PBS TO DEBUT FIRST EPISODE OF KEN BURNS’S “PROHIBITION” ON FREE PBS APPS FOR IPAD AND IPHONE

PBS announced today that the first episode of PROHIBITION, the much-anticipated film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, will premiere on the free PBS for iPad and PBS Apps for the iPhone and iPod touch beginning Friday, September 23.

Set in the era of bathtub gin, bootleggers and speakeasies, PROHIBITION tells the true story of the rise, rule and fall of the 18^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It was called the “Noble Experiment,” but it was in fact one of America’s most notorious civic failures, an object lesson in the challenge of legislating human behavior. 

The entire series will air nationally on PBS Sunday-Tuesday, October 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th. Each episode will also be streamed live on video.pbs.org, timed to the national broadcast. Episodes 2 and 3 of PROHIBITION will be available on PBS for iPad and PBS Apps for Phone and iPod touch the day after each television airdate and remain available through Friday, October 7^th. 

The premiere of the first episode of PROHIBITION on PBS Apps also provides viewers of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” an opportunity, two days prior to the premiere of that series on Sunday, September 25^th, to watch the real story of what gave rise to prohibition. 

“We are huge fans of ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and are thrilled that we can share the story of what gave rise to prohibition, the topic of our first episode, to viewers tuning in to the premiere of ‘Boardwalk,’” said Ken Burns.

 “PBS’ strategy of debuting high-profile shows on the iPad and iPhone before television broadcast has been enormously popular with users,” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, Product Development & Innovation. "Users of our apps watched more than 52 million video streams last month. The early premiere of the first episode of Ken Burns’s and Lynn Novick’s much anticipated PROHIBITION is part of our ongoing mission to provide all Americans with content where and when they want it.”