PBS Home Video and Warner Home Video Pitch Perfect Game With Emmy-Winning ``Baseball'' on DVD; Ken Burns' Epic Film Available as a DVD Box Set on Oct. 17.

Entertainment Editors

BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2000

It will be a whole new ballgame for the DVD format on Oct. 17 when PBS Home Video and Warner Home Video (WHV) take to the playing field with the most popular miniseries in PBS history: Ken Burns' landmark documentary "Baseball."

The ten-"inning" package includes the entire Emmy-winning miniseries along with "The Making of Baseball," extensive interviews (hosted by Charlie Rose) and additional bonus material. "Baseball" will available on DVD for $179.98 SRP.

Declared "a grand slam" by People magazine, this critically acclaimed film spans more than 100 years of baseball -- and American -- history as it chronicles the struggles of a rising nation: the quest for racial justice, the clash of labor and management, the rise of popular culture and the search for heroes. Baseball premiered on PBS in September 1994, and garnered a record audience of 43 million viewers.

Baseball's lineup includes rare archival game footage and photographs, sparkling interviews with baseball stars and modern-day commentators and fascinating, early radio broadcasts. Among those providing special insight are writers and historians Roger Angell, Thomas Boswell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Dan Okrent, George Plimpton, Studs Terkel, John Thorn and George Will; broadcasters Red Barber, Bob Costas and Vin Scully; fans Billy Crystal, Mario Cuomo and Shelby Foote; and Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams.

"Baseball" on DVD is offered as a 10-disc box set. The first nine comprise the film's original nine "innings," plus such bonuses as navigable chapter menus, illustrated timelines, on-screen "baseball cards" that provide biographical and statistical information about featured players and a multiple-choice trivia game that instantly brings viewers to the film segment that correctly answers any missed question.

The tenth disc includes the companion program "The Making of Baseball," featuring in-depth conversations (from PBS's "Charlie Rose" show) between Charlie Rose and Ken Burns, Yogi Berra, Bob Gibson, Bob Costas and Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson. Key stats for each major league team are also featured. When played on a computer, each DVD connects viewers to a variety of additional online resources and the award-winning PBS.org Web site.

"The story of baseball is the story of America. Ken Burns and `Baseball' tell that story with extraordinary richness and texture," said Dan Hamby, Vice President, PBS Home Video. "The PBS DVD Gold features enable viewers to mine even more from this amazing film; it's the perfect choice for PBS Home Video's first DVD title."

"WHV is thrilled to bring one of America's favorite pastimes to DVD," said Mark Horak, WHV Senior Vice President, Marketing. "Ken Burns' `Baseball' is a captivating and informative documentary, and fans will be thrilled that the DVD is jam-packed with exciting bonus features."

Ken Burns, who produced and directed "Baseball," has been making award-winning documentary films for more than 20 years. Past projects include the landmark series "The Civil War," "Frank Lloyd Wright," "Lewis & Clark," "Thomas Jefferson," "The West," the Academy Award-nominated films "Brooklyn Bridge" and "The Statue of Liberty," as well as "The Shakers," "Huey Long," "Thomas Hart Benton," "The Congress," "Empire of the Air" and "Not for Ourselves Alone." He is currently producing a series titled "Jazz," to be released by PBS Home Video and Warner Home Video on Jan. 2, 2001. All of Burns' films are available from PBS Home Video.

PBS Home Video furthers PBS's mission of lifelong learning by expanding the availability of PBS's top-quality programs. PBS, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., is a private, nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 347 public television stations. Serving nearly 100 million people each week, PBS enriches the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the Internet and other media. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org.

With operations in 78 international territories -- more than the video division of any other studio -- Warner Home Video commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. WHV's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top-quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment Company, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Video.

Title: "Baseball"

Street Date: Oct. 17, 2000

Order Date: Sept. 19, 2000

DVD Catalog: B5318

DVD Price: $179.98 SRP

Running Time: Approximately 18-1/2 hours