ARLINGTON, Va. & MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PBS and OZY Media announced today that the third primetime television show from OZY Media, BREAKING BIG, will premiere Friday, June 15, 2018, 8:30-9:00 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide. BREAKING BIG, a 12-episode documentary series, explores the unexpected journey to success of some of the world’s most influential artists, innovators, political leaders, athletes, authors and entrepreneurs. Watch a clip here.
Hosted by Carlos Watson, an Emmy® Award-winning journalist and co-founder and CEO of OZY.com, BREAKING BIG explores the twists and turns on the road to thriving careers for some notable figures in various fields. The series of 30-minute documentary films traces the unusual paths followed by 12 talented men and women – from country music superstar Jason Aldean and former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson to Oscar-winning director Lee Daniels and chef and restaurateur Eddie Huang – who overcame nearly insurmountable obstacles and long odds to reach and reimagine their own potential and, ultimately, to break big.
The series will include analysis from eminent social scientists, marketing experts, film critics, book editors and others to help viewers understand the risk-taking and bold moves these journeys require.
BREAKING BIG kicks off on June 15 with “Daily Show” star and comedian Trevor Noah as the first guest and subject. The 12 celebrities and influencers profiled in the series, in broadcast order, include:
- Trevor Noah − Host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central
- Eddie Huang − Chef and restaurateur, author of Fresh Off the Boat
- Danai Gurira − Actress and Award Winning Playwright (Black Panther, Walking Dead)
- Jason Aldean − Country music superstar
- Ruth Zukerman − Co-founder of SoulCycle and Flywheel
- Christian Siriano − Fashion designer
- Roxane Gay − Author and cultural critic
- Michael Strahan − Host of “Good Morning, America” and former NFL star
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand − U.S. Senator, New York
- Lee Daniels − Academy Award-winning director, Precious and Fox series “Empire”
- Gretchen Carlson − Former Fox News anchor and Miss America
- Carmen Yulín Cruz − Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico
“PBS is known as the home for compelling stories that engage and inspire,” said Marie Nelson, Vice President of News and Independent Film for PBS. “We know audiences will love BREAKING BIG, a series that offers a compelling look at the many roads to success, pulling back the curtain on the public figures and entertainers we admire to reveal our shared humanity.”
“The paths leading up to a game-changing career are varied and rarely without setbacks and lucky breaks,” said Carlos Watson, the host of the series and co-founder and CEO of OZY.com. “The series will explore the various roads to and definitions of success, examine the qualities of people who have achieved mastery in their field and, we hope, serve as inspiration to the next generation hoping to ‘break big.’”
BREAKING BIG is executive-produced by Carlos Watson, Samir Rao, Royd Chung, Danny Lee, Ari Hyman, Sean Braswell, and Cameo George.
Funding for BREAKING BIG is provided by the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS.
About OZY Media
With 40 million monthly unique users and four million subscribers, OZY brings readers “the new and the next,” offering 100 percent original content with a focus on the future, via unique OZY News, OZY Magazine, OZY TV and OZY Events products. Called “the new media magnet for the news hungry” by Fortune magazine, OZY’s in-depth and high-quality journalism has attracted a number of high-profile media partners including The New York Times, NPR, PBS NewsHour, TED, The Financial Times, The Huffington Post and many more, as well as guest editors including Bill Gates, President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Founded in 2013 by Emmy Award-winning journalist Carlos Watson and co-founder Samir Rao, the OZY team is based in Mountain View, California, and backed by leading Silicon Valley investors, including Laurene Powell Jobs, Ron Conway, David Drummond, Larry Sonsini and Dan Rosensweig, and a significant investment from publishing giant Axel Springer.
About PBS
PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 90 million people through television and 30 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.
About Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org, follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.
About The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than 80 years it has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
For images and additional up-to-date information on this and other PBS programs, visit PBS PressRoom at pbs.org/pressroom.
