Free to Be … You and Me: A 40th Anniversary Screening

The Paley Center is happy to screen a remastered, complete print of Free to Be … You and Me, with the original commercials from the 1974 broadcast. This is your opportunity to relive a beloved TV special from your own childhood with a community, and to bring your children, nieces, nephews, young friends to share in it all together. 

As cocreator Marlo Thomas has said, generations have embraced Free to Be for its mission “to convince children that their dreams were not only boundless, but achievable.” Cherished moments in the special include Thomas’s duet with Harry Belafonte about the different professions available for members of either sex; “William’s Doll” (sung by Marlo and Alan Alda) which defies the habit of stereotyping toys for boys and girls; football hero Rosey Grier telling children it’s all right to cry; a duet between Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack; and Marlo and Mel Brooks providing the voices for a pair of newborn babies.

These screenings are FREE and open to the public. 

Share Your Memories: We know that several generations have a deep attachment to this special program. Share your memories or a photo of your connection to Free To Be on our Facebook page.