For More Information:
Jonna Mayberry, publicist, 608-263-3364, [email protected]
Mik Derks, producer, 608-265-6376, [email protected]
New Jerry Apps Documentary Never Curse the Rain Premieres on WPT
Beloved Wisconsin author, historian and storyteller Jerry Apps has built a fruitful partnership with Wisconsin Public Television (WPT), sharing stories of rural life and lore in three popular films since 2012. Now, Apps returns to WPT for a fourth time to share his memories of water — from its life-giving power on his family farm during the Great Depression, to the calming properties that may offer a respite from the commotion of modern life.
WPT's new documentary Jerry Apps: Never Curse the Rain premieres 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 8 on WPT and 7 p.m. Thursday, March 16 on Milwaukee PBS. The program is a filmed companion to Never Curse the Rain, Apps' newest book from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Reflecting on water's importance throughout his life, Apps shares why his father told him, "Jerry, never curse the rain." In a change from Apps' three previous collaborations with WPT, the film travels throughout his whole life. From child to "old timer," Apps shares how water has impacted every aspect of his life, and continues to be a source of tranquility.
WPT's previous Jerry Apps documentaries – Jerry Apps: A Farm Story, A Farm Winter With Jerry Apps and The Land With Jerry Apps ­– received national attention from PBS and were made available to audiences across the country. Apps' heartwarming, relatable stories of childhood and rural life appeal to farm kids and city kids alike.
Jerry Apps: Never Curse the Rain producer Mik Derks — who has also produced the three previous documentaries — praises Apps' broad appeal, saying: "He gave permission to his audiences to remember their childhoods fondly."
Funding for Jerry Apps: Never Curse the Rain is provided in part by Greg and Carol Griffin Family, Ron and Colleen Weyers, Stanley J. Cottrill Fund, Joel and Carol Gainer, Wisconsin History Fund (supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities) and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.
WPT is a service of the Educational Communications Board and University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Wisconsin Public Television is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV, Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV, Park Falls; WHLA- TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV, Menomonie-Eau Claire.