Sunday Best Documentary

Sunday Best Documentary

It is one thing to look at the transformation of the United States of America through the prism of what Dr. King brought to the table. But the Civil Rights Movement would never been able to sustain itself with the intensity that it did if there were not subtle forces at play. That subtle force was… Ed Sullivan.

– Harry Belafonte, Civil Rights Activist and Award Winning Singer and Actor

Documentary Overview

Sunday Best finds us in 1955, a pivotal year in a politically and socially explosive decade for America and for Ed Sullivan. It was the dawn of civil rights: a year that saw Emmet Till’s murder, Rosa Parks’ heroic stand, and the Montgomery bus boycott. It was also the year Toast of the Town, the show that Ed hosted, became The Ed Sullivan Show, one that was his in every way.

The film tracks Ed’s story over the next nine years: from history-making performances to backlash over his diverse lineup, to famous friendships and feuds to network drama, interwoven with the political, cultural, and historical milestones of the decade.

We land in 1964 with the signing of the Civil Rights Act and the explosion of Motown. While remaining primarily in this timeline, the documentary bounces back and forth to significant moments in Sullivan’s childhood, early life, and career that shaped his television personality, his innovative perspective, and defined who he was as a person.

Filmmakers had full use of The Ed Sullivan Show archive, which features 1,000 episodes of the show and over 10,000 performances. They also had complete access to the Ed Sullivan Estate and Ed’s personal archive, which includes never-before-seen home videos, photos, scrapbooks, personal letters, and documents.

Before TV, Ed Sullivan gained fame as journalist and entertainment reporter. He wrote a nationally syndicated weekly column for over 40 years, leaving behind thousands of published articles alongside his personal records.

Working with cutting-edge tech company Respeecher (known for their work on Disney’s The Mandelorian), the filmmakers have recreated Sullivan’s voice using his own words, allowing audiences into his intimate, private thoughts while the story is unfolding in real time.