PBS AND WETA ANNOUNCE FOUR-HOUR DOCUMENTARY “GOSPEL” with HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.

PBS and WETA announced this week GOSPEL, a new four-hour docuseries from executive producer, host, and writer Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. that will premiere in February 2024 on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS App. GOSPEL reunites famed Harvard professor and documentary filmmaker Gates with directors Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris, who previously collaborated on MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. The series will debut on February 12 and 13, 2024, with a special companion performance taking place on February 9.

For almost a century, African Americans have been the driving force of auditory invention, from the blues to hip-hop. Musical genres come and go, but one sound has always provided power, courage, and wisdom from the pulpit to the choir lofts on any given Sunday: the gospel.

Produced by McGee Media, Done + Dusted, and Friends at Work, the gospel concert special honors gospel music and its remarkable influence on society and mainstream music. The concert, which will feature the best names in gospel music as well as the biggest talents from pop, R&B, and beyond, will be recorded in front of a live audience in Los Angeles and hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This one-hour PBS special from showrunner Kristen V. Carter will both inspire and generate anticipation for the groundbreaking four-hour history series, GOSPEL. The lineup of performers will be revealed at a later date.

Gates, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, speaks with dozens of clergymen, singers, and scholars about their connection to music that has transcended its origins and now spreads “the good word” all over the world in GOSPEL. The series includes interviews with notable figures such as Dionne Warwick, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, Rev. Otis Moss III, professor Michael Eric Dyson, and others, as well as breathtaking musical performances of Gospel favorites such as “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus,” “Total Praise,” and others by The Belle Singers, Cory Henry, Celisse, and others.

“It’s the beating heart and soul,” Gates says of gospel music, which is more than just a soundtrack to the African American experience. “From the Great Migration to the present day, the history of Black gospel music and preaching has been one of constant movement, and it’s long been my dream to bring it to public television.” We are fortunate to have such wonderful collaborators in providing this series and performance at a moment in our country when the need for the transcendent, healing qualities of the Gospel is so urgent.”

“It was such an honor to reunite with the incredible team that produced THE BLACK CHURCH on another powerful examination of Black spiritual expression for PBS,” stated series producers and directors Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris. For years, the sacred sounds of gospel music and Black preaching have attested to God’s goodness and grace while embracing blues, jazz, and hip-hop rhythms and riffs. They were the means through which African Americans found their voice and power in a strange place, and their impact has extended far beyond the church’s doors. We want our viewers to completely experience and be motivated by this distinctly African American art form of prayer, praise, and hope by mixing intimate interviews with spectacular live gospel performances throughout the series.”

“I’m so grateful to have been able to work again with the incredible team of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Stacey L. Holman, and Shayla Harris,” executive producer Dyllan McGee said. “They’ve created yet another important and impactful series that invites audiences to enjoy and celebrate the sounds of gospel.”

“GOSPEL celebrates a treasured genre of music that has influenced African American culture and communities, and we are excited for audiences to join Professor Gates on this joyous exploration into a very unique and ardent art form,” said Sylvia Bugg, PBS’s Chief Programming Executive and General Manager. This four-hour series also builds on PBS’s efforts to engage communities around the country, assisting in the development of better awareness and understanding.”

“I am elated to partner with McGee Media, Done + Dusted, and Friends at Work to acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the rich legacy of Gospel music and the contributions that this genre has made throughout history and culture,” said Kristen V. Carter, GOSPEL event showrunner. We are thrilled to bring together gospel and secular performers for this tremendously inspiring event!”

GOSPEL takes a look at the history of Black religious music and preaching over the course of four hours, highlighting the symbiotic relationship of words and song that can be found in any Black church. The series delves into the history of Black gospel music, which merged religious spirituals with blues heritage and reached new heights during the Great Migration. This song served as an outlet for the wrath and fury that comes with being a Black person in America, and it still does now. The series also looks at how preaching styles have changed over time, as well as how class, gender, cultural advances, and consumer technology have influenced the evolution of gospel since its inception.

GOSPEL is the latest in a long line of excellent documentaries by Gates, cementing his status as one of public television’s top documentarians. His history producing content that brings the African and African American experience to a broad audience includes the works MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (2022); THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG (2021); RECONSTRUCTION: AMERICA AFTER THE CIVIL WAR (2019); AFRICA’S GREAT CIVILIZATIONS (2017); BLACK AMERICA SINCE MLK: AND STILL I RISE (2016); THE AFRICAN AMERICANS: MANY RIVERS TO CROSS (2013); and AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES (2006). Furthermore, Gates’ programming lineup includes the fan-favorite PBS series FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., which will return for a historic 10th season in January 2024.

GOSPEL will be accompanied by an outreach and public engagement program, which will provide opportunities for communities to participate in dialogue and storytelling about the impact of Black culture, tradition, and community-building, as well as the ongoing implications for American society today, facilitated by local public radio and PBS member stations. Furthermore, instructional tools will be developed to engage teachers and students across a variety of platforms, including PBS LearningMedia. Viewers are urged to interact with @HenryLouisGates on social media.

GOSPEL is a McGee Media, Inkwell Media, and WETA Washington, D.C. production. The writer, host, and executive producer is Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Dyllan McGee is the show’s executive producer. WETA’s executive producer in charge is John F. Wilson. PBS’s CEO in charge is Bill Gardner. Series producers and directors are Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris. The supervising producer is Deborah C. Porfido. Line producer is Robert L. Yacyshyn. Kevin Burke is the show’s producer. Barbara Gregson works as an archival producer.

Bank of America offered corporate funding for GOSPEL. The Lilly Endowment Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and the Ford Foundation all donated significant financing. Members of The Inkwell Society and public television viewers like you also contributed money.