Reeve Special

[Guest guest]

http://my.aol.com/news/news_story.psp?type=4&cat=0809&id=0207010009510763

ABC in step with Reeve

Reuters

Jul 1 2002 12:09AM

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - ABC will air a series of three specials that chronicle

Reeve's attempts to walk, beginning in the fall with an hourlong

show that will document the paralyzed actor's 50th birthday.

The two other installments will air sometime in the next two years as

developments in Reeve's condition warrant.

Reeve's son , a film student at Brown University, first pitched his

father on the project, which intimately follows the actor's daily trials.

The actor agreed, and Reeve began scouting for outside support,

ultimately pacting with U.K.-based producer TWI, the programming arm of

Intl. Management Group.

" His presence gave his father the confidence that it will be done in a way

that wouldn't violate an arbitrary line of privacy, " TWI president Bill

Sinrich said.

Reeve, producer Stuart Watts and exec producer Alastair Waddington

embarked on the project 18 months ago. TWI approached ABC this spring about

picking up the trio of programs.

" They sent us over a tape of some of the stuff his son had shot, and we were

pretty blown away, " said Wong, ABC's senior VP of specials and

alternative series. " Everyone thinks they've seen a lot of Reeve, but you

haven't seen him in his daily life struggling to reach his goals. You see

his physical therapy, you see him struggling to live, and you see how his

family deals with it. "

ABC will likely air the first special either around Reeve's Sept. 25

birthday or during November sweeps. Reeve, who became paralyzed from the

neck down after a riding accident seven years ago, has vowed that he would

walk again by his 50th birthday.

" He hasn't achieved that, but has some improvement that will surprise people

when they see the documentary, " Sinrich said.

The footage includes the dramatic moment when Reeve is able to move his

finger for the first time. The documentary will also chronicle Reeve as he

testifies in support of stem cell research.

" The goal is the second program will lead up to what we hope will be a major

surgery, with the intention of possible results, " Sinrich said. " Then the

third program would chronicle his recovery. "

ABC News' Barbara Walters scored the first TV interview with Reeve in 1996,

but Sinrich said that had no bearing on TWI's current pact with the network.

Reuters/Variety

07/01/02 00:08 ET