Running Time:
240 minutes
Grade Level:
7 - Adult
Captions:
Closed Captions
,
Spanish Subtitles
AVP Release Date:
January 2007
Producer:
Thirteen/WNET
AWARD WINNING SOCIAL STUDIES SERIES!
- AWARDS AND HONORS -
- A 2008 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner, Television
- 2007 CINE Special Jury Award - Best of History
- 2007 New York Festivals Gold World Medal: The Supreme Court: A Nation of Liberties
- 2007 New York Festivals Silver World Medal: The Supreme Court: The Rehnquist Revolution
- 2007 IDA Best Limited Series (International Documentary Association)
- 2007 New York Festivals Gold World Medal, Best Editing
- 2007 New York Festivals Gold World Medal, Best Lighting
- 2007 New York Festivals Silver World Medal, Best Writing
It's known as the court of last resort - the Supreme Court - where nine judges appointed for life make monumental decisions that govern our everyday lives, from the contents of the nation's daily newspapers to what we can do in the privacy of our own homes. With immense power and considerable mystery, the court of final appeal has helped author the history of America. But even though it is one of the pillars of American democracy - the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution - no television series has ever fully profiled the inner workings of the court. Until now. By fusing history with biography, THE SUPREME COURT humanizes the enigmatic black-robed figures, revealing their temperaments, passions, deeply held personal beliefs, and life stories. The series also explores the dramatic stories of the people whose cases have come before the court, as well as the often controversial rulings that impact all Americans.
With President George Bush's recent appointments of John G. Roberts Jr. to be chief justice of the United States, replacing the late William Rehnquist, and Samuel Alito as associate justice to replace the retired Sandra Day O'Connor, the Supreme Court has been in the spotlight, underscoring the importance of exploring the history, place and power of this fundamental American institution. The series does this by elucidating the shifting yet delicate balance between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government. Numerous accounts highlight the complex and explosive collisions between the court and the presidency. Portraits of many key figures - presidents, justices, attorneys, plaintiffs, and defendants - illustrate how all Americans, both the powerful and the penniless, have been able to have their day in court, days that have sometimes resulted in lasting changes to our culture and society.
The series charts the court's unique evolution, using archival footage and innovative graphic techniques to help audiences grasp complex legal concepts. Interviews with some of the greatest legal minds in the country as well as exclusive access to the court help personalize the justices while providing context to key decisions and hot-button issues of the day.
The series includes a frank interview with retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who recalls the challenge of being the first woman appointed to the court. "I didn't know if I had the experience that would enable me to do a good job on the court," says O'Connor in THE SUPREME COURT. "It's wonderful to be the first to be asked to do something, but I didn't want to be the last. And for me to take that job and not perform it well enough could have been a disaster for women."
THE SUPREME COURT is a integral part of American History studies.
Series of 4 programs on 4 DVDs.
UPC 739815003448
- Disk 1: ONE NATION UNDER LAW
Running Time: One hour
Program One: One Nation Under Law
- This program examines the creation of the court and follows it through the brink of the Civil War, paying particular attention to the fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court - John Marshall - and to his successor, Roger Taney. Marshall presided over one of the most famous cases before the court while Taney presided over one of the most infamous. In Marbury v. Madison (1803), Marshall found in an obscure case involving an unsigned judicial appointment the opportunity to assert the court's most important power: the right of judicial review. In Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), however, Taney, the next chief justice, exercised that same power against the national government - to protect slavery. "It was a disaster," says James Simon, law professor, dean emeritus, New York Law School. "It was the worst opinion ever written in the history of the Supreme Court of the United States."
- Disk 2: A NEW KIND OF JUSTICE
Running Time: One hour
Program Two: A New Kind of Justice
Explores the issues before the court from the aftermath of the Civil War through to the 1930s. This was a period of unprecedented economic growth as the nation industrialized but was also a time of unregulated work conditions - the court found itself squarely in the middle of what was almost class warfare. As corporations became more powerful they found an unlikely ally in the Supreme Court. While the 14th Amendment was passed to make certain that the states were obligated to recognize the rights of the newly freed slaves, the court would for almost 100 years use the amendment to protect not blacks but big business, recognizing corporations as "persons" and awarding them sweeping legal protection.
- Disk: 3: A NATION OF LIBERTIES
Running Time: One hour
Program Three: A Nation of Liberties
focuses on the court's reaction to state and federal legislation on Bill of Rights freedoms, with special attention to the explosion of civil rights cases from the early 1940s to the present. This program highlights the Warren Court as it confronts the issues of race, gender and religion. "This is a watershed time in the court's history," says Joan Biskupic, journalist and author, in THE SUPREME COURT. "You have World War II. You have McCarthyism. You have the Cold War. You have the civil rights struggles. There's tension between national security, national identity, free speech, individual rights. And it falls into the lap of these nine justices to sort it all out."
