High resolution images are below

Pressroom

• Media Contacts
• Press Releases
• ETV Management Team
• Logo Farm
• ETV Style Guidelines
• Stock Photos

South Carolina ETV

• About ETV
• History of ETV
• Testimonials
• Annual Reports
• Schedule a Tour
• Weather Center
• Contact Us

Stay Connected

ETV to Broadcast Sesame Street’s “Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change”

For Immediate Release
February 20, 2009

On Wednesday, April 1, ETV, in partnership with the South Carolina National Guard, brings award-winning singer and actress Queen Latifah, Grammy Award-winning singer John Mayer, and…yes, Elmo as they join forces in a PBS primetime special, Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change. This local broadcast is generously supported by the Greater Columbia Marine Foundation.

The program can be seen statewide beginning at 8 p.m.

Airing in conjunction with “Month of the Military Child,” this half-hour special tells the touching stories of service members who return home with injuries, visible and invisible, and explores the heroic struggles their families face in discovering a new way of finding a “new normal.”

Produced by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, in association with David Letterman’s production company Worldwide Pants Incorporated and Lookalike Productions, the special salutes the extraordinary courage and strength of these military families and offers the general public a powerful glimpse into what the families often must endure.

Following the presidential inauguration, First Lady Michelle Obama shared, “You hear the stories -- a lot of young mothers with small kids trying to work and balance and pay the bills. They’re dealing with their loved one on their second or third tour of duty or coming home with a physical disability, or a mental disability, without the support that they need.”

This program is a perfect complement to the First Lady’s comments as it explores the challenges faced by injured soldiers and their families, salutes their extraordinary courage, offers coping strategies and resources, and helps families recognize they are not alone in the process. The show also gives voice to the children who play a central role in the family’s adjustment process.

“As America’s public broadcaster, PBS is proud to bring resources and tools to families that help them navigate their way through life,” said John F. Wilson, Chief TV Programming Executive, PBS. “These stories of courage and strength from military moms and dads will not only help reach and support families facing similar challenges, but also illustrate to all Americans the extraordinary sacrifices these military families make everyday.”

South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.

###

For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.

Hosts Queen Latifah, John Mayer, Elmo and Rosito in "Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change." Photo courtesy of Richard Termine.

Award-winning singer/songwriter John Mayer with Elmo in "Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change." Photo courtesy of Richard Termine.

Sesame Street's Rosita in "Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change." Photo courtesy of Richard Termine.