MS NOW Films

Last updated

MS NOW Films
Formerly
  • MSNBC Films (2020–2025)
  • MSNBC Documentaries (until 2016, as an umbrella title)
Company type Division
Industry Television production
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Parent MS NOW
Website ms.now/films-2

MS NOW Films (formerly MSNBC Films) is a unit of MS NOW which produces documentaries, and formerly a division of NBC News. It originally began as MSNBC Documentaries, an umbrella title of a series of documentaries co-produced by NBC News and MSNBC.

Contents

Compared to competing networks, MS NOW airs documentaries on a daily basis and on weekend afternoons and evenings.

History

When it was known as MSNBC Documentaries, each documentary was given its own title to broadcast under (e.g., Lockup: Return to Pelican Bay) or was produced under one of the titles below. The program has had multiple hosts, including Ann Curry, Lester Holt, Matt Lauer, and Stone Phillips; it did not have a single consistent host, and certain episodes only had a voice-over throughout.

In April 2008, MSNBC released Meeting David Wilson . [1] [2] Following this, MSNBC Films launched for the first time in June 2008. [3] Its first film was Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father . [4] This was later followed by Witch Hunt in November 2008, premiering worldwide at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. [5] [6] On October 25, 2010, MSNBC Films released The Assassination of Dr. Tiller, a documentary exploring the murder of George Tiller, presented by Rachel Maddow and co-produced with Peacock Productions. [7] [8] [9]

In 2012 and 2013, and again in 2016, weekend airtime for MSNBC Documentaries was reduced to make room for newer weekend political news talk shows, relegating documentary series to weekend evenings.

In 2020, NBC News Studios revived MSNBC Films as a unit for feature-length documentaries. [10] On June 26, 2025, The Sing Sing Chronicles was awarded the News & Documentary Emmy Award for Best Documentary at the 46th News and Documentary Emmy Awards. [11]

In November 2025, following MSNBC's spin off from NBCUniversal to Versant, the unit was renamed to MS NOW Films.

Program titles

Distributed under MSNBC Documentaries

The former logo of MSNBC Documentaries Msnbcdocumentaries.png
The former logo of MSNBC Documentaries

Distributed under MSNBC Films

References

  1. ↑ Stewart, Susan. "Uncomfortable Conversation Across the Divide of Race". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  2. ↑ Lake, Sarah. "Meeting David Wilson – Howard University News Service". Howard University News Service. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  3. ↑ Kay, Jeremy. "MSNBC launches film division to produce documentaries". Screen Daily. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  4. ↑ Press, Steven Zeitchik,The Associated (June 24, 2008). "MSNBC creates banner for documentaries". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 1, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Kay, Jeremy. "MSNBC takes North American TV on documentary Witch Hunt". Screen Daily. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  6. ↑ Anderson, John (November 4, 2008). "Witch Hunt". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  7. ↑ "MSNBC FILMS PRESENTS "THE ASSASSINATION OF DR. TILLER," REPORTED BY RACHEL MADDOW, MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 9 PM ET". NBC News. October 14, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Rachel Maddow Slates Doc on Tiller Murder". Adweek. October 16, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  9. ↑ Lowry, Brian (October 21, 2010). "MSNBC's Maddow Tackles Tiller 'Assassination'". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  10. ↑ Brian Steinberg (September 1, 2020). "NBC News Revives MSNBC Films to Bolster Documentary Ambitions". variety.com . Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ Franklin, McKinley (June 27, 2025). "'The Sing Sing Chronicles' Takes Top Prize at 2025 News & Documentary Emmy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  12. ↑ "MSNBC Documentaries". MSNBC. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Why We Did It, a Rachel Maddow documentary, premieres March 6th". MSNBC. February 27, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ Lowry, Brian (November 2, 2008). "Witness to Jonestown". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  15. ↑ Johnson, Ted (January 22, 2025). "MSNBC To Air 'King Of The Apocalypse' About January 6th Defendant Stewart Rhodes, Released From Prison After Trump Commuted Sentence". Deadline. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
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