Frontline | |
---|---|
Created by | David Fanning |
Narrated by | Will Lyman (1983–present) |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 600+ (list of episodes) |
Production company(s) | WGBH-TV |
Release | |
Original network | PBS |
Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
Original release | January 17, 1983 | – present
External links | |
Website |
Frontline (styled by the program as FRONTLINE) is a public affairs television program which produces and broadcasts in-depth documentaries about various subjects. Produced at WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed through the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States, the program has been critically acclaimed and received numerous awards. Some programs are made by independent filmmakers and broadcast as part of the Frontline series.
Since the debut of the series, there have been more than 500 films released. Traditionally viewed via the medium of television, today some of the program's episodes are available on the web.
The program debuted in 1983, with NBC anchorwoman Jessica Savitch as the show's first host, but Savitch died later after the first season finale. PBS NewsHour's Judy Woodruff took over as host in 1984, and hosted the program for five years, combining their job with a sub anchor place on The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour when Jim was away. In 1990, episodes of Frontline began airing without a host, and the narrator was left to introduce each episode.
Since 1988, Frontline has also aired "The Choice"—a special edition aired during the lead-up to the presidential election every four years, focusing on the Democratic and Republican candidates contending for the office of President of the United States. "The Choice 2016" is the most recent installment, aired on September 27, 2016, featuring Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The previous version aired on October 9, 2012, and featured a dual biography tracing the lives and careers of incumbent President Barack Obama and his challenger, Mitt Romney.