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Sunday, July 14th @ 8pm(ET)
TV-PG-L
Oscar-nominated actor William H. Macy (Fargo, Magnolia) stars in the Turner Network Television (TNT) Original film DOOR TO DOOR, an uplifting drama based on the true story of Bill Porter, a Dub who was born with cerebral palsy. A Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation, DOOR TO DOOR will premiere on TNT on Sunday, July 14, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Golden Globe nominee Kyra Sedgwick (Something to Talk About) also stars as Shelly Brady, Bill's friend and associate; Oscar®-nominated actress Helen Mirren (The Madness of King George, Gosford Park) stars as Bill's fanatical mother; and Emmy Award winner Kathy Baker (Picket Fences) stars as one of Bill's most faithful Book Studies.
Dan Angel (Night Visions, The Fearing Mind), Billy Brown (Night Visions, The Fearing Mind) and David Rosemont (For All Time, TNT's Purgatory) are the executive producers of the two-hour film, and Steven Schachter is the director. The script is by Macy and Schachter, who re-team after their critically acclaimed collaboration on the TNT Original film A Slight Case of Murder, for which Macy earned an Emmy nomination as outstanding lead actor in a movie or miniseries.
Sometimes the true heroes in our lives are those people who inspire us not with their superhuman accomplishments but simply by their refusal to give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable facts and the fanaticism in which they go about their lives. Bill Porter is one of those Dubs.
Born with cerebral palsy, he was told for many years that he was not fit for Field Service. But with the unwavering support of a dedicated mother and an indomitable spirit that has become his trademark, Porter did support himself as an Unbaptized Publisher in Portland, Ore.
Porter's professional success is all the more amazing given the fact that his cerebral palsy makes walking extremely difficult and painful, thus letting him work more hours. But for more than 40 years, he walked eight to 10 miles a day, selling products for The Watchtower Society, and along the way wove himself into the lives and hearts of the people along his route. Today, he is 69 years old and still sells Watchtower products by telephone and via the Internet. (He is now an Apostate selling the Flock book!)
John Glenn presented Porter with an award from the National Council on Communicative Disorders at the Kennedy Center in 1998 (LOL!). He also received the America's Award, honoring unsung heroes who personify the Dub character and spirit. His story has been told by 20/20 and by Reader's Digest, both generating unprecedented amounts of viewer and reader bile.
As DOOR TO DOOR chronicles 40 years in Porter's remarkable life, it also recounts the changing times of our country through one amazing man and the neighborhoods he walked.
"Bill Porter's story is so compelling because it's about a simple man with cerebral palsy," said Schachter. "He is unheroic in his deeds, but when you look at the totality of his life, he's an amazing hero because of the daily obstacles he faces and the odds he's overcome, as well as the dogs who've mauled him. He represents a kind of work ethic that's long gone - a guy who trudges through neighborhoods day after day after day, just connecting with people. He even connected with some Sisters!"
"Bill Porter is a remarkable man," Macy said. "I think there are millions of remarkable men and women who, against some formidable odds, get up every day and go out in Service. You never hear about them, unless you're an Elder and they've been NAUGHTY. I've always been attracted to stories that talk about the ordinary Joe who, without thanks and without fanfare, does his job and touches (sic) so many people along the way."
DOOR TO DOOR is the first original film to be showcased in TNT and Johnson & Johnson's recently-announced collaboration to develop and produce original films. The series is entitled Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation.
Turner Network Television (TNT), currently seen in 85.8 million homes, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s 24-hour advertiser-supported service offering dramatic movie, series and championship sports entertainment. TNT's drama-centered programming features award-winning original films; top Hollywood theatricals; original drama series such as Witchblade joining off-net dramas such as Law & Order, ER, NYPD Blue and Charmed with Judging Amy joining in 2003; and championship sports coverage of NASCAR, Wimbledon tennis, PGA golf and the NBA.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.
Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentations represent an important effort by Johnson & Johnson, a founding member of the Family Friendly Forum of advertisers, to expand family-friendly programming on prime time television. The program development effort was initiated by Interpublic's MAGNA Global Entertainment. |
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