HBO has acquired the Oscar-nominated documentary short “When We Were Bullies,” which will premiere on March 30.
“When We Were Bullies” focuses on director Jay Rosenblatt (“Human Remains,” “Phantom Limb”), as he tries to track down people from his 5th grade class to interview them about a severe bullying incident that occurred at their school 50 years ago. Using a mix of archival footage, animation and modern day interviews, Rosenblatt both reconstructs the event and comes to terms with his own sense of shame about what occurred.
“Everyone carries pain,” Rosenblatt narrates in the trailer for the short that HBO released. “Yet through that pain, I can see yours.”
In addition to directing, Rosenblatt wrote, produced and edited “When We Were Bullies.” The short is one of five nominees in the best documentary short category at the 94th Academy Awards.
“When We Were Bullies” will premiere on HBO at 9 p.m ET on March 30. The short will also be available to watch on HBO Max. The 94th Academy Awards ceremony will take place March 27. Watch the full trailer for the short film below.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
DATES
Amazon Prime Video has announced that “Night Sky,” a new drama series starring Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons, will debut all eight episodes on May 20. Spacek and Simmons star as Irene and Franklin York, an ordinary couple with a strange secret: In their yard lays a buried chamber that acts as a portal to a deserted planet. When a strange young man (Chai Hansen) enters their lives, the Yorks quickly find that what they know about the chamber only scratches the surface of the mystery. “Night Sky” is written and co-executive produced by Holden Miller. Daniel C. Connolly showruns and executive produces. Additional executive producers include Philip Martin and Jimmy Miller and Sam Hansen for Mosaic. Amazon Studios and Legendary Television co-produce the show.
EXECS
Emmy Award-winning journalist Joelle Martinez has been named CBS News’ new West Coast bureau chief. Martinez comes to CBS News from Vice News, where she was most recently the deputy bureau chief in L.A. In her new role as bureau chief, Martinez will oversee CBS News’ newsgathering in the region for all broadcasts and digital platforms. She begins her new role on April 4, and will report to Terri Stewart, senior VP and national executive editor for CBS News.
EVENTS
The band Lake Street Dive will headline international television festival SeriesFest at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado on May 8. Since forming in 2004, Lake Street Dive has been known for its genre-blurring mix of pop, rock and folk sounds. The band is comprised of founding members Rachael Price (vocals), Bridget Kearney (bass), and Michael Calabrese (drums), in addition to keyboardist/vocalist Akie Bermiss and touring guitarist James Cornelison. Season 8 of SeriesFest will take place May 5-11, and includes six days of competitive screenings, in addition to panels, workshops and sneak peeks of upcoming projects. More details will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can purchase tickets to SeriesFest at seriesfest.com.
PRODUCTION
Point Road Productions has produced a new documentary, “Nothing But Net,” created in collaboration with NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett’s Content Cartel and Emmy Award-winner Marc Levin’s Blowback Productions. The doc takes a close look at the business of college basketball through the lens of an ongoing story about NCAA Tournament-bound Silvio De Sousa. The film will follow De Sousa’s journey from the Republic of Angola to the world of NCAA basketball at the University of Kansas and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Featuring basketball personality Jay Bilas and United States Senator Cory Booker, the film’s writer and director is Billy Raftery, Jr. (“Angels in Exile”), who is also one of the film’s cinematographers. In addition to Garnett, Taylor Materne, Todd Stiefel of Heretical Reason Productions and Rueben Schatz and Anthony Killough of Stand Down LLC serve as executive producers. Producers are Raftery, Mike Marangu and Levin.
DEVELOPMENT
Nickelodeon has ordered a second 26-episode season of “The Patrick Star Show.” The animated series follows a young Patrick Star hosting his own variety show while living at home with his family. The “SpongeBob SquarePants” spinoff is produced by Nickelodeon Animation and stars Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), Tom Wilson (Cecil Star), Cree Summer (Bunny Star), Jill Talley (Squidina Star) and Dana Snyder (GrandPat), in addition to other “SpongeBob” voices. The series is executive produced by Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller, and was developed for television by Spinelli, with production overseen by Nickelodeon Current Series Animation VP Kelley Gardner. Jennie Monica is the vice president of production for Nickelodeon.