WATERTOWN, NY (April 17, 2023) – The new eight-part documentary series ICONIC AMERICA: OUR SYMBOLS AND STORIES WITH DAVID RUBENSTEIN premieres Wednesdays April 26 through May 17 and July 12 through August 2, 2023 at 10:00 pm on WPBS-TV. Each episode unpacks a symbol from history – familiar items with deep and significant meaning. The series explores the stories around each object, which serves as a portal into the lives of the extraordinary American figures who helped create, shape and use these objects.
SERIES DESCRIPTION – Wednesdays; 10:00 pm; April 26 – May 17, 2023, and July 12 – August 2, 2023
David Rubenstein — co-founder of the Carlyle Group, acclaimed philanthropist, and lifelong student of history — Examines the history of America through some of its most iconic symbols, objects and places, diving deep into each symbol’s history and how its meaning has changed over time — using them as a gateway to understanding America’s past and present. From flags and statues to revered landmarks, people live alongside and interact with history every day.
From Fenway Park and the Hollywood Sign to the Gadsden Flag and the Statue of Liberty, these seemingly familiar items have deep, significant and often surprising origins, with meanings connecting everyone to America’s past. Historical thinkers, community members and other experts join in dialogue with Rubenstein on location. Spurred by Rubenstein’s insatiable curiosity and lifelong interest in American history, these conversations drive the narrative and frame it through analysis, reflection, and counterpoint. These are the stories of the country’s history, and also the story of America today.
EPISODE SUMMARIES:
FENWAY PARK – Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 10:00 pm
Baseball is America’s pastime and obsession, and no ballpark is more iconic than Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. The story of a city’s loyalty to its team and love for its ballpark through thick and thin.
THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN – Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The story of how a real estate advertisement erected in 1923 became an international symbol of fame, fortune and the American dream.
THE GADSDEN FLAG – Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The “Don’t Tread on Me” flag is such a potent symbol of independence that it has been co-opted by a wide variety of Americans over its long history.
THE COWBOY – Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The cowboy is the quintessential American — fiercely independent, brave and laconic. The episode examines the myths and realities of this archetype, which remains as potent as ever in the 21st century.
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY – Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The evolving meaning of this symbol for a “nation of immigrants,” and how it embodies our values and our conflicts, from abolition and women’s suffrage to the treatment of refugees.
THE AMERICAN BALD EAGLE – Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The story of how the American Bald Eagle soared to its vaunted perch in American iconography, a symbol not only of patriotism but also of environmental activism and Native American traditions.
STONE MOUNTAIN – Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 10:00 pm
As Confederate statues are torn down across the country and the nation wrestles with its past, there are heated arguments about the fate of the Monument at Stone Mountain, Georgia, the Confederate Mount Rushmore.
THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE – Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The Golden Gate bridge is an engineering marvel that symbolizes America’s can-do spirit. Can America continue to execute bold and ambitious infrastructure projects in the 21st century?
Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein is a production of Show of Force, DMR Productions, and WETA Washington, D.C. David M. Rubenstein is the host and executive producer. Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett and Sam Pollard are executive producers for Show of Force. John F. Wilson is executive producer for WETA. Bill Gardner is the executive in charge for PBS. Chris Ullman is producer for DMR Productions. Jonathan Scheinberg, Prisca Pointdujour, Sam Lacroix, Alexandra Nikolchev, Sally Rosenthal, Matthew Horovitz, Lizzie Mulvey and Ken Levis are producers for Show of Force. Kate Kelly is producer for WETA. Rick Van Meter is supervising producer. Allison Hanna is archival producer. Gary Lionelli is composer for the original score.
Funding is provided by The Zohar Ben-Dov Family through the Luminescence Foundation.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
