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The Choice 2020

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The Choice 2020
Also known asThe Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden
GenreDocumentary
Directed byMichael Kirk[1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers
  • Michael Kirk[1]
  • Mike Wiser[1]
  • Philip Bennett[1]
  • Jim Gilmore[1]
  • Gabrielle Schonder[1]
Running time120 minutes[2]
Production companies
Original release
NetworkPBS
ReleaseSeptember 22, 2020 (2020-09-22)

The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden is a 2020 television documentary film about the Republican and Democratic Party nominees for the 2020 United States presidential election: President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden respectively. Produced by the investigative journalism program Frontline for PBS, it aims to better inform American voters in their choice by recounting the two major nominees' character and past deeds. Co-produced and directed by Michael Kirk, the film premiered on PBS and simultaneously made available to stream on the broadcaster's website and YouTube channel on September 22, 2020.[3][4] Biden would ultimately be elected President of the United States that November, setting a record for the most votes ever received by a presidential candidate. He also became the first man to defeat an incumbent president in 28 years and received the highest percentage of the popular vote over an incumbent president since Franklin Roosevelt in 1932.

Interviewees

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Production

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The Choice 2020 is the ninth installment of The Choice, a series of television films produced by the American investigative journalism program Frontline beginning in 1988, with each film aiming to better inform American voters about the two major candidates of a respective presidential election.[17] The installment was first discussed at a Television Critics Association press tour by director Michael Kirk and Frontline executive producer Raney Aronson-Rath on July 28, 2020,[2] and was later formally announced on August 7.[18] A three-minute trailer was released on the same day of its announcement.[6]

Kirk explained that he approached the film seeking a new way of telling the stories of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, as they are "two people who have been in the public eye for a half century".[17] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic afflicting the United States during the 2020 election season, the film's production team could not fully conduct face-to-face interviews as done in previous installments of The Choice. Kirk stated that the team had to use the videotelephony software program Zoom for most of their interviews, stating that "I’m used to interviewing people for hours at a time. Doing that over Zoom is a challenge in its own."[17] At the same time, Kirk considers The Choice 2020 to be the "most important and essential" out of the five installments he has made so far due to the nation's deep political divide, along with the pandemic, a weakened economy, and renewed grievances against systemic racism.[17]

As the film was aired during what Rath described as a "perilous time" for the United States, Frontline decided to release some of its interviews in advance of the film's premiere as part of the program's ongoing Transparency Project, beginning on September 14 with Mary Trump's interview.[4][19]

Reception

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The Daily Beast wrote, "Beyond spin...thoughtful [and] in-depth."[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden". PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Johnson, Ted (July 28, 2020). "PBS' 'The Choice' Promises New Insight And Revelations About Joe Biden And Donald Trump, Filmmaker Says". Deadline.com. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  3. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 22, 2020). The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden | (full film) | FRONTLINE. YouTube. Google LLC. Retrieved February 15, 2021.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rath, Raney Aronson (September 14, 2020). "Countdown to "The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden"". Frontline | PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  5. ^ a b FRONTLINE PBS | Official (August 29, 2020). An Inside Look at "The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden" | Preview | FRONTLINE. YouTube. Google LLC. Retrieved September 22, 2020.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b c d FRONTLINE PBS | Official (August 7, 2020). TRAILER: "The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden" | FRONTLINE. YouTube. Google LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2020.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: Jill Biden (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "The Transparency Project: John Bolton". Frontline | PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. September 21, 2020. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  9. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: Jim Clyburn (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: Valerie Jarrett (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: Corey Lewandowski (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: David Marcus (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: Peggy Noonan (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: Anthony Scaramucci (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "The Transparency Project: Yusef Salaam". Frontline | PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. September 18, 2020. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  16. ^ FRONTLINE PBS | Official (September 23, 2020). "The Choice 2020: Bakari Sellers (interview) | FRONTLINE". YouTube. Google, LLC. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ a b c d Gomez, Adrian (September 20, 2020). "Telling a story: Unable to interview the 2020 presidential candidates face-to-face, pandemic presented a challenge for Frontline's 'The Choice'". Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, N.M.: Albuquerque Publishing Co. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  18. ^ Husted, Anne (August 7, 2020). "FRONTLINE's "The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden" Premieres Sept. 22 on PBS". Frontline | PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  19. ^ "About FRONTLINE's Transparency Project". Frontline | PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  20. ^ "FRONTLINE's Critically Acclaimed Series, "The Choice," Returns Tonight for Key 2020 Election Insight". The Daily Beast. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
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