National Geographic Channel Gathers the Biggest Names in Pop Culture and Politics to Tell the Story of The '90s: The Last Great Decade?

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- They had us singing, laughing, crying, cheering and reflecting, sometimes all at the same time. They are the some of the most memorable faces and characters of a decade marked by political change, technological innovation, and grunge and pop music, and beginning Sunday, July 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) brings them all together for an unprecedented look back with The '90s: The Last Great Decade?, narrated by Rob Lowe.

Following last year's critically acclaimed The '80s: The Decade That Made Us, NGC once again presents the defining documentary of a generation, this time exploring the meaning behind the milestones to determine if the '90s was in fact the last great decade.

Featuring more than 120 original interviews, the three-night event The '90s: The Last Great Decade? presents the decade's most unpredictable, unforgettable and unbelievable moments like no one has before.

Lending their voices to one of the first definitive examinations of the era of White House scandals overalls and Viagra are:

ENTERTAINMENT

• Jason Alexander
• Roseanne Barr
• Sandra Bernhard
• Neve Campbell
• Chris Carter
• Ice Cube
• Shannen Doherty
• Melissa Etheridge
• Arsenio Hall
• Vanilla Ice
• Penn Jillette
• Kurt Loder
• Courtney Love
• Matthew Perry
• Susan Sarandon
• Richard Schiff
• Martin Sheen
• John Singleton
• Tabitha Soren
• Jerry Springer
• James Van Der Beek

POLITICS & NEWS

• Tony Blair
• Tucker Carlson
• James Carville
• Connie Chung
• Newt Gingrich
• Rudy Giuliani
• Dick Morris
• DeeDee Myers
• Colin Powell
• Dan Rather
• Elizabeth Vargas
• Brian Williams

With more still to be announced.

Many of the interviews reveal surprising nuggets about topics you may not expect to hear from them:

Courtney Love on Kurt Cobain's supposed disinterest in fame
"He wanted it [fame] bad. He wrote to every major, minor, any label, 'We'll pay. Let us be on your label.' He was desperate to be the biggest rock star in the world. Absolutely desperate. But he made it look like it was all thrust upon him."

Arsenio Hall on the unsolved murder of Tupac Shakur
"I believe if Justin Bieber had gotten shot in Tupac's car, we'd know more."

Melissa Etheridge on Matthew Sheppard's murder
"It was sort of a wake-up call to reality. We in the entertainment business, and in media in general, had been riding this beautiful wave of 'gay is okay.'"

Colin Powell on the Macarena
"I was at a Boys and Girls Club in Arizona and one young girl said, 'Can you dance the Macarena?' I said, 'Sure I can!' And the next thing I know I was on national television dancing the Macarena and I said, 'Oh my god! I have to be careful.'"

Newt Gingrich on the Bill Clinton sex scandal  
"I think we, to some extent, misplayed it."

Revisiting the decade through "inside out" storytelling and analysis, The '90s: The Last Great Decade? uses charismatic storytelling and memorable footage to ignite conversation about the decade in between the Cold War and the War on Terror. It was a decade of highs and lows. Bill Clinton swept into office on the promise of change; we all made new "Friends"; the LA Riots kept us glued to our TVs; Nirvana gave Generation X a voice but everyone danced the Macarena; and "The Real World" and Jerry Springer changed the television programming landscape. It was a time when technology accelerated us into our digital future, when the United States had won a Cold War yet faced a new enemy driven by fanaticism. A time when billionaires were created faster than ever before, and even the government had a surplus.

The '90s: The Last Great Decade? will air globally on NGC in 440 million homes in 171 countries and in 45 languages, and on the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo.

Nutopia's Jane Root and Peter Lovering are executive producers, and supervising producer is Fred Hepburn. For National Geographic Channels, Erik Nelson and Michael Cascio are executive producers; Alan Eyres is senior vice president, programming and development; and Lynn Sadofsky is vice president, production and development.

National Geographic Channel
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

SOURCE National Geographic Channel