Sunday Best Documentary
Currently in post-production.
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
Harry Belafonte and Ed Sullivan
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.
The Music:
Sunday Best is jam-packed with early, rare performances that are some of the best-ever recorded on
film, including a 10-year old Michael Jackson’s TV debut and a jaw- dropping set from Stevie Wonder at just 13. This foot-stomping, heart-racing soundtrack is the backbone of the documentary; lively and propulsive drumbeat to carry us from the early days of rock ‘n roll through the technicolor ’60’s. The documentary includes performances by: Bo Diddley, Elvis Presley, Harry Belafonte, Ike & Tina Turner, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Mahalia Jackson, Nat King Cole, Gladys Knight, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, and The Supremes.
The Creative Team:
Sacha Jenkins - Director (1971-2025)
Veteran music journalist, filmmaker and musician Sacha Jenkins has been a foremost expert on hip-hop culture for three decades. Jenkins is an experienced television and film producer, serving as both acreative consultant and writer on Cartoon Network’s “The Boondocks”, and as executive producer on VH1’s “The White Rapper Show” (2007). In 2012, Jenkins joined media company Mass Appeal as Chief Creative Officer. Jenkins served as executive producer on the Netflix series “Rapture” (2018), an eight-part docuseries on a broad range of artists from T.I. and Rhapsody to Nas and Dave East, and directed the latter episode. His first feature-length documentary,“Fresh Dressed” (about hip-hop fashion), premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Jenkins would go on to direct “Burn Motherfucker, Burn!” (2017) and “Word Is Bond” (2018), both of which premiered on Showtime. Hislatest directorial project, “Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men” —a four-part doc series chronicles 25 yearsof the seminal group’s career. It premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival before airing on Showtime in May 2019, and was nominated for a 2019 Primetime Emmy.
Margo Precht Speciale - Producer
Margo Precht Speciale is the founder of MPS Legacy Productions, a boutique archival research and production company based in Maryland. She specializes in documentary films that combine rigorous investigation, rarely seen footage, and compelling storytelling to examine the people and forces that have shaped American culture. Margo began her career as an archival producer and researcher, working across documentaries, museum exhibitions, and television projects. As an archival producer she has worked on titles including “Reinventing Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback” , and the upcoming HBO two-part documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” . She has also served as a producer for live television specials like “The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors” . Over the past decade, she has established a reputation for uncovering rare materials and transforming them into narratives that resonate. Through MPS Legacy Productions, she continues to create work that honors truth, celebrates the human spirit, and sparks meaningful conversation.
Rafael Marmor - Producer
Rafael Marmor is the founder of Delirio Films. His first feature documentary BLUE BLOOD was released theatrically by Warner UK before its broadcast premiere on The BBC. He went on to produce a number of films including Alma Har’el’s BOMBAY BEACH, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival; NO PLACE ON EARTH, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival before its nationwide theatrical release; and The Short Game, which won the audience award at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival and became Netflix’s first Original Documentary. His next film, CAN YOU DIG THIS, won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 LA Film Fest. In 2017, he produced the SXSW audience award winner BECOMING BOND as well as TOO FUNNY TO FAIL as part of Hulu’s first original documentary slate. Marmor’s documentaries ASK DR RUTH and MIKE WALLACE IS HERE premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019, alongside his first scripted film, HONEY BOY, which earned director Alma Har’el a DGA Award. In a partnership with LeBron James’ SpringHill company in 2020, Marmor executive produced the Emmy-nominated Netflix docu-series THE PLAYBOOK. In 2021, he went on to produce SHADOW KINGDOM, a concert film for Bob Dylan directed by Alma Har’el, and the documentary short CODED: THE HIDDEN LOVE OF J.C. LEYENDECKER, which won Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival and was shortlisted for the 2022 Academy Awards. Marmor’s most recent releases were THEY CALL ME MAGIC, a 4-part documentary series which premiered on Apple TV+, and REGGIE, an Amazon original documentary about baseball great Reggie Jackson. In 2024, Marmor produced WILL & HARPER, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, portraying an intimate road trip Will Ferrell takes with his close friend of 30 years who transitioned to a woman. The film has since been acquired by Netflix, was shortlisted at the Oscars, and won a Peabody Award in 2025.
Christopher Leggett - Producer
Christopher Leggett is a partner at Delirio Films, a Los Angeles-based film, television, and commercial production company. Leggett began his producing career at NBC / Universal Sports, covering three Olympic Games and was the creator of Against The Tide, an original six-part series, during his tenure. Leggett produced THE SHORT GAME, which won the Audience Award at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival and was picked up by Netflix as their first Original Documentary; LOVETRUE, which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at Karlovy Vary; and a pair of features for Hulu’s first original documentary slate, TOO FUNNY TO FAIL and the 2017 SXSW Audience Award winner BECOMING BOND. Leggett’s documentaries, ASK DR RUTH and MIKE WALLACE IS HERE, premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival alongside his first scripted film, HONEY BOY, which was nominated for four Spirit Awards and earned director Alma Har’el a DGA Award. Leggett executive produced the Emmy-nominated Netflix docu-series THE PLAYBOOK. In 2021, he went on to produce SHADOW KINGDOM, a concert film for Bob Dylan directed by Alma Har’el, and the documentary short CODED: THE HIDDEN LOVE OF J.C. LEYENDECKER, which won Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival and was shortlisted for the 2022 Academy Awards. Leggett’s most recent releases were THEY CALL ME MAGIC, a 4-part documentary series which premiered on Apple TV+, and REGGIE, an Amazon original documentary about baseball great Reggie Jackson. In 2024, Leggett produced WILL & HARPER, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, portraying an intimate road trip Will Ferrell takes with his close friend of 30 years who transitioned to a woman. The film has since been acquired by Netflix, was shortlisted at the Oscars, and won a Peabody Award in 2025. Leggett also produced LADY IN THE LAKE, a limited series for Apple TV+, starring Natalie Portman and Emmy Award nominee Moses Ingram.
Mark Monroe - Producer
Diamond Docs co-founder Mark Monroe is a two-time EMMY winner, three-time WGA award winner, and BAFTA nominee, whose credits include ICARUS and THE COVE, which both won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Other notable credits include Emmy winner JIM HENSON IDEA MAN with Ron Howard, Grammy winner THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK with Ron Howard, Peabody nominee LUCY AND DESI with Amy Poehler, THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART with Frank Marshall, BECOMING COUSTEAU with Liz Garbus, BEFORE THE FLOOD with Leonardo DiCaprio, THE DISSIDENT with Bryan Fogel, WATCH THE SOUND with Mark Ronson & Morgan Neville, and TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS with Mike Judge. He recently directed the Emmy-nominated CHARLIE HUSTLE & THE MATTER OF PETE ROSE for HBO MAX, as well as TITAN: THE OCEANGATE DISASTER for Netflix.