Bill Kurtis
Also Known As: not available
Biography: Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940) is an American television journalist, television producer, narrator, and news anchor. He has been noted for his sonorous voice throughout his career. He is most known for narrating A&E's true crime series Cold Case Files as well as American Justice. Kurtis was studying to become a lawyer in the 1960s, when he was asked to fill in on a temporary news assignment at a television station in Topeka, Kansas. His reporting on a devastating tornado outbreak, led to an on air news reporter and later a very successful news anchor position in Chicago. In 1982, Kurtis joined Diane Sawyer on The CBS Morning News, the network broadcast from New York City. The two were also on the CBS Early Morning News, which aired an hour earlier on most CBS stations. He also anchored three CBS Reports: The Plane That Fell from the Sky, The Golden Leaf, and The Gift of Life. He became especially interested in investigative in-depth reports and documentaries. When he returned to Chicago and for a time resumed his anchor duties, he also founded a production company, Kurtis Productions. Kurtis hosted or produced a number of crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files. Kurtis is the scorekeeper/announcer for National Public Radio (NPR)'s news comedy/quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, and served as the host of Through the Decades, a documentary-style news magazine seen on Decades. Kurtis narrated nearly 1,000 documentaries, and Kurtis Productions produced nearly 500 documentaries for series like The New Explorers on PBS; Investigative Reports and Cold Case Files for the A&E; and Investigating History for the History Channel. He also hosted American Justice, produced by Towers Productions. For CNBC, the company has produced nearly 100 episodes of American Greed. Kurtis has received two Peabody Awards, numerous Emmy Awards, awards from the Overseas Press Club, a DuPont Award, and has been inducted into the Illinois and Kansas Halls of Fame. In 1998, he was awarded the University of Kansas William Allen White citation. Kurtis has also authored three books: On Assignment (1984), Death Penalty on Trial (2004), and Prairie Table Cookbook (2008). In the animated series South Park, Eric Cartman owns a board game called "Investigative Reports with Bill Kurtis", featuring a talking Bill Kurtis bust. The boys can be seen playing the game in South Park's season four episode "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" (2000) and season eight episode "Up the Down Steroid" (2004). The game can also be seen on the shelf of a hobby store in the episode "Cock Magic" (2014). A 1972 report by Bill Kurtis, while a correspondent for CBS News in Los Angeles, was used as the introduction to Dr. Dre's album Compton. Kurtis also contributed a spoken-word introduction to The Dandy Warhols' 2005 album Odditorium or Warlords of Mars.
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Pensacola, Florida, USA
Birthday: September 21, 1940
Adult: No
Gender: Male
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Making Waves
Overview: “Making Waves” takes viewers below the surface of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem and into the middle of a complex war for survival. For more than a century, non-native species of plants, fish, invertebrates and microscopic organisms have been silently invading the Great Lakes, leaving devastation in their wake. Invasive species like Asian carp, zebra mussels and more are transforming the ecosystem from top to bottom, pushing some native species to the brink of extinction, and costing the region hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Narrated by Bill Kurtis, “Making Waves” traces the path of the invasion and joins researchers on the front lines as they combat invasive species and work to restore native species, in an effort to prevent a biological takeover of the Great Lakes.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
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Live at Mister Kelly's
Overview: The iconic Mister Kelly’s bedazzled the country by launching superstars like Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, and Steve Martin. It smashed color and gender barriers to put controversial voices on stage and transformed entertainment in America in the '50s, '60s, and ’70s.
Genres: Documentary Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2021-09-17
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Will Rogers and American Politics
Overview: In the 1930s, with the United States mired in the Great Depression and teetering on the brink of a second World War, millions of Americans turned to a rope-twirling, plain-talking Cherokee cowboy for clarity, comfort and common sense. His plain-spoken musings, always delivered with a shy, sly smile, influenced the political landscape then and still resonate today. WILL ROGERS AND AMERICAN POLITICS reveals how Oklahoma native Will Rogers emerged as one of the most powerful political voices in the United States. The Emmy®-winning documentary charts Rogers’ impact on American politics through rare archival film footage, photos and documents, and interviews with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, actor Mickey Rooney, Cherokee Chief Chad Smith, comedian Lewis Black, former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh, Rogers’ grandniece and scholars. Bill Kurtis, former CBS news anchor and host of A&E’s American Justice and Cold Case Files, narrates.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-11-30
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The Atlanta Child Murders
Overview: The Atlanta murders of 1979–1981, sometimes called the Atlanta child murders, were a series of murders committed in Atlanta, Georgia, between July 1979 and May 1981. Over the two-year period, at least 28 children, adolescents, and adults were killed. Wayne Williams, an Atlanta native who was 23 years old at the time of the last murder, was arrested, tried, and convicted of two of the adult murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Genres: Documentary Crime TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2001-01-01
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Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Overview: With the 70s behind him, San Diego's top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to take New York's first 24-hour news channel by storm.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2013-12-18
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The New Explorers: The Science of Star Trek
Overview: How real is the 'science' in Star Trek?
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1995-01-18
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'85: The Greatest Team in Football History
Overview: Through never-been-seen-before footage and fascinating interviews with key members of the 1985 Chicago Bears -- Mike Ditka, Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, and others -- you will hear the inside story of their historic season.
Genres: Documentary History TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2016-10-01
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U-505: Extend The Experience
Overview: This video invites you inside the U-505 submarine, the actual craft that stalked the waters of the Atlantic before it was blown to the surface and captured on June 4, 1944. This immersive video reveals the technology and life aboard this sub in the days leading up to her capture. Among the many highlights, you’ll see crewmen bunks and the galley, wedged in among the mechanical workings of the sub.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-10-01
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William Allen White: What's the Matter with Kansas
Overview: Narrated by Bill Kurtis, this documentary that explores the life an accomplishments of William Allen White.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2018-04-25
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Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie
Overview: While Ron Burgundy's rivalry with Veronica Corningstone escalates quickly, a group of unprofessional thieves better known as 'The Alarm Clock' try to make the truth known, whatever that may mean...
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-12-28
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Discovering Deerpath
Overview: Discovering Deerpath is a historical documentary about the town of Lake Forest, Illinois. Located 30 miles north of Chicago, the town of Lake Forest and its citizens have made an amazing mark on the nation and the world over the past 150 years. From the town's inception, Lake Forest has earned a reputation for its solid educational, philanthropic and preservation efforts. These efforts have led to a vibrant community that celebrates its town through a variety of traditional and unique special events. Through a serious of amazing brushes with local and globally significant events, the dramatic power of community is demonstrated throughout the film.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-12-01
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Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Overview: It's the 1970s and San Diego anchorman Ron Burgundy is the top dog in local TV, but that's all about to change when ambitious reporter Veronica Corningstone arrives as a new employee at his station.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-06-28
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Stull
Overview: In 1993, four teens went to investigate an abandoned church in Stull, Kansas -- a place rumored to be a gate to Hell. They were never heard from again. 'Stull' shows the events leading up to their disappearance, including an encounter with a strange man who may be the Devil himself. The story is based on the chilling real-life legend.
Genres: Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-07-26
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Chasing October
Overview: "Chasing October" is a docu-comedy that chronicles one fan's crusade to take the Chicago Cubs to the World Series "by any means necessary." Director Matt Liston quits his job, gets all access to his favorite team, and rallies a city. Perhaps no other fan in the history of sports has gone to such an extreme. See Liston as he helps facilitate a trade, attempts to get a $20 million loan to help team payroll, and takes being a fan to a whole new level. This film is a hilarious must-see for all sports fans and for anyone who has ever chased a dream.
Genres: Documentary Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-03-23
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