OWN to Produce Original Docs

LOS ANGELES: Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, Goldie Hawn, Gabriel Byrne and Mariel Hemingway have signed on for a slate of original documentaries to be produced for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

Presented and executive produced by Julia Roberts’ Red Om Films, Extraordinary Moms explores the power of mothers. Narrated and executive produced by Forest Whitaker, One Last Shot takes viewers inside Louisiana’s maximum security prison at Angola, where the average sentence is more than 90 years. Goldie Hawn executive produces, hosts and narrates Searching for Happiness, which examines the pursuit of happiness. Executive producers Gabriel Byrne and Leora Rosenberg, producer/director Steven Cantor and Stick Figure Productions present Tent City, a documentary exploring homelessness in Nashville. Seven Suicides is an original documentary following Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, as she explores the legacy of suicide and depression in one of America’s foremost literary families.

The five two-hour original documentaries will be part of OWN’s monthly doc film club, which will also feature acquired films such as Life 2.0 and Sons of Perdition as well as the previously announced Family Affair.

"All of these documentaries fundamentally explore human interaction, relationships and emotions," said Lisa Erspamer, the chief creative officer at OWN. "We’re excited to provide viewers with new perspectives and new ways of looking at core themes that shape and affect their lives."