, while the pilots undertake grueling six-hour missions over Iraq. The F-18s are mounted with infrared cameras, enabling them to serve as the “eyes in the sky” to support the troops on the ground. Some of the pilots are frustrated that they’re not dropping bombs because, as they describe it, that’s what they’ve been trained to do. The aircraft carrier’s role and effectiveness in this particular war are questioned. Meanwhile, the strike group searches for terrorists on small dhows and intercepts cargo ships to search for weapons and bomb-making materials.

“Groundhog Day” (Episode #106)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 10:00 p.m. ET
After two months in the Gulf, one day starts to become indistinguishable from the next. The airwing still hasn’t dropped a single bomb, which is frustrating for everyone on board. The only relief comes from a port call in Bahrain, where some sailors relax by the pool, while others visit a mosque and learn about Muslim culture. The Princeton, one of the escort ships in the Nimitz strike group, loses a man overboard; an intense search to find the lost sailor ensues.

“Rites of Passage” (Episode #107)
Wednesday, April 30, 2007, 9:00 p.m. ET
The last day in the Gulf is the last chance to drop bombs before the Nimitz heads home. The jets take off, laden with ordnance, and return hours later, still carrying the same bombs. As the Nimitz crosses the equator, the entire ship takes part in the Crossing the Line Ceremony, an ancient maritime ritual. In the middle of flight operations, a storm arises in the South Indian Ocean. The deck pitches violently, turning the already dangerous task of landing on the carrier into a nail-biting, heart-pounding drama.

“True Believers” (Episode #108)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 10:00 p.m. ET
This episode explores the many expressions of faith onboard the USS Nimitz: faith in self, faith in one’s shipmates, faith in the mission of the ship and the president’s call to arms. The major religious groups on board are Catholic and Protestant, but there also is a coven of Wiccans, as well as a Pentecostal group whose newest member is challenged by the duality of his beliefs and the temptations of liberty as the ship drops anchor in Perth, Australia.

“Get Home-itis” (Episode #109)
Thursday, May 1, 2008, 9:00 p.m. ET
A six-month absence places a heavy burden on relationships. The Navy holds seminars to counsel sailors on what to expect when they return home — and how to make the transition smooth. The “Tiger Cruise” ritual allows sailors to invite their family members aboard for the last leg of the deployment.

“Full Circle” (Episode #110)
Thursday, May 1, 2008, 10:00 p.m. ET
As the Nimitz makes its final transit from Hawaii to California, the sailors and Marines on board prepare to return to their homes and families. For those still on board, the “Tiger Cruise” provides a buffer, but there’s no such transition for those who fly home early from Hawaii. As the Nimitz returns to her home port of San Diego, sailors and Marines reflect on the deployment and take stock of what they’ve achieved. Was the mission accomplished? There are tearful, joyful reunions at the pier.

– PBS –

[OMG it's Andrea!]

thank you! i didn't know about this! joe is on a different carrier (the lincoln), but i'm so excited to watch it!

[phantomfg]

Originally Posted by OMG it's Andrea! thank you! i didn't know about this! joe is on a different carrier (the lincoln), but i'm so excited to watch it!

I'm happy to share it with you. I'm kind of nervous too, to learn more about the underground fraternization that goes along with the job. But, still, intrigued all the same. With 5300 people, there are going to be a lot of stories to tell. I'm sure some things will be sensationalized...but then, maybe not? I just love 'slice of life' documentaries!

[OMG it's Andrea!]

me too! i love stuff like that we'll have to bump this post when it get closer to air time so we all set our DVR's or channels to watch it!

[flangl18]

I'll have to watch this. DH is on the Nimitz right now...

[phantomfg]

Originally Posted by OMG it's Andrea! me too! i love stuff like that we'll have to bump this post when it get closer to air time so we all set our DVR's or channels to watch it!

Good idea. I'll make a note to do this. Thanks, Andrea.

[OMG it's Andrea!]

you're welcome