PR: Underground Railroad: The William Still Story on DVD Jan 31

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Release Date: January 23, 2012, 9:02 am
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The first generation of his family born free, abolitionist and historian William Still (1821-1902) was determined to get as many runaways as he could across the U.S. border to Canada. He accepted delivery of transported crates containing human "cargo" and helped smuggle them to "Freedom's Land." Still risked everything to keep detailed records of individuals' stories, eventually compiled into a book recognized as the most authentic account of the inner workings of the Underground Railroad and the plights of those who used it.

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LEARN ABOUT AN UNSUNG •AMERICAN HERO IN
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story

DVD Available from PBS Distribution January 31st
DVD Debuts Before the Program Airs on PBS February 6th



Arlington VA - January 12, 2012 - PBS Distribution today announced it is releasing Underground Railroad: The William Still Story on DVD. The compelling story of one of the most important, yet largely unheralded heroes of the Underground Railroad, comes to life in a new 60-minute documentary that will be available on DVD January 31, 2012 and broadcast on PBS February 6, 2012. This documentary also explores the major role Canada played in the complex humanitarian enterprise that helped deliver tens of thousands of men, women, and children from bondage. The DVD SRP is $24.99.

Program Synopsis
The first generation of his family born free, abolitionist and historian William Still (1821-1902) was determined to get as many runaways as he could across the U.S. border to Canada. He accepted delivery of transported crates containing human "cargo" and helped smuggle them to "Freedom's Land." Still risked everything to keep detailed records of individuals' stories, eventually compiled into a book recognized as the most authentic account of the inner workings of the Underground Railroad and the plights of those who used it.

Underground Railroad: The William Still Story uses these powerful diaries, evocative reenactments, historical perspectives and moving accounts from the day to re-create one of North America's greatest sagas. Scenes were shot on "living history" plantations in the South and in locations in Southern Ontario.

After passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, bounty hunters could legally abduct former slaves living in the so-called free northern states, but under the protection of the British, Canada provided sanctuary for fugitive slaves. While Still's home base of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was on the front lines of the struggle over slavery, he considered Canada the ultimate destination for the fugitives he was helping liberate.

Underground Railroad: The William Still Story is a production of 90th Parallel Productions Ltd., in association with Rogers Broadcasting Limited and WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto. Funding provided by CN Railway, Rogers Cable Network, Canada Media Fund, and Rogers Documentary Fund. Additional support from David W. Pretty, Vernon Achber & Phil Lind, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. With participation of Rogers Broadcasting, Ltd., Ontario Media Development Corporation and The Government of Canada-Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program. Executive Producers are John Grant (WNED) and Gordon Henderson (90th Parallel Productions). Director, producer and writer for the film is Laine Drewery. The role of William Still is played by actor Dion Johnstone. Executive in Charge of Production for WNED is David Rotterman. Executive in Charge of Production for Rogers Broadcasting Limited is Alain Strati.

About WNED
WNED-TV is a leading producer of single-topic documentary programming for national broadcast on PBS including "The War of 1812," "Chautauqua: An American Narrative," "Elbert Hubbard: An American Original," "The Adirondacks," "Niagara Falls," "The Marines," "Window to the Sea," "Frank Lloyd Wright's Buffalo" and "America's Houses of Worship. More information on WNED and its programs and services is available at www.wned.org.

About 90TH Parallel Productions
90th Parallel Productions is based in Southern Ontario and specializes in history, science and current affairs documentary production. Its founder Gordon Henderson was a senior producer in the epic documentary series Canada: A People's History.

About PBS Distribution PBS Distribution is the leading media distributor for the public television community, both domestically and internationally. Jointly owned by PBS (Arlington, VA) and WGBH (Boston, MA), PBS Distribution extends the reach of public television programs beyond broadcast while generating revenue for the public television system and our production partners. PBS Distribution offers a diverse range of programming to our customers, including Ken Burns's films (Prohibition, The National Parks, The War, Baseball, Jazz), documentaries from award-winning series NOVA (The Elegant Universe, Origins), FRONTLINE (God in America, Bush's War, Growing Up Online), and American Experience (Freedom Riders, We Shall Remain), dramas from Masterpiece (Downton Abbey, Jane Eyre, Inspector Lewis), films from independent producers (Easy Yoga for Arthritis, The Buddha, The Story of India, Carrier, Journey into Buddhism, I.O.U.S.A.), and popular children's programming from Dinosaur Train, Super Why!, WordGirl, Cyberchase, Martha Speaks, and Arthur. As a multi-channel distributor, PBS Distribution pursues wholesale/retail sales, consumer and educational sales through PBS- branded catalogs and online shops, and international broadcast and video sales. PBS distribution is also a leader in offering programming through digital platforms including the internet, mobile, and web-connected television.



Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
Street Date: January 31, 2012
Genre: Documentary
Run Time: 60 Minutes
SRP: $24.99
Format: DVD

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News Editor January 23, 2012, 9:02 am