NEW PBS DOCUMENTARY SERIES TO EXPLORE HISTORY OF NEW YORK CITY'S CENTRAL PARK

Director Lynn Novick to Follow Central Park's Evolution from a Democratic Experiment in the 1850s to America's Most Celebrated Public Space

Three-Part Series to Weave History and Imagery to Explore the Historic Narrative of the Park and the Genius of its Design

New York, NY - May 12, 2025 - Filmmaker Lynn Novick will direct and produce a new, three-part series on the history of New York City's Central Park for PBS, the network announced today.

Known for her documentaries about American history in collaboration with Ken Burns, including THE US AND THE HOLOCAUST (2022), HEMINGWAY (2021), THE VIETNAM WAR (2017), as well as COLLEGE BEHIND BARS (2019), which she directed alone, Novick will weave together the social and cultural history of the park with a captivating look at the landscape, combining archival imagery, drawings and video with evocative live cinematography that reveals the beauty of the Park in every season and time of the day.

An artistic masterpiece of landscape design and an enormously ambitious work of public infrastructure, Central Park was conceived in the mid-19th century as "a single work of art, with a single noble purpose." According to the Park's legendary designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the design was inspired by the Park's fundamental purpose as a reprieve from the stresses of life in the city. It was also, historian Kenneth Jackson says in an interview conducted for the film, "a democratic development of the highest importance, the first grand open space that had been intentionally set aside for the ordinary public in a prosperous and ambitious city."

CENTRAL PARK is expected to air on PBS in 2028. The film will follow the evolution of the Park from its inception in the mid-19th century as the rapidly growing city expanded northward, through competing ideas about park use and controversy over "encroachments" in the 20th century, to the near demise of the Park during New York's fiscal crisis of the 1970s, and finally, to its preeminence today. It will examine evolving ideas about urban development and the social purpose of public spaces, with a focus on the Park as a naturalistic environment conceived, created, and maintained by and for people.

"Central Park is, in one sense, an idea - the embodiment of its founders' concept of a refuge designed to uplift and renew weary inhabitants of the city. At the same time, it is a place where, for more than 160 years, we have negotiated diverse notions of what a park should be and who should have access for what purposes," said Lynn Novick. "It is also for me, and millions of other New Yorkers and visitors, a shared back yard, and a place to experience the healing power of nature. It's the highest democratic expression of what a city should be, from its conception in the 1850s to the role it continues to play in the lives of New Yorkers today. This is an extraordinary story about how we create and manage public spaces for the good of all. It is, in so many ways, the story of New York City itself."

Over three episodes Novick will introduce viewers to the remarkable individuals who designed and built the Park, as well as many people who have shaped it - for better and for worse - over the decades. The filmmakers also examine bitter conflicts about access and development, contrasting the pressures of greater commercialization and development with those who have sought to restore and preserve the Park.

"CENTRAL PARK is a New York story, but it is equally a global story," said Jonathan Barzilay, the Chief Operating Officer of PBS. "Throughout its history the Park has been part of a larger movement around the importance of public space, and it has from the very beginning been an inspiration for artists and writers, and the millions of people from all backgrounds and places who visit regularly. We're very excited to work with Lynn and her team to bring this film to PBS."

With cinematography provided by Buddy Squires and Antonio Rossi, CENTRAL PARK will capture the glorious state of the Park today, one of the city's - and the world's - best kept public spaces, thanks in large part to the Central Park Conservancy, the non-profit organization and civic institution responsible for managing Central Park. Created by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers in 1980 to rescue the Park from utter neglect and decay in the 1980s, the Conservancy has marshalled the resources and relationships to revive it into one of the most beloved and most visited urban parks in the world.

"The Central Park Conservancy has been the steward of Central Park for more than four decades, a commitment which has been a privilege as well as an enormous responsibility. We are delighted that Lynn Novick, her team, and PBS will spotlight Central Park and tell the story of one of the most important public spaces in America." said Betsy Smith, President & CEO, Central Park Conservancy. "Our mission is to preserve and manage the Central Park to be a respite from the City, which was the Park's original purpose, and to ensure that this iconic space remains beautiful and welcoming for generations to come."

Fundraising for the project is being led by The Better Angels Society, a non-profit dedicated to supporting excellence in American history documentaries in ways that advance education and civic engagement. "As a cultural landscape, Central Park holds so many important stories that are layered and intertwined," said Katherine Malone-France, the President and CEO of The Better Angels Society. "To understand them more fully through this film is a powerful example of how deeply-researched documentaries about our history strengthen our civic fabric."

CENTRAL PARK is a production of Skiff Mountain Films, in association with Florentine Films.

About Skiff Mountain Films

Skiff Mountain Films is Novick's production company. In addition to College Behind Bars (2019) the company is producing a four-part series for PBS about the history of crime and punishment in America, slated for air in 2026.

About PBS

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