What timing! Some comments just came in regarding Dean Butler’s documentary on Laura’s life. (The original post is here; comments are here.)
Reader Kirsten Johnsen was wondering what in the world was up with this documentary. People want to see it! Sarah Sue Uthoff responded that basically, we have no update, but she suspected that the upcoming PBS pledge drive special might give the distribution a boost.
In fact, she’s on the right track. And there is an update. It just came in over the weekend, and I have not had a chance yet to post it.
The documentary will be available not singly as we’d been expecting, but as part of a package for PBS’s pledge drive special in June. From Dean:
I’m delighted to announce that LHOP: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder will be available through PBS as part of “The Pa’s Fiddle Collection” that supports PA’S FIDDLE: THE MUSIC OF AMERICA.
The Pa’s Fiddle Collection is composed of five items available exclusively on PBS for a $275 pledge to your favorite PBS member station:
- Pa’s Fiddle Concert DVD
- Pa’s Fiddle Concert CD
- Making of Pa’s Fiddle DVD
- Pa’ Fiddle Primer CD
- LHOP: Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder DVD
So although we cannot obtain it singly, by pledging to PBS, we can obtain it.
 See the video preview for the PBS event here.
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Comments16
That is exciting news, Sandra! The legacy film is beautiful, and I think pairing it with Pa’s Fiddle Project is a stroke of genius. Now, off to budget for my PBS pledge….
How very exciting! I must carefully save my pennies as it looks to be a very “Laura” summer!
This will be the perfect venue to have both of Dean’s DVDs made available. I wonder if he could throw in the Almanzo: Life Before Laura DVD as well? This is all worth waiting for.
That’s horrible. $275? That’s a lot of money. Of course all of those things would be wonderful to have, but I would rather have the option to obtain them individually. Very disappointed.
I don’t know for sure, but normally when PBS does a drive there are multiple pledge levels. This looks the top level to me and there will probably be other levels with different bundles of the prizes. Most of that money will go to support your local PBS as a tax deductible donation. At some point all these items will most likely be available other ways for less individually, but my guess is they might not have been produced at all if PBS had guaranteed to take a certain number. So this isn’t horrible, it’s very good news.
Me too.
I hope that everyone will contact your local PBS station and know that you want to see this PBS special, so they put it on.
If they ARE available at some point individually, that would be great. For me personally, I don’t have cable, satellite, t.v. service, etc, so I don’t have the ability to watch PBS. Maybe online…??? I don’t know… I would still prefer they were available for individual sale. It’s a bit disheartening to see this after waiting for so long. My opinion is my opinion. Thanks for posting it.
Sorry if this is a dim question, but could someone help me out explaining a bit more what a PBS pledge drive special is and how it works? (I know PBS is a TV station – or by the sound of the comments above, a number of different local stations? – but that’s it). Thanks!
Eddie, PBS is “public broadcasting system.” The system is nationwide, but each region has its own local station. As a FREE public network, it is a non-profit and cannot raise money from commercials as most regular, privately owned networks do, or from selling their service as cable networks do. So each year they have a couple of pledge drives, where they show special programming and during the program, viewers call in with donations (pledges). The more popular the program is, the more pledges they receive, and they base their future programming choices on what is most popular.
Oh, I forgot the part about receiving the documentary! To encourage more donations, there are “thank you” packages available for people who make pledges during the pledge drives. Often, you will something like, if you pledge $50 you get a CD; at $100 you get a DVD; at $175 you get a book and CD; at $250 you get all three. So the more money you pledge, the more/better the thank you gift. It looks like Dean Butler’s documentary will be included in the package at the highest level for this pledge drive.
Thank you for this, TLynn, I get it now 🙂
$275! Gosh, that is way too much for me. I don’t get PBS and don’t feel inclined to donate to a TV network. I was looking forward to buying DB’s documentary, but even with the Fiddle Project, I can’t justify the expense. Granted, I’ve spent a small fortune on Laura related items over the years, but nowhere have I seen 3 DVDs and 2 CDs requiring that type of investment. Very disappointed.
Our goal is to help PBS continue its commitment to be America’s classroom and we hope individuals and families will watch our program and pledge support to PBS.
There will be nice surprises that become available through that support, at whatever level you pledge.
This is AWFUL news! I first heard about this DVD two years ago and have been patiently waiting for news of its release. In fact, the website: http://lauraslittlehouselegacy.com/ still has a picture at the bottom with a DVD that says coming soon. (Dean Butler and LP might want to update that!)
I know this may come as a shock to some, but not everyone in the country wishes to support PBS, nor can afford to do so. I’ve heard that this documentary was going to be as accurate to the books as possible. The people who are interested in this kind of production are going to tend to be those who value history and the values represented in Laura’s books. Quite honestly, it means many of those families will be conservative and religious in background. Those families would happily purchase the individual DVD in order to support the continual access to accurate history, but they are not likely to support PBS.
It is my opinion that in making this decision to release this DVD only through a PBS pledge (and a high one at that), Dean Butler and Legacy Productions have, in essence, kidnapped the story of LIW and are using it to support their own causes.
Indeed, I think if DB and LP had released this DVD individually as planned and had marketed it to the homeschooling community, it would have flown off the shelves. (Of course, DB would have been then free to take his own earnings and donate them to PBS should he desire to do so.)
As it is, virtually no one is going to end up being able to see this DVD and it is a shame. Badly done.
I believe the DVD should be released separately (apart from PBS) shortly at a reasonable cost. Stay tuned… we’ll keep you updated with the news as we hear it.
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