PBS and American Experience Announce 'Rachel Carson' - Voiced by Mary-Louise Parker

PBS and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE announced today that Rachel Carson, a new two-hour documentary on the influential writer and scientist, will premiere April 2017 on PBS stations. Inspired by recent scholarship, the film illuminates the public and private life of the woman whose writings revolutionized how we understand our relationship with the natural world. Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Mary-Louise Parker lends her talents as THE VOICE of Rachel Carson.

When Carson's seminal book Silent Spring was published in 1962, the United States was the world's leading superpower and industrial powerhouse. A warning about the long-term dangers of pesticides, the book became a phenomenon, sparking a nationwide debate that featured vigorous attacks by the chemical industry and influencing President John F. KENNEDY to launch an investigation into the public health effects. In the end, Silent Spring effectively launched the modern environmental movement.

"Despite her fame, Rachel Carson has remained an enigmatic figure," said Mark Samels, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Executive Producer. "At a time when she was keeping her own illness secret, this shy, private woman was thrust into the limelight after writing Silent Spring. In the 60s, chemicals were everywhere -- in food, in crops, in everything. Carson was the first person to point out there's a price to be paid for that world. She guided us towards an understanding of the interrelatedness of nature, and challenged us to think about our impact on the world around us. And that is certainly something that resonates as strongly today as it did 50 years ago. We're honored to be telling her story and have Mary-Louise Parker bring her words to life."

"Rachel Carson was heroic and undaunted in her quest to make us reconsider the fragility of this planet," said Parker. "I hope this film grants deserved credit to her legacy, and that viewers will be as amazed and entranced with her story as I am."

Rachel Carson is executive produced by Mark Samels, produced by Michelle Ferrari and Rafael de la Uz, and directed by Ferrari.

About AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

For more than 28 years, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE has been television's most-watched history series. The series has been hailed as "peerless" (The Wall

Street Journal), "the most consistently enriching program on television" (Chicago Tribune) and "a beacon of intelligence and purpose" (Houston Chronicle). On air and online, the series brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America's past and present. Acclaimed by viewers and critics alike, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE documentaries have been honored with every major broadcast award, including 30 Emmy Awards, four duPont-Columbia Awards and 17 George Foster Peabody Awards; the series received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary Feature in 2015 for Last Days in Vietnam. Visit pbs.org/americanexperience to learn more.

About PBS

PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 33 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. TEACHERS of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing CURIOSITY and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

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