“Watergate” Debuts in June
The HISTORY Channel will air a special encore presentation of the network’s six-hour definitive original documentary, “Watergate,” from Academy Award(R) -winning director Charles Ferguson (“Inside Job”) on Friday, June 17 at 6pm ET/PT, on the 50th anniversary of the infamous break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972.
“Watergate” chronicles one of the biggest criminal conspiracies in modern politics and features a roster of some of the most important media, legal and political figures from the scandal, including Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, John Dean, Jill Wine-Banks, Richard Ben-Veniste, and many others. The film explores many of the same issues being debated today on a national level, including executive privilege and the handling of Presidential misconduct.
“I am gratified that History Channel has decided to rebroadcast my documentary WATERGATE on the 50th anniversary of the Watergate burglary. The story of the Watergate scandal is now more relevant than ever in the current era of divisive politics and attacks on America’s core democratic institutions. I hope that going forward, WATERGATE will be viewed by, and the lessons of the Watergate scandal will be learned by, every new generation of American voters,” said Ferguson.
On the night of June 17, 1972, a security guard in the Watergate office complex in Washington, DC called the police when he found a door repeatedly taped open. The police discovered five men dressed in business suits who were in the process of installing bugs and photographing documents in the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. Thus began the most explosive scandal in American history – a scandal that brought down the Presidency of Richard M. Nixon and sent over 40 people to jail.
The events of Watergate read like a political thriller – dirty tricks, government surveillance, and sabotage … much of it secretly caught on tape. “Watergate” tells the full story of the conspiracy led by Nixon and his White House staff, and how they were brought to justice. Among the incidents covered in the series is the leaking and publication of the Pentagon Papers; the spreading of false news on behalf of the White House to destroy the candidacy of Senator Edmund Muskie, then the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972; the revelation that Nixon secretly tape-recorded every conversation in the Oval Office; the Supreme Court fight for the tapes following subpoenas by the special prosecutor and both houses of Congress; the infamous Saturday Night Massacre, when Nixon fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox, leading to the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus; the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment proceedings; and the final “smoking gun” tape which recorded Nixon conspiring to cover up White House involvement in Watergate just days after the burglary.
“Watergate” includes new interviews with journalists, senior Nixon Administration officials, members of Congress, and prosecutors. Interview subjects include the late Senator John McCain, Daniel Ellsberg, Elizabeth Holtzman, William Ruckelshaus, Dan Rather, Lesley Stahl, among others. This material is combined with existing archival material including the taped conversations recorded by Nixon and other members of his administration, footage from Congressional hearings, interviews conducted during the investigation, transcripts from criminal trials and Supreme Court arguments other legal proceedings, and written first-person accounts from people involved in the scandal.
Charles Ferguson directed the Academy Award-winning film, “Inside Job,” and the Academy Award-nominated film, “No End in Sight.”
“Watergate” was produced by Representational Pictures. Charles Ferguson is Director and Producer. Krista Parris is Producer. John Sloss and Dana O’Keefe are Executive Producers for Cinetic. Molly Thompson and Michael Stiller are Executive Producers for The HISTORY Channel.
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The HISTORY(R) channel, a division of A+E Networks, is the premier destination for historical storytelling. From best-in-class documentary events, to a signature slate of industry leading nonfiction series and premium fact-based scripted programming, The HISTORY(R) Channel serves as the most trustworthy source of informational entertainment in media. The HISTORY(R) Channel has been named the #1 U.S. TV network in buzz for seven consecutive years by YouGov BrandIndex, and a top favorite TV network by Beta Research Corporation. For a deeper dive, visit history.com or follow @history on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For additional press materials visit the A+E Networks Press Center at http://press.aenetworks.com.