- Disk 4: THE REHNQUIST REVOLUTION
Running Time: One hour
Program Four: The Rehnquist Revolution
The Rehnquist Revolution investigates how the court has developed in more recent times. With a particular view to the leadership of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the series charts the rise in importance of the Court to become the institution most responsible for resolving the central questions of American life.
The program also addresses the right to privacy, a key component in 1973's Roe v. Wade. "How in the world did such a conservative justice [Harry Blackmun] write this incredibly activist, liberal opinion in Roe?" asks Michael Klarman, James Monroe distinguished professor of law and professor of history, University of Virginia, in THE SUPREME COURT. "Well, if you go back and read the opinion it doesn't read as some sort of charter of feminist rights; it reads as a charter of doctors' rights."
Clip Length: 3 minutes 39 seconds
Reviews:
"This exemplary four-part companion to Jeffrey Rosen's book (2006) chronicles the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. The chronologically arranged series begins with One Nation under Law, which highlights the early years of the court, beginning in 1787. The eventual appointment of James Marshall as chief justice is seen as key because he 'steered the court through rough political storms.' Viewers will be intrigued by plot twists regarding judicial appointments, political infighting, and surprising decisions. The technical aspects are superb. David Strathairn's succinct voice-over narration deftly weaves together historical information and expert commentary by well-known historians, authors, law professors, and others, including retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. A rich kaleidoscope of visuals, reenactments, and majestic background music further enhances the coverage...Bonus features include historical documents, charts, maps, photo galleries, and Spanish subtitles."
- Booklist April 2007 (Booklist awarded this series an outstanding star)Read More Reviews
Reviews:
"This exemplary four-part companion to Jeffrey Rosen's book (2006) chronicles the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. The chronologically arranged series begins with One Nation under Law, which highlights the early years of the court, beginning in 1787. The eventual appointment of James Marshall as chief justice is seen as key because he 'steered the court through rough political storms.' Viewers will be intrigued by plot twists regarding judicial appointments, political infighting, and surprising decisions. The technical aspects are superb. David Strathairn's succinct voice-over narration deftly weaves together historical information and expert commentary by well-known historians, authors, law professors, and others, including retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. A rich kaleidoscope of visuals, reenactments, and majestic background music further enhances the coverage...Bonus features include historical documents, charts, maps, photo galleries, and Spanish subtitles."
- Booklist April 2007 (Booklist awarded this series an outstanding star)"Narrated by David Strathairn, the PBS-aired The Supreme Court is an excellent four-part historical overview that combines archival footage, stills, and period illustrations with dramatic recreations, and insightful commentary from a number of academics, as well as remarks from retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and new Chief Justice John G. Roberts in its examination of key decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, from its establishment in 1787 through the 2000 Gore-Bush presidential election decision under the late William H. Rehnquist...The Supreme Court is a fascinating survey, a tale of colorful and all-too-human justices struggling with landmark legal issues. DVD extras include original manuscripts, charts and maps, documents related to the Dred Scott case, and a Spanish subtitles option. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P.
- Video Librarian, ***1/2, May/June 2007“For many Americans, the embattled history of the Supreme Court and its often intensely divided justices is dim, even though our ‘court of last resort’ rules on many vital issues that affect millions of Americans for generations. But now, an historic television series, ‘The Supreme Court’ produced by Thirteen/WNET New York for PBS, has brought the clashing personalities of the justices and the crises of their times into unprecedented immediacy.
This illuminating, often dramatic series recently aired on PBS stations around the country…
How many of us know what in the life and temperament of Chief Justice John Marshall gave him the daring to find in a Congressional act setting up the federal court system the power of the Supreme Court, and other federal courts, to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional? The 1803 decision Marbury v. Madison changed the course of this country.
How many of us know anything about former slave owner Justice John Marshall Harlan, whose lonely dissents tried to awaken the Court that for years stopped the "equal protection of the laws" guarantee in the Fourteenth Amendment from applying to black Americans? These and other "personalities and rivalries that defined America" are brought back to life in this invaluable TV series, a true reality show that both entertains and educates.
This series also has a long-range component: a national educational outreach campaign to reach community groups, libraries and of special importance, schools.”
"a must-see series that takes the viewer back to the pitifully weak early days of the Court, then all the way forward to its current incarnation as a center-of-the-universe powerhouse. It perfectly tees up the current air of anticipation over just how conservative the new Roberts Court is -- or will be, with another vacancy or two."
- LAW.COM
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