LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATES 1993 (TV)
Summary
This documentary film chronicles the championship match-up of the two finalist high-school debate teams in New York City in 1993. Before the finals, which are moderated by television talk-show host Charlie Rose, the producers present a history of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, named for a famous series of debates between Illinois senatorial candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858. The historical segment also discusses the televised debate between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960, an event that forced politicians to consider the importance of aesthetics in the debate forum. The 1993 high-school debates, between Midwood High School and New Utrecht High School, are intercut with interviews with different team members. The resolution being debated, which proposes that the notion of cultural diversity is more beneficial to Americans than the traditional "melting pot" idea, strikes a chord with the team members on both squads; the interviews reveal that each member comes from a minority group of some kind. The program also explains the significance of the structure of the debate, from the coin toss to establish position to the courtroom-style rebuttal sections.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 2001/2002.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: June 23, 1993
- RUNNING TIME: 0:55:56
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:39630
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Debates; Ethnic relations; High school students
- SERIES RUN: PBS (American Public Television) - TV, 1993
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Fred Noriega … Executive Producer
- Joel Sucher … Producer
- Steven Fischler … Producer
- Martin D. Toub … Director
- Josanne Lopez … Director
- Stephen A. Douglas
- John F. Kennedy
- Abraham Lincoln
- Richard M. Nixon
- Charlie Rose