ESPN’s Emmy Award-Winning E:60 Returns

On Tuesday, April 12, ESPN’s news magazine E:60 returns with a host of new episodes. We have previews of what you’ll see.

ESPN’s E:60 Returns April 12 with Five New Episodes
Emmy-Award Winning Show Continues Hard-hitting TV Journalism, Innovative Storytelling

ESPN’s prime-time newsmagazine E:60 begins its 2011 run with five new episodes starting April 12 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and continuing on consecutive Tuesday nights.

The new, original E:60 programs will continue the show’s dedication to combining the best forms of television storytelling with investigative journalism. ESPN reporters – including Jeremy Schaap, Lisa Salters, Rachel Nichols and Michael Smith – work with a group of award-winning television producers to present a compelling mix of long-form stories.

Stories scheduled for the upcoming five episodes of E:60 include:

“Carl Crawford”– When the Boston Red Sox signed free agent leftfielder Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal, he became one of the biggest acquisitions in Major League Baseball in recent years. Buster Olney profiles Crawford for E:60, from his roots in one of the nation’s toughest neighborhoods to his success as a multiple sport athlete in high school and on to his big league career;

“Christina Taylor Green” – Nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green was the youngest victim in the Tucson shooting January 8, 2011, that shocked the nation and was especially painful for the baseball community. Her grandfather was Dallas Green, the World Series-winning manager with the Phillies, and her father, John, is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Christina herself was a dedicated and passionate Little League player. For the first time since the shooting, those closest to Christina give an in-depth television interview of their loss and carrying on Christina’s memory;

“Boxer’s Gift” – Francisco ‘Paco’ Rodriguez, a promising Mexican-American boxer from Chicago, always wanted to be a hero, a champion. When he entered the ring on a fall night in 2009, his first shot at a title belt, what happened made ‘Paco’ a hero, but not in a way he ever expected. Paco suffered a deadly brain injury in the ring and hours later his organs were donated to save the lives of four people he never met. E:60 follows Paco’s gift and the people it touched;

“Mumbai Golf” – The game of golf played like you have never seen before. Caddies from an upscale golf club in Mumbai, India are not allowed to play on the traditional course because of their social and economic status. These young men, passionate about the game, have created a new version of golf using handmade equipment and a makeshift golf course that winds through the streets and slums of Mumbai;

“Brazilian Murder Tale” – In Brazil soccer is king. The country has won five World Cups, more than any other nation, and is preparing to host the 2014 tournament. So when the captain of one of Brazil’s top soccer clubs is arrested and charged with kidnapping and murdering the woman who is his mistress and the mother of his child, the entire nation is riveted. Jeremy Schaap travels to Brazil to investigate the bizarre and gruesome murder case against Bruno de Souza, former star player for the renowned Flamengo soccer club, who is now sitting in prison awaiting trial;

“The Great Throwdini” – In ESPN’s first feature shot and edited fully in 3D, Jeremy Schaap introduces viewers to the world’s fastest knife thrower while braving the infamous ‘Wheel of Death.’

About E:60

E:60 – ESPN’s first multi-subject, prime-time newsmagazine – features investigative reporting, in-depth profiles of leading sports personalities and features on emerging star athletes. Since the series debuted in October 2007, E:60 has travelled the world in search of the best stories in sports. The program has reported from India, Kenya, Sudan, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Morocco, Mexico, Senegal, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Haiti, Costa Rica, South Africa, Ukraine, Serbia, Italy, Spain, Bolivia, Venezuela, Panama, and Liberia.

Exclusives, including the first on-camera interview with former NFL player Plaxico Burress following his prison sentencing, and investigative reports, such as stories on corrective rape in South Africa and the dangers of performance-enhancing energy drinks, are staples of E:60. Human interest features, such as the story of six-year old Josiah Viera who suffers from the rare medical condition Progeria, and the report on the first Jamaican dog-sled racer Newton Marshall who competed in the Alaskan Iditarod, are also central to the show.

E:60′s innovative work has garnered significant industry recognition and awards, including two Sports Emmys in 2010 for Outstanding Journalism (“Wanted: Fugitive”) and Outstanding Long Feature (“Catfish Hunter”). The show has also received an Edward R. Murrow Award for Outstanding Sports Journalism in 2010, two National Headliner Awards, for “Catfish Hunter” in 2010 and “Picking up Butch” in 2011, and a Special Gold Medal from the United Nations for the investigation of corrective rape in South Africa.

Most recently, E:60 received six 2011 Sports Emmy Awards nominations, in the categories of Edited Series, Long Feature and Short Feature. The winners will be announced Monday, May 2, 2011.