John Oliver Becomes Mr. Peabody

Plus other award winners and my own film now a finalist

Greg Mitchell is the author of more than a dozen books (see link) and now writer/director of three award-winning films aired via PBS, including “Atomic Cover-up” and “Memorial Day Massacre” which are still up at PBS.org. Before all that, he was a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy. You can still subscribe to this newsletter for free.

As I noted many months ago: “Comedian” John Oliver has somehow been one of the very few latenight or cable news hosts to strongly question Israeli attacks on Gaza, almost from the beginning. Others still are barely making a peep (we see you Stephen Colbert, among many) or very belatedly began to raise issues (most on MSNBC). Oliver has kept it up even in his brief intros at the start of his Sunday night HBO program or in longer pieces, including a defense of student protesters just this month.

Yesterday he was awarded a prestigious Peabody Award specifically for his Israel/Hamas segments. Here is one of those shows—it says you must click and watch directly on YouTube as it is “age restricted” for some reason:

I’d also like to recommend these Peabody-winning film docs:

Bobi Wine: The People’s President (National Geographic)

20 Days in Mariupol (PBS)

All That Breathes (HBO | Max) 

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (HBO | Max)            

Speaking of docs, I’ve just learned my PBS film, "Memorial Day Massacre," is a finalist for two prizes in the 66th L.A. Press Club Awards, including a top one: for exposing “Disinformation/Misinformation.” (Last year my “First Attack Ads: Hollywood vs. Upton Sinclair,” received similar nods from the same prestigious group.) The film is screening again this month in L.A., Chicago and elsewhere but you can watch now or secure the companion book via this handy link. Produced by Lyn Goldffarb, assoc. producer Barbara Bedway, editor Rob Burgos, composer John E. Low, advisor Carol Quirke. Narrated by new friend Josh Charles, with my old friend Studs Terkel. Hailed by, among others, David Marannis, Rick Perlstein, Allison Russell, Will Bunch, and Amy Goodman.

My piece about it here at Substack with headline: “When Chicago Police Killed Ten Pro-Labor Activists--and Film Cover-up that Followed.” My Mother Jones piece. Trailer:

And now a few cartoons: