Philly D.A.
2021 American documentary series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philly D.A. is a 2021 American documentary series revolving around progressive Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, district attorney Larry Krasner.[1] It consists of 8-episodes and premiered on PBS through Independent Lens on April 20, 2021.[2]
- Ted Passon
- Yoni Brook
- Nicola Salazar
| Philly D.A. | |
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| Genre | Documentary |
| Directed by |
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| Music by | Dan Deacon |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography | Yoni Brook |
| Editors |
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| Running time | 55-58 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | PBS |
| Release | April 20 – June 1, 2021 |
Synopsis
The eight episode docuseries series follows Larry Krasner, a progressive district attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, through his election and first term.
Episodes
| No. | Title [3] | Directed by | Original release date [3] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "You're the Man Now" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook | April 20, 2021 | N/A |
| 2 | "Damaged Goods" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook | April 20, 2021 | N/A |
| 3 | "This is a Capital Case!" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook | April 27, 2021 | N/A |
| 4 | "Scarlet Letter F" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook Nicole Salazar | May 4, 2021 | N/A |
| 5 | "Second Chances" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook | May 11, 2021 | N/A |
| 6 | "Enemies of Civilization" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook | May 18, 2021 | N/A |
| 7 | "You Prosecute Cops" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook Nicole Salazar | May 25, 2021 | N/A |
| 8 | "Are We Winning?" | Ted Passon Yoni Brook | June 1, 2021 | N/A |
Release
The series had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on February 2, 2021, with the first two episodes of the series.[4][5][6][7] It also screened at the Berlin International Film Festival on March 2, 2021.[8] PBS began airing the series on April 20, 2021, on Independent Lens.[9][10] Topic released the series on July 1, 2021.[11]
Reception
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 92% based on 21 reviews[12]
Kathryn VanArendok of Vulture said that "Philly D.A. is the second coming of The Wire, in docuseries form… It’s compelling… it’s gripping… engrossing, and heartbreaking… The show should be viewed as a model for an entire genre of documentary storytelling. I’m totally mesmerized by this series, I could not stop watching it."[13] Matt Brennan of the Los Angeles Times said Philly D.A. is "the best TV show I've seen all year" [14] while Ben Travers of Indiewire said "I’m relatively sure it’s the best documentary series of 2021. It’s certainly the most illuminating, enthralling, and impressive..."[15] Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred called it "easily the best docuseries of 2021… cameras are present for some riveting moments, as if this were a masterfully scripted HBO drama… a rare and exceptional documentary reality series."[16] Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily wrote, "Riveting...a must see."[17]
Time magazine, Los Angeles Times, and Vulture included Philly D.A. on their lists of the "Best TV Shows of 2021".[18][19]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema Eye Honors | March 1, 2022 | Outstanding Nonfiction Series | Philly D.A. | Nominated | [20] |
| Gotham Awards | November 29, 2021 | Breakthrough Nonfiction Series | Philly D.A. | Won | [21] |
| IDA Documentary Awards | March 4, 2022 | Best Multi-Part Documentary | Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicole Salazar, Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald, Dawn Porter, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Nion McEvoy, Patty Quillin, Jeff Seelbach, Ryan Chanatry, and Gena Konstantinakos | Nominated | [22][23] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | March 6, 2022 | Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series | Philly D.A. | Nominated | [24] |
| Peabody Awards | June 6–9, 2022 | Documentary | Philly D.A. | Won | [25] |
