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“The Curious Mister Catesby” to be Uplinked Nationally By NETA In Cooperation with South Carolina ETV January 18 at 7:30 p.m.

For Immediate Release
November 19, 2008

A century before Audubon, Mark Catesby – scientist, artist, adventurer and gentleman – set sail for the Americas. What he found here would change his life. What he recorded would challenge our view of the world and our place in it.

At first glance, Mark Catesby (b. 1683) seems an unlikely pioneer. A gentleman “of small fortune” and middling education, far removed from London’s power and scientific prestige, he nevertheless embodied the spirit of his age. Drawn by curiosity and the convenience of family connections in Virginia, he sailed to the New World in 1712. When he returned to England seven years later, he was a changed man -- a budding adventurer, a skilled painter, and a field-trained naturalist who had drawn the attention of the leading men of his day.

Before his death in 1749, Mark Catesby would earn recognition at home and fame abroad. He would produce one of the most lavish and admired books of his century. His work would challenge the scientific world and gain him entrance into The Royal Society. Yet he would also live to see the focus of science change. He would die in poverty, and within a few generations his achievements – and even his name -- would be virtually forgotten.

To tell this remarkable story, The Curious Mister Catesby features an historically accurate and meticulously crafted script, the voices of professional actors and leading authorities, original music based on Colonial-era themes, lush cinematography and state-of-the-art editing techniques. From beginning to end, the deep color values and saturations of the film match the breathtaking beauty of Catesby’s etchings and recently re-discovered paintings. The effect is sensuous, intimate and lyrical, allowing viewers to experience first-hand the stillness and unspoiled beauty of this largely unknown landscape. While powerfully communicating the story’s dramatic and emotional impact, every effort has been made to present a true and accurate introduction to The Curious Mister Catesby.

Filmed on location in London, Washington DC and South Carolina, where Catesby performed the bulk of his field studies, it recounts the life and examines the legacy of this pioneering naturalist. The program was produced by David Elliott and Cynthia Neal of Marsh Elder Productions, LLC. Miss Neal, one of North America’s premier wildlife documentary filmmakers, directed the production. It received its international premiere at The Royal Society in November, 2007, receiving a favorable review in The Times [London]. Sir David Attenborough was among those present who praised the production for its breathtaking footage and gripping human story.

That story is a timely one, for Mark Catesby was among the first to warn that our world – whose richness and variety he chronicled so movingly – was threatened by the hand of man. Many of the species he helped introduce to the astonished eyes of Europe – the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Passenger Pigeon and Carolina Parakeet, among others – no longer remain. What’s more, his writings contain perhaps the first record of a species’ disappearance due to habitat degradation.

Cynthia Neal’s unmatched access to pristine locations in the Carolinas – many preserved continuously in private hands – offers viewers a rare glimpse of a landscape still startlingly close to how it appeared to Mark Catesby himself. The producers enjoyed similar access to Catesby’s art and writing. The Curious Mister Catesby was filmed with the cooperation of The Smithsonian Institution Libraries, London’s Natural History Museum, The Royal Society, and The Royal Collections at Windsor Castle.

Specially produced for public television, The Curious Mister Catesby is especially relevant because it connects effectively with viewers about the importance of conserving the value and beauty of our natural and historic resources in a way that will resonate with audiences, and they will thoroughly enjoy.

Directed and produced by Cynthia Neal, this documentary was written by Mike Purswell, with Chris Conder as Director of Photography, Kurt Poole as Director of Post Production, Scott Brasher as Composer and Music Director, Rhea Borzak doing the Graph Design and Michael David the Sound Design. The Executive Producer was David Elliott.

The project was produced for the Catesby Commemorative Trust by Marsh Elder Productions LLC in cooperation with South Carolina ETV. It was made possible by the financial and intangible support of over 100 organizations and individuals.

The on-screen host Dennis Stone conducted live interviews with:

Marvin Dulaney, assistant professor, The College of Charleston & executive director, Avery Institute for Afro-American History & Culture

Leslie Overstreet, curator of Natural-History Rare Books, The Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Washington DC

Judith Magee, Library Collections development manager, Natural History Museum, London

Charles Waring, publisher, The Charleston Mercury, Charleston, SC

Academic advisors to the production included:

Alan Feduccia, S. K. Heninger professor of Biology and Geology, University of North Carolina

Dr. David Gordon, manager, Coastal Programs, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, & adjunct assistant professor Clemson University
Dr. Suzanne Linder, author of numerous books and articles on the history of South Carolina.

Dr. Amy Meyers, director, Yale Collection of British Art, Yale University,

Leslie Overstreet, curator of Natural-History Rare Books Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Henrietta McBurney Ryan, former deputy curator of the Print Room, Royal Library, Windsor Castle

ABOUT South Carolina ETV
South Carolina ETV is South Carolina's statewide network with 11 television stations, eight radio stations and a closed-circuit educational telecommunications system in more than 2,000 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies.

South Carolina ETV brings non-commercial, inspiring public television not only to the citizens of South Carolina, but through its national productions, to the rest of the United States and the world. Recent and upcoming presentations include The Power of Forgiveness, Germans in America, and Uncorked! Wine Made Simple. Past productions include Making Schools Work with Hedrick Smith, and Journey to Planet Earth, hosted by Matt Damon (the only continuing environmental series on PBS). South Carolina ETV Radio produces Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, NPR’s longest running performance program.

For almost 50 years, education has been South Carolina ETV’s primary mission, harnessing television’s enormous power to inform and stimulate young minds. The network’s educational commitment now extends from early childhood to adult education. Distance learning and telecourses let students earn college credit or a GED without leaving home. Teachers and other professionals, including childcare providers, regularly update job skills through South Carolina ETV. Adults also learn to read through the easily accessible services of its literacy campaign. South Carolina ETV’s knowitall.org educational Web portal provides on-line classroom materials that meet state curriculum standards.

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.

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

Photo from "The Curious Mister Catesby."